The role of the Greenhouse

Greetings Permies,

Fantastic forum you have here, nothing else like it on the internet as far as I know. So for that, Thanks! Such an invaluable wealth of experience and information here it is truly a beautiful thing.

This is my first post, so I'll keep it short and sweet. I am just curious to hear your thoughts on the role of the greenhouse in permaculture? Particularly in the south-east region of the USA. I am relatively new to permaculture, but have gardened and farmed meticulously for years. Something tells me greenhouses aren't necessary, but would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

i personally am a fan of greenhouses for propagation purposes. but you may want to read this thread.

https://permies.com/t/2098/permaculture/greenhouse-suck-factor

I don't see much of a role in the south, here in Michigan I use it for winter crops, this winter I had swiss chard, lettuce, growing in it and put tomatoes out early but one frosted (as it isn't heated this spring as our woodfurnace is dead, new one coming next mo)..usually the pex from our wood furnace runs under it so I can grow more tender things in it in the cold weather, but right now cooler crops have had to suffice..we are still 20's overnight every night.

Even in many parts of the south, a greenhouse can be very useful. Parts of the south get so hot/humid that even some tomatoes & peppers cannot survive the warmest months. With a greenhouse, you can get a super early jump on the season, and pick a crop of veggies before the climate turns too hot and muggy. Then, you can plant a fall crop to get a second harvest.

Hot climate, or cold climate, you can gain a lot of benefit from the season extensions.

with shade cloths and ventilation, one can cool that extreme summer down, too...I usually start losing garden in Jul...but a shade house would let those plants keep on.

a greenhouse can also be multi purpose. in the summer the cover to my GH is removed and stored so the strong summer sun doesn't destroy it as fast, and replaced with split bamboo slats, spaced according to the level of shade you desire. the greenhouse is now a shade house for summer cutting propagation. in the fall the cover goes back on, the rooted cuttings go outside. and the winter propagated stuff gets started.

I am in the South and if I had a green house some of my concerns would be solved. Starting
tomatoes alone can be difficult. Starting plants from seed into a mulched garden with slugs and
weather changes is frustrating at times. Good sized seedlings tend to do better and having a place
to grow things out would help. It depends on the scale of what you are trying to do. I am just growing
enough for 3 people and a few neighbors. It would be overkill on my scale project. So what are your
plans?

You can use 2 liter soda bottles with bottoms cut out for starting seeds in the garden. Take the tops off.

Jacob Hivemaker wrote:Greetings Permies,

I am just curious to hear your thoughts on the role of the greenhouse in permaculture? Particularly in the south-east region of the USA. I am relatively new to permaculture, but have gardened and farmed meticulously for years. Something tells me greenhouses aren't necessary, but would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

I don't know if this is a "permaculture approved practice" but...
I live in the South Eastern USA (North Georgia Appalachian area) and the main purpose of my greenhouse is to protect two mandarin orange trees I have planted in my front yard.
The way I see it,growing my own citrus, I cut down on buying it from out of state producers and that helps me "eat local".

Its really only a "greenhouse" in the winter, the rest of the year it is just a frame.