Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-09
G A r DEN
GUIDANCE
Greenhouses for the Hobbyists
BY w. H. YoUNGMAN

Like most gardeners, I have
long wished for a greenhouse SC
that I might garden the yeal
'round--a place to propagate
plants easily; a place to grow
seedlings early in the year fol
my garden; room to grow some
exotic plants.
My desire has encouraged
study and planning. Some of the
points developed will be of in
terest to those with similar in
clination.
Detached greenhouses are less
accessible than the attached
type. One has to bundle up to
go out to them. With the at
tached type, one can enter at
will and it is easier to supply
heat. water and electricity. De-
tached greenhouses usually may
be located so as to receive all the
sunlight necessary to grow flow
ering plants, whereas the lean
to or other type cannot always
be attached to the south or
southeast side of the house and
still have full sun. That is the
side of the house where most
people plant shade trees.
Most Units Too Small
The beginner usually builds
his greenhouse too small. The
first plants in the greenhouse
look lost, but this changes within
the first year to the old problem:
"Where do 1 put them now?"
The little pot of seedlings
becomes two or three flats of
transplants; the geraniumS grow
and each needs two feet of
space; the old bedding plants
that were brought indoors for
the sake of cuttings fill a large
portion of the bench that was
to grow chrysanthemums or
snapdragonS for winter bouquets,
For greenhouse, culture plants
are divided into three categories
those that take a night tenn
perature of 40 degrees, those
that want so degrees, and a
third group which includes those
that need go degrees. OF course,
they all take a daytime tenn
perature 10 to Is degrees higher.
With this limitation in mind
it is necessary to decide whether
or not the plants it is desired to
grow can be confined to one
temperature group, or if the
desire is great enough to have
q two-section greenhouse in
order to extend the plant range.
However. for many of the
garden plants and for seed grow
ing the cool greenhouse is salts
factory. Certainly it is ideal for
the production of many cut
towers for the home such as
snapdragons. chrysanthemums,
stock, camellias and azaleas, and
for the starting of most kinds of
seeds.
Masonry Base Needed
Some of the advertisers say
that a greenhouse can be
perched upon posts set in the
ground, but experienced gar
denerS are positive that for long
lasting satisfaction and freedom
from trouble a concrete or Gin
der block wall upon a sub
stantial footing is essential.
Posts rot off. but more especially
we should remember that glass
is so heavy that it takes a
strong framework to carry it.,
and so it may well be too heavy
a load for the supports. 1t is not
uncommon for the posts to sag.
This causes cracks and bent
frames with leaks and heat loss.
Most gardeners have daytime
Jobs away from home and need
automatic controls for heat and
ventilation. Glass draws heat
and temperatures can go to high
levels. An attached greenhouse
is less subject to such violent
fluctuations because the opening
into the house tempers the heat
under the glass. The same APP
plies to the turning on and of