My Own Greenhouse

If Meryl Streep and Mark Ruffalo had a greenhouse building business, this might be what it would look like, warp speed. . Watch for us on the TV! . CTV Edmonton at 5:30 and 6:30 pm, Feb 9.... https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca//why-gardening-and-indoor-plan

Dear Polar Vortex. . Roses are red. Seedlings are tender. You’re a real nasty b@$tard... A bedding plant ender. The boiler froze over The seedlings are dead Til this cold snap is over I’ll just be in bed. (Only partly true! We’re still busy building greenhouses and I’ll be reseeding the peppers that died when the boiler went out and the growing greenhouse dropped to -9.5C. Still working to have greenhouses AND hothouse plants and herbs ready for sale this spring.) . UPDATE: +10C in the seedling chamber this morning. Still a little chilly (+15-18 would be better). Loren is a hero for getting the boiler fixed and running again. . . . . #albertabusiness #madeinAlberta #shoplocal #shoplocalyeg #albertagardener #albertagardening #zone3gardens #zone3 #zone4 #zone4gardening #growyourownfood #greenhouse #hobbygreenhouse #backyardgreenhouse #hothouse #greenthumb #growsomething #gardening #prairiewinter #prairiegardening #seeding #fromourhandstoyours

Big shout out to family members who braved -38C to come help build. Including Bailey the Lab who seems to be foreman of it all! . We are hopping with orders for Spring delivery. . Because FOR SURE spring is coming. Just as sure as the birds fly and the crocus bloom.... . . . . . . . #albertabusiness #madeinAlberta #shoplocal #shoplocalyeg #albertagardener #albertagardening #zone3gardens #zone3 #zone4 #zone4gardening #growyourownfood #greenhouse #hobbygreenhouse #backyardgreenhouse #hothouse #greenthumb #growsomething #gardening #prairiewinter #prairiegardening #seeding #fromourhandstoyours

These newly embroidered jackets are so fine, Loren had to wear shades (actually safety goggles!). . We’re so happy with @yegcustomembroidery for the fast, fine job you did. LOVE it!! We’ll be back for sure. . .... . . . . . #shoplocal #albertabusiness #yegbusiness #customembroidery #localsshoplocal #swag #handsome #strathearn #smallbiz See more

Who’s got 4 thumbs and a new logo? We do!! Loren did a great job of cutting out our new in-shop signage and is now painting it up.... Our unending thanks to the professional creative genius work @studio.x.design for the word mark and design kit. You rock. . . . . . . . #albertabusiness #graphicdesign #supportlocal #logo #wedonteffaround #growingalberta #diy #greenhouse #creative #painting

We got this greenhouse installed in Calgary just in time. The winter storm season is starting. Just check out that moody sky. . A couple lawn chairs in this greenhouse will be a nice way to dream away the winter days until March or April when it warms up enough to get planting for the 2021 season. . A huge shout out to all you Alberta gardeners who supported our business this year. We hope you get decades of enjoyment from your backyard greenhouse investment.... . . . . . . . . #greenhouse #yychorticulture #yycgarden #growyourownfood #sustainableliving #resuceyohrcarbonfootprint #greenthumb #growing #backyardgarden #backyardgreenhouse #zone3 #zone3gardening #foothillsgardening #rockymountaingardening #winteriscoming #albertagardening See more

HOW TO USE NEEM ON YOUR PLANTS: (Note: I give the WRONG ratio in the video, proper ratio is listed below) Over the summer, the greenhouse was the perfect home for some potted plants like my lime tree and a small Bay Laurel tree.... This plants moved from the greenhouse to the house when the season changed. They didn’t come alone! The bay laurel has red scale bugs on it and the lime, it turns out, was harbouring a bad infestation of spider mites, ready to flourish in the warm, dry environment of the living room. (Red scale can be treated with neem oil as well) In order to save my lime from certain death-by-sucking from the spider mites, I am giving it special attention: - identify problem (look for speckling on leaves called chlorotic stipling, clusters of webbing will have tiny spots (mites) on them, a sudden leaf drop) - isolate plant immediately. Spider mites move from plant to plant by leaves touching, and sometimes by hitching a ride on your clothing - remove visible infestations using q-tips or cotton balls dipped in alcohol (do this for mealy bugs too) - put your plant in the shower (or outside if it’s warm enough) - 5 ml (1 tsp) 100% pure neem oil (it’s pretty thick, almost like molasses. I was not able to find it at my local garden store but found some at Earth’s General Store in the health/beauty section) - 10 ml (2 tsp) gentle dish soap Blend these two together in a small bowl until blended. (Will turn really cloudy) - pour into 1 L warm water in a spray bottle - Shake it all up. The solution will turn white. - spray everything especially the bottom of the leaves where those spider mites are hanging out and drinking sap from tender cells - Use the mixture as soon as you mix it. - spray 3 more times, 7 days apart The bigs will bite into plant material that has neem oil on it and it will kill them. So you have to wait for each batch of eggs to hatch before you can kill that round of adults. And hopefully kill them before they lay another generation of eggs. Stay on it! Some people spray it on their plants every time they water as a preventive measure. I haven’t resorted to that yet.

I go to some length to get more season out of the hobby greenhouse. While the greenhouse doesn’t allow for year round growing, there are a few tricks I use for extending my season just a bit. - Reflective insulation on the north side... - some milk jugs full of water for passive thermal mass - crop row cover for added heat retention without compromising on light - occasional use of small space heater With this setup, if I had planted my cold tolerant greens at the end of august (rather than late September), they would have been big enough for me to harvest at this point and they could have withstood the cold weather we’ve had for three weeks. The insulation value on the naked greenhouse is R=0.13. I don’t know what it is with these extra tools but I can tell you it it is a very comfortable +9 in here while there is frost on the ground outside...and that’s before any sunshine has reached us (which is about 10 am to 2 pm at this time of year. We are taking orders now for early 2021. You can see details on the website myowngreenhouse.ca

Sure it’s been freezy cold for the last 3 weeks in Alberta, but the soil in the greenhouse is still above freezing. (Sadly this soil thermometer only displays in Fahrenheit. This is equivalent to about 3C) . Since temps are warming up this week, I’ll get out into the soil to sow spinach seeds for my early crop in spring. I’ve also insulated the north wall with reflective bubble wrap insulation (typically used to insulate plumbing pipes) to give an added boost to solar heat bu...ild up and reduce heat loss off the north side (no sun is coming in from that side so there is no downside to covering that wall). . Hopefully I will be harvesting young greens by early April. . You can do it too! It’s not too late to play in the greenhouse this fall. I’ll be experiment with planting direct to ground soil and also in 2 different containers to see which sprouts first: in-ground, container at ground level or container on the shelf. . In the shop, we are finishing building the last of the greenhouse orders for 2020. . We are still able to take orders for delivery as weather permits, anticipate early spring 2021, winters being what they are in this country! . . . . . . . #myowngreenhouse #autumn #greenhouse #zone4 #zone4gardening #albertagardening #prairiegardening #playitcool #growsomething #greenthumb #growyourownfood #dormancy See more

Have you ever filmed something and then wished you had an entirely different camera perspective so viewers could see just how beautiful the surroundings were (rather than the Lexan siding of a greenhouse installation)? . This greenhouse went into an immaculate garden and the top of a hill in north east Alberta. . What a beautiful day. Look at that sky.... . We have a lot to be thankful for. . . . . . . . #greenhouse #hobbygreenhouse #backyardgarden #albertagardening #thanksgiving #prairiegardening #zone3 #zone3gardening #farmliving #sustainableliving #growyourownfood #albertafarmfamilies See more