Author: Kathy
Growing things in my greenhouse is a very satisfying hobby of mine that pays in the form of good things to eat. My husband made a frame of poles and lumber and then mounted several old windows upside down so we could open the windows to vent the heat from the top. It has a south facing orientation, a clear vinyl roof covering, and a glass storm door. I dug the old soil out to a depth of about ten inches and put good composted soil in its place. As the spring progresses, we have to open the windows everyday and close them at night. It has at times reached 120 degrees inside before we got the windows open. The plants can tolerate this kind of heat for a while as long as it is very moist inside. I have grown Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, onions and potatoes, all kinds of lettuce, green peppers and a large variety of greens. We have used a small gas stove and a wood stove for a source of heat on nights when the temperature dips to the 20s. I have learned that everything except cucumbers, potatoes, squash, tomatoes and peppers do not need heat at night. We have however successfully covered the peppers and tomatoes on cold nights when we didn’t use a source of heat. My husband says that we have more lettuce that HEB, and it tastes better too.
