blog
tips and tricks for greenhouse gardening success
Gardening For Your Life: Haskap Berries
Siberian honey berries—also called Haskap berries—are a delightful addition to any prairie garden. They are among the first berries to ripen in spring. I usually eat a few handfuls before my strawberries and Saskatoon berries are ready! The plant has been around for...
Tomato Versus The Volcano
Harvesting a healthy tomato crop in the fall is the Holy Grail for Prairie Gardeners. To get to that end, we have to navigate all the great obstacles that nature puts in our way, including extreme heat! Extended periods of high heat (above 30C) and sun can wreak havoc...
Getting Your Greenhouse Ready for Summer Vacation
Summertime on the prairies usually includes a vacation away from home, whether it’s a weekend of camping or a longer road trip. If you are taking that vacation, here are a few tips you should follow to make sure your plants are ok while you are away. Protect your...
The Secret to Strawberries
Being a summer baby, I always associate strawberries with birthday celebrations and languid, warm days. They are one of my favourite fruits, and fill me with yumminess and happiness. Strawberries are fascinating from a botanical standpoint. The berry we eat and enjoy...
How to Prevent Fungal Disease
Humidity can lead to fungal diseases like gray mould botrytis or powdery mildew on your greenhouse plants. The ideal relative humidity (RH) for your greenhouse is 50-70%, but in a hobby greenhouse–without all the machinery and environmental controls of a...
Blossom End Rot Q&A
When is the right time to start adding calcium/magnesium to your watering regime? Start using it every 7-10 days once your plants start flowering. I was really good about watering my tomatoes after the fruit appeared, so why did I get blossom end rot? Blossom End Rot...
Spring Greenhouse Maintenance
Spring is the ideal time to prepare yourself—and your equipment—for a new growing season. Here are five things to do before the outdoor season hits. Sterilize equipment Sterilize your shears and secateurs in a 10% bleach solution. I use a 500ml measuring cup with 50ml...
Using Beans And Peas To Enrich Your Soil
Nitrogen is one of the most vital nutrients plants need to grow. You can make sure plants have enough by either using compost or adding fertilizer to your feeding practice. A third, simple and delicious way is to grow nitrogen-fixing plants. Nitrogen fixers⸺beans and...
5 Tips For Cold Weather Seeding
One of the best things about having a greenhouse in your backyard is you can get a head start on your garden, soak up some of that beautiful sunshine, and shake off some of that cabin fever from a long winter. Over this late March weekend, I did just that, getting in...
Seed Shop After Asking These Six Questions
Here are six questions to consider when you go seed shopping: 1. Are you a veggie or flower grower? I’m veggie annuals and mostly perennial flowers so I walk right past the flower seed aisle and focus on my vegetable seeds. 2. How much room do you have for growing...
The Problem with Spider Mites
Evidence of a two-spotted spider mite infestation in a hobby greenhouse in Alberta, Canada. Recorded Saturday, August 27, 2022.
Gray Mold Botrytis on Tomatoes
Your greenhouse is a glorious place for tomatoes to grow. It's warmer than outdoors. Plants are protected from wind damage. The heat of the greenhouse warms the soil so the roots are happier and the plant grows faster and more lush. There is a challenge we have to...
How to Buy Healthy Plants
Your best protection against a weak or diseased garden is prevention in the form of smart shopping. Start with healthy plants to give your garden the greatest chance for success. Plants that have been allowed to wilt frequently in the hot sun are never a bargain, no...
Buying a Greenhouse: 5 Things to Consider
Consider these five things when deciding which greenhouse works best for you. 1. Cost: Start with $/sqft but make sure you are comparing apples to apples here. When it comes down to dollar comparisons, some greenhouses are sturdy, some are flimsy. Some are made of...
5 Favourite Hobby Greenhouse Tools
Remote Weather Sensor - put a sensor in the greenhouse so you can monitor from the comfort of your home. This is clutch when the weather starts to warm in spring so you can go out and adjust the temperature using manual vents, opening the top of the dutch door, and...
How to Set Up your Hobby Greenhouse
You finally took the plunge! If you're like me, you dreamed of a greenhouse for years (decades?) and tried out a bunch of flimsy ones before finally investing in something that will last you for a few years. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of it....
Don’t Waste Greenhouse Space on These 10 Plants
Your hobby greenhouse can do a few things really well: It can protect your fragile (and expensive) crops from getting destroyed by those prairie hail storm. It can give you a head start on growing early in the season (harvesting your own lettuce and spinach in April?...
12’ or 16’ Greenhouse Assembly (with video)
Caution: Some parts of the greenhouse can be extremely sharp so please use caution - and gloves - when handling the sheet metal. Tools Needed: Step Ladder (can be done with one but two will make it easier) Drill - electric or cordless #2 Phillips and #2 Robertson...
7×8′ Greenhouse Assembly (with video)
Caution: Some parts of the greenhouse can be extremely sharp so please use caution - and gloves - when handling the sheet metal. Tools Needed: Step Ladder (can be done with one but two will make it easier) Drill - electric or cordless #2 Phillips and #2 Robertson...
Heat-activated Vent Opener (video tutorial)
Your heat-activated vent opener requires no external power source, just the physics of thermal expansion. In this video, Loren explains how to set the opener and provides advice on how to protect it over the winter months. NOTE: the screws holding the barrel are...
