Some of my favorite and earliest memories are those of being around greenhouses. I remember visiting my Granddad every weekend in London, England. He lived in an apartment in London and all the residents had their own little garden out the back. My granddad had built a fish pond and greenhouse in his little garden, both were well used. And the best thing about going to visit Granddad for Sunday dinners was that the first thing I got to do was run out to his little garden and feed the big goldfish in his pond and look into his greenhouse window . I knew that he kept the goldfish food and pond supplies up high on a shelf just above the greenhouse bench that was inside his greenhouse, so I would reach for the food and head over to the garden pond to feed the fish. The fish were huge, and were trained to "kiss" your fingers when you gently floated your hand on the surface of the water!
My parents also rented a small plot of land when I was growing up in England where my siblings and I spent many evenings playing while they dug, planted and weeded their vegetable patch. We had a greenhouse that enabled us to get the seedlings going, and would provide us with amazingly fresh vegetables that were bursting with flavor all year through!
It's not surprising that my love affair with greenhouses has continued into my adult life! Owning a greenhouse has been a way of providing my own children with quality, fresh and mostly organic fruits and vegetables. It is important to know that there is a little bit of knowledge required to cultivating plants in a greenhouse environment; it is a little bit more involved that just putting up a protective structure in your garden and throwing some plants in there! You need a greenhouse plan. These are some of the elements that must be considered in order to really get the maximum potential out of your greenhouse or sunroom: the type of greenhouse you want whether it be a cold house, portable greenhouse, hobby greenhouse a greenhouse kit or a large or a mini greenhouse, the greenhouse construction and it's foundation type, which greenhouse equipment you will need, which type of greenhouse covering or glazing is best suited to you, and the type of watering, humidity control, heating and air circulation systems that are best suited to your sunroom or greenhouse gardening needs.
Cold House vs. Heated Greenhouse
A cold house is the simplest of greenhouses, it is not equipped with any artificial means of heat and thus the growing season is shortened when the outside temperature drops below freezing. It is not possible to grow frost sensitive plants between late fall and the middle of spring unless you provide heat (which would not make it a cold house!). A cold house does extend the growing season from that of the outdoors by trapping the heat from the sun during the day. And it provides a cozy respite for you to work away from the elements of wind and rain; it also protects plants from these same elements too. When you install a heater into your cold house it becomes a true greenhouse and it transforms the hobby of gardening into a year-round hobby. The minimum temperature required to grow greenhouse plants through the winter is 45 F (7.2C), so be sure to allow for this extra cost for heating to be included in your monthly budget. Also, be sure that when you begin planning for your greenhouse construction that you build it as near as possible to your house as this will reduce costs for digging and installation of electrical wires (and plumbing if you need that too). It is also better for quick access during the winter months if you have your greenhouse closer to your house.
Choosing between a Portable Greenhouse, Hobby Greenhouse a Greenhouse Kit, Sun Room Kit or a Large or a Mini Greenhouse There is truly a wide variety of different styles and types of greenhouses on the market today. Each is suited to a different need or want and degree of seriousness for greenhouse gardening. When you build a greenhouse from scratch with a foundation you are probably a serious gardener with great expectations from your greenhouse. But, for the less serious greenhouse gardener there are smaller versions of greenhouses and sunrooms available that come in the form of portable greenhouses, a hobby greenhouse or mini greenhouses. Each online greenhouse manufacturer and distributor will have their own specifications and recommendations for each and it is best that you do your own research to decide which is best for you.
A Greenhouse Foundation is truly the "Foundation" of any Sunroom!
A greenhouse is a structure that creates a protected environment for plants to grow in, thus extending the productive lives of plants. It is therefore important that someone intent upon greenhouse gardening learns as much as possible about maximizing the uses of his or her sunroom. The first step in greenhouse construction is ensuring that your greenhouse or greenhouse kit will be solid and functional for many years to come is to make sure that it has a good and solid foundation. It is important to decide whether you want a concrete foundation or whether you want to have a soil foundation. A soil base in a greenhouse has many advantages, and allows you to grow larger plants straight from the ground. Just make sure that the drainage in the area that you are going to build your greenhouse is good, and test the soil to make sure that it contains good nutrient rich soil. If you need to replace the soil, it is better to do so before you begin construction of the greenhouse rather than after! In order to prevent the floor, or the soil, in your greenhouse foundation from freezing or getting cooler during the winter season it is important to insulate the perimeter of your foundation with a 1- 2 inch Styrofoam board that goes about 2 feet deep all around the outside edge of your foundation.
