Apart from the ability to grow multiple kinds of crops and plants throughout the year, you also get to have maximum yield, protection against extremities of weather.
A greenhouse is ideal for gardeners who’re involved in taking cuttings, sowing seeds, growing tender crops and plants, and overwintering them. Greenhouses help you control the climate inside them and ultimately extend the growing season. You can grow tropical and subtropical plants in relatively cold weather with the help of these greenhouses.
A greenhouse, after all, is a big investment and not that easy to install or remove once done. Thus, you need to be careful when picking one. For that, we’ve reviewed some of the best greenhouses in 2023 along with some tips and tricks to maintain them.
There are some factors one must always consider before buying a greenhouse. This guide comprehensively explains them:
Greenhouses simply are built to give plants the appropriate environment they need to grow and multiply. They are made to protect out-of-season and tender plants from the extremities of the weather outside.
Greenhouses work on the basic principle of trapping and retaining heat energy. This heat induces and promotes plant growth in off-season plants. You can use greenhouses to have a supply of your favorite flowers and plants throughout the year.
Greenhouse coverings are made from materials like polycarbonate, polyethylene, or glass that let the heat from the sun and other sources pass through into the enclosed space. This heat is trapped inside the space and is absorbed by plants.
Carbon dioxide is a free and heavy natural gas, that stays at a lower level in the greenhouse. Carbon dioxide enrichment in greenhouses allows crops to meet there photosynthesis potential. However, it is essential to monitor the carbon emissions through sensors, and adjust to required level. Commercial greenhouses use paraffin lamps inside a greenhouse to increase the rate of photosynthesis, as burning paraffin produces carbon dioxide as well as heat.
Check the video below by gardening expert Chris to know more about the basics of greenhouse growing.
Setting up a greenhouse is not easy. You must consider numerous things to give your plants the much needed care. While professionals at garden centers can offer you the best tips about choosing plants, we have assembled tips that can help you in choosing the best greenhouse for your backyard or deck.
You can either get a wooden frame or a metal one for your greenhouse. Aluminum is a cheaper option between the two and is also very long-lasting. It’s low maintenance and you can also powder coat it in a wide range of colors.
Wood, particularly timber, is a common choice amongst people who want to make their greenhouse and the space around it attractive. They do require more upkeep and are relatively expensive. They are however better at maintaining the temperature inside for longer times. You can glaze them to the ground or make a lean-on greenhouse out of wooden ones.
Greenhouses come in a large range of sizes. They come in 2ft increments of a range of widths and lengths. The ideal size would be a 6ft wide and 8ft tall greenhouse that will enable you to put shelves on each side.
The eaves of your greenhouse should at least be 5ft tall so it can allow plenty of light in for the plants. The size also depends on the kind and quantity of plants you’re planning to maintain.
The shape of your greenhouse is important because it decides what movability options you’re going to have. There are three main shapes, lean-on, traditional, and octagonal. You can also go to domes.
Dome or octagonal shapes are perfect for those who don’t have large, square of ideal spaces for their greenhouses. Lean-on leans onto already exiting walls and take heart from the bricks of the house as well. This helps them maintain a constant temperature throughout the year.
Ventilation is another important factor that your greenhouse should have. Especially for the summer season, a mesh door is perfect to let fresh air in while preventing invasion from bugs or small animals around. Most greenhouses have hinged roof vents, side vents, windows, and doors for ventilation purposes. Sufficient vent openings around the perimeter of the greenhouse is essential as cross ventilation is ideal for natural gas to escape.
There are limited areas where you can put a greenhouse in your house. Here are some simple tips for choosing where to place a greenhouse:
There are three basic kinds of greenhouses. Let’s take a look at all of these:
Pop-up greenhouses are also known as ultra-mobile greenhouses. They look somewhat like freestanding ones but are small in size overall. They are highly portable and usually very easy to assemble and disassemble.
You can easily pack it up and move it to a space that you like. When you can easily transport a greenhouse, it becomes easier to get the right amount of sunlight at the right position in different weather conditions.
Lean-to greenhouses are attached to the outer walls of your home or building. These greenhouses are rather smaller and have less space inside for people to walk inside them. They are great to keep little plants and crops and grow them to a certain size.
This is the perfect choice for a backyard greenhouse maintained by occasional or casual gardeners. They are usually cheap but if you plan to get wooden frames attached to your house with it, it can turn into a costly project.
