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Latest Articles
Review of Haynes Chicken Manual
A review of this complete step-by-step guide to keeping chickens
livestock
10:21, 12th Mar 2010
Review of Making the Most of It
A review of the book Making the Most of It by Barrington Markham
books
10:16, 12th Mar 2010
Hunting Rabbit
Find out how to hunt for delicious rabbit
hunting
10:16, 12th Mar 2010
Vintage Cider Apples
Find out more growing your own vintage cider apples
fruits
09:57, 4th Mar 2010
Keeping Chickens
Find out more about the practicalities of keeping chickens
livestock
13:01, 23rd Feb 2009
Smallholding for Rent in Ireland
Rent a smallholding in County Clare, Ireland
smallholding
15:58, 16th Feb 2009
Small Holding For Sale in Slovenia
Buy a small holding in Slovenia and read the story of its current owner
smallholding
13:24, 29th Oct 2008
Why Buy a Polytunnel
Learn about Polytunnels and their benefits
building
17:12, 17th Sep 2008
Choosing a Greenhouse
Decide which greenhouse is right for you
Choosing A Greenhouse
greenhouse | building | grow your own
The Greenhouse is one of the most expensive parts of a smallholding or urban self-sufficient set up. However, a suitable greenhouse will pay for itself many times over through its lifetime for its owner and also provide many years of enjoyment.
Types of Greenhouse
There are many different sizes and shapes of greenhouse available at prices to match all budgets, from polythene polytunnels to cinder block and timber constructions. The main choice is between a lean-to greenhouse or an apex greenhouse.A lean-to greenhouse, as its name suggests, is built leaning against another structure - usually your house. This is excellent if you have limited space, but it also cuts down the amount of light entering the greenhouse and the space available for growing. An apex greenhouse is freestanding and has an apex roof whch lets in light from both sides and permits growing on both sides. One advantage of a lean-to greenhouse is that the house on which it is built acts a heat sink preventing large temperature fluctuations between day and night, but if your property does not have a wall in a suitable orientation, there is nowhere suitable to build a lean-to greenhouse.
The larger the greenhouse, the less it will cost per square foot of growing space, so it is best to buy the largest greenhouse you can afford. You will have no difficulty in filling it! Greenhouses are available in sizes from as small as 4 x 6 feet, to 12 x 24 feet, and commercial greenhouses which can be much much larger are also available for tens of thousands of pounds. It is almost always advantageous to select a wide greenhouse rather than a long narrow greenhouse of equivalent square footage since this gives you a larger usable area for planting.
Glass or Plastic
The next big decision is - plastic or glass. Plastic is cheaper, easier to fit, is not brittle unlike glass, will not break when hit by footballs, will not crack under large temperature fluctuations, and is easier to seal. But, glass lets more light in than plastic, and barring breakages, will continue to do so forever. Plastic becomes more and more translucent over the years and also can be scratched. The more light gets into your greenhouse the better it is for your crops and the better your yields will be.
If you do choose glass then you have another decision to make - toughened (or safety) glass or horticultural glass. Horticultural glass is cheaper than toughened glass but it breaks more easily, and when it does break it will spray shards of sharp glass around which is of course very dangerous for children, pets, and yourself. Toughened glass on the other hand it much more expensive, but it shatters safely on impact (like a car windscreen) and it is much much less likely to break in the first place.
Greenhouse Construction Material
The material from which your greenhouse is built is the final important consideration. Aluminium is light weight, corrosion free, and requires no maintenance. It is also cheaper than wood (typically red cedar), but does not look as nice, and it also heats up and cools down much faster. Wooden greenhouses need to be treated every few years to protect them from rot.
Greenhouse Accessories
An ideal greenhouse will have guttering enabling you to collect rainwater and store it in a water butt. Rain water is much better for your crops than treated drinking water from your taps.Staging is also important. These waist-high slatted surfaces are used when you are planting seeds and doing other work in your greenhouse, and most commonly used for propogating seed trays.
Finally you also need ventilation which takes the form of openable windows in the roof of the greenhouse, and a suitable door - usually a sliding door with aluminium models and a standard door with wooden models.
NEW - Click here to visit our Greenhouse Directory with details of suppliers of greenhouses and related accessories including staging, shelving, and heaters.
Article Published: 13:26, 23rd Jul 2008
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The Greenhouse
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Free Greenhouse Heating
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Polytunnel Hot Spot Tape
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Make Your Own DIY Polytunnel
Find out how to make your own robust polytunnel for half the price of the retail product
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Why Buy a Polytunnel
Learn about Polytunnels and their benefits
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Watering Your Greenhouse
Find out how to keep your greenhouse plants well watered
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Greenhouse Ventilation
Understand the importance of venilation in a greenhouse
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Making Pickled Onions
Find out how to pickle onions
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Make Caramelised Onion Chutney
Make a delicious caramelised onion chutney
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preserving | vegetables | grow your own
Potato Clamp Storing Potatoes
Store potatoes (and other vegetables) over winter with a potato clamp
Article Published: 15:05, 7th Jul 2008
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