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.

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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.

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.

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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. 

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.

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Arnold is always hungry. And some of his favorite foods are the fruits and vegetables I grow in my greenhouse.  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.

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.

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We get asked regularly "how much food can I grow in one of your smaller greenhouses?" 

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.

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Setting Up Your Greenhouse For Success

Ian is sitting on a stool inside his lovely brown-framed, glass-walled 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.

Quick Answer:

Preparing your greenhouse for fall involves maintaining appropriate night temperatures for different plants, thorough cleaning to prevent pests and diseases, and proactive pest management using safe insecticidal soaps, sterilized soils, and yellow sticky traps to ensure a healthy growing environment.

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There are many plant varieties and they all require different night temperatures to sustain their growth.

Greenhouse night temperatures

The Benefits of a Home-Attached Greenhouse

With convenient access to water and power and designed to maximize the heating benefits of your home, the attached greenhouse is a must for those wanting to extend the season and enjoy the view into the garden. BC Greenhouse Builders offers a lean to greenhouse kit and a gable design for home-attached greenhouses. A lean-to is a roof that has a single slope with its upper edge adjoining a wall or building. A gable-attached greenhouse is a typical freestanding greenhouse with the gable end removed and attached to a wall.

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.

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In late September, I asked Facebook followers to share their biggest gardening challenges this summer.

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.

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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.

Quick Answer:

Fivewall polycarbonate is a durable, energy-efficient glazing option with high insulation (R-value 3.03), 62% light transmission, and excellent structural strength—making it ideal for cold climates, snow loads, and year-round greenhouse gardening.

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What is Fivewall Polycarbonate Glazing?

BC Greenhouses has been working with this glazing product for a few years. It was so impressive in terms of its energy efficiency that we built a new aluminum framing system to accommodate the wider profile. For example, a typical single glass greenhouse glazing is 3mm in thickness whereas the Fivewall polycarbonate is an impressive 16mm.