Gardening Information

Article Navigation

Click Here for more articles

Greenhouse Buying Guide - Basics Of Choosing A Greenhouse

by: Mark Falco

When choosing a new greenhouse for your garden there are several things to bear in mind if you are going to get the most from your choice. A wrong decision can prove costly in the long run so be sure you know exactly what you need before you buy. Here are some of the most important things to consider:

What Do You Need Your Greenhouse For?

If you are looking to grow flowers or vegetables all year round then a tightly sealed, insulated greenhouse with good light transmition, ventilation and heating will be most desirable. However, if your greenhouse will only be used for germinating seedlings or wintering less hardy plants through light winters then a simple plastic frame with a polythene covering will no doubt suffice.

Free Standing or Attached?

Depending on your requirements there can be major benefits of either of these types of structures. An attached greenhouse can be a simple lean-to style greenhouse attached to the side of your house or a more expensive sunroom style construct in fitting with the rest of your building. The main advantage of either is in terms of maintenance and running costs as an attached greenhouse will benefit from being very simple to adapt to your existing lighting, heating and water sources. The major disadvantage here however is that being attached to your home means the greenhouse will have less direct exposure to the sun which may limit the types of plants you can grow effectively and positioning to minimise this is all important. A permit may also be required as this will be seen as a building extension to your home.

A free standing greenhouse on the other hand, offers many gardeners a much welcomed retreat away from the home, somewhere to escape the madness as it were. They are typically more expensive, requiring additional heating during the winter months and cooling during the hottest periods and you will also need to plan how to get electricity and a water to your new building. Your greenhouse will however have maximum exposure to sunlight.

What Size Greenhouse Do You Need?

Before you can begin thinking about anything else you need to know what size greenhouse you require. As a rule of thumb, whatever size you think you need right now is going to be too small for you a year later. Buy bigger than you need or you'll end up looking at a costly extension or a new greenhouse before long.

However, that doesn't mean you need to go overboard. If space is an issue then a lean-to greenhouse which attaches to the side of your house or other building might be the perfect solution. Equally, a mini greenhouse or a simple cold frame might cover your needs. Whichever size you choose, be sure to check out whether you need planning permission from your local authority before you put anything anywhere or you could be told to remove it later.

Which Frame Should You Use?

Wooden, Metal or PVC? Experienced hobby greenhouse owners will tell you all about the benefits of a wooden frame. If you are building your own greenhouse then wood is also the easiest to work with. Wood is also a strong frame suitable for any covering you choose and if properly maintained will last a long time. The side benefit of wood comes about when you want to drive hooks in here and there to hang tools on or otherwise affix things to the frame. This is a simple hammer job with a wooden frame but a pain with an aluminium or galvanised steel frame. Wood does however need regular maintenance to protect against the humidity of the greenhouse environment and insects.

Aluminium, galvanised steel or other metal frame requires virtually no maintenance and is also strong enough to take any covering you choose. Metal frames do conduct heat and cold however and are therefore more difficult to heat and cool. Plastic frames can only be used with lightweight plastic sheet coverings and are usually only found in small structures likes portable and mini greenhouses.

Which Greenhouse Covering?

The four basic choices of covering you will find for a home greenhouse are the traditional glass panes, polycarbonate, fibreglass or polythene plastic sheeting. There really is no 'perfect' covering or construction material for a greenhouse, and what you choose will ultimately be as much reliant upon your budget as it is upon your requirements.

Plastic sheeting is cheap and the choice of commercial growers although probably not suited to the home user as it is less than attractive to look at, tears easily and typically needs replacing within 1 to 5 years.

For the hobbyist, the choice is most likely to be between a glass, fibreglass or polycarbonate cover. Glass is the traditional choice of greenhouse covering for hobbyists and of the three, allows the most unfiltered light to penetrate through and is the most attractive if your greenhouse is going to be a feature of your garden. It does however require a strong, sturdy frame and solid foundation and if your greenhouse is going to be placed near trees, around kids playing ball or in a particularly windy area or if you just happen to be a particularly clumsy gardener, can prove to be an expensive option. A glass greenhouse can also prove difficult to keep heated in the colder months and tough to keep cool in the summer months as glass is such a good conductor, heat and cold just pass through.

The major alternative to glass is polycarbonate. Polycarbonate sheets are lighter than glass and far less prone to breakage. Sunlight penetration through polycarbonate is less than achieved with a plain glass cover however, but as light diffuses through the sheets, plants are less likely to burn under strong sunlight. Single polycarbonate is as attractive as glass but the real value in polycarbonate comes from the double or triple thickness sheets which have an in-built air space between each sheet and can save a lot of money on heating costs.

Fiberglass is a lightweight solution which allows roughly the same amount of light to pass through as glass but is less aesthetically pleasing and is prone to staining over time.

Heating, Lighting & Ventilation

Depending on what you want your greenhouse for, you should consider the associated heating, lighting and ventilation requirements. For many, the requirements of their greenhouse is driven as much by their pocketbook as it is by any other requirements. The initial outlay is easy to see but hidden costs such as heating, lighting and cooling requirements are often overlooked. By chosing the right greenhouse in the first place you can often cut down on such costs - remember - glass and metal are conductors and are therefore harder to heat during the winter months which can prove costly if you are prone to long, cold periods. A lean-to greenhouse attached to the side of a building can, with a little bit of forethought, make use of that building's heating and lighting sources potentially saving money on both initial set-up and running costs.

