Hi All!
So, two months ago I turned to this group for help and advice about the greenhouse in the house we've recently moved into. Now that the unpacking has finished, I can actually turn my attention to the greenhouse. Here are the details. See attached pictures.
- The greenhouse measures 12' x 5'6" and is "built in" to the house, so the roof and front are glass, the sides are part of the house.
- It is built on a concrete slab, which is good, but there is NO drainage, which is bad.
- There is a hand-cranked roof vent that and a louvered vent on the front.
- I am in Maryland, zone 6b and the front of the greenhouse faces SSE.
- Should I need supplemental lighting (grow lights?) there are two lighting fixtures in the greenhouse.
- There are gaps between some of the panes that need to be sealed.
- Water - there is no water IN the greenhouse, but there is a way that I could run water into the greenhouse from an outside hose bib.
What do we want to grow?
Well, given limited space and experience, I think probably tomatoes, herbs, maybe some lavender, and ???
So, questions:
1. What can I do to seal up the gaps between panes? Is there as recommended product (strip? Caulk?)
2. What can I do about lack of drainage? (is there some sort of drainage pans that you can put on the floor and I can drill a hole in the side of the greenhouse to drain out?)
3. What SHOULD we be growing and given it's august, is it too late to start for this season?
4. The greenhouse gets HOT. For instance, it's 11:50am as I write this, it's 85 degrees out, and the greenhouse is already 103. This is with all the vents closed, FYI. I'm assuming this means monitoring it closely and opening/closing vents as needed.
5. Shelves? Tables? Not a lot of space and even less so, given the door swings at either end.
What else do I need to know? Where should I be looking for a sort of "Greenhouse 101"? What am I not thinking of?
Thanks!
