Things to consider before building Greenhouse

Winter is a harsh season in many of the countries around the globe with only few vegetation and lack of adequate quantity of crops (vegetables). Greenhouse is the best way to grow crops in such a worst condition as well as for those plants requiring regulated fixed climatic condition but for these you need to know how you could construct the greenhouse for growing the crops that you desire for. Let’s get some handful knowledge on it and experience it on field.

Introduction

A greenhouse is a structure with walls and roofs made primarily of transparent material such as glass or other glazing materials like polyethylene and polycarbonates where plants requiring regulated climatic conditions are grown. The sole purpose of a greenhouse is to protect crops from excess cold or excess heat and also from unwanted pests.

The greenhouse allows growing certain types of crops year-round and fruits, tobacco plants, vegetables, and flowers without much more trouble. The structure of a greenhouse depends upon its usage and can vary from a DIY greenhouse to a building-sized greenhouse. Some of the important things that need to be considered before building a greenhouse area are discussed below:

Points to be considered:

1. Location and Orientation

Location and how it will be oriented is the first thing to consider before setting up the greenhouse. This is the first and foremost thing since it will affect how much sunlight the plants inside your greenhouse is going to get. You need to have a location that will allow the full benefit of sunlight.

Proper orientation is also another key factor that allows sunlight to reach all the sides of the greenhouse. Thus, you need to have the long sides of your greenhouse positioned in such a manner that they will have strong and even light throughout the day.

a. Stable and Elevated Ground

One of the things to consider while starting a greenhouse is to select a level and elevated ground. Although it is possible to create a greenhouse without this condition, you will need to put up extra effort to maintain the greenhouse without this.

If you build the greenhouse on lower level grounds the water will flow back into the greenhouse and create a watery mess. And creating a greenhouse on slopes is also not a good idea as the water might take the heat away from the house while passing through it.

b. Amount of Sunlight

A greenhouse needs sunlight all day or at least 6 hours a day. It should be built away from large buildings and trees as they might cast shadows for a long time. If some part of the greenhouse gets shade for a long time, you can grow plants that do not need much sunlight too.

c. Soil Quality and Quantity

You should also check the soil quality of the location before starting a greenhouse there. Organic matter content, tilth, salinity, rooting depth, compaction, and available nutrients are some of the indicators to measure the quality of the soil. The better the soil quality, the easier it is to maintain the greenhouse farming and get a better harvest.

d. Expansion Possibly Bearing Locations

If you started the greenhouse with the intention of expanding it in the future, you should start thinking when choosing the location. Choosing a location with less settlement might be a good idea in such cases.

2. Recommended dimensions

a. For Greenhouse

A 10-foot wide greenhouse might be enough space to start a greenhouse as a hobby. You can put 3-foot wide benches on each side with a path in between. If you want to plant on the bed and put layers in the greenhouse you can choose a 12-20 foot wide greenhouse. Greenhouse larger than that is used for commercial and educational purposes.

Talking about the height of the greenhouse, it mostly depends on the type of plants you want to grow in it. 5-feet height is enough for 10 feet wide greenhouse with two benches as you cant grow large plants in it.

b. Roof dome

The roof can be either an A-frame or semicircle shaped. These shapes are very popular as snow and water don’t stick on the roof of the greenhouse.

3. Essential Resources

The next thing to consider is essential resources for the greenhouse which are basically two very essential resources:

a. Electricity

Electricity is a very important resource because it regulates heat and cooling effects for the interior of your greenhouse.

A well-maintained heating and cooling system ensure that your plants get the appropriate temperature and environment to survive. Without the proper utilization of electricity, you might end up with wilting, unhealthy, or dying plants.

b. Water

We all know how important water is for any living thing on this earth. Likewise, water is a lifeline for plants too.

Most gardeners do is get a hose from outside their greenhouse and just water the plants that way. However, if you desire maximum efficiency then you need an independent water system for your greenhouse. so be aware and careful on this part too. But, some plants need to be watered on a regular basis and having a water system just like in a greenhouse makes the job much easier.

c. Ventilation

The third important factor to be considered when constructing a greenhouse is how ventilated and insulated the greenhouse must be.

The process of allowing hot air to move out and circulates the air around is known as ventilating and equipment doing so as ventilation which helps to keep the surrounding temperature maintained.

d. Insulation

Insulation is the process of keeping the heat in on cold days and keeping the greenhouse cool during hot days. For the better insulation double-paining the greenhouse might be a great choice.

e. Farming Materials

Some of the important farming materials for your greenhouse include gloves, pruning shears, hoe, spade, rake, wheelbarrow, and watering cane.

f. Benches and Hanging Baskets

Benches and Hanging baskets are effective ways to manage space in the greenhouse. But keep track of the sunlight and check whether it will completely block the sunlight or not. As sunlight is the most important factor to be focused on during greenhouse gardening or farming.

g. Irrigation and Drainage

The greenhouse is mostly irrigated using drip tubes or tapes, sprinklers, or using a hose. The pots and benches should be fixed properly to drain water. The bed should not clog a lot of water and water should flow away from the greenhouse. A modern greenhouse uses sub-irrigation systems, which recollects excess water and nutrients, and use again.

h. Bed Preparation

A thorough bed preparation which includes removing weeds and parasitic plants, turning the soil to have well-drained soil, and adding fertilizer and manure in the soil if needed greatly affects growth and development of perennial plants in the greenhouse.

4. Quality Building Materials and Recent Transformation

Glass is the most commonly used and the most popular material for a greenhouse but other materials are also becoming more popular these days. Polyethylene and polycarbonates are great alternatives and are more durable than glass as they could withstand inclement weather and physical damage too. However, they need a bit more cleaning and maintenance than the regular glass.

Greenhouses can be an upgrade that will benefit you for many years to come. If the above factors are correctly considered before building a greenhouse you’ll be able to execute the greenhouse operation properly. Making the right decision and maintaining your plants more often will result in the growth of green and healthy crops all year round.

Benefits of Greenhouse

1. Longer Growing Season

The greenhouse allows to maintain the temperature inside it which allows  to extend the season of the plant that you are growing. Although the greenhouse does not changes the amount of daylight, it can maintain the temperature inside it. This helps to grow the plant some months before or after its season.

2. Protection from Harsh Weather

Harsh weather conditions like frosts, storms, and harsh sunlight negatively affect the plants. Having walls and roof as like in greenhouse protects the plants from these harsh conditions.

3. Protection from Pests and Animals

The greenhouse shelters the plants from external pests and harmful animals like deer, moles, and birds. Additionally, it can also keep useful insects inside and harmful pests outside the greenhouse.

4. Variety of Planting Options

As we can change the climatic condition inside the greenhouse, it allow us to grow a wide varieties of plants like plants exotic crops and offseason plants.

5. Customization according to your needs

The greenhouse allows you to easily customize the place according to the plant you want to grow. This means that you can decide what type of atmosphere you want and what type of plants you want to grow in the greenhouse.

Hope you will follow our instruction and achieve the perfect greenhouse how you want and get what you want? Practice the methods and don’t forget to comment on how your greenhouse is doing and how it do when you try this methods….