I live in New Hampshire and just built a greenhouse,is it better to use glass windows or plastic.The glass will let in more light the plastic is translucent.Also the last time I tried starting plants inside they bolted ,got long and stringy.How do you stop that.
Plants Bolting
- Thread starter zakirezoe
- Start date
patandchickens
Deeply Rooted
It depends what kind of plastic. Some translucent plastic transmits like 90% of the light, some a lot less.
Also it depends what you're wanting to grow -- lettuce or seedlings will have a lot more sense of humor about losing a bit of light than if you are heating the greenhouse and trying to get tomatoes to bloom and fruit, for instance.
I'd say go for whatever has the expected lifespan - to - purchase price ratio that you are comfortable with.
As far as bolting... are you *sure* you mean bolting, which is when they flower and go to seed. I think you may mean that they are just getting stretched and spindly -- "etiolated" -- which is usually from insufficient light. The cure for which is usually, more light
-- use a shoplight with the fluorescent tubes literally about 2" above the plants uppermost leaves.
Good luck, have fun,
Pat
Also it depends what you're wanting to grow -- lettuce or seedlings will have a lot more sense of humor about losing a bit of light than if you are heating the greenhouse and trying to get tomatoes to bloom and fruit, for instance.
I'd say go for whatever has the expected lifespan - to - purchase price ratio that you are comfortable with.
As far as bolting... are you *sure* you mean bolting, which is when they flower and go to seed. I think you may mean that they are just getting stretched and spindly -- "etiolated" -- which is usually from insufficient light. The cure for which is usually, more light
-- use a shoplight with the fluorescent tubes literally about 2" above the plants uppermost leaves.Good luck, have fun,
Pat
Greenthumb18
Deeply Rooted
Yep, i agree the cure is to give them more light. The seedlings are growing that way because their searching for more light. If the seedlings dont get enough light their not getting their "food".
I use plastic for my greenhouse every year and they do fine with that.
I use plastic for my greenhouse every year and they do fine with that.
