What can be grown in a greenhouse: the most popular vegetables and herbs

The greenhouse has become a mandatory building on a personal plot. With its help, it is possible to grow vegetables and herbs all year round. Insulated greenhouses are often used for commercial purposes - for growing plants for sale. Gardeners need simple ones for early harvest.

Whatever structure stands on the site, there are certain rules for crop rotation that must be followed. Otherwise, it will not be possible to put vegetable growing on stream. Having built a greenhouse, many people wonder what is best to grow, what crops will be profitable to plant indoors. This will be discussed below.

Where to begin

You should start running a business by developing a business plan. It includes the following sections:

• assessment of the market situation, analysis of competitors' activities. It is necessary to find out what exactly other producers grow, in what quantities, where they sell the finished products;
• choosing a product to grow. After this, you can determine the specific area for crops, type of fertilizing, method of care, etc.;
• choosing the type of greenhouse;
• determining methods of marketing finished products;
• calculation of investments and income. This will allow you to determine how much money you need to invest and how long it will take for the expenses to pay off;
• searching for sources of additional funding.

Attention! To start running a greenhouse business, you need at least minimal experience in growing plants. Without this, it is impossible to earn income from running your own business.

Greenhouse business is one of the forms of earning money

Robotic cucumber picker

Above we talked about how science makes the hard work of farmers responsible for the tomatoes on our table easier. Well, what about cucumbers? A tomato definitely needs a cucumber. It turns out that science can make life easier for cucumber farmers too.

We will not be talking about genetics, but about innocent robotics. A cucumber picking robot does this hard work instead of a human. The robot was invented in Germany. It has two gripping arms and does not harm the beds. In general, it drives carefully, and not like a bull in a china shop.

This is a whole experiment and it is called CATCH. It is sponsored by the EU, and Germany is only a pilot site. Soon robotic pickers will work instead of people during the harvest. This is the main goal of the European Union.

Why and why did the European Union need this - to replace human harvesters with robots? It is no secret that guest workers – migrant workers – come everywhere during the season to harvest the harvest (terribly hard, low-skilled and low-paid work).

Some of them travel almost under a “black flag” and are not paid anything at all for their work. And what terrible conditions they live in. In general, the problem of harvesting has always been a difficult problem. Just have time to collect, otherwise it will rain and everything will rot! It is not surprising that peasant women gave birth in the field, swaddled the baby and immediately began to work again. Strada! And remember the Soviet autumn “potato harvesting trips”, where schoolchildren, students and even enterprise employees and scientists from research institutes were sent...

So, using cheap, often illegal, almost slave labor is unethical and unsustainable. It is especially unwise to create a socially explosive environment by opening borders to people who have never seen anything good in their lives. They will get a little rich from the harvest. They will create more problems – both for themselves and for others.

Initial capital

To organize a business, you need start-up capital. Its amount depends on several factors:

• the amount of available funds;
• type of greenhouse, crop;
• scale of production.

Before investing, you need to calculate the amount of expected profit and the time when the contributions will pay off. It's best to start with small financial investments. Gradually, the business can be expanded if it brings good, stable income.

The greenhouse business can be expanded if it brings good, stable income

Plants for heated moderately warm greenhouses

Curly

• Clerodendrum thomsoniae (Thomson's clerodendrum)
• Jasminum sambac (Indian jasmine, sambac)
• JuaNULLoa mexicana (Mexican Juanulloa)
• Mandevilla spiendens (beautiful mandevilla)
• Petrea volubilis
• Pyrostegia venusta (fiery red pyrostegia)
• Quisqualis indica (Indian Quisqualis)
• Solandra maxima (large solandra)
• Solanum wendlandii (Wendland nightshade)

Focus

• Alpinia purpurata (purple alpinia)
• Caiiiandra tweediei
• Cordyiine fruticosa (bush cordyline)
• Dracaena (dracaena)
• Nematanthus gregarious (grouped nematanthus)
• Nephrolepis exaltata (nephrolepis sublime)
• Pachystachys lutea (pachystachys yellow)