About the author:

Mark Falco is the owner of ukgardeningsupplies.co.uk - a UK gardening shopping guide featuring cheap greenhouses and more gardening tools, equipment and supplies at low prices from UK online garden centres and nurseries.

Circulated by Article Emporium

Read Articles:

Transplanting Tips

Greenhouse Calamities � Thoughts from a Novice ...

How to Grow Cooking Herbs

Planting Roses - Tips You Need To Know

Spice up your Garden with Rare Flowering Bulbs

Succulent Spoon Jade CRASSULA PORTULACEA: Droug...

The Importance of Garden Decor

Tips on Growing Lettuce

Weed Dangerous to Hummingbirds

The Beauty of Hybrid Tea Roses

Control Snakes in the Garden

Choosing a Hydroponic Grow Light

Your Plants and Your Wallet will Love Rainwater

How to Control Deer in Your Garden

How to Create Paved Areas and Water Features

Tips on Caring for and Feeding Garden Trees

What is Compost Tea?

Mulch Your Spring Flower Bulbs in the Fall for ...

Renew thyself daily, with candles! - A candle r...

Fertilizing to Create More Blossoms on Your Flo...

Teach Cats To Use Scratching Posts

Using candles in feng shui decorating

Growing and Caring for Rhododendrons and Azaleas

Weed Control Facts - Winning the Battle of the ...

Pruning Weeping Cherry Trees and Other Grafted ...

Garden Delights For Midsummer

What is the Right Plant and Where Do I Put It?

How to control Ants Without Poison

Everyone Needs A Spaghetti Garden

Gardenscape On A Shoestring

More Article Pages 1 - 2 - 3

Things You Should Know About Gardening
by: Gerardas Norkus

Gardens come in different varieties like the plants you find in them. There are several gardening tips that can be used for all type of gardens.

1.Mulching protects your garden topsoil from being blown away. It also provides nutrients as it decomposes and improves the appearance of your gardens. Mulching has other benefits and is one of the most recommended gardening tips by gardeners and farmers alike.

2.Healthy plants are more disease resistant. Plant are like people, a person with a strong immune system can combat diseases. A healthy plant does the same.

3. Pests can be eradicated by cleaning the plant with a watery solution of soap. Just make sure to rinse after. This gardening tip is best heeded for fruit bearing trees or edible plants.

4. Using compost fertilizers are a great way to have healthy plants. It is also a great way to save money on expensive fertilizers. Non -organic fertilizers also tend to leave chemical residues that can accumulate in garden soils and harm not only the plants but the gardeners as well. They cause toxins to go to the water supplies. Another gardening tip recommended not just by farmers and gardeners but also by environmentalists.

5. There are several plants that are only suitable for a specified climate, a certain kind of soil or can only grow with certain plants. You have to know what plant grow in the conditions you have in your area this is for you to avoid unnecessary purchases. This is a money saving gardening tip.

6.Landscaping is a good investment which can double the value of your home. This is one gardening tip that can earn you money.

7. Growing grass on bare ground is an easy way to make your home look better and appreciate in value. This is one gardening tip that promotes earning money while growing grass legally.

8. Aside from looking great in your home, trees also provide some sort of protection from direct sunlight exposure and strong winds.

9. Vines on the walls, fences and overhead structures also would offer some protection and would also look great.

10.Flowers are beautiful, but they are also expensive. Get one that is resistant to many elements. Flowers from your local community already have developed resistance to conditions present in your area.

11.For most gardens plants, their roots go only as deep as 6 inches. Putting fertilizer deeper than that would be a waste of money. Put them shallower as they seep down when the plants are being watered.

12.Earthworms are important to plants. They till and aerate the soil for the roots to breathe. Non-organic fertilizers can kill them. This gardening tip dates back to the old days of gardening.

13. Having several kinds of insects that are beneficial to your garden would be good. These insects can be encouraged to stay by having diverse plants in your garden.

14. Spot spraying weeds with household vinegar, instead of using commercial weed-killers, can eradicate them. This is another environment friendly gardening tip.

15. Avoid putting too much mulch on tree trunks, this would encourage unwanted pests to reside on them.

16. Use plant varieties that are common to your area or have been taken from an area with similar conditions.

17. Be sure to know the plants that are poisonous. If you are intent on growing them, make sure to have the necessary cure available in your household. Take note of this gardening tip, it can save your life.

18. The best time to water plants is during mornings.

19. Before planting a new plant in your garden, you must consider its height and size when it matures. This garden tip can help you save money in the future.

20. Newly transplanted plants may require special attention during its first week. This is to reduce the stress and shock it got during transplantation.

And last but not the least of the gardening tips...

21.Plants are living entities. If you want them to grow in your garden you have to treat them as such. They need to be taken care of. They are like your pets, you look out for them. In return you get that feeling of contentment watching them thrive.

A good way to take care of them is to consider that plants might have some feelings too.

This Static Spot is open for sponsor

This Static Spot is open for sponsor