If you are interested in greenhouse growing, you first need to choose between a greenhouse and a conservatory. To make up your mind, have a look at the comparison between greenhouse and conservatory. Also, you might consider growing in a hydroponic greenhouse.
There are many enthusiasts who swear by hydroponic growing, but what are the pros and cons of hydroponic and soil greenhouses? However, if you are a traditional gardener, you will enjoy owning a greenhouse in your yard. Of course, for a beginner it can be tricky to understand where to start.
That is why I put together a step-by step guide on how to set up a greenhouse. I am going to answer the most common questions that any beginner has. Do you need a greenhouse base, how big should the structure be and why growing in native soil is not a good idea? Let’s dive in.
How do you start a greenhouse for beginners?
- Choose the most suitable greenhouse size – length, width, volume, surface area and glazing area;
- Learn about the types of greenhouses – lean-to, polytunnel, cold frame;
- Understand the structure of greenhouse – base, floor, door, frame, glazing, vents;
- Decide on frame and glazing combo – wood and glass, aluminum and polycarbonate, PVC and polythene film;
- What are you going to use it for – propagate cuttings, seed germination, productive greenhouse or mixed uses;
- Do you need a foundation for greenhouse?
- Orient and site a greenhouse;
- Growing media inside greenhouse structure – raised bed, native soil, containers;
- Get benches and work station to organize the inside of the greenhouse;
When should you start a greenhouse?
Although you can use a greenhouse all year round, if you are a beginner, you should start using it in March and April. The freezing temperatures have passed and you can start warm season crops which will germinate in 4 to 8 weeks.
If you are a beginner who lives in higher elevations where spring temperatures are low, start a greenhouse in the middle of April or early May. If you want to use a greenhouse for cuttings from existing plants and sowing seeds, start it in summer when temperatures are 65° – 70°F.
How to set up a greenhouse for beginners in 10 easy steps
1. Is a greenhouse the right size?
The most popular size is 8 ft long and 6 ft wide. That is a good option if you don’t have enough space in your garden. If space is not restricted, go for a 10 ft by 8 ft greenhouse, inside you can have staging on both sides of the structure.
Don’t just choose the largest size, keep in mind the area of your garden. A large greenhouse can be very expensive to heat. Moreover, a greenhouse that is more than 8 ft by 6 ft will usually need a concrete base. However, it is much harder to control the environment in a small greenhouse than in a large one.
That is because it is difficult to control droughts and sudden changes in temperature. In addition, most growers find that they need more space after a few seasons and regret not getting a larger model. Nevertheless, you can extend the greenhouse later on, but it can be more expensive rather than buying or building a larger structure straight away.
2. Choose a greenhouse type for your needs
Both attached and freestanding structures have advantages and disadvantages. Whilst freestanding greenhouse allows maximum amount of light and ventilation, the problem is with it being far away from water and heating supplies. However, it can be the only option available for you if the wall space is not available.
If you have wall space, lean-to greenhouse can be a great option as you will have an access to water and heating. Moreover, the house wall traps heat which is very handy in winter. However, in summer it can become a problem, so good ventilation and shading are necessary. Find more information on different types of greenhouse structures here.
3. What is a greenhouse structure?
A traditional greenhouse structure has vertical side walls, rafter, frame, glazing and end wall. The main structural components are main frame, door, eaves, ridge bar, roof, side vents and glazing material. Depending on the use of greenhouse and materials it is made of, you might need to have base and floor.
Also, kick board around the greenhouse structure is a must if glazing goes to ground level. Door can be sliding or hinged. Any structure should come with glazing bars to hold glass or plastic panels. Also, cross braces support the main frame.
4. Decide on greenhouse frame and glazing
Wood frame and glass glazing has always been a traditional combination for a greenhouse. However, plastic panels and aluminum frame are becoming more popular due to shatterproof qualities of the plastic and aluminum being cheap and lightweight.
If you are interested in a temporary construction, a combination of PVC frame and polythene film is all what you need. PVC does not decay and needs little maintenance. Polythene film contains UV inhibitor and lasts for 3 to 4 seasons before discoloring.
If you decided to build a greenhouse, check how much it can cost you. The building costs vary according to the materials you use for greenhouse frame and glazing. However, you can always buy a greenhouse kit, for example, a Palram Hobby greenhouse.
