If you are homesteading or simply have an interest in expanding your plant growing season, you may want to consider building a greenhouse. A greenhouse is really not as expensive or as difficult to build as you might imagine. In fact, it can be a wonderful pleasure to construct your own greenhouse. It is also a very valuable asset to your homestead that can offer a tremendous return on your investment of time and resources.
A greenhouse really offers the homesteader a lot of planting and growing advantages. It offers comfort in attending plants, vegetables, flowers, and orchids. It also provides the needed sunlight and humidity for these plants, and also helps protect them during colder months. Once constructed, you will find other values to assist you in your growing plans and production. You will also gain an appreciation for your greenhouse, because of the effort you put forth in building it.
The first thing you probably will want to determine is the size and design of the greenhouse you will need to build. There are various sizes and designs to choose from, so you will want to consider your overall growing needs. If you are really wanting to build an inexpensive design, you may save more money by utilizing a smaller greenhouse design. Carefully consider the decision and budget. There are less-expensive supplies and materials that you can use which can help keep your building project very frugal. If there is enough space that can accommodate a larger greenhouse, you may want to weigh the value of a larger design. In many cases, larger is more advisable because it allows you to utilize the greenhouse to develop larger yield with plants and vegetables.
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If your desire is to build a greenhouse where you can develop and propagate more plants or perhaps extending the growing season, you may consider other factors that will likely dictate the type of greenhouses he would like to build. Here are some tips and factors you may want to consider in building your own greenhouse.
1. Consider using salvaged materials to construct your greenhouse. Homesteaders and those who are trying to live more self-reliant, using materials that you already have available on your property is usually appealing. Using salvaged materials in designing and planning will certainly help in keeping your cost down for your greenhouse. Any materials that you can utilize from around your property will help minimize the expenses of the other supplies and materials needed.
2. You will want to determine the climate you live. An insulated greenhouse will be more appropriate and helpful for cold climate areas. Obviously, this will help provide the needed warmth for your plants. In warmer climates, a greenhouse that has a shade control must be considered.
3. Make sure your greenhouse is designed with proper air circulation spaces, ventilation, pest control soil, heaters for winter season, and humidity control devices. You will want to be careful in the design to create an environment that would be appropriate for the types of plants you intend to grow in the greenhouse.
4. The location of the greenhouse should be constructed where there is ample sunlight. You will want to pay attention to the sun path (East to West) during the season you will be depending on your greenhouse for growing. Notice any shade areas, as you will want to build your greenhouse in a location exposed to ample sunlight. If you utilize the greenhouse in the warmer months, you will likely want to construct where you will have morning sunlight and perhaps shade in the late afternoon.
5. It is also important to consider the covering of your greenhouse. If you have the financial resources, the most advisable shades are the glass made coverings and fiberglass. They provide more durability and they do not deteriorate quickly compared to plastic coverings. A greenhouse covered with glass or fiberglass allows more humidity and warmth.
6. As you begin constructing your greenhouse, you will want to choose the type of foundation you would like to use. The foundations can be concrete for a more secured greenhouse. Others prefer the less expensive lightweight foundation where they use improvised materials such as railroad ties which can easily attach to the ground. It all depends on your resources and what you are willing/able to spend on the structure of the greenhouse.
7. Consider building other resources to aid in the function of your greenhouse. You will want to maximize its full potential. You may want to add benches, tables, or other comfort areas in case you want to rest after your work. You may also want to add other accessories to the place like automatic watering systems, heating systems, ventilation systems, compost bins, or other automatic equipments that are effective in maintaining the plants.
8. A great suggestion is to use “good bugs” for your pest control and health of your plants. Utilizing good bugs will help prevent and control the spread of the bad bugs in a greenhouse. As you tend your plants, if you find insects in your plants, you may want to isolate the plant and (if possible) place the plant outside the greenhouse so that you might minimize the impact on all your plants.
9. Within your greenhouse, determine a place where you can store fertilizers, potting soil and other tools that are essential in your growing and tending of your plants. A great idea is to place a tool-rack nearer to the potting place so that it will be easier for you to transfer the soil from the pot of the plants. You may also place buckets and tool holders to accommodate the other equipment when they are not in use.
You will be able to expand your crop selection and increase your plant yields with a versatile greenhouse. You may also propagate from the grown plants to fill the greenhouse with a variety of plants.
If properly utilized, a greenhouse will enable you to significantly increase the production and quality of your plants. Putting up a greenhouse is also a great project to involve the whole family.
