Plastic Covered Greenhouse
Greenhouse Essentials
To protect vulnerable plants and vegetables during the cold winter months, a greenhouse is an absolute requirement for the gardener. However, a lack of suitable space can be a problem, especially with today’s new build housing estates where developers have been rather stingy with garden sizes. This article will look at the different types of greenhouse solutions available – there’s sure to be one for your garden.
Why use a greenhouse?
- Protect from frost and wind
- Speed up plant growth
- Extend the vegetable growing season
- Grow more exotic plants such as cacti
Cold Frame
The smallest and simplest form of plant protection is offered by a cold frame. A cold frame is made up of a framework, usually wood, metal or brick which is covered by panes of glass. A wood or metal frame has the advantage or being portable so you can easily move it into or away from the sun. A regular cold frame is warmed only by the sun, but you can buy heating cables that warm the soil or air.
Cloches
A more elegant French version of the cold frame, cloches are glass or plastic covers.
Choosing a greenhouse
Buy the biggest you can afford and have space for. The more air circulation you have the better the environment for your plants.
Wooden greenhouses
Although wooden greenhouses look more attractive than plastic or metal ones, they do need a sturdy brick or concrete base and do need more maintenance. The wood will require treating every couple of years and if the wood is varnished or painted, you will first need to sand it down before applying primer and exterior paint.
Choose the site
Always build on level ground in a sheltered but will-lit spot away from the shade of trees or buildings. Orientating north-south along its length will give you maximum light in the summer, while an east-west orientation is best for winter and spring plants.
Lean to
If space is limited, consider a lean-to greenhouse. This has the appearance of a traditional greenhouse cut in half lengthways. The open side butts against an exterior wall. Being closer to an existing building, this does have the advantage of making electricity and water services easier to connect up. Some smaller lean-tos will not be large enough to comfortably work in.
Freestanding greenhouses
While there are different shapes of greenhouse such as square or hexagonal, there are really on two general styles:
The “Traditional span” style offers a lot of growing space, although the roof slants fairly steeply so ensure there is sufficient headroom for working or growing tall plants.
The “Dutch light” style provides glass panels right down to ground level so they provide the maximum amount of light and are the best choice for growing tall plants.
Temperature control
To create the perfect growing environment you will need adequate ventilation and also shade during the summer when the sun is much stronger. A water supply will make irrigation much easier and an electrical point will allow you to automate irrigation and provide heating during colder spells.
Ventilation
Use hinged roof vents and hinged and louvred side vents to provide the most flexible ventilation.
Shade
During the summer, you will need to shade the greenhouse from the sun. A traditional but rather inelegant method is to whitewash the outside of the glass with a diluted emulsion paint mix (1 part paint to 100 parts water). You should do this in spring and keep on until the end of summer.
A more attractive solution is to use roller blinds, which are also more flexible as you can adjust the light levels according to the weather.
Heating
Fan heaters or tubular heaters are best and should be fitted just above ground level. Ensure they are thermostatically controlled for better economy, and waterproofed if possible. Don’t forget to install a thermometer – a maximum-minimum one is best as you can easily check daytime and night time temperatures.
Insulation
Double glazing is the best but most expensive option to keep heat in. A cheaper alternative is to use plastic sheeting cut to size and fitted over the glass.
About the Author
John Glover writes for the Garden Arch website, a one-stop comparison site for garden arches.
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