Maximizing greenhouse space in our small backyard greenhouse!
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- Опубліковано 18 січ 2023
- In this video, I wanted to take you on a tour around our greenhouse to show you exactly how we are able to start around 15,000 seedlings each year from a tiny 6x10' backyard greenhouse! Most market gardeners (or even backyard gardeners with large spaces) will have a larger greenhouse than this, but we are able to maximize this space in two ways:
1) soil blocking, which is a major space saver
2) succession planting our seedlings
Why did we keep the greenhouse small? We knew we wanted it to be as EFFICIENT as possible, which would make it easier and more affordable to heat (as well as having a smaller footprint ecologically). We use a portable electric heater to keep the temperatures right for germinating and growing seedlings, with a backup wifi thermometer and temperature sensor to help regulate.
Using the mini soil blocks on wire baker's shelves means we can fit 1,600 on one shelf--and while we don't always have the greenhouse that full, we could grow even MORE than 15,000 seedlings in here if we needed to!
The point is, it's not necessary to have a fancy or huge greenhouse in order to grow the garden of your dreams. Start small and maximize that greenhouse space! - Навчання та стиль
Not gonna lie, I'm not that environmentally conscientious when I'm trying to mass produce by myself. It's just too much to think about . However, What used to be something I NEVER thought about or truthfully, cared about, has become something a bit more front of mind because I enjoy your content. I see what you can do with limited resources and kids, and think there is no reason I can't be more mindful. I'm a work in progress. I'm pumped about the greenhouse knowledge! 💚
Thank you so much for that thoughtful comment, we are all works in process for sure! ❤️❤️
That woollen jumper looks hand knitted and I think I've got the same one my mum knitted for me! Super warm and comfy..
You should bubble wrap the greenhouse to help insulate, cheap to do but save loads on electricity.👍🏻
What a great presentation! I’m sold on a small greenhouse you accomplish so much! Your ability to speak snd present is a 10👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Wow! Nearly a thousand blocks made/ seeds sown in 90 minutes! You are a whiz at this! Practice makes perfect indeed! Amazing!
11:14 I’m looking at the jug with the spigot that says “Water” and thinking “I sure wouldn’t want to be thirsty there…”😂🤣😊(Looks like the colour of compost tea, so I’m guessing it’s for the plants.)🌱😉
That was so helpful. We need a better greenhouse.
Yes, a small greenhouse is much easier to heat. We built a garden shed for about $6 with scraps and then a friend had a polycarbonate greenhouse damaged in storm. Yep, we pieced it together for a lean-to greenhouse which is even more efficient because the north wall is the shed. Yes, polycarbonate does discolor/clouds. I plan on re-doing the greenhouse now after many years as I want to enlarge it a couple feet and install a heat sink in the floor with tubing that I can pump the warm air through during the day. The double walled polycarbonate is warmer and we have a couple of windows. If I had glass it would be really hot.
One word about fiberglass. I had some old poles we used for electric fencing for horses and they eventually splinter from the sun and awful with bare hands. So beware they do this.
**I got a soil blocker last year and haven’t used it yet. Just seen link on what soil you use.
These will be great for air layering roots. I was able to find cell packs for air layering, but I could make endless soil blocks as long as my hand holds out😂.
I plan on doing many of my seeds in winter sow jugs as it turned out quite well last year. Then I use greenhouse closer to spring as a shelter for early sprouts and hardening off of some indoor plants like onions, tomatoes and peppers. I will try a few in winter sow jugs this year as I prefer it all stays outside and less babysitting. A small ceramic heater works quite well. I thought about trying to incorporate solar as we are dabbling with a kit right now.
Great video, thanks!
How are you doing the heat sink? Do you have plans you can share? Thanks.
Great inspiring video, can't wait to start!
Great greenhouse you really do get a lot in there. Thank you for another great video
My husband surprised me with a trip to Harbor Freight last summer to go get a greenhouse that I'd talked about wanting eventually... 🥰👏 We still haven't been able to carve our the time to build it but I cannot wait! Hoping we can get it up at least before I need to start my warm season annuals!