Decorative foliage

• Adiantum caudatum (adiantum tailed)
• Aeonium arboreum Zwartkop
• Agave parvifiora (small-flowered agave)
• Agiaonema Silver King (Aglaonema variety Silver King)
• Aloe variegata (variegated aloe)
• Asplenium nidus (nest asplenium)
• Ctenanthe oppenheimiana (Oppenheim's ctenant)
• Graptophylium pictum (painted graptophyllum)
• Hypoestes phyliostachya (hypoestes leaf-haired)
• Iresine herbstii (Herbst's irezine)
• Mimosa pudica (mimosa pudica)
• Rhapis excelsa (rapis tall)
• Schefflera elegantissima

Beautifully flowering

• Alonsoa warscewiczii
• Browailia speciosa (Browaillia beautiful)
• Dombeya burgessiae (pink dombeya)
• Episcia dianthiflora
• Eranthemum puichelium (Eranthemum graceful)
• Eucharis amazonica
• Lantana camara (Vaulted lantana)
• Ruellia makoyana (Ruellia Makoy)
• Spathiphyllum waliisii ​​(Wallis's spathiphyllum)

Unusual

• Brachystelma (brachystelma)
• Stapeiia (stapelia)
• Tacca chantrieri

When to open a business

The optimal time to start a business is before the start of the summer season. The task of the business manager is to get the harvest before the fruits of the owners of private gardens ripen. This will allow the cost of products to be higher, since demand will be greater. Therefore, this is what will help you make a significant profit.

Attention! It is best to start a business with small crops. This will make it possible to decide on the type of crop to be grown, the market for the future and will give a real idea of ​​investments and the amount of income.

Business in greenhouses will allow you to have a harvest all year round

How to grow a full-fledged crop in a greenhouse

In order to get the maximum yield, you need to combine crops and choose the right sowing time, plus take care of proper soil moisture and nutrition. Since water consumption is quite high due to the temperature inside, many gardeners successfully switch to drip irrigation. In addition, plants growing in special conditions prefer only warm water rather than cold water coming directly from a pipe. If you want to plant plants in a greenhouse, you will have to monitor the water temperature and take it from special tanks that warm up under the sun during the day.

If you plant tomatoes and tomatoes at the same time, dividing them in beds so that they do not directly touch each other, it is important to remember that they prefer different humidity regimes. Cucumbers consume moisture in much greater quantities than tomatoes, so watering will be different. Fertilizers also need to be applied to the soil in different ways. Cucumbers love regular cow or bird droppings diluted to an optimal consistency in water, and tomatoes grow well on fertilizers based on phosphorus, potassium and some other minerals.

Required Documentation

Legal registration of greenhouse business – legalization of production. To register your own business, you need to decide on the type of business object:

• individual entrepreneurship. This form is recommended if large production volumes and a wide distribution line are planned. In this case, a certificate of conformity is required, which is given to the individual entrepreneur;
• peasant farming. This form is chosen if you plan to do business with other participants. Polyus Peasant Farm – the opportunity to participate in government programs;
• personal subsidiary plot. Suitable for owners and tenants of plots up to 2 hectares.

Each form will require a specific package of documents, which are presented on the official website of the tax office. After preparing the kit, it must be taken to the MFC. If there are no complaints about the documents, after a certain period of time you can pick up the finished certificate. The exact deadline will be announced at the MFC after the package is accepted.

Black garlic business

Ancient recipes of Asian cuisine are conquering the markets of old Europe. Black garlic is not the “type” you might think. Black garlic is ordinary garlic that has been prepared in a special way. The closest word for an approximate understanding of what was done to the garlic is... it was wilted. It turns out that it's just dried garlic? Well, not quite.

In national Asian cuisine, as you know, they are very fond of spices. They have long used a phenomenon that chemists and food technologists later called the Maillard reaction. The Maillard reaction is what happens to the original food product, raw material, when it is heated. In the process of gentle, uniform, slow and long heating, (as you know) - any food raw material begins to emit a pleasant - appetizing - smell of cooking food! This happens with bread that is baked and browned in the oven, with meat whose crust smells pleasant as it cooks, and with vegetable dishes such as stews or grilled vegetables.

