The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower's Handbook PDF Download

Author: Andrew Mefferd
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
ISBN: 1603586377
Category : Gardening
Languages : en
Pages : 290

View

Book Description
The Greenhouse and Hoophouse Grower's Handbook shares best practices for both large- and small-scale production of the eight most profitable crops - tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, peppers, leafy greens, lettuce, herbs, and microgreens. Every year, more growers are turning to protected culture to deal with unpredictable weather and to meet out-of-season demand for local food, but many end up spinning their wheels, wasting time and money on unprofitable crops grown in ways that don't make the most of their precious greenhouse space. This book levels the playing field with decision-making framework that goes beyond a list of simple dos and don'ts. With comprehensive chapters on temperature control and crop steering, pruning and trellising, grafting, and more, Andrew Meffer's book is full of techniques and strategies that can help farms stay profitable, satisfy customers, and become an integral part of relocalizing our food system. From seed to sale, this book is the indispensable resource for protected growing.--COVER.

Author: Roger Marshall
Publisher: Storey Publishing
ISBN: 158017647X
Category : Gardening
Languages : en
Pages : 265

View

Book Description
From the simplest cold frame to the most elaborate tropical paradise, this collection has a greenhouse plan to suit your needs. Master gardener and builder Roger Marshall guides you through the various options, the details of choosing materials and a site, and every step of the building process, from foundation to glazing. He even covers plumbing, heating, lighting, misting, and automatic venting systems, and he includes detailed plans for nine different greenhouses.

Author: Donna Balzer
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780986814402
Category : Vegetable gardening
Languages : en
Pages : 159

View

Book Description
"Biggs and Balzer have gardened far and wide, from Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, and Grande Prairie, to Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island. No Guff Vegetable Gardening is a down-to-earth, fun book for new gardeners with a delicious collection of savoury tips and ideas for experienced gardeners.

Author: Dan Chiras
Publisher: New Society Publishers
ISBN: 177142317X
Category : Gardening
Languages : en
Pages : 469

View

Book Description
“A prescription for survival in this gorgeously illustrated and accessible guide to the future of farming.” —Albert Bates, author of The Biochar Solution Grow vegetables year-round in a greenhouse powered only by solar energy! Originally developed in China to feed millions, Chinese greenhouses are earth-sheltered, solar-heated, east-west oriented, intelligently glazed, and well-insulated. They have proven highly effective in growing warm-weather vegetables and fruits like green peppers and tomatoes in cold climates through fall, winter, and early spring using passive solar energy as the sole heat source. The Chinese Greenhouse is a full-color comprehensive guide to these passive solar greenhouses for self-sufficiency and growing year-round in soil or aquaponic grow beds with no additional heat. Coverage includes: How to design, build, and operate a Chinese greenhouse How to improve performance via short-term and long-term heat banking How to provide additional heat to make your greenhouse operate even more effectively How to cool the greenhouse during the summer. Become a more self-sufficient gardener, growing and harvesting a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables year-round, with your own Chinese greenhouse. “Wonderfully researched . . . brilliant.” —Jean-Martin Fortier, farmer and author of The Market Gardener, editor of Growers Magazine “Essential reading for pioneers of Chinese greenhouses.” —Pam Dawling, author of The Year-Round Hoophouse and Sustainable Market Farming “Every enthusiastic vegetable farmer dreams of this winter-growing miracle, and Dan shows how to do it.” —Shawna Coronado, author of 101 Organic Gardening Hacks

Author: Jason Johns
Publisher: Inspiring Gardening Ideas
ISBN: 9781838336004
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 134

View

Book Description
"Greenhouse Gardening" is for anyone who wants to get the most out of their greenhouse. Whether you want to extend your growing season, grow unusual plants or protect your valued plants from frost, learn all about greenhouses.

Author: L P Morgan
Publisher: Editora Bibliomundi
ISBN: 1526044056
Category : Gardening
Languages : en
Pages : 72

View

Book Description
A growing number of people at least have one greenhouse story to share. The idea of growing food at controlled temperatures all year round and extending the growing season have set fire to people’s imaginations. No wonder the greenhouse building industry has recorded phenomenal growth. From construction plans to tools and accessories for greenhouses, individuals are working on all fours to satisfy the increasing demands of consumers who have made building their own greenhouses top priority. This trend, which started humbly in the 70’s, is now a full-fledged endeavor on the part of greenhouse entrepreneurs and “homesteaders.” One greenhouse story told by a woman was particularly moving. Months before the spring, her husband bought the materials required for building a greenhouse. His plan was to attach it to the house. The woman had protested because he was at the same time going through radiation and chemotherapy treatments for his cancer. His wife said he should be resting instead of puttering about with shelves and glass and plastic. What he said broke her heart. He wanted to build and finish the greenhouse while he still had some strength left, because he knew for a long time that she had always wanted one in their backyard. He said he wanted to see the joy in her face when she started planting her tomatoes or gardenias or whatever else she wanted to put there. Greenhouses are an extension of our personalities. Most especially, it mirrors our soul and what we want from life. And what we want is a steady supply of home-grown healthy food. During these precarious times when terrorist attacks and life-threatening calamities can cast us in the dark indefinitely, we have one thing we can be sure of – the tomatoes and cucumbers that are in the food basket in the kitchen will tide us over should the country go on emergency mode. The sweet potatoes and carrots will be around, and there will be more from the greenhouse to feed our families for a few weeks before things return to normal. Not that we believe that a shortage will ever happen, the country has become much more prepared for any kind of emergency, but just on the off chance... If greenhouses can save our lives, we may, at some point in time, consider the idea of building one soon, a first step towards self-sufficiency. It’s not just a constant supply of healthy food that concerns individuals, but a greenhouse – and building it – can be sources of pure enjoyment and clean fun for everyone in the family. Most greenhouse owners are familiar with the advantages of growing their own plants and flowers, prolonging the growing season and the possibility of heating their home. And who knows? They could be selling fresh produce in the communities they live in. There are many greenhouse models to choose from. You can go from affordable to very expensive. You can build a greenhouse by using junk or a plastic film stretched over a rudimentary structure, or purchase elaborate metal and glass pre-manufactured sun-rooms. Each of them serves the fundamental function of extending the growing season. Even the question of irrigation can be simple or complex, depending on your preferences. Just want to make it a hobby? Why not? Homeowners attach theirs to their homes. Even schools have greenhouses built by elementary and high school students. Finally, the wholesome taste of a home-grown tomato! Everyone knows there is a difference. But really, between you and I, it goes beyond just tomatoes. Perseverance, labor of love and the sweet anticipation of “harvest time” are what truly matter.

