You are not alone if you are thinking about purchasing a greenhouse. Many people think about it this time of year but not everyone is ready for the commitment in time and money that it will take to have a successful greenhouse experience. Some folks take the cheap way out only to pay for it over time so you do need to answer some questions before you decide to buy.

Not all plants are equal so you will need to know how much space the plants you would like to grow need to thrive. Most people just consider what space they have for the greenhouse and not what space the plants need. Both of these space issues will need to be addressed before you make your purchase.

Lets talk about the space in the yard itself. If all you have is space that is covered by shade, this is not an optimal space for a green house. You can get away with combination of direct sunlight and shade as long as the direct sunlight hits your greenhouse at least 4 hours per day. The ideal location is one where the grow house sits in direct sunlight all day long, especially in the winter months and in the northern regions of the country.

If you are looking to use a greenhouse as a season extender, just about any kind and size will do. Of course this will depend on how many plants you are either starting on the front end on extending on the back end. Since you will not be growing plants in the dead of winter, or the heat of summer, your heating and cooling requirements will be at a minimum.

If you are over-wintering plants in a greenhouse you will need one that has decent insulation properties since you will need to keep the temperature about 30 F above the outside temperature for the extended time. If you are in a mild climate, you can get away with one of the inexpensive greenhouses like the Rion Silverline or Greenline Greenhouse.

This changes as you move north into the colder climates. Once you get into regions that reach 0 F, you will need a very good insulated greenhouse to hold in the heat. If you decide to forgo this recommendation and purchase a cheaper greenhouse, you will be paying for it later in very high heating bills. It makes more since to buy the right unit up front and get the right greenhouse for your area. You will be much happier in the long run.

If you are looking to grow food in your greenhouse then you will need a very tightly sealed and very well insulated greenhouse. You will be highly disappointed (especially in the northern regions) with anything else in a greenhouse and will be paying large heating bills if you dont have a greenhouse that is well insulated and retains heat from your heat source. The Conservatory Series by Solexx and the Rion Green Giant Greenhouses are worth looking at for this purpose.

We know that people are disappointed when their greenhouse does not meet their expectations and that is a real shame because greenhouse gardening, done right with the right greenhouse, can be a great and rewarding experience. To ensure that you have a great experience, make sure you buy or build a greenhouse that is insulated for your region and purpose and you get one that is big enough for what you want to accomplish. If you do these two things you will love what your greenhouse can do for you!

Tags: cold frames, family, garden greenhouse, gardening, green houses, greenhouse gardening, greenhouses, growing your own food, hobby, home greenhouse, planting, plastic greenhouse, seedlings

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This entry was posted on Saturday, December 12th, 2009 at 8:54 am and is filed under backyard, gardening, greenhouses. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.