 Eventually, every gardner will feel the lure of the greenhouse. It may be from a desire to grow tender plants which would not survive outdoors, or to offer protection for prized specimens, or just for seed germination. Whatever the reason there are a whole host of greenhouse designs on the market, and an even greater variety of accessories, including staging, lpg heaters and ventilation units - and enough technical jargon to cause a mental meltdown.
If all you need a greenhouse for is to provide protection and for seed germination then the selection process is pretty straightforward. Think of a greenhouse as a large cloche with some form of heating and ventilation, and forget about the fancier accessories like automatic sprinkler systems. There are a wide variety of styles, shapes and types of greenhouse to choose from but if your needs or expected uses are simple don't waste your money buying something elaborate.
Choosing your Greenhouse
The process of choosing your greenhouse can be a difficult one, especially for the inexperienced. It's tempting to think that all you'll need is a small compact model but rest assured that as you come to see the benefits to be had from raising plants in a controlled environment your greenhouse will seem smaller and smaller. Don't limit yourself to a 4ft x 4ft if space and money allow an 8ft x 6ft - you'll regret it later.
Greenhouse Basics
There are two main types of greenhouse - lean-to and free-standing. A lean-to has the advantage of retained heat because of the insulating wall, but suffers from less light during part of the day when it is in shade. A free-standing greenhouse, if positioned correctly, will receive light all day long but looses heat more rapidly and needs more structural support. Both types of greenhouse come in two forms, glass from ground level upwards (excellent for tomatoes), or sections of wood or brick (better for propagation and flowers).
Aluminium greenhouses are certainly more durable than their wooden equivalents but the wooden ones are much better to look at and this is a significant factor in the garden, after all the whole point of this is to make your garden look great. Glass is the most common glazing material, but horticultural grade plastic is an alternative, perhaps more expensive but safer when children are around.
Accessorise
Good ventilation is vital, as during summer temperatures can rise without warning scorching tender plants. Your greenhouse should have at least one ventilator and the maximum temperature must not exceed 27°C
To keep the temperature under control during summer you can also use net curtains or bubble wrap to diffuse the worst of the suns rays.
The most important accessory for your greenhouse has to be staging. Available in wood or aluminium just make sure that the construction is capable of supporting the number of pots you plan to put on it (when watered!). Drainage is also vital and any commercial staging will have plenty of this, usually from the slatted design.
Positioning
If you are able try to have one end of your greenhouse facing the rising sun, well away from tall trees, shrubs or hedges. Make sure that your greenhouse has a flat and firm base to which it is securely bolted.
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