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Ortho's All About Gardening
All About Greenhouses
Whether you want indoor space for orchids and blooming tropicals or a year-round site to grow vegetables and cut flowers, you'll discover a whole new world of gardening in a greenhouse with this book in hand. It provides plans and building tips, advice on kits and equipment, and proven growing techniques. It's the complete guide to creating and using your indoor paradise.
- GenresGardeningNonfiction
96 pages, Paperback
First published August 15, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
September 28, 2026
Very detailed. 5 stars for the greenhouse part.
4 1/2 stars, overall, because when they talk about controlling pests or diseases, they bring up zero natural solutions. No ladybugs, no praying mantises, etc. To their credit, they DO mention soapy water and alcohol.
4 1/2 stars, overall, because when they talk about controlling pests or diseases, they bring up zero natural solutions. No ladybugs, no praying mantises, etc. To their credit, they DO mention soapy water and alcohol.
April 20, 2014
a good book for building. lots of nice pictures and plans. my notes:
planting low growing shrubs around the greenhouse foundation can add insulation.
SA x DR = heat loss or BTU's needed. Surface Area - length x height of each wall and roof section (not the floor) added together. measure in feet. equals total square footage or SA. Degree Rise - what your heater must overcome. the difference between the coldest outdoor temp, and the night time temperature you wish to maintain in the greenhouse. example 55 - 15 = 40 DR.
gas heaters must be vented or can be toxic to plants.
utility heaters with a thermostat and a fan, located under a bench, will give a circular air pattern and fairly uniform temperatures.
infrared heaters mounted overhead can save 25% electricity costs.
climate controller monitors conditions and activates different pieces of equipment such as heaters or ventilation fans.
glauber's salt and calcium chloride hexahydrate stored in metal tubes contain heat during day and release at night. better than water.
shad cloth at 40-60% are the best choice for summers heat.
vents should be 20-30% of floor area.
fan size - floor area sq ft x 12 = fan output cfm
evaporative cooling is good in summer, but hard for smaller greenhouses.
clean plastic pots with 1 part bleach and 9 parts water.
yellow and blue sticky traps for non-chemical pest management in greenhouse.
hygrometer, multiple thermometers in different locations, min/max thermometer, soil thermometer
sprayer/spritzer with water for misting leaves.
potting bench, a place to mix soils and pot stuff, or transplant to bigger pots. and a place to hang hand tools and gloves.
try not to let temp get over 80-85`, it stresses the plants.
store potting soil in air tight bins.
solsun.com for shade control.
planting low growing shrubs around the greenhouse foundation can add insulation.
SA x DR = heat loss or BTU's needed. Surface Area - length x height of each wall and roof section (not the floor) added together. measure in feet. equals total square footage or SA. Degree Rise - what your heater must overcome. the difference between the coldest outdoor temp, and the night time temperature you wish to maintain in the greenhouse. example 55 - 15 = 40 DR.
gas heaters must be vented or can be toxic to plants.
utility heaters with a thermostat and a fan, located under a bench, will give a circular air pattern and fairly uniform temperatures.
infrared heaters mounted overhead can save 25% electricity costs.
climate controller monitors conditions and activates different pieces of equipment such as heaters or ventilation fans.
glauber's salt and calcium chloride hexahydrate stored in metal tubes contain heat during day and release at night. better than water.
shad cloth at 40-60% are the best choice for summers heat.
vents should be 20-30% of floor area.
fan size - floor area sq ft x 12 = fan output cfm
evaporative cooling is good in summer, but hard for smaller greenhouses.
clean plastic pots with 1 part bleach and 9 parts water.
yellow and blue sticky traps for non-chemical pest management in greenhouse.
hygrometer, multiple thermometers in different locations, min/max thermometer, soil thermometer
sprayer/spritzer with water for misting leaves.
potting bench, a place to mix soils and pot stuff, or transplant to bigger pots. and a place to hang hand tools and gloves.
try not to let temp get over 80-85`, it stresses the plants.
store potting soil in air tight bins.
solsun.com for shade control.
January 20, 2013
Very helpful when I was trying to decide if I wanted to build a greenhouse
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January 14, 2016nice
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews