Top Tips for Building Your Own Greenhouse

Green living has become a highly popular trend in recent years, and many people around the world are now making life changes in an effort to be more environmentally conscious. Building a home greenhouse is just one example of the many wonderful ways people are attempting to give back to Mother Nature.

Some people choose to use their greenhouses as natural oases from the stresses of daily life. Others prefer to put their greenhouses to more practical use, utilizing them to produce their own food. Regardless of its purpose, a greenhouse makes a great addition to any home. Below are a few helpful tips for building your own greenhouse.

Build from the ground up

This may seem like a no-brainer, but one of the best tips for building your own greenhouse is to build it from the bottom up. The thought of tending to your own greenhouse can be quite exciting, but it causes many people to jump the gun and purchase plants before they’ve even built a structure. Therefore, it’s important to start with the basics and work your way up from there. Begin by carefully considering the shape and size of your greenhouse.

If you live in an area that receives heavy snow or rainfall, for instance, you may consider choosing a greenhouse with a steeper roof. This will prevent the snow and rain from piling up on the roof and reduce the likelihood of the roof cracking or even collapsing. The size of your greenhouse will greatly depend on its intended use.

If you intend to grow a wide variety of plants or crops, you’ll likely need to build a much bigger structure. For smaller greenhouses, you may consider opting out of a stand-alone structure. Building your smaller greenhouse as an attachment off your home or garage will reduce the likelihood of weather damage and ensure the structure maintains its integrity for years to come.

Establish an environmental control system

Plants housed in greenhouses are often much easier to tend to than outdoor plants. With a greenhouse, you won’t have to deal with inclement weather or sudden drops in temperature. However, you will need to take a few additional measures to ensure your plants receive the proper amount of air, water, heat, and sunshine.

Heating and ventilation are perhaps the trickiest environmental factors to manage. Your heating system will need to be able to withstand drastic differences between indoor and outdoor temperatures. It should also be versatile enough that you can adjust it to the specific needs of your plants.

You’ll also need to consider how you’ll ventilate the space. If it’s very warm inside your greenhouse and very cold outside, and if there is very little airflow throughout the space, the greenhouse will become very humid.

This humidity can cause condensation on the greenhouse windows and may cause your plants to rot. Establishing an internal ventilation system or outfitting your greenhouse with several windows will help air out the space and prevent the greenhouse from becoming too humid.

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