Tips on Owning a Greenhouse

Greenhouses are available in dimensions suitable for yards of almost any size.Metal greenhouse in summer with open door image by Scott Latham from Fotolia.com

A greenhouse allows you to grow plants that would never be able to thrive under outdoor conditions where you live. Greenhouses also allow you to propagate plants that you might otherwise not be able to start from seed. Although greenhouses used to be built only for the wealthy, today's greenhouses are surprisingly affordable and vary greatly in size and design. Setting up your greenhouse properly will let you produce the best results within it.

Location

Save money on your greenhouse heating bill by locating your greenhouse efficiently. The long axis should run from east to west. If possible, situate your greenhouse so that a deciduous tree or large shrubs can throw shade onto the building. Doing so keeps the greenhouse cooler in the summer while exposing it to full winter sunlight when the leaves have fallen from nearby trees.

Greenhouses work most efficiently in all seasons when their temperature is carefully monitored. Installing a battery-powered temperature sensitive alarm will help you know when the heating fuel runs out. This device is also good for letting you know when your greenhouse heater stops operating for any reason.

In hotter regions, where the daily temperature often rises above 80 degrees Fahrenheit, install an automatic system with thermostats to help cool the greenhouse. A two-speed fan gives you the option of using a lower speed during the spring and fall. Make sure the thermostats themselves are made specifically for greenhouse conditions so that they won't be damaged by the high degree of humidity.

The south wall of your greenhouse should have insulation if it is freestanding, rather than attached to your house or another outdoor structure. Take care to incorporate thermal mass into the insulation of the south-facing wall by using materials in the flooring and interior walls that store heat.

Shatterproof fiberglass-reinforced panels that come in some greenhouse kits transmit more light than do standard glass windows. Using these panels can save you money on heating costs, because in addition to letting more light in, they let less heat out compared to standard greenhouse glass. Lower-grade fiberglass can discolor over time, however, which can lead to a reduction in light penetration. Corrugated sheets are available in a variety of sizes.