Greenhouse Gardening – researching a greenhouse purchase

One of the first things prospective greenhouse owners should do is decide exactly what their needs are in terms of a greenhouse – will it be for over-wintering fragile and tender species, for growing and year-round greenhouse plants like vines or exotics, as starter house for seedlings – or all three? The first two will both mean planning for winter heating and lighting depending on your climate and the type of plants you intend to house and the third means thinking about shading for tender seedlings – but if you are in a mild climate and only want to raise seedlings consider a smaller hobby or lean to greenhouse.

When deciding what to buy, consider where your plants will receive the most light – the recommended daily amount is at least six hours of direct sunlight which is sufficient for all plants, given temperature control too.

After choosing your site, you’ll need to prepare the ground and build a good foundation which means, at the very least, you have to ensure you have a level surface that is free of weeds and debris. What is called a natural foundation (tamped earth) is popular with many gardeners because it is easy to do, very cost effective and means you can move the greenhouse easily to another location if you need to. If you choose this type of floor, you may still want to build a walkway between the shelving which can be of wood, brick or concrete or dig out a trench and fill it with gravel Wooden flooring is the second easiest choice and makes a natural alternative to an earth floor, while concrete popular but permanent. It may be a good idea to mark out your greenhouse area for a few months with canes and sticks before buying, if you are planning for a concrete foundation – this means that if you find yourself cutting across the area you may need to look again at your location because once you’ve made a concrete floor, you’re into time and expense to move your kit! Once you’ve chosen your location you can have your floor professionally poured or do it yourself by squaring off the foundation with wooden shuttering and following the instructions in any good DIY manual – it can be both time consuming and messy, but suits those with a tighter budget.

Greenhouse gardening new greenhouse photograph by foggy bummer, used under a creative commons attribution licence