The Best Type of Greenhouse Covering or Glazing
The next most important consideration for the functionality and long term endurance of greenhouses is the glazing that you use. The glazing is usually the most expensive part of your greenhouse, but this is the feature that will let the very important light that makes your plants grow into your sunroom. Different types of glazes will give you different growing effects. The most common types of glazes are plastic sheets or glass. Most greenhouse kits are easily available at online stores and they come with polycarbonate plastic glaze. Always make sure that the greenhouse covering or glazing you choose is UV stabilized in order to better protect your plants. It is important to know whether you are getting single, double or triple thick glaze as you should avoid the single-pane glazes. Single-pane glass or plastic gets too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter, thus it will not be of much benefit to your greenhouse growing environment. Double pane or triple pane glazes will suffice much better and will last many years longer. Always remember that cheap upfront can be expensive later on!
A Word about Greenhouse Kits and Sunroom Kits
Greenhouse kits and sunroom kits offer a wonderful alternative for people who don't have the expertise or the time to build their own green house from scratch. A green house kit is a new phenomenon of the last few years and because of the fact that most people have very busy schedules these days it is no wonder that their sales are sky rocketing! They are also very easy to source at online garden stores and are usually cheaper on the internet too. Most online garden supplies stores offer very good technical support to help you through the greenhouse construction experience! Most greenhouse kits and sunroom kits are constructed with aluminum, PVC or wooden frames. Just remember that the reason you bought a kit was probably due to lack of time to build one from scratch, and keep in mind that all outside wood structures need regular maintenance, i.e. staining or painting. So it is recommended that you buy aluminum or PVC if you want maintenance free! If you do want to go with an aluminum frame be sure to ask if there are thermal breaks in it, these will make sure that the outside metal is not in direct contact with the inside metal which will help ensure that the inside of your greenhouse stays as warm as possible during the winter months.
Buying a Green house is Investing in a Therapeutic Activity!
There is nothing like "getting down with the dirt" to really melt away the stress of a busy day. Gardening is a cleansing and therapeutic way to spend your time, it enables us to get in touch with nature, and it's no wonder that it is one of the most popular leisure activities that people list in their resumes and on questionnaires. I have a doctor friend who advises his patients to run barefoot on the beach to unwind and let stresses melt away, I find that gardening and greenhouse gardening does the same thing for me!
If you invest some time in researching greenhouse construction, types of greenhouses and sunrooms available such as greenhouse kits, sun room kits, hobby greenhouses, large or mini greenhouses and portable green houses you will be sure to start an adventure of a lifetime! Remember to learn all that you can about greenhouse equipment, which type of greenhouse covering or glazing is best suited to you, and the type of watering, humidity control, heating and air circulation systems that are best suited to your sunroom or greenhouse gardening needs. Time invested in greenhouse gardening before you actually start your green house construction will be time well spent, and will ensure that you get maximum stress relief and enjoyment out of your greenhouse hobby!!
My parents also rented a small plot of land when I was growing up in England where my siblings and I spent many evenings playing while they dug, planted and weeded their vegetable patch. We had a greenhouse that enabled us to get the seedlings going, and would provide us with amazingly fresh vegetables that were bursting with flavor all year through!
It's not surprising that my love affair with greenhouses has continued into my adult life! Owning a greenhouse has been a way of providing my own children with quality, fresh and mostly organic fruits and vegetables. It is important to know that there is a little bit of knowledge required to cultivating plants in a greenhouse environment; it is a little bit more involved that just putting up a protective structure in your garden and throwing some plants in there! You need a greenhouse plan. These are some of the elements that must be considered in order to really get the maximum potential out of your greenhouse or sunroom: the type of greenhouse you want whether it be a cold house, portable greenhouse, hobby greenhouse a greenhouse kit or a large or a mini greenhouse, the greenhouse construction and it's foundation type, which greenhouse equipment you will need, which type of greenhouse covering or glazing is best suited to you, and the type of watering, humidity control, heating and air circulation systems that are best suited to your sunroom or greenhouse gardening needs.
Cold House vs. Heated Greenhouse
A cold house is the simplest of greenhouses, it is not equipped with any artificial means of heat and thus the growing season is shortened when the outside temperature drops below freezing. It is not possible to grow frost sensitive plants between late fall and the middle of spring unless you provide heat (which would not make it a cold house!). A cold house does extend the growing season from that of the outdoors by trapping the heat from the sun during the day. And it provides a cozy respite for you to work away from the elements of wind and rain; it also protects plants from these same elements too. When you install a heater into your cold house it becomes a true greenhouse and it transforms the hobby of gardening into a year-round hobby. The minimum temperature required to grow greenhouse plants through the winter is 45 F (7.2C), so be sure to allow for this extra cost for heating to be included in your monthly budget. Also, be sure that when you begin planning for your greenhouse construction that you build it as near as possible to your house as this will reduce costs for digging and installation of electrical wires (and plumbing if you need that too). It is also better for quick access during the winter months if you have your greenhouse closer to your house.
