Greenhouse is Scio’s ‘Little Florida’

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SCIO — Daniel Byler asked his wife, Esther, where she saw herself in five years.

Her answer came confidently: in the greenhouse. Byler’s Greenhouse, across the street from the recently sold Discount Grocery in Scio, has doubled in size since its first season in 2018. The duo openly shared their work as they walked up and down the rows of plants, pointing out varieties that sell quickly and their own custom creations in special pots along the way. It was clear that every seedling had been planted with care.

Byler began building the greenhouse in his free time but, part way through, severely injured his hand at his then full-time job in the sawmill. While he didn’t lose any fingers, the rest of the build proved challenging. He credits his daughter and friends for their help in making the greenhouse a reality. He did not see the need to return to the sawmill, and a year later, added a second greenhouse for vegetables. He recently expanded the parking lot and built a staging area outside of the entrance to the flower house for soil, fertilizer, pots, and other supplies.

“If you look at the flower house, you’ll see a lot of left-handed craftsmanship, but my daughter helped me a lot, and friends too, and we got it built. … I’m so glad, because my wife and I really enjoy doing this. I love to be in the warm greenhouse among the plants when it’s snowing outside—I call it my ‘little Florida,’” Byler said with a smile.

Byler’s work for the season starts around the turn of the new year with “early tomatoes,” which he starts in his basement under a grow light for a few pre-order customers who want blooms in early March. Flowers arrive mid-February in trays of 144 plants, and the Bylers replant each seeding. When full grown, those same trays only hold 36 plants. Temperature is a constant balancing act, but Byler maintains the wood stoves and frequently checks thermometers inside and outside the greenhouses to stay ahead of Ohio’s drastic temperature changes. Humidity is also an important factor, and too much of it breeds disease. Esther explained that ventilation is the best fix for high humidity, and she always looks forward to opening the doors on sunny days to give the plants fresh air.

“I say the plants are kind of like people—how do you feel if you don’t get fresh air? And with this, I get to be outside in the sun. I like that, just like the plants do,” said Byler’s wife, Esther.

The Bylers look forward to their repeat customers each year and tend to sell the majority of ther inventory by Mother’s Day. Their greenhouses are open Monday-Saturday, 8:30- 4:30, and is located at 38570 Bower Road in Scio.