5. What uses you have in mind?
Ask yourself what you are actually going to use a greenhouse for. You can make it a productive greenhouse where you can grow fruits, vegetables and herbs. So, in this greenhouse you would need to dedicate the floor area for growing Tomatoes and Cucumbers which are tall plants.
You can also utilize the space between these plants by growing quick-growing catch crops like Beetroots and Carrots. Remember that you can’t mix together warm-loving with cold-loving plants. So what I recommend to do is to separate a greenhouse into zones. Use plastic cover to separate the structure and insulate one part with bubble wrap.
You can also install a heater to keep the temperatures high for cold-sensitive plants. Do the same for germination and propagation zones. That way you can start seeds earlier and propagate cuttings all year round. I have put together a step-by-step guide on how to grow seeds in a greenhouse, so check it out.
Moreover, you can mix plants in a greenhouse if you don’t want to just grow fruit and veg. Hang the baskets with ornamental plants and place the pots, just remember to match the growing conditions. If you have no idea on what to grow, check you the post on what to grow in a greenhouse for beginners.
6. Do you need a foundation for greenhouse?
It depends on whether you are going to grow plants in pots or in the native soil. If you have a good type of native soil in your yard, you can plant directly in the border soil and just make a gravel pathway in the middle. Alternatively, you can build raised beds.
However, if you are buying or building a big greenhouse, you must have a foundation. There are various foundation options for any structure, you can even build a temporary base. If you decided to only grow in pots and hang baskets with flowers, making a concrete foundation is probably the best option as your structure will be clean for longer.
7. Orientation and position of a greenhouse
You need to position a greenhouse away from tress. The minimum distance should be 30 ft. If you are setting up a freestanding greenhouse, position it far away from buildings, fences as these can shade out winter sun. However, the position should also be practical, so you can have access to electricity and water.
Orient a freestanding greenhouse so that the ridge runs from East to West. This orientations ensures that the largest side will get full southern sun exposure. However, if you are choosing a site for a lean-to structure, you need to place it against a west-facing wall. If you position it against a south wall, greenhouse will get too hot in summer.
8. How to grow in a greenhouse?
That is a very popular question. While many gardeners stick to a traditional way of growing is native soil, others fill up the greenhouse with clay pots and containers. To find out which option works out for you, consider the pros and cons of container gardening.
If you are going to grow Tomatoes, Cucumber and root vegetables, growing in the soil can be the best option. However, you need to check what type of soil you have in a greenhouse. Also, keep in mind that soil is a host of many diseases and a perfect environment for pests.
Today, you don’t even need soil to grow fruit and veg. More and more growers switch to hydroponic greenhouses. Instead of the garden beds and pots all you need is to set up a hydroponic system. Even though the initial costs are high, you are eliminating nutrient deficiencies and problems with diseases or pests.
9. Organize the inside – shelves and benches.
Think in advance how are you going to utilize the space inside a greenhouse. If you are going to propagate cuttings and sow seeds, you would need to set up a propagator. Place it on a bench or a work station. Work station is also a must for repotting and transplanting.
Shelves and benches help to organize the space inside a greenhouse efficiently. You can keep pots, growing media, composts and gardening tools all in one place. Also, it helps to take care of the plants. For example, you can keep the plants with the same requirements on one bench.
Furthermore, you can adjust the benches and shelves to the height that is comfortable for you, so yes, no back pain! Different types of bench tops can ease the watering task. Generally, it is much easier to walk around the greenhouse when place in neatly organized.
10. Get greenhouse accessories
Once you decided what shelves and benches you need, it is time to think what tools you should have in a greenhouse at all times. Of course, the basics like watering can, pots and containers, compost, seed starting trays, weeder and pruner. Have it figured out before you start planting because you don’t want your plants to die because you didn’t have equipment.
Have a look at a post that I put together talking about my 12 greenhouse essentials. However, everyone is using greenhouse for different needs so feel free to alternate this list. Also, keep in mind the accessories you might need during different seasons.
For example, on a hot summer day you will need to shade a greenhouse. So prepare a shade cloth or buy shade paint before hand and store it accordingly. The same principal is applicable for winter. You can get a cheapest greenhouse heater and keep it in a garage, so once the temperatures drop you can take it out and turn on straight away.