Awesome! Well done. I’m in the process of building a greenhouse and making a bunch of soil blocks inside it. Cool to see you’re already there 🤘🌿
Life Changing Info!! THANK YOU!!!!!💚💚💚💚💚💚🌱🌱
Saved this! Thanks so much!
Yes, you have been very inspiring! Thanks for the tips about the greenhouse!
Good expert advice. Wowza !, I am impressed.
Nice set-up. Thanks for sharing all of those tips. 👍
Also, I envy your flexibility. Mine is gone. If I seeded sitting like that it would take me at least 3 minutes to get back up, assuming my back didn't lock up. lol. Take care of that back!
Absolutely loved this video.❣️ thanx for the inspiration
You're literally great
Hello from Arizona
I saw a brilliant heating idea for greenhouses in old countries. Basically, on the outside of the greenhouse they pile up compost around the edges and cover it with plastic or cloth(i would wrap the greenhouse with a plastic or something as to not get rust and to be able to pull it away easy and clean it). Using compost activators helps (basic water, yeast and sugar). The compost heats up and keeps the greenhouse warm, no electricity needed.1 benefit of keeping some compost in the greenhouse thou is extra C02 for the seedlings and they will grow much faster.
Very interesting! Would love to see it in action!
@@Blossomandbranch yh, sorry watched the video a few years back, not sure i would be able to find it
What brand of greenhouse did you go with? Also can you link the products you featured in this video, like heater and temperature monitor devices?
Just found your channel. Excellent tips! I'm glad that the decisions you make are done through the lens of how it can effect the environment. Some things are sold to us as environmentally friendly, but if investigate enough, you find that it might not be. Also, flimsy plastic seed starting trays are just a waste - drives me crazy. I will be doing soil blocks going forward. For the long planters, you could get galvanized steel 1 inch x1 inch square tubes and have them cut into 4 inch sections and lay them vertically in a flat tote. The grass root system would hold everything in place and you would just pop the plant out like a push-up and planting time. The tubes themselves would probably last 15 or 20 years or more even in the moist humid greenhouse.
I finally used my seed blockers last spring…getting the soil mix right was the hardest part! Smaller seemed easier. Too wet…too dry…just right…
Great use for the hand trowel…I’ll be adding one to my garden shed 😊
You might put some hard wire under the rims of your deep pots to keep them from sagging and breaking. just a thought. This is a very nice video. ty. Think of using oil lanterns and candles for a backup in case the electric goes out or if you have a serious cold snap.
Very helpful!!! Love the honesty about all of it. I am just learning about the soil blocking this year despite having been gardening for many years.
I just had a tree branch fall on our mid-sized greenhouse breaking two panes, and then temps were dropping below freezing. I have been trying to figure out how to utilize my greenhouse better (and set it up better). It is 1950’s with old mechanization.
I like your simplicity and appreciate you sharing how you do things
Tree branch, broken panes, temps dropping below freezing…Noooooooo!😱
Hope you didn’t lose any baby seedlings.
@@karenm5681 unfortunately killed some seedlings I just started. It is also a lesson in life and preparation. And probably how I need to just be more patient for spring…or get some winter sowing going….new panes are on. Just in time for the next snowstorm
One thing about glass is it blocks alot of uv rays... you cannot get a tan under glass, where plastic passes the rays right through (unless it has a uv blocker layer on it ) not sure of the difference it makes on the plants if you harden them off outside
If you are going to use barrels of water, consider 12' stovepipes attached end to end ,filled with sand. Takes up less space and releases heat as well as water without the worry of expansion. Do the same thing, paint them black.
Or even better, use paraffin, 8 times better than water for heat release rate. Sand is better than water as well, but not by much.
Interesting! I have never seen this suggestion. We have the barrels but it works ok with the space we have in our greenhouse. Thanks for this comment.
@@nancybrown5195 My pleasure. You can check my channel for a greenhouse build I am doing. In it, I will be using these.
In the next weeks I have to change some stove pipes because of changing rules for their isolation. So I will have these old stovepipes left and try it out. Thanks for this great input. In denmark I need a greenhouse for at least 5 months each year and some additional warming up would be nice! 😅
Thanks.