Author: Lindsey Schiller
Publisher: New Society Publishers
ISBN: 1550926187
Category : Gardening
Languages : en
Pages : 331

View

Book Description
Build your own passive solar greenhouse for year-round food production in any climate Fresh, local nutrient-dense fruits vegetables are hard to find in winter in cold climates. Growing warm-weather crops like tomatoes, bananas, avocados, and other perennials is nearly impossible using conventional structures. The solution for millions of backyard and small-scale commercial growers is self-heating solar greenhouses. The Year-round Solar Greenhouse is the one-stop guide to designing and building greenhouses that harness and store energy from the sun to create naturally heated, lush growing environments even in the depths of winter, covering principles of solar greenhouse design and siting, glazing material properties and selection, controlling heat loss, ventilation, and construction methods. Additionally, an in-depth section covers sustainable ways of heating the greenhouse without fossil fuels, including using thermal mass and storing heat underground with a ground to air heat exchanger. Variations include attached solar greenhouses, earth sheltered greenhouses, plus integrating hydroponics and aquaponics. More than a dozen case studies from across North America provide inspiration and demonstrate specific challenges and solutions for growing year-round in any climate. Grow your own food, anytime, anywhere using the power of the sun!

Author: Cees Sonneveld
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9048125324
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 432

View

Book Description
Greenhouse cultivation is noted for its high uptake of minerals, consistent climatic conditions, exclusion of natural precipitation and control of salt accumulation. Acknowledging that plant nutrition in greenhouse cultivation differs in many essentials from field production, this volume details specific information about testing methods for soils and substrates in a greenhouse environment. It does so while offering a universally applicable analysis. This is based on the composition of the soil and substrate solutions, methods for the interpretation of tissue tests, and crop responses on salinity and water supply in relation to fertilizer application. Fertilizer additions, related to analytical data of soil and substrate samples, are presented for a wide range of vegetable and ornamental crops. The subject is especially apt now as substrate growing offers excellent possibilities for the optimal use of water and nutrients, as well as the potential for sustainable production methods for greenhouse crops.

Author: Jerome Osentowski
Publisher: Chelsea Green Publishing
ISBN: 1603584269
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 308

View

Book Description
With a revolutionary new "Climate Battery" design for near-net-zero heating and cooling By the turn of the nineteenth century, thousands of acres of glass houses surrounded large American cities, becoming a commonplace symbol of the market garden and nursery trades. But the possibilities of the indoor garden to transform our homes and our lives remain largely unrealized. In this groundbreaking book, Jerome Osentowski, one of North America's most accomplished permaculture designers, presents a wholly new approach to a very old horticultural subject. In The Forest Garden Greenhouse, he shows how bringing the forest garden indoors is not only possible, but doable on unlikely terrain and in cold climates, using near-net-zero technology. Different from other books on greenhouse design and management, this book advocates for an indoor agriculture using permaculture design concepts--integration, multi-functions, perennials, and polycultures--that take season extension into new and important territory. Osentowski, director and founder of Central Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute (CRMPI), farms at 7,200 feet on a steep, rocky hillside in Colorado, incorporating deep, holistic permaculture design with practical common sense. It is at this site, high on a mountaintop, where Osentowski (along with architect and design partner Michael Thompson) has been designing and building revolutionary greenhouses that utilize passive and active solar technology via what they call the "climate battery"--a subterranean air-circulation system that takes the hot, moist, ambient air from the greenhouse during the day, stores it in the soil, and discharges it at night--that can offer tropical and Mediterranean climates at similarly high altitudes and in cold climates (and everywhere else). Osentowski's greenhouse designs, which can range from the backyard homesteader to commercial greenhouses, are completely ecological and use a simple design that traps hot and cold air and regulates it for best possible use. The book is part case study of the amazing greenhouses at CRMPI and part how-to primer for anyone interested in a more integrated model for growing food and medicine in a greenhouse. With detailed design drawings, photos, and profiles of successful greenhouse projects on all scales, this inspirational manual will considerably change the conversation about greenhouse design.

Author: Ortho
Publisher: Meredith Books
ISBN: 9780897214636
Category : Gardening
Languages : en
Pages : 98

View

Book Description
How to choose the greenhouse that's right for you, plans and instructions for building 10 different styles, state-of-the-art equipment for maximum success and complete growing techniques for professional-quality plants.