Mother's Mini-Manual: Greenhouse Gardening

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6. Make sure soil is loose and friable and that you have good drainage. A common danger sign: if water stands on top of the soil after you water, it means poor drainage—and trouble. Add organic matter and sand.

7. Unless you keep your greenhouse at a constant temperature year round, your plants will need less water in winter than in the warmer months. This is especially true for those plants that go into dormancy during the cooler weather.

8. Don't use water softened with a home water softener. It contains chemicals harmful to some plants. Salty or hard water (which is very alkaline) can be a problem, but thorough flushing usually prevents salt build-up.

("The 'Sow and Forget' Indoor Planting Method" in Mother Earth News, No. 32, page 49, discusses an even easier method of watering.)

GREENHOUSE SOIL

Organic Gardening Under Glass states that the ideal greenhouse soil (a good, sandy loam) consists of 50% solid matter—dirt particles plus organic material—and half air and water. Few native soils meet these conditions. But, by adding various combinations of sand (coarse particles that aid drainage), clay (a fine material with good mineral holding capacity) and manure, compost, or peat moss (to add humus), you can add enough aeration and drainage to keep your plants' roots healthy.

Once the soil's physical makeup is properly balanced, the greenhouse gardener must remember to keep it that way by fertilizing the earth in his or her hothouse. And there's nothing mystical about this periodic enrichment of greenhouse growing mediums. Just "do what comes naturally."

In other words, organic gardeners may add fish emulsion, blood meal, manure, granite dust, potash rock or any other "organic" sources commonly used to enrich the soil, while less organically minded folks may prefer to stick to the commercially produced water-soluble fertilizers in, say, a 16-16-16 formula. With either method, just ensure that plants are supplied with sufficient quantities of nitrogen, phosphates, potash and other needed micronutrients, and that the soil's humus content is maintained.

Bear in mind, too, that the warm and humid environment of a greenhouse tends to raise the acidity of soil and that this pH change may affect plant growth. Most flowers and vegetables grow better in earth that is slightly acid, so alkalizers (lime, wood ashes, gypsum) or acidifiers (such as sulfur) may be needed to maintain the optimum pH. Be sure to test your soil, however — either with your own pH tester or by sending a sample of the dirt to your state agricultural extension service — before applying any additives.

Salts buildup — brought on by too much fertilization (especially with chemicals) — is another serious problem to avoid in the greenhouse. White, crusty deposits on the surface of the earth or on the outside of clay pots indicate that too many nitrogen, phosphate, potash and calcium salts have accumulated in the growing medium. These substances can damage roots, yellow or wilt foliage, cause leaf burn and actually kill plants. Avoid the imbalance by watering greenhouse soil thoroughly to flush out excess salts.

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