Consider Building a Greenhouse

A greenhouse gives the ardent amateur gardener the opportunity to keep on growing through the winter months. Since the soil doesn’t freeze inside a greenhouse, you can continue the satisfaction and pleasure of growing your own plants, flowers, and vegetables all year long. Discover what a joy it is to bring unusually fine quality to some particular specie or variety. With a greenhouse you can raise plants for setting out in the spring doing it easier and more efficiently than in a hotbed or cold frame.

A greenhouse attached to the southeast corner of your house is the most practical solution to the concept. This lowers the heating cost considerably. On sunny winter days the greenhouse absorbs a lot of heat and contributes this extra heat to the house making it an economical arrangement. You will probably find that your fuel bills will be no higher than before adding the greenhouse. Actually a greenhouse is one of the most valuable additions you can make to your property. If you want to be more self-reliant by raising more of your own food, a greenhouse can help you meet many of your needs and goals.

Start with simple components for your greenhouse structure. Most greenhouses are made from sheets of plastic stretched over a metal frame. Many kits are available with all the essential components. Some are styled so that if there is a lot of snowfall where you live, the snow will shed off easily. You can choose different priced parts according to how strong and sturdy you want your greenhouse to be. If your area gets heavy winds, wider pipe is recommended.

To resist ultraviolet breakdown, it also is recommended using 6-mil plastic that has been treated. Protect your foundation with as many applications of sealant as needed to last a long time. Pine boards sealed with several coats of linseed oil will last only about five years. For a more lasting foundation, install a single course of 4-inch hollow concrete block on a small poured footer, then lock a better grade 2-by-4 (sealed against moisture) onto the top of the block foundation using J-bolts pushed into wet concrete in the holes of the blocks.

Choose the right size for your greenhouse. Larger ones buffer temperature extremes better because a larger greenhouse will have a larger amount of thermal mass (in the form of soil) that is warmed by the sun during the day, making warmer temperatures linger through the night. Choosing a larger greenhouse is also a good thing because you will discover more and more things to do with it as the years go by. Usually buying a larger greenhouse kit makes more sense because you will pick up much more growing space for just a matter of a few more dollars.


Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.