Growing plants all year round can be challenging for those who love gardening, especially those who live in varying weather conditions.
Whether you wish to grow non-native plants that thrive in a different ecosystem than your backyard garden or want to grow seasonal crops year-round, you’ll need a greenhouse.
To help you get started, here’s everything you need to know about greenhouses.
What Is A Greenhouse?
Originally referred to as botanical gardens, greenhouse structures have been used for centuries.
At its core, a greenhouse is a structure where plants are grown. Greenhouses typically have a roof and walls composed of predominantly transparent materials such as glass or plastic. These materials allow light in and help regulate the climate so that it becomes suitable for growing various plants.
A greenhouse helps create the ideal growing conditions for plants while protecting them against excessive cold or heat, particularly those that are out-of-season or require delicate care. It is sometimes called a ‘forcing structure’ since it forces plants to grow despite the outside climate.
Today, you can find greenhouses in an assortment of sizes, ranging from small residential greenhouses for homeowners with a green thumb to large industrial structures used to grow crops all year round. Local manufacturers offer a selection of greenhouses, but you can also find ones online.
Shopping Online
Buying greenhouses online is fairly simple, with more and more websites offering delivery and installation nationwide across the UK, which means you can shop online without worrying about the location of the company you’re buying from. Swgreenhouses recommends reading individual reviews of a greenhouse from people who’ve had it for a few years, as this is a good sign if it’s high quality or not.
How Does It Work?
Different plants have different requirements to survive and grow. Most plants need warm temperatures, light, air, nutrients, and water to thrive. Greenhouses work by providing the first two requirements. The last three will be up to you.
A greenhouse needs to let the light come in. This is why a greenhouse is made of translucent or transparent materials such as clear plastic or glass.
When the light comes into the greenhouse’s walls, it’s absorbed by the plants for photosynthesis. Aside from the plants, heat is absorbed by the ground and other elements in the greenhouse, essentially converting it to heat energy. The darker the surface, the more heat energy it can absorb.
Once the light energy is converted into heat energy, it becomes trapped, which warms the air inside the greenhouse. Since a greenhouse is designed to be airtight, the warmer air stays inside, which raises the temperature within. With enough light and warm temperatures, you can create the perfect condition for photosynthesis.
However, note that the insulated design of a greenhouse combined with the heating process can cause the interior to become hotter than the outside. While this is suitable for growing plants during winter, it can become too hot during warmer months. As such, proper ventilation is required to help regulate humidity and temperature. This also allows air movement within the greenhouse and even gives pollinators access to your greenhouse.
Benefits And Uses Of A Greenhouse
There are several reasons to build a greenhouse. For one, a greenhouse can be used to overcome the limitations in the growing environments for your backyard plants since it allows you more control of the climate. As such, a greenhouse allows for year-round plant growth impervious to external seasonal climate changes, especially if you live in areas prone to inclement weather conditions.
Also, a greenhouse allows you to streamline and extend crop growing season if you like to grow your food. For instance, you can grow and cultivate plants in early spring or late winter, then transplant them outside once the suitable weather returns.
Like a potting shed, a greenhouse can also be used for delicate cultivating processes like seed germination. Since a greenhouse offers a controlled environment, it’s much easier to plant seeds or grow cuttings until they can be transplanted outside.
Lastly, a greenhouse can be used to grow exotic and non-native plants that wouldn’t necessarily survive outside of their natural and native location and environment.
Different Types Of Greenhouse Materials
A greenhouse may consist of several materials. In terms of frames, a greenhouse may use the following:
- Plastic
Plastic frames are the least expensive material. Thus, it may be suitable for budding greenhouse gardeners on a budget. Plastic frames lack durability and rigidity, especially for larger structures.
- Wood
A better alternative to plastic, wood is an attractive option due to its good thermal insulation properties. This ensures better temperature regulation, making it most suitable in colder climates. However, wood is susceptible to moisture damage and rotting if not properly treated.
