greenliving
locavoreindex. She recommends, “Start small, with a plant or two, and then make one change a week toward greater self-sustainable living.”
Success Tips
Greenhouse Magic Eat Homegrown
Organic Veggies Year-Round by Avery Mack
M
uch of America’s supermarket produce is expected to ripen in trucks, stores or at home after
traveling many hundreds of miles from field to table. During the past six years, as Americans’ hunger for fresher, better- tasting food has deepened, the number of home gardens has risen by 8 percent, to 113 million. That’s more than one for every three people.
Organic gardeners and others find that adding a greenhouse provides just-picked fruit and vegetables at their natural peak of ripeness and signifi- cantly extends the growing season. Pre- planted seeds and seedlings flourish in the protected environment and provide robust plants for an outdoor garden. Many vegetables, especially greens, can provide multiple harvests in the green- house well into the colder months.
Explore Fresh Horizons “Greenhouse gardens are a constant ex- periment,” says Roger Marshall, author of The Greenhouse Gardener’s Manual, in Jamestown, Rhode Island. “I grew
44 Lehigh Valley
olive trees from seed, but they were sterile, so I had to buy propagated trees. Like my fig tree, everything will eventu- ally outgrow the space allotted for it.” The plants get nothing unless
you provide it, adds Marshall. His two, 300-square-foot greenhouses use 100 gallons of water every three days, some collected in 55-gallon rain barrels. During winters, the unheated greenhouse protects leafy greens and root crops. Hydroponic lettuce and herbs share the propane-heated green- house with figs, lemon grass, ginger, galangal and nine citrus trees. He opines there’s nothing like fresh Key lime pie in January. In Alstead, New Hampshire, Celeste Longacre, author of Celeste’s Garden Delights, uses her home greenhouse to give seedlings a head start on spring. She and her husband, Bob, grow nearly all the vegetables they’ll use for the year in the resulting backyard garden, noting that New Hampshire ranks number three for locavore support according to the national
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A greenhouse that creates a warm envi- ronment for plants during cold weather may also overheat. “Air circulation is vital; vents and fans are necessary to maintain the right temperature,” advises Longacre, explaining that plants can’t breathe in a damp house. She suggests, “Water only when absolutely necessary and at the soil line, not on the leaves. In hot climates, use shade cloth on the top and sides of the greenhouse.” There are destructive insects and beneficial insects, Longacre says. “Aphids will kill a crop. Ladybugs can eat 50 aphids a day, plus mites and larva. After the aphids are gone, lady- bugs like parsley, dill and geraniums for lunch. That will keep them around in case aphids return.” Ladybugs can be ordered online; stick to local species. Some plants, like tomatoes, egg- plant or winter fruits, need pollination that can be applied by hand, but it’s time-consuming. An easier solution is to use vibrating trays to shake pollen loose and fans that distribute it from plant-to-plant.
Southern Climes, Too Even in warmer climates, a greenhouse has benefits. In Orlando, Florida, sisters Katherine and Jessica Grandey make good use of a 200-square-foot greenhouse of vertical aeroponic towers. No soil or additional watering is used because plant roots receive a nutrient solution. The small space provides the same amount of greens as a one-acre plot of land while using a tenth of the water, maturing from seed to table-ready produce in five to seven weeks. The siblings donate a portion of
their chemical-free crop to Grow- Green4Women, a nonprofit group that supports cancer patients.
Benefits Beyond Veggies In Norwalk, Iowa, Master Gardener Richard Schreiber, membership director
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