Numerous budding gardeners would like nothing more than to have their own home garden greenhouse. Nonetheless, once you have decided to put one in your garden, you will be presented with a number of choices in regard to styles, designs, prices and sizes in addition to whether you should purchase a ready made kit or construct your own from scratch. Consequently, it is a good idea to forward plan and decide exactly what you are going to use the greenhouse for and ultimately, the sort of plants you plan to grow.
Ready made greenhouses are readily available in numerous different styles, designs, sizes and prices as well as several materials like glass, plastic, polycarbonates, partial wood or aluminum. Constructing your own will entail dealing with these and several additional matters.
When it comes to building your own greenhouse, one of the most important considerations is the actual site of the structure. Plants require sufficient sunlight to flourish, so you will need to choose a part of your garden where sunlight is plentiful. Even if the preferred location is shaded, provided it gets sufficient morning sunlight, it should be ideal.
The part of the world you live in is also crucial. While northern latitudes will receive longer hours of sun in the summer months, there will be significantly less in the winter. Nonetheless, this can be compensated for with the use of artificial lighting and heating systems.
Together with the quantity of heat and light, dampness levels are also affected by climate. While humidity levels in some areas are really low in the summer months, other latitudes are the complete opposite with ample moisture. The climatic conditions where you live will dictate whether greenhouse watering system will be required.
You will have to consider what sort of foundation to build or install. This will range from none at all through to gravel, wood, cement or brick. You should consider whether you plan to cover the floor with linoleum, carpeting or tile. Several floor heating systems can work inside these, for instance. They also affect how much time and effort in cleaning it you may need to invest.
Naturally, all of these considerations will have to be assessed in conjunction with the size and location of your proposed greenhouse, which might be limited by the options available in your garden. You might have trees close to the house in one area, but further away on the other side. You might have a flat area suitable for a greenhouse, or a slope, that could be flattened out in a day with a bulldozer. Consider, too, the amount of wind, hail and rainfall you will get in one position versus another.
Of course, the average wind and rainfall over the whole of your property will stay constant but the exact amount at the projected site for your greenhouse may vary depending if there are any walls or trees that could block the wind or shield it from the rain.
The amount of rain on the greenhouse affects how you need to manage drainage around it, and wind forces can be severe when you open the door. Weigh up the orientation of the windows and doors, in conjunction with the positioning on your property. Look at how much water or mud may have an inclination to accumulate around the outside walls and the doors.
It is not a necessity to become an architect to build or install a greenhouse. However, when you look at plans online, try to think like one. For those more concerned about gardening than building, that is a challenge. All the same, you will have more time for plant care in the end if you spend some time thinking about construction up front.
For more on greenhouses visit In-the-garden.org’s Greenhouse Section
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