Choosing between a Portable Greenhouse, Hobby Greenhouse a Greenhouse Kit, Sun Room Kit or a Large or a Mini Greenhouse There is truly a wide variety of different styles and types of greenhouses on the market today. Each is suited to a different need or want and degree of seriousness for greenhouse gardening. When you build a greenhouse from scratch with a foundation you are probably a serious gardener with great expectations from your greenhouse. But, for the less serious greenhouse gardener there are smaller versions of greenhouses and sunrooms available that come in the form of portable greenhouses, a hobby greenhouse or mini greenhouses. Each online greenhouse manufacturer and distributor will have their own specifications and recommendations for each and it is best that you do your own research to decide which is best for you.
A Greenhouse Foundation is truly the "Foundation" of any Sunroom!
A greenhouse is a structure that creates a protected environment for plants to grow in, thus extending the productive lives of plants. It is therefore important that someone intent upon greenhouse gardening learns as much as possible about maximizing the uses of his or her sunroom. The first step in greenhouse construction is ensuring that your greenhouse or greenhouse kit will be solid and functional for many years to come is to make sure that it has a good and solid foundation. It is important to decide whether you want a concrete foundation or whether you want to have a soil foundation. A soil base in a greenhouse has many advantages, and allows you to grow larger plants straight from the ground. Just make sure that the drainage in the area that you are going to build your greenhouse is good, and test the soil to make sure that it contains good nutrient rich soil. If you need to replace the soil, it is better to do so before you begin construction of the greenhouse rather than after! In order to prevent the floor, or the soil, in your greenhouse foundation from freezing or getting cooler during the winter season it is important to insulate the perimeter of your foundation with a 1- 2 inch Styrofoam board that goes about 2 feet deep all around the outside edge of your foundation.
The Best Type of Greenhouse Covering or Glazing
The next most important consideration for the functionality and long term endurance of greenhouses is the glazing that you use. The glazing is usually the most expensive part of your greenhouse, but this is the feature that will let the very important light that makes your plants grow into your sunroom. Different types of glazes will give you different growing effects. The most common types of glazes are plastic sheets or glass. Most greenhouse kits are easily available at online stores and they come with polycarbonate plastic glaze. Always make sure that the greenhouse covering or glazing you choose is UV stabilized in order to better protect your plants. It is important to know whether you are getting single, double or triple thick glaze as you should avoid the single-pane glazes. Single-pane glass or plastic gets too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter, thus it will not be of much benefit to your greenhouse growing environment. Double pane or triple pane glazes will suffice much better and will last many years longer. Always remember that cheap upfront can be expensive later on!
A Word about Greenhouse Kits and Sunroom Kits
Greenhouse kits and sunroom kits offer a wonderful alternative for people who don't have the expertise or the time to build their own green house from scratch. A green house kit is a new phenomenon of the last few years and because of the fact that most people have very busy schedules these days it is no wonder that their sales are sky rocketing! They are also very easy to source at online garden stores and are usually cheaper on the internet too. Most online garden supplies stores offer very good technical support to help you through the greenhouse construction experience! Most greenhouse kits and sunroom kits are constructed with aluminum, PVC or wooden frames. Just remember that the reason you bought a kit was probably due to lack of time to build one from scratch, and keep in mind that all outside wood structures need regular maintenance, i.e. staining or painting. So it is recommended that you buy aluminum or PVC if you want maintenance free! If you do want to go with an aluminum frame be sure to ask if there are thermal breaks in it, these will make sure that the outside metal is not in direct contact with the inside metal which will help ensure that the inside of your greenhouse stays as warm as possible during the winter months.
Buying a Green house is Investing in a Therapeutic Activity!
There is nothing like "getting down with the dirt" to really melt away the stress of a busy day. Gardening is a cleansing and therapeutic way to spend your time, it enables us to get in touch with nature, and it's no wonder that it is one of the most popular leisure activities that people list in their resumes and on questionnaires. I have a doctor friend who advises his patients to run barefoot on the beach to unwind and let stresses melt away, I find that gardening and greenhouse gardening does the same thing for me!
If you invest some time in researching greenhouse construction, types of greenhouses and sunrooms available such as greenhouse kits, sun room kits, hobby greenhouses, large or mini greenhouses and portable green houses you will be sure to start an adventure of a lifetime! Remember to learn all that you can about greenhouse equipment, which type of greenhouse covering or glazing is best suited to you, and the type of watering, humidity control, heating and air circulation systems that are best suited to your sunroom or greenhouse gardening needs. Time invested in greenhouse gardening before you actually start your green house construction will be time well spent, and will ensure that you get maximum stress relief and enjoyment out of your greenhouse hobby!!
About the Author:
Suzy Sparrow is a self appointed specialist in gardening with a green thumb. Her information and discussions can be found on websites like gardening-greenhouses.com
