Greenhouse gardening is a fun and enjoyable way to enjoy gardening year round. Whether the weather is hot or cold, sunny or overcast, you will be able to spend time in your garden as long as it is protected from the elements indoors. But what really is greenhouse gardening and how can you get started?
A greenhouse is a glass or plastic-enclosed room into which you develop your garden using a potting and incubation system. Strong plastic is tightly stretched over aluminum poles, or glass windows and door enclose a space as small or as little as your like, depending on your budget and space.
When sunlight hits the sides of the greenhouse, the glass or plastic retains the heat and refracts the light rays so that they emit evenly and strongly throughout the interior. In this sense, even in the coldest weather, chances are very high that you will not need to place a heater in the greenhouse to keep your plants warm.
What’s more, the sunlight will be diffused across the greenhouse so that all plants and flowers receive ample rays. The sunrays are essential to the photosynthesis of the plants. Thus, most greenhouse plants flourish more than plants grown in the outdoors because they are assured sunlight and proper temperature when they are indoors.
When you set up your greenhouse, the most important considerations are budget and size. If you have a small budget, then it is in your best interest to invest in a greenhouse that has a plastic covering stretched across aluminum bars. This type of greenhouse is relatively basic and inexpensive. It will also be easy to move, if you need to transport it aroud your yard or to another property.
Large greenhouses, such as commercial greenhouses, often are composed of both plastic and glass. Glass is more expensive, but easier to clean and maintain. Plastic can easily get ripped, but is generally as effective as glass greenhouses.
Large greenhouses usually will have built in sprinkler systems that can be set on an automated system so that you do not have to manually water your plants. You can set a smaller greenhouse on a sprinkler system using a regular garden hose without much difficulty, but you will have to hire a contractor to set up the timing system to work with your property’s water system.
Finally, when organizing the interior of your greenhouse, keep in mind that the greenhouse will be your work station when dealing with your plants. Most greenhouses have counters on top of which you will keep your plants. Counters are easy to access when you water or prune your plants. They also create space for storage underneath of the counters for items such as watering cans, fertilizer and pots.
You will also need space for filling pots, so be sure not to over crowd your countertop. Keep at least one countertop clean so that you can breed smaller plants from seedlings.
In addition, it is generally convenient to have a source of water nearby, if not within, the greenhouse so that you do not have to haul large amounts of water into the greenhouse on a daily basis.