Most gardeners’ hearts start to twitter when you talk about greenhouses. Winter is a dull time for them and if they have a greenhouse they can putter about even in the winter. Seeds can be started for spring planting in a greenhouse and you can be ahead of the game when it is time to plant. This is also a place where you can put your rosemary or lemon verbena plants so that you do not loose them and have to start all over again when the season starts. DIY greenhouse kits are available, somewhat inexpensive, and they are very easy to build. There is no excuse for not building your dream greenhouse.
Before building a greenhouse there are a few things that have to be addressed. Warm climate greenhouses usually have no need for heating. The sun comes in and heats up the house during the day and keeps it warm enough during the night. What does have to be addressed is shading so that you do not fry your plants when the sun is high in the sky and how to ventilate the greenhouse so they do not smother with the sun’s heat. Cold climate greenhouses have to be concerned with how they should be heated and insulated to keep that cold out during the winter.
Location is another big factor in building a greenhouse. The spot you pick to build should be level and flat, well drained so that no water seeps, and it should be in a sunny spot to make the best use of the sunlight. If your yard is shady you need to find a place where filtered light is coming in at least most of the day.
There are so many different materials to make a greenhouse from it will make your head spin. You can construct a wood frame and attach glass as they did in days of old, but you can also go a little more modern and choose fiberglass. There are panels made of polycarbonate that work very well in making the walls of a greenhouse but these panels are extremely expensive. There are greenhouses that are made with a pipe frame with plastic sheets draped over them. Many people choose to make their greenhouse out of items that can be recycled. Look online for the greenhouse plan that utilizes a wood built frame filled with plastic pop bottles. Another plan details how to build a greenhouse from a bunch of storm doors.
What should the floor be made of? Many greenhouses do not even have a floor. Instead the dirt on the ground is the floor and more dirt is added so that you can plant seeds in it. Some people prefer some sort of flooring in their greenhouses. You can use gravel or pour concrete for a very sturdy and durable floor. You can even build a floor out of wood. A nice floor can be made from setting bricks and pavers into sand on the ground. When building a greenhouse right on the ground make sure it can never flood or you will have one big mess on your hands.
You can build wooden benches all around the perimeter of the greenhouse. This gives you some space that is up from the ground to put plants ready to grow. You also must think about putting electricity or gas into the greenhouse so that it can be heated. Another important decision is how you are going to water the plants in the greenhouse. Do you need to run a water line to it so you can just turn the hose on from inside the greenhouse or are you going to tote water from another area?
Kits on the market today include the cheap plastic sheet and PVC pipe greenhouse. The PVC is hammered into the ground then brought up like a big horseshoe with plastic sheeting put over top of it. Some parts of this type of greenhouse are wooden as well. It is said that PVC can cause cancer and it is not the most entirely environmentally proper substance to use in a garden but it is cheap and easy to install. You can also make a wooden frame for the greenhouse and install fiberglass or glass. The most expensive undertaking is using the polycarbonate panels but it is worth the money because they will not break even when junior puts a baseball through it. Make a decision based on the area you have to build a greenhouse and the amount of money you have to spend. If you have to you can always guild a greenhouse from a bunch of pop bottles or a collection of storm doors.
To (http://www.greenhouseblueprint.com/articles/greenhouse-ideas/diy-greenhouse) build a DIY greenhouse is not all that complicated. (http://www.greenhouseblueprint.com/articles/greenhouse-ideas/diy-greenhouse) Diy greenhouse kits available on the market today make it so incredibly easy that every gardener can build their very own greenhouse.