From the point of view of a chemist, at this moment a chemical reaction occurs between amino acids and sugars, which are contained in any initial food product - be it in meat, even in dough, even in vegetables... But thermal fermentation occurs not only in an oven at a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius!

Take, for example, “withered” fruits that are left on the tree for too long. They like to do this, for example, with cherries. If the cherries are not removed from the tree, they will turn “black” and very tasty. Winegrowers do the same with grapes. They do not remove the grapes from the vine, and as a result they also “wither”. Wine made from such grapes becomes “sweet” without adding sugar at all!

What about garlic? In the case of garlic, thermal fermentation occurs not on the native tree, but in a special heat-resistant container - such as a pan or foil. A whole head of garlic, unpeeled, is placed there and heated over low heat in the oven - literally simmered, like baked milk. But the process of “languishing” does not last a couple of hours, but... a couple of months! Garlic “evaporates” like your jellied meat, everything unnecessary comes out of it, and everything useful is not only preserved, but also chemically changes for the better.

For example, the “king of antioxidants” contained in ordinary garlic, allicin, is transformed during processing into a more powerful, beneficial and easily digestible S-allyl cysteine, abbreviated as SAC. It would seem that the technical process is very expensive and is unlikely to pay for itself. Such garlic should cost “astronomical money”. But in practice, we see that more and more people are getting involved in this new business for Europe. Moreover, these are small businesses, and not some giant concerns.

A husband and wife may well be able to pull off such a business. So, not everything is so scary, difficult and “impossible”? Entrepreneurs do not “go bankrupt” by starting such a long, expensive and freaky production. They manage to come up with a price that won’t scare anyone away. After all, you must admit that three thousand years ago in Asia there was no natural gas and electric ovens, but for some reason there was black garlic.

Black garlic is much healthier than regular, uncooked garlic. It tastes like sweet caramel (natural caramelization occurs), although there is no trace of sugar or sweeteners. All its beneficial antioxidants enhance their effect, as we have already said. Black garlic provides even more antimicrobial and antifungal effects. But it ceases to be “too spicy” for the stomach. And besides, black garlic loses its characteristic “garlic fume”, because of which many “working with people” people deny themselves this natural medicine all their lives. We can say that black garlic returned to us what society with its vanity, prejudice and glamor took away from us - the opportunity to eat garlic - so healthy and so tasty.

Where and who sells black garlic? Organic food stores, eco-product fairs, herbal and alternative medicine stores, oriental or Ayurvedic spice shops, vegan outlets. This is where it began. And now the market for black garlic also includes “haute cuisine” restaurants - finally, it has become fashionable there too! Now everyone eats black garlic, not just some special “hippies” with strangely arranged brains. And this means that it’s time for you and me to get into this business - no “excuses” (who will I sell this to? This is not my target audience) no longer exist.

Advantages and disadvantages

Greenhouse business has the following advantages:

• growing organic products that can be used not only for sale, but also for food;
• the ability to grow fresh food throughout the year;
• obtaining vegetables, fruits, berries 10-30 days earlier than when they are grown in open ground;
• Some forms of farming have government support, which allows them to reduce their own expenses.

Greenhouse business has many positive qualities

Flaws:

• large capital investments;
• reduction in the cost of production during the season;
• short shelf life of products;
• high cost of utilities - heating, electricity, etc.

Rules for cultivation and crop rotation

It is not recommended to plant the same crop in one place. The fact is that the plant produces and releases harmful, toxic substances into the soil. They accumulate and hinder the development of crops. To prevent this from happening, you need to follow some rules of crop rotation.

These include the following procedures:

• As soon as the main plant has completed its life cycle, sow green manure in this place - mustard or butternut squash.
• Try to alternate crops - sow cucumbers instead of tomatoes and vice versa; in the intervals between growing the main crops, plant greens.
• Once every two years, it is advisable to replace the top layer of soil with fresh one and enrich it with organic matter - humus and compost.
• The optimal order of planting crops: the first year - legumes and greens, the second - greens and onions, the third - tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, the fourth - root vegetables.
• You cannot grow one crop in one place for several years in a row. The soil will be depleted, the harvest will noticeably drop, diseases and pests will appear.

