Greenhouse gardening involves a lot more than just building a shed and putting plants in it. Read on for an introduction to greenhouse gardening.
Have you ever known a gardener with a home greenhouse and wished you had one, too? If so, you’re not alone. Plastic Tomato Greenhouse
“Greenhouses are the dream of many gardeners,” says Marc Hachadourian, director of glasshouse horticulture and senior curator of orchids at the New York Botanical Garden. “Usually, only the more advanced take the plunge and invest in a greenhouse for their gardens.”
But, that could be starting to change, says Bootstrap Farmer Katie Russo, who has been seeing a steady rise in sales of greenhouse gardening supplies.
“Greenhouse gardening is becoming more popular among backyard gardeners, hobbyists, and market gardeners as unpredictable weather patterns lead more people to consider the investment,” she says. “Also, more people want to grow their own food and create at-home businesses such as flower farming and niche plant production.”
So is the grass really greener in a greenhouse? If you’re an enthusiastic home gardener curious about greenhouse gardening, read on — we’ve got you covered.
Greenhouse gardening means cultivating vegetables or flowering plants in a controlled, enclosed environment that extends the growing season and protects against pests.
On an industrial scale, fruits, vegetables and grains are grown in huge facilities. There’s even a 60-acre greenhouse in Kentucky that produces millions of tomatoes a year! But for homeowners, it typically involves installing a greenhouse in your garden area.
“I have always found it better to think of a greenhouse as a machine for the growing of plants rather than an architectural structure,” Hachadourian says.
“A greenhouse creates an environment, separate from the external climate, which is regulated and controlled by the gardener to control the growth of the plants within. It’s so much more than a plastic or glass tent to grow plants.” If you’re planning to buy one, don’t forget to check out our collection of the best greenhouse heaters.
Greenhouses give you more control over your gardening environment, which in turn gives your plants optimal heat and humidity and reduces the likelihood of pests. They also extend your growing season.
“An unheated greenhouse may buy you a few weeks of extra growing time in fall and spring, and at best, it allows you to grow year-round, even if you’re in a freezing climate,” says Justin Hancock, a horticulturist at Costa Farms. “Want citrus in Minnesota? With a good greenhouse, you can!”
Built from plastic, plexiglass or glass, a basic greenhouse turns sunlight into heat while protecting plants from pests, disease and weather extremes. In a greenhouse, the gardener creates the ideal environment for their plants. They can adjust the temperature, control humidity, provide shade as needed and experiment with different soils and fertilizers.
“Depending on the types of plants that you wish to grow,” Hachadourian says, “greenhouses can be used to extend or modify the gardening season, grow edible plants and herbs, start seedlings or transplants for an outdoor garden, overwinter tropical plants, or cultivate a range of plants from climates different than your own.”
Greenhouse gardening also means you can garden on a rainy or even snowy day, and potentially harvest homegrown fruits and vegetables year-round.
“The exacting control of the environment can help grow a huge range of plants beyond what is possible in your climate,” Hachadourian says.
Greenhouse gardening is rarely as simple as tossing up a structure and bringing in plants. “In most climates,” says Hachadourian, “a greenhouse will require electricity, water, and heat sources, especially if the plants that you cultivate require heat to survive cold winters.”
Cultivating heat in a glass or plastic room is typically the easy part. The equipment you install determines how you control the environment. Some things to consider:
“Always remember that despite the advantages, greenhouses definitely require work and not entirely self-sufficient,” says Hachadourian. “They require investments of time, space and technology for their ultimate success. For those willing to invest, the rewards can be fantastic seeing the plants thrive and grow in ways that they could not without a greenhouse.”
There are many types of greenhouses, with shapes suited for various plants and designs ranging from simple to involved. They basically boil down to the following options:
Other variations in types of greenhouses include:
Architecturally, you can also choose between freestanding or attached greenhouses (aka “lean-tos”), which are built off of an existing building, such as your home.
“Traditional freestanding greenhouses offer tons of space for plant variety, but they’re best suited to people with larger yards,” says Manny Barra, a master gardener at TeachMe.To. “Lean-tos are ideal for those with limited space who still want that greenhouse experience.” Lean-to greenhouses can also add extra warmth and insulation to your home.
Portable greenhouses are another option, made with lightweight materials and easy to move, so you can follow the sun wherever it goes. “For the DIY lover, there are also plenty of creative upcycled options, like greenhouses made from recycled windows or plastic bottles,” says Barra.
Can you build your own greenhouse from scratch? Yes, if you’ve got at least intermediate DIY skills and the right tools. This guide to building a greenhouse walks you step-by-step through the construction of a basic structure.
If you’re less sure of your skills but don’t want to spend a bundle on a professionally built greenhouse, consider a greenhouse kit, available from large home improvement stores. Kits range from simple and inexpensive to elaborate, with prices to match.
If you’re designing a greenhouse or following an existing greenhouse plan, do your homework.
“Doing some research and matching the greenhouse technology and style for the type of plants you wish to grow is crucial for success,” Hachadourian says. “Not all greenhouses are the same. It is best to research and plan to make sure that you build a greenhouse suitable for your budget, climate, and purpose.”
Of course, if you go with professional installation, you’ll presumably work with knowledgeable pros who’ll help you decide on the best greenhouse size and style for your budget. And if something goes wrong, you can always call on them to fix it.
Greenhouse pricing is all over the map — or maybe all over the backyard! Home improvement centers sell small, lightweight, self-assembled greenhouses for less than $100. Prices rise to a few thousand dollars for more substantial models, up to a deluxe kit that sells for more than $16,000.
Pricing for a DIY greenhouse generally runs between $10 and $20 per square foot. That depends on materials, the size of the greenhouse, and fluctuations in the raw materials market.
At Greenhouse Megastore, we found kits priced at about $21 per square foot (for a 6 ft. x 8 ft. polycarbonate greenhouse with no base), $48 per sq. ft. for a 94-sq.-ft. foot model with a galvanized steel base, and even $41,000 for a nearly 300-sq.ft. model. (In case you’re wondering, that comes out to $143 per square foot!)
Professionally installed greenhouses vary greatly as well. It’s safe to assume you’ll spend a minimum of several thousand dollars on a basic model. Are you familiar with sustainable permaculture gardening?
Your greenhouse gardening tools won’t differ much from those you’d use for standard gardening: pots, hoses, trowels, watering wands, pruners and the like. Unless you’ve got a really big greenhouse, you probably won’t need garden boots or long-handled tools.
“The different ‘tool’ of greenhouse gardening is the greenhouse itself and the type and technology used within to control the environment for the plants,” says Hachadourian.
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