You inspired me! I just ordered 3 soil blockers for starting flower seeds. I'll continue to use my Epic 4-cell and 6-cell trays for my vegetable garden.
We use the blocks for veggies too! You’ll switch all the way soon 😂❤
@@Blossomandbranch But I just bought them less than a year ago!!
@@floweringevergreen3584 😬 it’s always nice to have some around!
@@Blossomandbranch My soil blockers arrived this morning!! It looks like the germination domes and trays for the Epic 6-cells will create the perfect microenvironment for the 20 3/4" blocks.
This video was so helpful, thank you!! I’d love to know more information about your greenhouse and where you purchased it from, or any recommended brands/companies to check out? There are so many options, I’ve done an exhausting amount of research but haven’t been able to even narrow it down and feel super overwhelmed.
Unfortunately this one was from a company called Juliana from Denmark who no longer retails in the US!
Your channel is most helpful, even though I live in. Zone 9 LA. Your presentation is always natural and enjoyable to watch. I do have a question re Greenhouse. I'm wondering... why would you invest in a Greenhouse w added expenses of heating INSTEAD OF wintering sowing seeds in milk jugs, etc out in the cold? I'm looking forward to your comments, cause I can't afford a Greenhouse. Tks a bunch :):):)
Thank you for sharing your experience and showing. This is very helpful to have a greenhouse low budget. Where did you order the greenhouse? And where the heaters from?
This is SO helpful, thank you so much. Do you mind telling me where you got your glass greenhouse? I'm finding so many in the UK that don't ship to the US, and very few options in the US...love the frame on yours as well as I'm trying to find a metal frame.
Very helpful. Would also like to know what greenhouse you have.
Can you give me info on buying a greenhouse like yours
This is the first I have leaned about soil blockers! Thank you for sharing! I can’t wait to try it. Also, where did you purchase your greenhouse? It is quite nice! Not too big for a suburban gardener like myself.
It's from juliana in Denmark but they no longer retail in the US
I really enjoyed the video. The soil blocks fit perfectly on the fiberglass trays, I see I’m not the only one asking where you ordered them from. Also, what potting soil do you use for making the blocks?
Yes, they are linked at the bottom of the video! We have a video up with a peat free seed starting soil recipe and we are also publishing another one tomorrow using sheep wool pellets for a slow release nitrogen and super healthy seedlings!
Thanks for this informative video!
Would you mind sharing where you purchased your greenhouse, it's beautiful and looks like the perfect size.
It's no longer available to buy in the US but try using the Google camera on your search bar and it might come up with the same one that you can buy there
I realize this video has some age to it so my question may go unanswered. My dilemma is WHERE and WHAT ORIENTATION is ideal to place my greenhouse? I have a 6x8 poly one. Should the door be facing a particular direction? What about the back & sides of the greenhouse? Direction? Thank you for such detailed teaching!
I have been around the world and back looking at greenhouse options. 🙃
I appreciate your thoughts about greenhouse size and materials. Can I ask what brand of greenhouse you purchased?
If I may ask, did you use clay or concrete bricks for your flooring? I have the same issues as far as heating my greenhouse in the winter. I use a wall heater and run a celling fan in reverse for air circulation and forcing the heat down. Anything I can do to help keep the overnight heat temps up and electric bill down I am all in favor of!!
Fabulous video! I also live in Colorado so I will have lots of questions about your greenhouse! What brand is it? How long have you had it? What part of Colorado do you live in? Just found your channel. Thank you! 💝
She replied to a comment above yhat the greenhouse was from juliana from Denmark but they no longer retail in the US
@@theirishcailin333 thank you! 😊
Hey!! I was wondering, since soil blocking is so hard on the hands, would I be able to do some here and there and let them completely dry out ahead of when I would need to plant?
Also have you ever tried milkweed in a soil block? I know those can be hard to transplant because of the taproot also
Do you have to up pot the seedlings you start in the really small blocks?
How’s your humidity in there and how do you control it? And where did you get the larger heater? I have small one but I would love to upgrade. Thank you!❤
It’s very dry here in Colorado! We don’t do much to control it. We just water when the blocks dry out :) if you click on the link in the description for the trays I believe the heater is in there too!
