Considerations In Buying A Greenhouse
Saturday, October 10th, 2009 Subscribe To Our Feed
If you are thinking of buying a greenhouse, there are a number of decisions you need to make before you do so. You need to choose the site for your greenhouse and know that it will need to be in a sunny position and as close to the house as possible, so that you can make connections for water, heating and electricity.The following information applies whether you are building your own greenhouse or buying a greenhouse.
The shape of your greenhouse may be decided by the site location. There is now available a huge choice of greenhouse shapes and styles. Even without going to the expense of having one created especially for you, you still have a choice. The tradition box with a pitched roof is probably still the most common. There is a whle range of ’round’ greenhouses. These are not in fact circular but have more than four sides. They are often constructed with six or eight sides with a pyramid type roof and while the styling is often the most elegant, they do not make as efficient use of space as the traditional style does.
With the advent of better plastics, greenhouses no longer need to be made of glass. However, if you use plastic, it may need to be replaced regularly as it can become brittle over time.Then there is the choice of Aluminium or Wood for the frame. Sice wood is naturally an insulator, the wooden framed greenhouse can be cheaper to heat. They do have that traditional greenhouse look. If you do choose a wooden construction, then remember that when carrying out the regular maintenace, you should not use creosote based preservatives in the greenhouse since that can be toxic for some plants.
The next decision you will need to make is the flooring. This is especially important if you are buying a ready made greenhouse. Are you going to use pots, containers and growbags, or will you be growing directly into the ground inside the greenhouse. Although pots and growbags can restrict roots systems, they do prevent a build up of any infections.
Floors made of concrete act as a reservoir for heat, which reduces your heating bills. If you want to grow plants in the groound, you can still use concrente slabs either just in the middle as a path or all over, leaving patches for growing plants.
Don’t forget the ventilation. In order to maintain the best possible growing conditions, you need to keep as regular a temperature as possible. You also need air movement to prevent a number of deseases. The conventional way of doing this is by vents in the roof. A 2 x 2,5m (6 x 8ft) greenhouse should have trw vents and other sizes need the number of vents adjusted to match the size. Providing ventilation in polythene type greenhouses can be problematic. It is difficult yo install ventilation panels in polythene structures, and condensation is a big problem.Putting mesh panels in the doors and along the base of the greenhouse will cut down the condensation and help with ventilation.
Whether you are going to be building your own greenhouse or buying a greenhouse ready built, the above decisions will need to be made. You will lose a great deal of the potential enjoyment from your new greenhouse if you fail to consider these factors.
Greenhouse gardening gives you a whole new aspect to your gardening. It can be one of the most satisfying things you do, so think carefully about it before you commit - and get it right.
Technorati Tags: No Tags
Related Tags: No Tags
Possible Related Posts