Be sure to apply fertilizers and minerals every year. The land should rest for two months a year, that is, crops that do not consume large quantities of nutrients, for example, mustard, should grow on it. Green manure is generally a way out not only for greenhouses, but also for open ground. They perfectly enrich the soil, make it loose and prevent the occurrence of diseases. This point is very important for those for whom growing vegetables is the main source of income.

If, after all, the greenhouse is intended for only one type of crop, you will have to change the top layer of soil every year.

This is a necessary measure, otherwise the harvest will fall in the second year. There is another way out of the situation. Organize stationary holes for plants. It is much easier to remove the soil and replace it with fresh one. Replacement costs are significantly reduced if soil is purchased specifically for greenhouses. You can arrange compost trenches right there in the greenhouses. This way, the gardener will always have both fertilizer and fresh soil at hand.

Soil disinfection is also a prerequisite. It is treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or special preparations, for example, “Baikal EM-1”. Compliance with this safety measure is especially important when growing tomatoes. It is known that they are often affected by fungal and viral diseases, the spores of which persist in the ground indefinitely.

Choosing a location for a greenhouse

It is recommended to install greenhouses close to the infrastructure so that there are no problems with connecting communications:

• electricity;
• heating;
• water.

In addition, greenhouses need to be located in a place with convenient transport access, close to sales points, so as not to spend a lot of money on transporting products.

If you plan to build a small structure, you can arrange it next to your dacha or house. The advantages of this greenhouse arrangement:

• no need to buy land or lease it;
• walking distance;
• fast, easy communication.

If you set up a greenhouse on a rented plot, you need to take into account the following risks:

• increase in rental costs;
• Rental refusal during high season.

Such situations usually arise because the land owner wants to take over the tenant's business. It is for this reason that it is better to build greenhouses on your own site.

Arranging your own plot with greenhouses

Undemanding orchids

Some orchids can withstand night temperatures up to +10°C and daytime temperatures around +16-18°C. Many are easy to grow, but achieving flowering is a problem because they require specific conditions: a certain difference in night and day temperatures, constant humidity, shading from strong light and good ventilation. Water them generously, but allow the soil to dry out between waterings. In summer, feed with orchid fertilizer. During winter, when orchids are dormant, keep them dry. In spring, replant into larger pots if necessary. Always use quality potting compost for orchids.

Cymbidum (cymbidium) . The leaves are long, lanceolate, the stems are long, the flowers are large (in the photo is the cymbidium variety Samares, Samares).

Miltoniopsis (miltoniopsis) . The flowers are large, reminiscent of pansies, the leaves are long and belt-shaped.

Odontoglossum (odontoglossum) . The shape and color of leaves and flowers are very diverse. Some species can have up to 12 flowers on one peduncle.

Oncidium (oncidium) . The leaves are leathery, the stems are long, arching, with many small flowers.

Paphiopedilum (paphiopedilum, lady's slipper) . The leaves are thick, fleshy, sometimes spotted or speckled. In flowers, the tepal forms a lip that resembles a swollen sac.

Phaiaenopsis (phalaenopsis) . The leaves are wide and leathery. Peduncles are long. Flowers are like moths. They are very widespread, although they require a temperature of at least +18°C.

Greenhouse arrangement

Structures are arranged in several ways:

• order a product based on a ready-made or individual project. The second option will cost more, but will allow you to get a greenhouse with the required dimensions, design features, etc.;
• buy the finished product. On the modern market there are greenhouses made of different materials, different shapes, and dimensions. This allows you to choose the appropriate option;
• do it on their own. This is the most budget-friendly way to set up a greenhouse. All you need is to purchase the appropriate materials. The difficulties lie in performing calculations and drawings.

A greenhouse is not real estate. This eliminates the need to obtain permission for its construction.

Improved greenhouse

The following materials are used to construct a greenhouse:

• polypropylene;
• polycarbonate;
• glass.

Polyethylene film is rarely used due to low efficiency.

The frame of the structure is made of wood, metal, and PVC pipes.

The inside of the greenhouse can be improved. To do this, electricity is provided, a heating system is organized, etc. This will allow you to quickly get a rich harvest, since additional lighting and high temperatures accelerate the growth and maturation of plants.

