How to Grow Vegetables in the Solarium

I have recently discovered my passion for gardening and we can say for sure that it is one of the most beneficial hobbies.

If you are one of the lucky ones who have a garden at hand, we hope that you have already started to grow your vegetables and fruits, especially since this seems to be the solution of the future.

One step further is to build a solarium! With its help, you can enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables, tasted even in the cold season!

If you've been thinking about ripening and smiling tomatoes to soothe the cold of winter, find out everything you need to know about the vegetable solarium!

Vegetable Solarium: A Beginner's Guide

Although the investment for a vegetable solarium is quite high, the benefits are innumerable and will cover any expenses over time.

The price of a solarium can start from 250 Euros, but there is also the possibility to build it yourself or to ask your boyfriend to help you. Using quality materials and exploring the vast online space full of tutorials, we are sure you will do a wonderful job.

Today we start from the premise that you already have a solarium available and we teach you how to use it.

The first criterion to keep in mind is: what vegetables will I grow in this wonderful invention of humanity? Our advice is to take into account your personal preferences: if you can't stand tomatoes, don't plant them just because your girlfriend told you so enthusiastically about the mornings with tomatoes full of dew, smiling at them from her plate.

Notice the vegetables that your family members eat most often and store them in the solarium. Waste of purchased food is one of the current problems of humanity, but it becomes even more serious when we talk about vegetables that you grow with your own hands.

Next, consider the size of your vegetable solarium. If you do not have too much space, you can grow small vegetables.

If you are privileged with a spacious solarium, combine either several small vegetables or use the largest ones. And because you're lucky, don't let it slip through your fingers and bring fruit trees to your covered garden: who says you can't enjoy fresh cherries in the middle of winter?

How to control the temperature in your vegetable solarium

Your solarium will go through terrible frosts and terrible burns, but for the plants inside it will be a real paradise. Therefore, temperature control is probably the most important principle behind your success.

First of all, you need a thermometer to show you exactly how many degrees are inside.

If you are a fan of technology, you can opt for one of the modern super-innovations, which also measure the soil temperature, alerts you on the phone when it exceeds the set limits, and can even analyze the growth parameters of your plants.

If you need it cooler than your outdoor solarium, opt for a fan. Constructions with a folding part of the roof, through which you can achieve natural ventilation, are also useful.

A radiator will solve the cold problem. If you love DIY projects, you can fill a few 200-liter black-painted barrels with water, which will absorb UV radiation during the day and remove heat during the night. But it is more difficult, the process is longer and, in addition, you need enough space.

How to control the air circulation in the vegetable solarium

Air is very important for your plants because it stimulates the healthy growth of fruits and vegetables in the solarium. Therefore, when planting them, make sure that there is enough space between them to make sure that they do not suffocate each other. An indoor fan will allow much-needed ventilation.

In the warm season, you can achieve ventilation naturally. A successful solarium is arranged with holes on each side: open them all at the same time, and air circulation will be guaranteed.

Unfortunately, this phenomenon is more difficult to achieve in winter. Professional growers suggest a natural solution: compost that produces carbon dioxide by decomposition, but also heat. It's very easy to get!

Build a crate in the middle of the vegetable solarium to include organic materials (household waste, dry grass, bird droppings, manure, urine, etc.). Constantly add new materials and mix in the compost once a week, making sure you produce carbon dioxide with a gold-rich trick.

How to plant vegetables in the solarium

We have reached the heart of the action! The first step in planting your beloved vegetables in the solarium is sowing. It is necessary to first cultivate the seeds in containers.

You don't even need special boxes. You can use egg cartons, toilet paper tubes, or anything else that comes to mind. When they are ready to move, plant them directly in the solarium soil or a pot.

Pollination is a sensitive part of growing plants in the solarium. Given that you do not have the insects that carry out this process naturally, you will have to be the one to provide the "helping hand".

It is necessary to distinguish between plants that can pollinate themselves (tomatoes, peas, peppers) and those that remain at the discretion of insects to perform this process (melons, cucumbers, etc.). In the first case, all you have to do is shake the plants from time to time to make sure the pollen gets to the right place.

In the second case, the intervention will be a little more complicated. You must first distinguish female flowers from male flowers.

The first ones are usually found towards the center of the plant, contain small, embryonic fruits at the base, and are less numerous. The others can be found along the stems. All you have to do is cut the male flowers with a pair of garden shears and press them over the female ones.

If you are not sure about this process, use earplugs to try to collect the pollen from each flower (male) and take it to those that do not contain it at all (female).

As for the best vegetables to plant in the solarium, in winter you should focus on beets, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, green onions, peas, radishes, spinach, kale.

In the warm season, the best plants are cucumbers, eggplant, beans, peppers, zucchini, and tomatoes. Of course, ensuring a climate conducive to them, you can grow whatever vegetables you want in any season: after all, this is the purpose of a solarium.