WHO ARE WE?
Composed of a couple who absolutely loves working in their serene greenhouse garden, we put together The House Plans to represent the aim of both of us, which is to have a beautiful at-home garden retreat. We want others to produce a fresh harvest for hosting meals with family, friends, and even their community. It’s our vision to teach others to create sustainable landscapes and foodscapes.
With our passion to see others grow their own greenhouse gardens and our decades-old knowledge and experience of growing healthy fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers all within a greenhouse that protects plants from harsh conditions, we wanted to put something together that would help those that may be on the fence about greenhouse gardening.
We thought about what we know from our work in the greenhouse, what you might have issues with, and what you needed to know before getting a greenhouse of your own. With those things combined, we came up with what we felt was the perfect beginner’s guide. So what will you learn from us?
You’ll learn all the important factors and considerations for planning greenhouses, including costs. Greenhouses are a major investment, and so you should plan for something that fits your budget and your lifestyle.
It’s in that planning where you’ll need to consider all the essential building components. These include your foundation, flooring, frame, and glazing (or covering), and beyond that, determine which materials are suitable. After that, you would have to think about if you want to build the greenhouse or if you want to buy a greenhouse kit, so we will cover both options for you.
Once you install your greenhouse, there’s still work to do before you grow your plants. Think about climate control, which means you have to consider ventilation, heating and cooling, CO2 enrichment, and humidity. You also need to consider irrigation planning to water your plants properly, artificial lighting, and other necessary equipment.
You’re still not ready to plant after that. Start thinking about your spacing and how your growing structures will be like raised beds and benching systems. Then you have to account for your growing media with soil improvement, potting mixes, and nutritional needs, which include fertilizers.
Are you ready to plant after that? Have you thought of hardiness zones? These are the zones where plants grow best, which is going to affect the dynamics of your greenhouse. If you are just looking to grow local vegetation, you probably just want to extend the growing season.
if you’re looking to grow something more exotic, this is going to change how you operate your greenhouse. Then you also have considerations for different seasons and year-round planning that will all affect your plant selection.
Now you get to plant, but you have to think about your methods for this first. There will be seed starting and propagation to think about, and if you’re growing something that needs to be pollinated, how will you achieve that?
Even after you get your plants growing, you now have to take care of them. You might already know that pests can get into anything, so how do you prevent them from invading your greenhouse, and how do you control them if they do? Plants can also get sick. Sometimes it’s because of pests, and sometimes it’s from improper care. But can you save them, and what do you do if they’re too far gone?
Your greenhouse is also going to have changed with the seasons, and one thing that you should always keep up with is greenhouse maintenance. Knowing what to do in each season is tricky enough, but when can you clean out and sanitize your greenhouse? This is a step often overlooked, but it makes all the difference when having a structure that will last for years to come.
It’s a lot to think about! You might even be a little overwhelmed right now after seeing how vast just planning for a greenhouse can be. But understanding all these aspects will make you a better gardener, and with practice, you can even be a proficient one. Using your greenhouse will enable you to grow plants despite the climate conditions you face. You might even grow plants you didn’t think were possible where you live. Either way, with a greenhouse, you will reap the benefits of bountiful produce and helpful plants that will benefit you, your family, your friends, or even your community.
So now that you know what you need to think about and what you could learn, we can let the actual learning process begin.