Happy 75 Years to Us!

In a world where companies come and go, reaching a 75-year milestone feels both humbling and meaningful.

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How do you grow cauliflower in a greenhouse for perfect results year-round? Growing cauliflower in a greenhouse ensures consistent conditions—steady temperature, even moisture, and protection from extreme heat—leading to larger, sweeter, and more reliable harvests than outdoor crops. Start seeds indoors, stagger plantings to avoid a glut, and choose self-wrapping or colorful varieties like Veronica or Susanna for visual appeal and flavor. With drip irrigation, airflow, and soil amendments, your greenhouse can produce A+ cauliflower from spring through winter.

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Another Reason to Love the Greenhouse: Perfect Cauliflower Growth

Lennie tracked me down at a party. “It’s my cauliflowers,” she sighed. “They are small and button-like instead of big like at the store.”

Backyard Greenhouses are Growing on Homeowners

BC Greenhouse Builders Limited, North America’s leading builder of hobby and estate greenhouses, is proud to announce the recent article "Backyard Greenhouses are Growing on Homeowners" by Melissa Feldman.  The publication comes at a great time while we are celebrating our 70th anniversary.  This article featured two of our greenhouses and greenhouse customers.

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Worm castings naturally fertilize plants and support beneficial bugs like fungus gnat predators, but excess moisture and nutrients can also lead to algae growth—use well-draining soil, sticky traps, and fans to balance greenhouse conditions and protect seedlings.

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Pests, Worm Castings and Algae

What are Worm Castings?

Before we get to greenhouse gardening algae, let's talk about a shopper on Amazon that complained about bugs in her worm castings. If you don’t speak garden lingo yet, worm castings are simply worm poop. They are mixed with soil in garden beds or in pots to make tomatoes grow faster, stronger and healthier. And just in case you missed the memo, worm poop comes with bugs of its own. The good ones.

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Why is aluminum the better choice for a greenhouse? While aluminum does conduct cold, it outperforms wood in long-term durability, structural stability, and weather resistance, especially in cold climates. Unlike wood, which warps, rots, and requires ongoing maintenance like sealing, staining, and pest control, aluminum frames remain strong and low-maintenance for decades—even under snow loads and high winds. As lumber costs rise and customers seek reliability, aluminum has become the superior greenhouse frame material, with BC Greenhouse Builders offering proven performance and lifetime warranties on structures lasting 30 to 40+ years.

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Aluminum stands the test of time

What about cold weather?

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Start tomato seeds in mid to late March with bottom heat, provide strong light and nutrients early, and move them into your greenhouse once temperatures consistently stay above 10°C (50°F); maintain airflow and prune lower leaves as fruit sets to optimize harvest into fall.

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So Many Tomatoes, So Little Space

Greenhouse tomato growers are rightfully confused when they see so many kinds of greenhouse tomatoes for sale. Karen Olivier, an independent tomato breeder from the Secret Seed Cartel, estimates there are 20,000 kinds of tomatoes listed right now and she is adding to that number by breeding new tomatoes every year.

 

Wayne Heinen, the owner of Everlast Greenhouses, is the exclusive representative for BC Greenhouse Builders in the Okanagan and Kootenay region. 

Recently I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Wayne Heinen, owner of Everlast Greenhouses.  To say that Wayne grew up around greenhouses is an understatement.  Wayne, the youngest son of Henry and Greta Heinen, started hanging around BC Greenhouses and pitching in building cedar benches at nine years old.

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What are the tips for ordering seeds and supplies for hobby greenhouse growing? To succeed in hobby greenhouse gardening, it’s crucial to read seed catalog fine print carefully—choosing parthenocarpic varieties for cucumbers and zucchinis that don’t require pollination, selecting heat-tolerant and slow-bolting plant varieties, and using foliar fertilizers for cold soils. Understanding pollination needs, temperature tolerance, and plant growth habits ensures better yields and healthier crops year-round. Starting seeds indoors, like onions in January, and adapting to your greenhouse environment helps optimize growth and harvest success.

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Before You Order Seeds for Your Hobby Greenhouse, Read the Fine Print

 

When I started growing in my Greenhouse Garden a few of my favourite plants stopped working for me. That's what I learned to read the catalog fine print and adapt my shopping for a better hobby greenhouse growing. 

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BC Greenhouse Builders recommends preparing your foundation with these essentials:

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What Are the Secrets to Testing Old Seeds and Growing Golden Sesame Seeds?
To test if old seeds are viable, place ten seeds on a moist paper towel in a ziplock bag and check for sprouting within a few days—this simple germination test helps gardeners save money and plan better. Golden sesame thrives in heat and drought, making it an ideal crop to start in a greenhouse and transplant outdoors for a high-yield harvest. Open-pollinated sesame allows for seed saving, extending your harvests year after year while maximizing greenhouse potential in any season.

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A new crop, discovered in a seed catalogue last year, piqued my growing interest. I grow lots of vegetables but growing Sesame seeds didn’t occur to me until I saw them listed. I'm excited to try something new I ordered it right away.