Temperature conditions and other features

If the temperature within the same greenhouse also differs, which happens most often, then the warmest area, which is under the sun for the longest time, is intended for cucumbers, and the bed with lower temperatures is good for tomatoes. Sometimes summer residents additionally separate crops in the greenhouse with light partitions, for example, made of plastic or even ordinary plywood. This will allow you to slightly change the humidity level, creating an optimal regime for each crop.

Often, gardeners plant one crop, but of different types, for example, hot and sweet peppers. But it is undesirable to do this, since due to the almost inevitable cross-pollination, the taste will change. Sweet varieties will develop a bitter taste, while bitter varieties, on the contrary, will lose their rich, pungent flavor.

A classic set for a gardener (this is just one of the options): cucumbers, squash, zucchini of any kind, watermelons, melon, pumpkins. It is advisable to place cucumbers in the central part, and the rest of the plants around the perimeter. To repel pests, it is advisable to plant several bushes of low-growing marigolds in different parts of the greenhouse.

Types of greenhouses

There are several types of greenhouses that can be used for doing business.

DIY budget greenhouse

A small structure that is usually erected next to a house or on a summer cottage. It is suitable for people with a limited budget who want to try their hand at running a greenhouse business.

Such greenhouses are made deep into the soil, which ensures their stability even in strong gusts of wind.

Budget greenhouse

Greenhouse

Seasonal greenhouse

A structure that is installed only for the summer season. After its completion, the structure is dismantled and stored for storage.

The greenhouse is installed in March. To do this, the snow on the ground under the structure is cleared. To prevent the cold from the frozen soil from penetrating inside the structure, sheets of roofing material are placed on the area under the greenhouse. In addition, you can put rotted straw with mullein under the beds. This will help the soil to thaw faster and saturate the soil with nutrients for better growth and development of crops.

For seasonal greenhouses, the heating system does not need to be equipped. However, it is impossible to do without additional lighting and water supply.

Seasonal greenhouse

Year-round greenhouse

A capital structure that can be used not only during the summer season, but throughout the year. This allows you to receive stable profits without interruption. Such a structure is suitable for people who are ready to make significant investments in running a business. They will pay for themselves in about 2 seasons, provided that business is handled correctly.

To use the greenhouse throughout the year, it is necessary to equip the building with the following systems:

• heating;
• lighting;
• water supply

Year-round greenhouse

Spring-summer sowings

Greenhouse buildings can be divided into spring-summer and year-round premises. The first are intended for growing crops only during the natural growing season of plants - from spring to autumn. The latter are intended for forcing crops throughout almost the entire year - 8 months of continuous plant development and 4 months spent on cultivating and resting the soil.

Almost every gardener is familiar with the organization of an uninsulated greenhouse:

• The soil in the room is prepared in the fall, organic matter and mineral fertilizers are added.
• In early spring, as soon as the snow begins to melt, work is already in full swing in the greenhouse. Experienced gardeners advise moistening the soil with warm water or melted snow. This way it will warm up faster and be ready to receive the first seeds.

The first plantings begin in April. Sow greens, radishes and onions on the feather. The growing season of these crops is short, so by May it is already over. The greenery is removed, and the soil is prepared for planting the ripened seedlings of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and representatives of the pumpkin family.

In the southern regions, gardeners manage to harvest vegetables twice; in the northern regions, the greenhouse helps to harvest only one full harvest. Once the main vegetables and roots have died down, replant the greens. She will have time to grow again and please her owners with her spicy and juicy taste. If the soil in the greenhouse is already depleted, agronomists recommend sowing mustard instead of greens to enrich the soil.

What's the best thing to grow?

There are several crops that are profitable to grow in a greenhouse for sale.

Seedling

This is one of the most common ways to run a greenhouse business. The popularity of growing seedlings is explained by the possibility of generating large income. Typically, businessmen grow vegetable seedlings:

• cucumbers;
• tomato;
• cabbage, etc.

Seedlings of berries and flowers are also in demand.

Seedlings are one of the most common ways to run a greenhouse business.

Seedlings are actively purchased in the spring for growing crops in gardens and summer cottages.