- Metal
For metal frames, you can choose either steel or aluminium. Both options are durable and long-lasting but can be pretty expensive. Furthermore, metal frames, particularly aluminium, aren’t good insulators.
Aside from the frames, greenhouses also consist of different wall and roofing materials, depending on your needs. These include:
- Glass
Glass is the traditional greenhouse material. It is an excellent insulator and works best in transmitting light. It’s also the most aesthetically pleasing greenhouse wall and roofing material. Generally, glass is often used in larger greenhouses, especially industrial ones. However, you can also find them in residential settings. That said, glass can be expensive and difficult to install. Plus, it’s prone to cracking and breaking.
- Acrylic
Like glass, acrylic is also expensive and is excellent at transmitting light. They are more durable and long-lasting than glass since they can be moulded and bent to fit a curved frame. It also resists UV rays, so it’s not prone to yellowing like other plastic materials. However, acrylic may need specific attachment requirements because of its flexible properties.
- Polycarbonate
A polycarbonate panel is lightweight and robust, although much cheaper than acrylic and glass. This material is available as flexible sheeting, which diffuses light instead of transmitting it directly. It is also resistant to UV rays, preventing yellowing, but not as good as acrylic. Unfortunately, polycarbonate is easy to scratch and prone to condensation.
- Fiberglass
Fiberglass is the cheapest greenhouse material, and it works well in extreme climates. It is durable and is most suitable for environments with heavy snow and high winds. Also, fiberglass is much easier to build since this material is more manageable and lighter to transport. It is almost as transparent as glass when it’s new but tends to turn yellow over time, reducing light transmission.
5 Greenhouse Structure Styles
Like any structure, a greenhouse is available in various styles and designs. It can be freestanding or connected to a building like your home. Some structures are more suitable for large-scale plant growing, while others are designed to fit limited space. Here are common greenhouse structure styles to choose from:
- Gable Style
A gable-style greenhouse is the traditional greenhouse construction. It features straight walls with sloping roods to create a triangular gable on either end. This most common greenhouse design provides plenty of sunlight and space to grow plants. It’s easy to build and may be available in all sizes.
- Victorian Style
Traditional Victorian-style greenhouses are designed to trap as much heat as possible. They feature a high peaked roof for more headroom while retaining the hottest air in the top, even when opening vents and windows. Thus, they are most suitable for colder climates.
- Lean-To Style
For those with limited space, a lean-to-style greenhouse is a suitable option. Built against the wall of your house, the lean-to style helps provide the necessary warmth from your home to grow plants.
- Geodesic Dome
A geodesic design holds up well in harsh, severe conditions. Plus, they look fantastic. That said, geodesic domes are more complicated to assemble than other structures.
- Uneven Span
If you need to build a greenhouse on sloped land, uneven-span structures are most suitable. A variation of the gable style, uneven-span structures have one side of the roof much longer than the other to maximize light transmission.
Things To Consider When Building A Greenhouse
To build the most efficient greenhouse, there are some things you need to consider. Here are some of them:
- Location
Ideally, you need to place your greenhouse with maximum sun exposure. You also need to look for a place with a firm or flat surface. Never build it near fences, walls, and other obstructions that can limit sunlight access.
- Ventilation
A greenhouse is an enclosed structure, so ventilation is critical in ensuring proper plant growth. Your greenhouse should have doors and windows. For bigger structures, consider installing a ventilation system.
- Lighting System
During winter and autumn seasons, adequate sunlight may be an issue. In this case, your greenhouse should have LED grow lights to support plant growth when sunlight is scarce.
- Shelving
Enough shelving allows your greenhouse to stay organized. It also allows you to maximize plant space while offering support for vines and other climbing plants.
Takeaway
A greenhouse is ideal for growing plants and crops in a controlled environment. As such, you can use your green thumb all year and overcome the limits of the growing season. If you’re just getting started with establishing your greenhouse, we hope that this greenhouse guide provides you with the necessary information to help you grow your crops or let your favourite seasonal plants thrive.
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