High Tunnel Growing: An Easy Way to Extend Your Season

As a grower, you’ve probably felt the anxiety of the growing season quickly coming to an end. You’ve probably also wished for a few more weeks, even another month, to get more out of your crops and a few more dollars in your wallet! As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end and the same is true of the growing season. However, there is good news for some growers who may not have the luxury of a greenhouse, but who want just a little more time at the beginning and end of their growing season.

Customer Spotlight: Pat Raunick’s Nurturing Greenhouse

The beauty of greenhouses is that they can be as big as any large commercial grower may need, or as small as any backyard hobby grower needs to grow fresh, healthy produce within the comfort of her own home and yard. The latter is the case for Pat Raunick, a Growers Supply customer who purchased a greenhouse in order raise her own produce and to create an activity she could enjoy with her grandchildren.

Photos are worth 1,000 words—or $500!

Do you love taking pictures as much as you love your Growers Supply products? Well, it’s time to get inspired and take some great photos of your favorite Growers Supply items in action because our 2013 Photo Contest starts June 18th! We love our loyal readers so much, we wanted to give you a couple days head start to find (or take) the perfect photo!

Get ready for your ten seconds of fame, because if you win, you’ll be featured on our website and this very blog. Anyone can enter and we’re looking for photos showcasing how you use our products, so get snapping.

The grand prize winner will receive a $500 Growers Supply gift certificate and five lucky runners-up will each receive a $200 FarmTek gift certificate. How’s that for motivation?

Spotlight on Mantua Gardens and their Ever-Expanding Hydroponic System

Mantua Gardens, located in northeastern Ohio, has been in business since 1995, and has provided the community with high-quality annuals, perennials, garden supplies and more. In 2012, owner Darin Kelley was approached with the idea to start growing hydroponic lettuce and other fresh greens year round, in addition to continuing with the established garden and greenhouse center. With the demand for locally grown produce, Darin decided to branch out into the realm of hydroponic growing and looked to Growers Supply to help him get started.

Is Your Greenhouse Winter Ready?

Fall is in full effect, which means old man winter will be arriving soon. Now is the time to ask yourself if your greenhouse is ready for the chilly months ahead. Whether you plan to close up shop in your greenhouse altogether or keep growing despite the weather outside, you will be able to use some of these helpful hints.

Picture Blog: Designing Innovative Growing Systems

Mike Dagostino, a Growers Supply customer, shared some great photos of his very unique growing space. He is part of a group of dedicated growers whose goal is to develop innovative growing systems and products. Mike and his coworkers turned to Growers Supply when they needed a variety of supplies for their organic tomato farm in Florida. Here are some photos of the project.

We have purchased many items from Growers Supply as we develop new technologies for use with our Organic EVE System at our organic tomato farm in Loxahatchee, Florida. The service and support we receive is unmatched. Most everything pictured here was purchased from Growers Supply. Our proprietary system, OrganicEVE (an enclosed vegetative ecosystem) is up and running, and our next step is to purchase a 12,000 square foot greenhouse.

The Weed Guard Ground Cover in this photo suppresses weed growth while allowing air, nutrients and water to pass through, making it ideal flooring for greenhouses and high tunnels.

Chill Out! Cooling & Ventilation in Your Greenhouse

It’s the first day of summer and it’s HOT in the greater part of the country! Maintaining good ventilation in your greenhouse is perhaps the most important elements in keeping your plants happy and healthy this summer and all year long. Ventilation helps your plants in several crucial ways, and without it, you could find your plants (and your spirits) wilting. Ventilation systems affect fresh air flow, temperature control, pollination and even pest problems, and these factors are major determinants of how successful your greenhouse will be.

Spotlight on Clifford O. and His Rare Own-Root Roses

What started as a friendly gesture back in 2001 to help an elderly neighbor care for her roses, grew into a lifelong passion for maintaining what is today one of the largest and most diverse private rose collections in the United States. Cliff O. grows over 5,000 roses and rose seedlings in the California high desert near Palm Springs.

Cliff hadn’t always been growing in the high desert, however, as his previous growing experience had been in the low desert where he was used to the steady environment. In his transition to the high desert, he found it very difficult to care for his delicate plants the way he was accustomed to, because the moderate temperatures during the day would drastically change to freezing temperatures at night. The strong winds of the high desert provided additional challenges. Cliff had been relying on shade cloth alone, but he knew he would need additional shelter for his plants to protect them from the freezing nights.

Review: Hydroponics Workshop Featuring Guest Speaker Dr. Lynette Morgan

We recently hosted our first hydroponic workshop in our brand new Technology Center and it was a great success! We featured Dr. Lynette Morgan of SUNTEC International Hydroponic Consultants in New Zealand and gave an excellent presentation that we had been collaborating on with her for the past few months. The attendees each received an 82 page workbook full of useful information and details that Dr. Morgan wanted to share with everyone about her years of practice and study in the hydroponic industry. This workbook makes a great reference to consult when questions arise in your own hydroponic operation. We are very lucky to be teamed up with Dr. Morgan. Her wisdom and insights have been invaluable. The seminar was packed with helpful knowledge and awesome pictures from hydroponic growing setups from all over the world.

How to Choose a Greenhouse Heater

Whether you own a hobby or commercial greenhouse, efficiently heating the space is a must during these cold winter months. It is important that you provide your plants with the right environment in order for them to thrive and Growers Supply offers a variety of heaters to suit your cold-weather growing needs.

WHAT WILL YOU BE GROWING?

The first thing you will need to consider is what plants or crops you want to grow in your greenhouse because the temperature needed will be different depending on what you are growing inside. Certain crops are classified as warm-weather crops, such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplant, while some are classified as cool-weather crops, like lettuce, broccoli and cabbage. Cool-weather crops are best grown throughout the winter months, because they will require less heating to thrive. Warm-weather crops will not be as successful during colder climates, because your heater will need to work harder to keep the greenhouse at the right temperature. If you live in a climate of varying temperature, you should grow warm-weather crops in your greenhouse during warmer months and cool-weather crops during colder months.