Lean-to greenhouses are energy-efficient and give the house a nice look from the outside.
This is the most commonly used gardening greenhouse. These greenhouses are like small separate houses with their own construction and independent structures. They commonly have A-Frame-shaped roofs with a round-arch shape to keep water and snow from accumulating on the top.
Free-standing backyard greenhouses are expensive as they require much more material and serious construction than the other two kinds. They are spacious and allow you to keep a lot of plants inside.
It can get hectic and confusing when you have to invest in something that’ll determine the future of your little green buddies. Make sure you land the best greenhouse in 2021 by taking help from this guide.
Take complete knowledge of what you need to be looking for and what are all the kinds that you can choose from. We also recommend five of the best greenhouses that you can choose from according to your preference.
This is a polyethylene greenhouse that stands tall on a steel base. It helps in creating a warm yet completely ventilated environment with its zippered roll-up door and side windows (two). External airflow will keep the plants fresh and warm while you can easily peek and observe how your plants are doing from the windows.
Ohuhu greenhouse is constructed with twelve wired shelves and has a large space inside to keep all your blooming new flowers and crops. The structure is made from heavy-duty tubes that offer it stability. Moreover, these tubes are rust-resistant and are capable of supporting 18lbs. You can put pots and seed trays on any shelf without worrying about the whole structure collapsing. Screened ventilation and zip-locked entrance make it a pleasing addition to patios, gardens, balconies, and decks.
One of the best walk-in greenhouses in 2021 is from Eagle Peak store with its easy and innovative setup technology. They are easy to assemble and disassemble which makes them great for transportation. This greenhouse can be used right out of the box; you don’t need any heavy tools or equipment to set it up. You can use it outdoors as well as indoors.
The greenhouse has a spacious inside where you can easily walk in and observe how the plants and crops are doing. The greenhouse comes with three height adjustable legs that make extra headroom for walkers. The fabric is mesh-reinforced walls and two walls that are zippered for easy access on both sides.
This is a small greenhouse that is made for small backyards, balconies, decks, and homes. You can, however, grow all kinds of plants, seeds, and crops at their younger stages in this greenhouse. It is made from polyethylene material and comes with roll-up zipper doors. You can easily access all plants placed on the shelves from this zippered door.
The frame of this mini greenhouse is rust-resistant steel that supports small pots for young plants. It’s lightweight and very easy to assemble and set up. You will need no tool doing so and can pack it up whenever not in need. It comes with a clear cover that lets you see your budding new plants at all times. Moreover, it is bug-resistant and waterproof for ensuring the optimum environment for growth.
This is the perfect backyard greenhouse with its ability to stay warm yet ventilated throughout the year. It comes with a zippered roll-up door and screens in two Velcro windows that help maintain proper airflow. The screen also protects the plants from bugs and critters. It is a three-tier greenhouse and has eight wire shelves. It’s spacious and allows you to walk in as well. The structure includes rust-resistant steel pipes that are thick and durable to support plant pots of all sizes.
The PE cover will protect against heavy rains and winds. It features 16 clip shelf fixers that keep the shelf and the greenhouse from moving. Moreover, anchors and ropes keep the greenhouse stably fixed to the ground to withstand storm blows. It is also ecofriendly with its PE, odorless and non-toxic construction.
This portable greenhouse comes with two doors at each end for easy access to all plants, flowers, and crops growing inside. These doors also have a mesh door underneath that allows sufficient ventilation and protection against small animals, bugs, and birds. These doors have independent zippers for convenient functionality. There are also ten exhaust vents, eight on the upper sides and two on the doors, for venting and cross ventilation.
There are seven crossbar rows on the top of the greenhouse for preventing snow and water accumulation. The U-type skates with the ground frame effectively grips the ground for protection against heavy winds. The Velcro windows can be closed to maintain a warm temperature during winters. The PE cover on this greenhouse is also treated for UV rays and is 100% waterproof.
A: The most suitable time to get a greenhouse is mid-winter. Buy 3 or 4 weeks before your planned time to start growing.
A: Clear greenhouses are recommended more than any colored ones. Colors might block some spectrums of natural light from penetrating inside.
A: Yes. You get to grow vegetables, plants, and flowers all year long. Consult expert from garden centers for the best collection of plants.
