DH thinks I should be able to grow tomatoes in the greenhouse in summer. Not that I use the gh for anything else in the summer. I have mainly ornamental garden beds with little room for tomatoes so it would be the perfect place (more sun, more heat) but I worry about spider mites and other critters in such protected space. Anyone else try this?

I have had long english cucumbers, peppers & tomatoes in the GH all summer. I have them in big pots since the GH has a gravel base. The cucumber did get powdery mildew. I didn't have a problem with any bugs or spider mites. The door is really easy to remove so it was off except for chilly nights.

We had a speaker the other night at the garden club meeting re: GH & cold frames and he had said that running a small fan in the GH is enough air movement to prevent the mildew and also spider mites. fan means having power to the gh tho

I have power so that's not an issue. I do run a fan all winter and spring since the gh is heated. And I have a gravel floor in mine as well. Since I do have a few extra seedlings, it might be worth the experiment. First time I heard that the air movement deters the spider mites - I thought it was misting with water that did the trick. Always open to new techniques.
Thanks for the input.

I do it in a 20 x 45bu I am in the PNW and it is just not hot here. Most years we have a couple of days in the 90's about four to six in the 80's the rest high 50's to mid 70's. I don't use fans but roll the sides open to keep the heat from building. No mildew no mites, But then maybe they don't live here anyway.

This is the cheap home built yomatoe house . Sorry I dont have a good pic of the bigger one lost my pictures in a crash.

I also grow in a homade pvc pipe framed hoop house 12 x 45 no roll up sides so I leave the ends out when it gets hot. Again no mildew and no mites

Ernie - Thanks for the response. Uh, my gh is nowhere near the size of your's. Bet you have a HUGE tomato crop with all that space. I'm fighting aphids in my gh at the moment. Ugh. Good thing I'm not sqeamish since I mostly rub them off with my fingers. Just when I thought I had the aphids beat by not overwintering their favorite plants, they come in on something else.

Wow Ernie--that is quite a set-up! Besides tomatoes, what do you grow in there? I am seriously envious of anyone with a greenhouse....

Mom thats my tomatoe house I have another gh that I grow tomatoes ,peppers, and cuks in. I also have a heated gh 16x32 that I start seeds and grow flower plugs and also ober winter my anging baskets in.14x45 on right and 20 x 45 on left. Side walk project will make it wheel chair friendly should the reality get here I have a lot of mobility problems.

Cindy how big of a gh are you having the aphid trouble with. Aphids are usually an indication of stagnant air. can you put some fans in and put them om the plants aphids dont like to be blown on>

Nice setup ernie, I need at least one gh. lol

My little gh is only 6 x 10, attached to the garage which is attached to the house. It can get a little cramped in there but living on a wooded lot limited where the thing could go. DH put a door from the garage into the gh last fall and I'm in there every day. Wonderful to walk out to gh in slippers in the winter.:) Do you do commercial growing in your gh or strictly personal? The sidewalk looks great.
I do keep a fan blowing 24/7. I have a separate smaller fan that blows on seedlings under grow lights as well. I'll try rearranging the fan so that it's more direct.

I was kicking myself in the butt last year for not putting a couple in containers last year with that cold wet weather... might have done better in there... figured it is worth the loss of a plant or two for a back up