--- title: Greenhouse Gardening Tips | Donna Balzer (5) description: "Donna Balzer is a former brand ambassador, garden expert, a regular guest on CBC radio and host is internationally aired \"Bugs & Blooms\" on HGTV. (5)" --- [Skip to content](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/author/donna-balzer/page/5#main-content) Announcement Bar/Update or Announcement   Learn More This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 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Posts by: ## Donna Balzer Donna Balzer is a former brand ambassador, garden expert, a regular guest on CBC radio and host is internationally aired "Bugs & Blooms" on HGTV. ![](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/hubfs/snow-on-gh.jpg) ### [What Are the 5 Tips for Keeping My Greenhouse Toasty this Winter?](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/greenhouse-garden-tips-heating-your-greenhouse) Nov 18, 2021, 3:16:00 PM ### Quick Answer: **What Are the 5 Tips for Keeping My Greenhouse Toasty This Winter?** To keep your greenhouse warm and your plants thriving in winter, start by growing cold-tolerant crops and installing an electric plug with a thermostat to control supplemental heat from soil cables or space heaters. Add frost protection by layering Agribon fabric, build mini-insulated zones for tender plants, and use old-school lights or warming tools for targeted heat. Finally, keep air circulating year-round with fans to prevent cold pockets and strengthen plant growth. --- ## Keeping Your Plants Cozy This Holiday Season Imagine my surprise when a small hole we drilled through our [greenhouse foundation](https://info.bcgreenhouses.com/preparing-a-greenhouse-foundation) became a runway for mice. We pulled an extension cord into my greenhouse through that hole and the tiny gap became a neon sign for rodents. ![snowy greenhouse ](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/hubfs/DSC00374.jpg) ### [What Are the Best Tactics to Keep Your Plants Alive? Winter Greenhouse Gardening](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/preparing-for-a-winter-greenhouse) Nov 11, 2021, 2:16:00 PM ### Quick Answer: **What are the best tactics to keep your plants alive in a winter greenhouse?** Protecting plants in winter requires matching their cold tolerance to the right strategies, such as using row covers, fabric shelters, thermostatic heaters, and airflow management to create microclimates within your greenhouse. Tropical plants should be moved indoors before the first frost, while semi-tropical species like citrus and bananas can thrive under floating row covers and supplemental heat. Temperate and hardy plants—like kale, arugula, and geraniums—often survive with less protection, but benefit from insulation, moisture, and bottom heat for propagation; overall success depends on segmenting your space, monitoring temperatures, and applying targeted heating only where needed. --- ## Row Cover, Fleece and Heaters All these items will help your [winter greenhouse](https://info.bcgreenhouses.com/en-ca/bc-greenhouses-in-winter).  ![The inside of Donna's Greenhouse](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/hubfs/The%20inside%20of%20Donna%20Balzers%20Greenhouse.jpg) ### [What Are the 6 Tips for Cleaning a Greenhouse Before Winter Sets In?](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/greenhouse-garden-tips-spring-cleaning-comes-early) Nov 9, 2021, 3:48:00 PM ### Quick Answer: **What are the 6 essential tips for cleaning a greenhouse before winter sets in?** The best time to clean your greenhouse is in late fall when plant growth slows, focusing on removing dead plants, reducing watering, clearing cobwebs, washing overwintering plants, and cleaning row covers to prevent pests and diseases. A thorough fall cleaning deters common greenhouse problems like mold, fungus gnats, and spider mites, ensuring a healthier growing environment for the upcoming season. Starting early and cleaning on a sunny day optimizes results and prepares your greenhouse for a productive spring restart. --- ## Its never too early to get a head start ## My husband and I planned a mid-week ski trip but on departure day I was still in my off finishing a time-sensitive project. We were staying overnight at the hill, it was still a workday, and the car was loaded up. There was no rush to get moving. ![soil in a hand shovel](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/hubfs/potting-soil-pots.jpg) ### [How to Extend Your Greenhouse Growing Season for Fall & Winter? Cut & Paste](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/cut-paste-extend-your-greenhouse-growing-season) Nov 9, 2021, 3:29:00 PM ### Quick Answer: To extend your greenhouse growing season into fall and winter, begin a "cut and paste" routine: remove shade cloth to maximize light, clear out tired or unproductive plants, and replant with cool-season crops like spinach, bok choi, and lettuce in available gaps or containers. This proactive approach ensures a continuous harvest as light wanes and temperatures drop. By assessing plant performance and reseeding strategically, you keep your greenhouse productive and vibrant well into the colder months. --- Some people consider the first day of school or even “back to school” shopping as the real start to fall. But for me and my garden, the first day of fall comes when wasps appear at my outdoor dining table and I am extending the greenhouse growing season. ![](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/hubfs/pak-choy.jpg) ### [How Can I Maximize My Greenhouse Growing Schedule for Year-Round Seasonal Produce?](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/greenhouse-growing-schedule-for-seasonal-produce) Nov 9, 2021, 11:35:00 AM ### Quick Answer: Strategically rotate crops by seeding quick growers like radishes and greens alongside longer-season vegetables, using every opening in your greenhouse to maintain continuous harvests from early spring through late fall—without needing a rigid chart, just readiness and smart succession planting. --- ## My crazy dogs Corle ran ahead of me on the beach and stuck her head right into a dead seal. And then she took a big bite.  ![Donna Balzer and her dog](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/hubfs/30.jpg) ### [How to Clear Greenhouse Waste? Tips for Small-Scale Gardeners](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/october-in-the-garden-composting-and-greenhouse-winter-ready) Oct 15, 2021, 12:51:00 PM ### Quick Answer: Clearing greenhouse waste on a small scale involves chopping bulky plants into smaller pieces to speed composting, using tools like a chipper and rodent-proof compost bins such as the Speedibin for faster, pest-free decomposition. When animal assistance isn’t available, this method efficiently manages large volumes of plant debris, turning waste into valuable compost in about six months. Proper waste management not only keeps your greenhouse tidy but also supports sustainable gardening by recycling nutrients back into your soil. --- Arnold is always hungry. And some of his favorite foods are the fruits and vegetables I grow in my [greenhouse](https://www.bcgreenhouses.com/greenhouses/cross-country/pacific-series/).  He also eats the plants of the tomatoes and squash I grow. He gently pokes around, licking up the small green fruits first and then chomps down on the whole tangled twisted plant. ![greenhouse tomatoes](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/hubfs/social-suggested-images/tomatoes.jpg) ### [How Much Food Can My Small Greenhouse Grow?](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/how-much-food-can-your-small-greenhouse-grow) Oct 5, 2021, 3:57:00 PM ### Quick Answer: **How Much Food Can My Small Greenhouse Grow?** A small 8’ x 8’ greenhouse can produce a surprisingly abundant and diverse harvest by maximizing vertical and horizontal space with crops like microgreens, radishes, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers, especially when supplemented with seasonal heating and grow lights. Crop selection and greenhouse heating significantly impact yield and growing seasons, allowing multiple successive harvests and year-round gardening possibilities. To optimize food production, gardeners should prioritize fast-maturing crops they love and efficiently use all growing areas, including shelves, pots, and hanging baskets. --- We get asked regularly "how much food can I grow in one of your smaller greenhouses?"  ![](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/hubfs/IMG_8753-1.jpg) ### [What Are the Best Ways to Use a Greenhouse at Home for Gardening, Work, and Wellness?](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/have-fun-in-your-greenhouse-growing-food-flowers-and-foliage) Oct 4, 2021, 12:09:44 PM ### Quick Answer: A greenhouse can be a year-round food pantry, tropical plant retreat, creative studio, or relaxing workspace—whether freestanding or home-attached, its use is limited only by your lifestyle and imagination. From lemon trees and tomatoes to orchids and photography setups, modern greenhouses offer personalized spaces that evolve with your hobbies and needs. --- ## Setting Up Your Greenhouse For Success Ian is sitting on a stool inside his lovely brown-framed, glass-walled [Parkside greenhouse](https://www.bcgreenhouses.com/greenhouses/economy-greenhouses/parkside-greenhouse/), practicing guitar and waiting for his lemons to ripen. He is an accountant by day, a musician by night and, since he bought his greenhouse, a lemon-grower in his “spare” time. ![](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/hubfs/BC-Greenhouses-Fall-Sale.jpg) ### [How does a Greenhouse Save Your Garden from Climate Challenges?](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/greenhouse-gardening-tips-biggest-gardening-challenges) Sep 14, 2021, 1:17:00 PM ### Quick Answer: **How Does a Greenhouse Save Your Garden from Climate Challenges?** A greenhouse protects your garden from unpredictable weather, extends the growing season by one to two months, and shields crops from pests like slugs and marmots through controlled heat, water, and shelter. Unlike outdoor gardens affected by heavy rains, cold snaps, or short seasons, a greenhouse offers consistent conditions that support reliable growth and higher yields. Whether you're overwintering perennials, growing year-round vegetables, or simply avoiding climate chaos, a greenhouse provides a practical, long-term solution. --- In late September, I asked [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/NoGuffGardener/) followers to share their biggest gardening challenges this summer. ![](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/hubfs/pumpkins.jpg) ### [What Are the Tips to Maximize Bumper Harvest? September Greenhouse Gardening](https://blog.bcgreenhouses.com/september-in-the-greenhouse) Sep 13, 2021, 1:44:00 PM ### Quick Answer: **What Are the Tips to Maximize a Bumper Harvest?** To maximize your fall greenhouse harvest, start fast-growing crops like radishes, spinach, and mustard in late summer, and experiment with resilient plants like sesame for high yield with minimal water. A greenhouse extends the growing season beyond outdoor limits, especially in northern climates, allowing gardeners to produce fresh food well into fall. By donating excess produce, greenhouse growers can also support food security and uphold the human right to access fresh, healthy food. --- ## What would Donna do? ### New Crops and Bumper Harvests I’m flying home through Calgary into Comox on my way back from a speaking gig. It’s late August and the pilot warns us: it is snowing close to Calgary. In August. 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