March 24, 2017

Using Your Garage to Grow Plants This Spring

Gardening

Planting a garden is an extremely rewarding experience, but it definitely takes a lot of work.

One way of decreasing the effort it takes to grow a garden and improve the final result is to begin it early in your garage.

Planning Your Garden

As with any garden, you need to get started with this one early.

Keep in mind, too, that we’re not talking about a permanent garden in your garage. You’re just using it as a kind of staging area before you’ll move your plants outdoors. The point is that you can get them started early far away from adverse weather conditions and then, once they’ve begun growing, plant them in your outdoor garden.

Now, before you can do any of this, you need to do some research to figure out which kinds of plants you’ll grow and what they’ll demand.

Some common examples of vegetables you can grow this way include:

  • Tomatoes
  • Peppers
  • Onions
  • Lettuce
  • Cauliflower
  • Carrots
  • Cabbage
  • Brussels sprouts
  • Broccoli
  • Beets

Here are some herbs you can consider growing in your garage, as well:

  • Thyme
  • Rosemary
  • Parsley
  • Oregano
  • Mint
  • Basil

The good news is that most decorative flowers and other plants will do fine in your garage for a short period of time, too.

That being said, even if you are certain a plant or flower can be started in your garage, you must find out what planting will entail and how long it will take. Otherwise, your plants will either die or will need to be outdoors before the weather is welcoming.

How to prepare your garage

If you need the space, remove one of your vehicles after the last snowfall of the season. Before you begin setting up the trays and/or pots for your seeds, make sure they’re somewhere close to a window or an outlet where you can plug in a light for them.

How to set up your garage

At the very least, use a light source that can provide heat, too. Even if you don’t need a heat source, you still, obviously, need light. Locate your trays near a window in your garage if you have one. Otherwise, artificial light for growing plants is fine.

What you’ll need

As we already mentioned, you’ll need trays or pots for your plants. Many people recycle items from around their homes for this. For example, yogurt containers are usually great.

You’ll need potting soil, of course. Make sure you buy the kind that is best suited for the types of plants you’ll be growing.

Get a thermometer to check for the desired temperature required to help your plants grow. To feed them, you should also get a spray bottle. You don’t want to use direct watering methods when working with seeds.

As far as your lighting goes, your best bet will be a fluorescent light fixture that uses T‑8 bulbs. These are 48 inches long and either 7 or 12  inches wide. Incandescent and halogen light fixtures are also options.

If you’re not going to be around during the day, a timer for turning the light on and off is important. You may also want a piece of plastic sheeting for controlling the temperature.

Garden fluorescent
Garden lightning

Plant away

The last thing you need before you get started is patience. If you’ve never gardened before, know that it will take some time.

To those who are growing tomatoes, though, here’s a bit of help: plant them with basil. The two are popular combinations because basil helps keep pests away that would otherwise feast on your tomatoes. Just make sure you don’t plant your tomatoes near some types of cabbage or fennel. They actually suppress growth in tomato plants.

Reading about companion plant combinations like these will definitely make your job a lot easier.

Once you have everything planted within your garage, make sure you check in on them regularly. Aside from watering them, you’ll want to check for any signs that they might not be growing properly.

Need help with your garage?

If you’re currently experiencing problems with your garage, contact us at 519-942-1956. We can also provide you with a free quotation regarding your issue via email or during a service call.

Furthermore, you are more than welcome to use our design center to get an idea of what your new door will look like. We also have an expansive image gallery you can go through to get some ideas.

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