Introduction to growing organic herbs in a greenhouse
Having fresh herb plants is as delightful as a fragrant bouquet of freshly picked flowers. Whether harvesting a combination of fresh herbs from the garden for a culinary treat or wandering through an herb garden full with the essence of seasonings, herbs are quite purely heavenly, no less than a treasure.
A step by step guide to growing organic herbs in the greenhouse
Herbs are typically hardy, and able to withstand many kinds of conditions outdoors as long as it is not too extreme, from winters to reasonable drought conditions. If you don’t have the area of fertile land or you are living in areas having months of frozen cold or equal amounts times of scorching heat, you may suppose you’ll never be able to grow a successful herb garden.
The answer to your problem on how to grow herbs is a greenhouse. Greenhouses offer an artificial, well-regulated environment that is ideal for growing tender plants, and using a greenhouse for growing herbs can extend the growing season and add to the diversity of herbs to grow.
With this article learn how to grow greenhouse herbs and what to grow in a greenhouse in an organic way. We will lend a hand to you with the best herbs that thrive in a greenhouse environment completely in an organic way.
Advantages of having organic herb greenhouse garden
When practicing organic gardening you must follow strict strategy. Organic plants and soil material should not make contact with any building materials that could endanger their organic status, for example, wood treated with prohibited substances.
In case if you miss this: How to Build an Aquaponics System.
You can also grow both organic herbs as well as non-organic plants in your DIY greenhouse if the space permits, but in any way, you can’t allow the non-organic plants and growing materials to infect the organic ones in any form. For protection against contamination, you must think of installing partition that will separate the two areas and can install a different ventilation system that will avoid cross-contamination.
An organic herb garden is an arrangement that excludes the application of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and any type of growth regulators. Organic herb gardening relies a lot on using crop residues, animal manures, legumes, green manures, and organic wastes to nourish the soil and deliver required plant nutrients. Insects, pests, weeds, and other disease infestation are managed by mechanical, and cultural, biological controls.
Bulk organic herbs offer you a ready supply of tasty spice obtainable at your small greenhouse
Organic herbs are preferable to non-organics as they are not grown by taking the help of chemical fertilizers or chemical pesticides. Chemicals can leave residues on the plant matter, and go down their way into the plant’s roots, leaves, stems, flowers or bark, and this means that they can get into your system if you were to consume them. As an alternative, a healthier way is to forgo the chemicals and stick with organic herbs by growing herbs indoors.
When individuals shop for herbs, organic products are their first preference. As no one wishes to put harmful chemicals to their diets or apply it in medications or cosmetics to their body. This purity factor is why organic products are so popular and herb greenhouse near to your home can be constructed.
For having herbs at a time of year when they cannot be grown outdoors. Out-of-season basil, rosemary, thyme, and other vegetables command high prices in some markets.
Growing herbs in the greenhouse is a great way out for organic herb lovers, giving them absolute control over climate, irrigation, organic fertilization, and equipment management. Greenhouses let producers be in command over biosecurity, organic gardening techniques, and choice of equipment for a more stable, high-quality production.
Season expansion is just one of the advantages achieved by greenhouse growing. Protected crops are less prone to be damaged by wind, rain, and hail so the percentage of harvestable products is higher. Yield is often superior as well if you can give optimum growing conditions for the herbs.
Greenhouses protect herbs from various diseases, predominantly those that are soil-borne and splash onto plants during the rain. And greenhouse herbs are protected from common field pests.
A greenhouse can provide your herbs safety from extreme heat and sunlight during summer. You can make a shaded region in your greenhouse so that they won’t dry out too fast. It is often easy to attach a shade cloth to the greenhouse structure than somewhere in the garden
Greenhouse planting system for growing organic herbs
Greenhouse vegetables, herbs, and flowers can be grown using three main systems:
- On-ground soil culture: easiest for beginners since watering and fertilization requirements are not very strict.
- Container culture: Growing in containers, though, has the advantages of no weeding practice and reduced occurrence of soil-borne diseases. So the decisive factor may well be the kind of greenhouse you have. If you have a transplantation corner with a concrete or gravel floor, you can grow herbs in containers for example grow bags, bulb crates, or large pots.
- Hydroponics.
Important considerations in growing organic herbs of greenhouse
Greenhouse gardening methods for herbs are comparable to those for greenhouse-grown vegetables. But are some practices, however, that are definite to herb production. Fertility and irrigation, for example, should be managed rather differently. Too much water or fertilizer may end in the poor establishment of slow-growing seedlings or semi-woody cuttings, the extreme growth of species with fast growth rates, or inferior essential oil content, resulting in the diminished aroma of culinary worth.
You may also check this: Growing Cherry Tomatoes Hydroponically.
Greenhouse Temperature
It’s significant to continue a constant year-around temperature in the greenhouse. Greenhouse temperature must be about 75 degrees Fahrenheit with a soil temperature of about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Depending on where in the country the greenhouse is placed, supplemental heating may be essential in winter and cooling or ventilation during summer. Majorly herbs die in the greenhouse as of excessive heat than they do from cold temperatures. Adding shade cloth to the greenhouse roof filters sunlight and lower downs the temperature.
- Air circulation is vital for quality production. Set up oscillating fans to move the air around.
- Fast-growing herbs such as basil, chives, and dill turn out to be overgrown if started too early. Growth control techniques such as brushing and manipulation of day-night temperatures can be useful.
