The past couple of weeks Whispering Springs Nursery in Jasper, Ga., has had a Greenhouse Growing Series of blog posts, explaining why some gardeners prefer to grow in greenhouses instead of outdoors. As a nursery, we at Whispering Springs grow much of our vast plant selection in our greenhouses. To recap our past posts, some reasons to greenhouse grow are to protect your plants from pests and the elements; to collect solar energy to heat your plants, which do this by releasing thermal energy slowly through the night; and sometimes the look of a greenhouse (shape, style, function, etc.) may be appealing and give your green space a more little character and value. For Part Three of Greenhouse Growing, we shall review the growing seasons and challenges that come with greenhouse growing.

Growing Seasons

One of the great features of greenhouses, are their ability to allow gardening all year round. This means you’ll have all four seasons of gardening and growing to look forward to once your greenhouse is up and running!

• Spring– Use this time to create seedlings. Start the seeds in trays and then move them into larger pots as they grow into seedlings. When all chances of frost are over, they can be moved outside.

• Summer- Summertime is the ideal time to start perennials and fall flowers.

• Fall- Get a jump on the holidays by starting your holiday plants, like amaryllis bulbs or Christmas cactus, during this time.

• Winter- Use your greenhouse to protect annuals and other tender plants during this time. Winter is also a great time to grow cold-hardy vegetables, like spinach or kale.

Greenhouse Growing Challenges

While the benefits of having a greenhouse are incredible, there are still a few challenges to contend with on occasion:

• Pests- If insects that are considered to be ‘bad bugs,’ get into your greenhouse, it is very easy for them to quickly infest it. This is because they will have plenty of food, water, shelter, and no natural predators around to eat them up. Keep your eye out for any pests!

• Plant Diseases- Viruses, mold and fungi enjoy warm and humid conditions, making your greenhouse a perfect spot. Combat these by keeping your greenhouse well circulated and by isolating any affected plants.

This completes our Greenhouse Growing Series! We do hope this short series has been informative.  Regardless of whether you choose to grow indoors or outdoors, please stop by Whispering Springs Nursery sometime. We would love to show you around our vast selection of plants and flowers, and help you create some incredible garden plans for your home!

Questions or concerns? Please contact Whispering Springs Nursery today and don’t forget to give us a review or comment on our Google+ page!