Greenhouse Gardening Tips

As with any company, there are many people, vendors, and supporters that make up the fabric of your success.  When I started at BC Greenhouse 10 years ago, they shared with me the story of Erik Davis and it was a pleasure to talk with Russ and Aarron Davis to get the full history of our Vancouver Island connection.  It’s clear that Erik Davis was one of the remarkable people that changed the course of our company.  Erik was a bricklayer by trade who lived on the Island and he was known for his love of gardening. The president of four garden clubs, Erik was familiar with BC Greenhouses and had met Don Vale who was an installer with BCG.  Erik purchased his first greenhouse in 1981.

Importance of Soil Amendments & Nutrients in Greenhouse Gardening

A few years back my greenhouse tomato leaves were purple, yellow and spotted. Not all at once, but over time and on different leaves. It was the second year I was growing in my greenhouse and the commercial potting soil I bought was low on phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium. The leaves on the plants were telling me what was going on. And it didn’t look good.

Read our customer's story about moving his beloved greenhouse five times

Thank you once again, Kyle, for taking the time to look after me yesterday. I did, again, appreciate so much your thoughtfulness in assisting me with my own reconstruction dilemma of a few weeks ago. As with everyone there, you showed such warmth and kindness, and as always, I am away with such a good feeling of support and confidence about my maintenance of my beloved little greenhouse.

Do all greenhouses require foundation?

The simple answer is YES

Over the years we have had hundreds of greenhouse-related questions and many of them are related to foundations.

Is patience a virtue?

Some gardeners wait for the sun to gently warm the soil before they start their garden. Others are impatient.

My go-to recipe

My potluck arugula salad is sprinkled with jewel-toned tropical pomegranate seeds. My neighbour Barbara is excited and quickly tells me how much she loves the bitter taste of arugula. So I tell her I grow arugula as a winter crop and now she is all ears.

Soil Primer

If you are new to growing and subscribe to the "just add water" school of thought, then this is going to come as a shock to you. With terms like super soil, triple mix, natural soil and soil with no soil, it is certainly confusing for new gardeners to start growing in their greenhouse! How do you know what to use for successful, continuous growth? How do you get the best flavor in your food and the brightest colour in your flowers?

How do you grow?

Essentially there are two ways to grow in soil in your greenhouse. You can grow in pots or you can grow in planting beds. We look now at growing in posts, and we will consider the positives and negatives growing directly in the ground.

Keeping Your Plants Cozy This Holiday Season

Imagine my surprise when a small hole we drilled through our 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.

Row Cover, Fleece and Heaters 

All these items will help your winter greenhouse.