Fertilizers
Raising worms for their castings, also acknowledged as vermiculture is an ideal way to manufacture cost-free organic fertilizer that is rich in the nutrients herbs require to thrive in a greenhouse environment. Blend the 1 part castings with 3 parts potting soil for transplanting. Apply every two weeks with a watering can, pouring the solution of casting in the water around the roots of the plants. Well-rotten animal manure is excellent organic fertilizer; rich in nutrients and minerals essential for vigorous plant growth. You can also buy certified organic potting mix you can simply raise your own organic mix by adding1 part manure, aged garden compost, 2 parts potting soil, 1 part of horticultural sand and 1 part peat moss to this works well for most of the herb transplants. The optimum pH for herbs is 6.0–7.0 more make sure you are providing the little plants what they demand.
Lighting
Most of the herbs have a need of eight to twelve hours of bright sunlight every day. Light can be supplemented with artificial methods such as installing grow lights that are energy-efficient and cost-effective. Low light can also lessen the essential oil content. It is essential in greenhouse herb production to make available maximum light in late winter and early spring.
Organic Seed
To produce organic herbs, it is compulsory to make use of certified organic seed or propagate cuttings from a certified organic “mother” plant which is essentially healthy and free from any infection.
Watering
To avoid the development of mold and mildew, water in such a way that it keeps the leaves of the plants as dry as possible. Most herbs grow best in dry and sunny conditions. For established plants, permit the soil to dry between watering.
Mulching
Mulching prevents weeds from spreading and also retains the required moisture in the soil. Apply a 2-3-inch layer of organic mulch such as wheat straw, legumes. You must keep it away from the crown of your herbs.
Pinching
Maintain luscious and thick herb plants by pinching 2 to 3 inches off the stem peaks. This encourages more branching and fresh growth. If you wish for more leaves, simply pinch off any flowers that will emerge.
Pruning
Your herbs will grow up best if you trim them on a regular basis. Prune those dead stems of the earlier year’s growth. Some perennial herbs may grow up woody or thin after many years. Prune them back in spring by one-third or down to 4 inches off the ground sooner than fresh growth starts. This promotes a more compact and full growth.
Insect-pest and disease management
This is the specialty of organic herb gardening in case of the occurrence of any disease or insect-pest incidence you don’t rush to get any sort of chemicals. The most frequent diseases in the greenhouse herb garden are fungal diseases, including botrytis, damping-off, and root rots. These diseases can cause terrific plant loss in just a few days if conditions are favourable and no control is taken.
Following measures can be done
- Use irrigation methods that minimize leaf surface wetness. Stay away from late afternoon and night-time irrigation.
- Maintain good quality air circulation in the greenhouse.
- Remove diseased plants and plant parts immediately as observed.
- For herbs grown in-ground beds rotate plant after a certain time.
- Use only clean and healthy stock for propagation.
- Thoroughly clean containers with bleach and water solution before transplanting.
- Sterilize growing media and use neem cake in compost.
- Use temporary structures such as hoop houses for preventing disease build-up from year to year
- Avoid dense planting and overcrowding to prevent the spread of disease
Some Easy-to-grow herbs for your greenhouse
Answer to what to grow in a greenhouse is simple ANYTHING!!
You can grow any herb organically by simply following the instructions we have discussed above. Since the list is too long so, for now, will be discussing only a few.
- Dill: growing dill in the greenhouse is easy and interesting
- Suggested Propagation method: by organic seeds
- It is an annual herb
- Starting seeds indoors before the last frost is not recommended
- Minimum soil temperature for germination must be 60 F-70°F
- Harvest at 4-5 leaves or more
- Rosemary: growing rosemary in a greenhouse can be achieved as follows:
- Suggested Propagation method for rosemary in the greenhouse: by organic Seeds, Division and Cuttings
- Rosemary plant is a Tender Perennial herb
- Starting seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost is recommended
- Minimum soil temperature for germination must be 70°F
- Harvest young stems and leaves
- Chives: growing chives in a greenhouse is quite easy and rewarding you just have to consider the following points :
- Suggested Propagation method: by organic Seeds and Division
- It is a perennial herb
- Starting seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost is recommended
- Minimum soil temperature for germination must be 60-70°F
- To harvest pick leaves down to the base
- Days to transplant ready 25 to 30 days
- Days from sowing to the first harvest: 105 to 120 days
- Sage :
- Suggested Propagation method for sage plant: by organic Seeds Division and Cuttings
- It is a perennial herb
- Starting seeds indoors 6-10 weeks before the last frost is recommended
- Minimum soil temperature for germination must be 60-70°F
- Must be lightly harvested leaves in the first year
- Days to transplant ready 14 to 21 days
- Days from sowing to the first harvest: 85 to 98 days
- Coriander: undoubtedly if anyone is going to set up an organic herb garden in greenhouse growing coriander in greenhouse must be first priority since it is used every day and is preferred fresh.
- Suggested Propagation method for: by organic
- It is an annual herb
- Starting seeds indoors before the last frost is not recommended
- Minimum soil temperature for germination must be 60°F
F - Must harvest Leaves before stalk grows
- Days from sowing to the first harvest: 49 to 56 days
You can also grow basil, tulsi, etc.. If you are interested in How to Make Money from Organic Fertilizer Production.