The blocks seem pretty small do then need to be transferred before they go in the ground?
What zone are you in? We live in Zone 3 and are looking into a greenhouse. Last frost can be the end of May
I wish I could use a soil blocker. My hands are so crippled with arthritis on top of nerve issues from my neck to hands I don't think I could work the handle to create usable blocks. I wish I knew someone who had one so I could give it a try. Perhaps I will break down and purchase one. I love the fiberglass trays. They are going to be an early birthday present to myself.
I think the fibreglass trays would not be very useful to you if you are limited in your ability to make soil blocks to put on the trays. Perhaps you could consider the kind of trays with cells that you fill with soil? They look similar to the tray she uses for native plants/ grasses but the cells are not as big/deep as the one she showed. Hope this is helpful.💞
@@karenm5681 I currently have a full supply of those and bottom trays. The fiberglass trays would replace the bottom trays. They sound much more sturdy and long lasting.
@@colliecoform4854
I believe the fibreglass trays are a different size (longer and skinnier) than your cell trays, so it would be good to check the measurements before ordering.
Please tell us where you got your greenhouse and the approximate cost??
What brand or where did you get the greenhouse
What size soil blockers do you use
Do you ever grow lisianthus? I really struggle with those. I’m in the UK and have tried for 2 years but had no success. I’m going to try again this year and try them in soil blocks. If I start them in the small block would you recommend moving them up to the bigger 2inch block once they’ve grown on or would plant straight outside once germinated? Thanks
Yes, we have a whole video on growing lisianthus and how to soil block them! Check our channel page
@@Blossomandbranch thank you for your prompt reply. I’ll definitely check out your channel.
What is your soil blocking mix?
Can you provide specific information about where to buy the greenhouse.
where did you get your greenhouse from?
What kind of green house is this
Where did you get your greenhouse?
What about native perennials.....do they need those type of trays? I am starting quite a few varieties of native plants and I wasn't sure if I should do soil blocking with them. I will scatter some seeds, but can I start them in normal cell trays?
It depends! We have started natives in blocks but we usually use the 2” (largest) blocker. For grasses I use the extra deep trays :)
Do you get enough natural daylight to grow your seedlings? Even in the winter months with shorter days?
Yup! The sunlight is shorter but more intense than grow lights; it’s never been a problem for us. :)
What is your zone in Colorado? I am in Evergreen.
Location I purchase your greenhouse
Where did you get the yellow trays? You started to say but didn't actually say where.
We got these from a restaurant going out of business, we have a similar one linked in our soil blocking video on the channel. :)
I linked them in the description so you can find them more easily. They are white :)
Garland brand also makes nice trays. They are from the UK but I found here in Canada, so prob in the US as well.
Thank you, just starting to propagate indoors. No greenhouse yet but maybe next Year. You are a wizard!
Can you share information on your heater.
It's linked in the link in the description above! (all the tools are in one link)
Wait, so where do you get thoes trays?
They’re linked in our Amazon store in the description:)
Do you move the small blocks into a larger soil block or transplant directly into the garden?
Do you get mice in there? If so what do you do to keep them ou?
We haven't had any, but keeping things off the floor would help keep them from getting comfortable if so. :) they wouldn't be able to climb the wire shelves.
What was the purpose of melting down the vermiculite
Melting down vermiculite?
@@Blossomandbranch I realized after watching another of your videos that you actually were watering them ..
@@Blossomandbranch I haven't had time yet to come back to laugh about it
You don’t start any seeds inside? How about plants that like higher temps then 50 degrees like amaranth and celosia.
Those would be started later in the spring, I believe, when the greenhouse can get quite warm.
@@karenm5681 thank you.
Happy to help!😊💞
I think you should just jump and get a couple power points. If you know a electrician just give them a case of beer to do it.
We are actually moving the greenhouse next year so we will likely do it at that point. ;)
Hey I just found your channel and I have a question about the greenhouse do you do tomatoe starts in there with it being Rabat cold and do they do ok at the heater temperature you keep it at ?