You can sell seedlings not only through the market. They also sell crops online.

A seasonal greenhouse is sufficient for growing seedlings. In this case, there is no need to equip a year-round greenhouse, since sales are carried out mainly in the spring. In one season, you can earn about 700,000 rubles in this way.

Video - Growing seedlings in a greenhouse, what beginners need to know

Vegetables

It is beneficial to grow the following types of vegetables in a greenhouse:

• potato;
• cabbage;
• tomatoes;
• cucumbers;
• radish.

Vegetables have a long shelf life

They are characterized by a long shelf life, which allows them to be sold for some time without fear of rotting.

Other benefits of growing vegetables:

• high demand throughout the year;
• wide choice of implementation methods;
• rapid ripening;
• the possibility of obtaining a rich harvest with proper plant care.

Vegetables can be sold not only in your region, but also delivered to other cities. This expands the market for products and provides the opportunity to receive additional income.

Video - How to become a millionaire by growing vegetables in greenhouses

Flowers

Growing flowers is a profitable but troublesome business. Flaws:

• plants require special care;
• flowers have a short shelf life;
• if the temperature regime and irrigation rules are not observed, the flowers lose their presentation;
• big competition.

Growing flowers in a greenhouse is a profitable business

If you manage to get a rich harvest of good quality flowers and find a market, then the business will be able to generate income of up to 4,000,000 rubles a year. The main thing is to have time to grow the crops by the beginning of March and collect the second harvest by the May holidays.

You can also grow indoor plants. They will generate profit all year and provide additional income for such holidays as Valentine's Day, March 8, Knowledge Day, etc.

Video - Construction of a greenhouse for growing flowers

Berries

The greatest income can be obtained by growing strawberries in a greenhouse. This berry produces a rich harvest throughout the year if you create suitable conditions for it. Benefits of growing strawberries:

• high demand at any time of the year;
• low competition;
• Possibility of sale at a high price.

The greatest income can be obtained by growing strawberries in a greenhouse

Flaws:

• short shelf life;
• It is necessary to create special conditions not only for growing, but also for transporting fruits.

Video - Greenhouse for strawberries

Greenery

Greens can be grown in a greenhouse all year round. Other benefits:

• rapid plant growth;
• rich yield;
• ease of care;
• no large capital investments required;
• the ability to grow several types of crops in one greenhouse.

Greens can be grown in a greenhouse all year round

Flaws:

• low price;
• big competition;
• difficult to find a market for.

Video - Greens in a winter greenhouse

Compatibility of fruit and vegetable crops

At the same time you can plant: basil, beans, peas, garlic, zucchini, dill, all types of salads, turnips, parsley, cucumbers and tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, corn, radishes. How to plant correctly in a greenhouse?

Crops grown in greenhouses that
cannot be combined: cabbage and cucumbers, cabbage and tomatoes, beets and tomatoes, tomatoes and carrots, beans and lettuce, beans and onions.
Read more about what can be combined with tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants and whether it is possible to plant peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes together.

Joint planting of vegetables can be used in spring and summer, and in a heated greenhouse all year round .

This method is not only convenient, but also useful, since it eliminates the possibility of unilateral depletion of the soil. When organizing the internal space, not only the location of the beds, but also the shape of the greenhouse itself is of great importance.

Carbon dioxide is very important for all plants. To supply it, supply systems and a CO₂ generator are specially equipped.

Greenhouses - growing technology:

If the roof in a greenhouse has sloping corners , then it would be more advisable to plant taller plants in the center and low-growing ones at the edges. And if the shape is square , then it will be more convenient to make three long ridges and two convenient passages between them. For round structures, rounded beds around the perimeter and a round bed inside are suitable.

If you adhere to these rules, the yield in the greenhouse will please you.

The optimal width of the bed for planting plants in a greenhouse is no more than 90 centimeters ; if made wider, it will be inconvenient to cultivate the soil and care for the plants. If the greenhouse has hanging racks, the height should not exceed 1.3 meters , which will allow you to easily reach the plants.

Blue ones

Eggplants also work quite well. They can be sown for seedlings already in early February.

