Maine 4-Season Greenhouse Grow

I'm outside, first timer. Got a lot of support from other members so far and lovin it. I can see why growing is so much fun. I can't wait to get home every day from work and see how my two girls are doin.
Start a journal...you will get a lot of great feedback and it is good to look back on your progress (and mistakes).
:goodluck:
 
Start a journal...you will get a lot of great feedback and it is good to look back on your progress (and mistakes).
:goodluck:
It's on the go, part of my signature. Lot's of good advice so far and will help like you said on my next grow.
 
I am super pleased so far with the tomato cages...not sure why more people don't use them, even in tents. So easy to train by either pulling stalks out at certain levels or tying pipe cleaners at multiple heights...

I can see how easily you could add a second trellis beyond the first trellis...and maybe even another. Issue become how do you fit 10x plants @ 5' wide in a 24' GH? (A: you stagger them...)

ok so i know i sound like im in love with the guy... But i watched jay plantspeaker grow two seasons in a row in his GH and memorized alot of his tips and have a huge respect for his grows....

he lets them grow 7nodes, then tops them, then tops the new growth again at 3-4 nodes.. Then trims off everything underneath and takes advantage of the height of the greenhouse using the bamboo and netting, kinda like a greenhouse scrog.

obviously you gotta do what best suits you, im just thinking, let them grow upwards instead of outwards, take advantage of the suns ability to penetrate deep down.

i too love tomato cages... Sometimes you can find them galvanized as well which helps them last longer.
 
ok so i know i sound like im in love with the guy... But i watched jay plantspeaker grow two seasons in a row in his GH and memorized alot of his tips and have a huge respect for his grows....

he lets them grow 7nodes, then tops them, then tops the new growth again at 3-4 nodes.. Then trims off everything underneath and takes advantage of the height of the greenhouse using the bamboo and netting, kinda like a greenhouse scrod. obviously you gotta do what best suits you, im just thinking, let them grow upwards instead of outwards, take advantage of the suns ability to penetrate deep down.

i too love tomato cages... Sometimes you can find them galvanized as well which helps them last longer.

Well, like you said, it depends on the GH. Mine is a south facing passive solar, which means it is not maximized for summer growth, but shoulder season...when sun is 35-65°...thus the north angle of the roof is solid...means I have to keep the plants in the 2/3 of the southern facing footprint. (Next summer I can use my high tunnel which has total light exposure :cool:). The ceiling is also constrained at 9' max. I am interested in a netting constraint @ 8'...and I already have 2x 8x4' frames and I can easily string a net on them and hang them...that's a nice thing about this smaller GH...it made of wood and securing stuff is only a drill and a screw and done. I'll check this guy out and see what I can use of his method. Thanks for the tip...
 
For outdoor grows, buy the heaviest duty ones you can find...they last much longer and will actually provide support.

For indoor you can get away with the regular gauge ones. I used one of these for an XXL Cheese auto (in a 10-gallon) because they said the buds will get heavy and needed support. To lower the tomato cage (I don't expect the auto to grow 4'!) I bent the "feet" of the tomato cage in half and then when I inserted it in the soil the lowest ring was touching the soil. This allows me to (hopefully) use the wider upper portion for the shorter height plant.
Thanks, will do! & yep, I'm outdoors.
 
@Pjs420 I looked at Plantspeaker again and I see what he does with the bamboos and netting. Those are 200-gallon wide pots so that works for him, but already my plants are well beyond the edge. I am guessing he nets his plants laterally to so that he can space the pots closer (and thus more plants). His GH roof looks to be 15'+ so no limitations there...

I am glad there is no "posing" photos on this website...That guy grows some great plants, but I can only handle so many "tough guy stare" poses...but I'm sure it makes him $, so can't argue with that....
 
lol ya i ignore all of those pics, just focus on the plants, dont know how the money aspect works for internet stuff lol all the insta-drama gets tiring though, thats why i left, its not like this site where everyone is friendly and helpful!

and you gotta do what suits you! I was just trying to give you somewhere to look for any ideas to help you keep those lovely ladies under control! they are loving that greenhouse and have a long way to go haha.

just had another thought...wake and bake before i head out to feed the ponies... Maybe use some stakes around the pots and some wide hole chicken wire/farm fencing wrapped around in a circle.. An exterior tomato cage of sorts haha again this depends on how much room you have to work with in there
 
lol ya i ignore all of those pics, just focus on the plants, dont know how the money aspect works for internet stuff lol all the insta-drama gets tiring though, thats why i left, its not like this site where everyone is friendly and helpful!

and you gotta do what suits you! I was just trying to give you somewhere to look for any ideas to help you keep those lovely ladies under control! they are loving that greenhouse and have a long way to go haha.

just had another thought...wake and bake before i head out to feed the ponies... Maybe use some stakes around the pots and some wide hole chicken wire/farm fencing wrapped around in a circle.. An exterior tomato cage of sorts haha again this depends on how much room you have to work with in there
No worries, I appreciate the lead and I am a big boy...I can handle some shameless internet posing.

I thought about the wire fencing, and in fact have some in this GH to play with (I had it around the chicks) but i am thinking that will be more in my way that just tying the plants to the inner tomato cage... I like to be able to access them and the more you wrap them up, the harder to do that.

Like @Derbybud said, I just need to keep them pruned where I want them and that in itself is a great learning curve since I didn't do much of that last summer and I think the plants got straggly and the buds suffered.
:cool:
 
Good morning from TX Blew! Hope you're having a fantastic day!
Thanks for the warm salutation...today looking to be gorgeous @ 73F and sunny....with hordes of caterpillars :)

Hoping the same (minus the caterpillars) for you down in the Big Star State....
 
@Blew Hiller those massive bushes look amazing man. Such a healthy green hue to them. Keep up the good work. Good luck fighting the hordes of caterpillars!
Thanks for the snaps! I'm going to snap some pics of the caterpillars because it still astonishes me....
 
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