Can we talk about that time I tried growing tomatoes in a plastic shed

I set up a small green house in my backyard last spring, the cheap plastic kind from the hardware store. Thought it would protect my tomatoes from bugs and weather, but after 3 weeks everything got moldy and wilted. Turns out I never cracked the zipper for airflow, so it turned into a steam room. Has anyone else messed up a simple setup like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

riley8603d ago

The cheap plastic greenhouses are basically ovens if you don't open them up. I had the same issue til I cut a couple slits near the top with scissors and propped the door open with a brick on warm days. Made a huge difference in airflow. Also switched to fabric pots instead of the plastic nursery ones, they dry out way faster and helped with the mold problem. Drip irrigation on a timer also kept the leaves dry instead of me watering from above every day.

shane_martinez443d ago

Yeah actually the fabric pots thing is spot on but I gotta push back a little on the drip irrigation keeping leaves dry. I run drip tape myself and yeah the water goes right to the soil but in those little plastic greenhouses the humidity from the soil evaporating still gets all over the leaves anyway. You'd need a dehumidifier in there or way more venting to really keep them dry. Cutting slits is smart though, I did the same thing and it helped a ton with the temp swings. Did you notice any issues with pests getting in through those slits?