It is better to sow seed material in boxes where the soil is nutritious and moist. Moisten and cover with film until shoots emerge (about a couple of weeks). You need to provide additional lighting 12 hours a day.

Warmth until the seeds germinate should be maintained at 21–24 degrees during the day and 13–14 at night, and a week after germination, for 5–6 days the temperature should be lowered to 16–19 degrees above zero.

The little blue ones usually do not dive; in the phase of a pair of true leaves, they can be transferred to larger containers without damaging the roots. After a couple of weeks, feed them in the same way as cucumbers.

Photo: Eggplant seedlings can be sown as early as early February.

Prepare a permanent place for eggplant seedlings in April, remembering to water them regularly and loosen the soil. The main stem is usually attached to a trellis, and the crown is pinched.

Daylight should be maintained for 12–16 hours a day, heat should be kept at 15–16 degrees at night and 17–18 during the day.

Eggplant varieties for cultivation in a greenhouse are F1 hybrids: Balagur, Behemoth, Lolita, Maksik and the like.

A little exotic

Where winter temperatures do not drop below +3°C, tropical plants can be grown in an unheated greenhouse that bloom in the summer when the weather is warm and wither in the winter so that their bulbs, tubers and rhizomes can overwinter in a frost-free location.

• Achimenes (Achimenes)
• Babiana stricta (straight babiana)
• Begonia (begonias, tuberous)
• Canna
• Eucomis (eukomis)
• Gloriosa (gloriosa)
• Haemanthus coccineus
• Hippeastrum (hippeastrum, Emerald variety in the photo)
• Polianthes tuberosa (tuberose)
• Zantedeschia (zantedeschia)

Implementation of a greenhouse project

If the plan is drawn up, then you can begin to implement the idea:

1. Land for building a greenhouse. It can be rented, but this will entail a considerable waste of money on its monthly payment. Own land, of course, will reduce financial losses, but not everyone has it. And it is extremely unwise to take it out on a mortgage, since the enterprise itself does not yet have any income, and therefore no income either.
2. Construction of a greenhouse. Knowledgeable businessmen say that you need to start small, and it’s never too late to expand. You can build a greenhouse yourself or hire specialists. In the first case it will be much cheaper. The second is faster and more reliable, after all, professionals know better, that’s their job.
3. Order seeds, seedlings, soil and fertilizers. It is better to turn to reliable organizations; their goods will be of higher quality, and therefore the harvest will be better.
4. The technological conditions in the greenhouse should be considered. Heating, air conditioning, additional lighting - you can’t do without them.
5. The local climate plays a big role. It is better to build a greenhouse in the southern regions. Warm climates will help save money on heating and lighting. Experts have calculated that transporting goods from south to north is much more profitable than incurring costs in cold areas.
6. Qualified personnel. Even a small greenhouse is difficult to maintain alone. People will be needed to care for the plants.

Pepper and eggplant

You can grow wonderful peppers in a greenhouse. If the structure is not heated, then different varieties grow in it; you can grow hybrid versions of medium-sized and tall bell peppers, which produce large or medium-sized fruits.

You can form a bush of medium-fruited and large-fruited peppers in different ways. In temperate climates, weather conditions vary during the summer months. If you form bushes in the same way in an unheated greenhouse, then large-fruited plants will be overloaded. After this, they shed the ovaries, and the buds fall off at the tops of the shoots.

Form a medium-sized pepper so that 2 stems remain. At the point where the stem branches, the most powerful shoot is left. The other shoot is pinched, 1 leaf remains on it, and the shoots are removed. If the pepper fruits are large, there should be 1 shoot left.

The growing conditions for peppers must be suitable to prevent sunburn on the leaves.

Growing lettuce

The salad is very unpretentious and is excellent for cultivation in a winter greenhouse. What it needs: plenty of moisture, lighting 8–9 hours a day, and a temperature of about +15 degrees. Every 20 days you can harvest.

Watercress is ideal.

Photo: Lettuce does well in warm conditions.

In addition to lettuce, a heated structure in winter will allow crops such as rhubarb, chicory, chard and even asparagus to thrive. Plants need no more light than lettuce. The main thing is to cut off the largest leaves located on the periphery during the harvesting process.