What Do You Look for in a Greenhouse?

[Augustus]

Hey everyone!

I’d love to get your thoughts on something!

Quick backstory— I grew up in a tiny town of about 400 people (Mosier, Oregon). My mom has a horticulture degree, which basically meant two things:

1. We never had much money.
2. We always had a garden.

If you’ve gardened in the Pacific Northwest, you know the struggle—brutal winters, unpredictable weather, and the never-ending battle against wildlife (deer, raccoons, bears… you name it). That’s part of what inspired me to start my own greenhouse business— and one of the best parts of this journey was finally being able to gift my mom a greenhouse of her own.

But I’m not here to sell anything or even drop the name of my store. I genuinely want to hear from you all:

- If you own a greenhouse, what’s been your biggest challenge?
- If you don’t, what’s stopped you from getting one? Cost? Installation? Climate concerns?
- What features do you wish a greenhouse had but don’t see often?

Right now, we’re focusing on affordable pricing, free delivery, and installation, and we’re experimenting with cooling and heating systems as well as hydroponics—but I’d love to know what you think would actually make greenhouse gardening easier.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I recently bought a 'mini greenhouse' so I could use it without the cover for shelving in my proper greenhouse. This time of year I have a lot of seeds and small plants that take up a lot of area, but are only six inches or so high, a removable wire shelf (Wire so it didn't block too much light) that would fit fairly high up so it stayed warmer at night would be good for bringing things on early.
Edit, maybe a raised edge so pots don't get knocked off.

 

[Augustus]

That’s a really smart way to repurpose a mini greenhouse! I love the idea of a removable wire shelf—especially one positioned higher up to take advantage of the warmth at night. A raised edge to keep pots in place is a great touch too.

As of right now, we include 2-slat shelving in our greenhouses that you can install at any height. Would you prefer something modular that you can adjust or move around, or do you like the idea of integrated shelving that stays in place?

I’m actually working on different shelving and staging options, so this kind of feedback is super helpful. Appreciate you sharing your experience!

 

[Oliver Buckle]

Thanks for the reply.
In my mind it ran along the north facing edge, so it robbed the house of the minimum amount of light, and could be high up because germinating seeds and young plants that are not tall enough to touch the roof. There is a period in the early Spring when all the cold sensitive pots are still in there filling the ground space, but I want to get the new, young plants off the windowsill indoors where the missus is objecting to the 'clutter' of seeds, plants, and chitting potatoes. Can't really blame her, potatoes in egg boxes are not attractive, and water runs through the pots into the trough underneath and gets dirty and spilled as well

 

[Meadowlark]

- If you own a greenhouse, what’s been your biggest challenge?
- If you don’t, what’s stopped you from getting one? Cost? Installation? Climate concerns?
- What features do you wish a greenhouse had but don’t see often?

I don't have a greenhouse mainly because I can't justify one in my climate which is zone 9a and relatively warm long growing seasons. I do use cold frames, frost cloth. and windowsills to extend the growing season on occasion.

I have recently been looking online at some small ones, however, as I'm wearing out my welcome on windowsills. That coupled with a major surge into flowers this spring has me getting serious about a small one.

For veggie growing, I definitely prefer direct seeding in the garden. My testing has shown that direct seeded plants perform much better than those started indoors and transplanted. About the only veggie I don't direct seed is the tomato and that is strictly due to the need to get them setting fruit as early as possible to avoid the excessive heat we get here every year.

Flowers may be a different ballgame and I may find more of a need for a greenhouse.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I have two greenhouses, my climate is somewhat different, there are things which, sown direct, wouldn't reach maturity before Autumn.
One was here when I arrived. 14ft. X 8ft., mostly glass, but repaired here and there with plastic. It is ancient and has slipped on its foundation so there are gaps in the frame, as well as the glass not fitting in the holes in places.
My balance is not great, and the idea of falling through a large pane of glass worries me enough to make me very careful around it. The other one I bought new. It was the cheapest 6ftX8ft I could find, as I expect at some point to spend a few grand and replace the other. It is plastic, polycarbonate I think, and in high winds the panels flex noisily. It has a door that was difficult to hang properly, and when it blew open in a very high wind I lost a roof panel, it slid straight back in next day and has been fine since, and it was the sort of wind that brought trees down all over the county. Worth putting it in a slightly sheltered spot is the lesson there.

What does it mean I will look for in future?
Something I can fall against without hurting myself, realistically that means plastic I think, tough glass would be very expensive.
Plastic that is either reinforced more regularly, or of much better quality, so it did not flex so readily. The roof panel was not damaged at all, it had merely flexed enough that the channels did not hold it; and the noise the walls make when it is windy is horrid, I'm glad it is not near the house.
Bolts in slides seems a regular construction method for aluminium, I'd slide in some extras so I could hang shelves if I wanted.
Maintenance free aluminium, I don't want any woodwork to paint or oil, I have plenty to do anyway.

 

[redback]

I live in the hot part of Australia but still grow my seedlings in pots on the north facing windowsills. If I were living in snow country, I would definitely have the hothouse as an extension of the home. I would have a high pitch solid roof but narrow eaves overhang. That way the roof would shed the snow, and the hothouse would gain its heat from the low angle of the winter sun. You might say that it wouldn't be hot enough without roof glazing, but it also wouldn't lose so much heat through the roof and being attached to the house would gain thermal mass and shared heating application.
I have had a plastic tunnel hothouse, and it worked for a while but was unlivable in summer. The photos of these plastic hothouses in the snow make me shiver.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I would definitely have the hothouse as an extension of the home. I would have a high pitch solid roof but narrow eaves overhang.

Read this to the missus, "Isn't that called a conservatory, or sun room?"

 

[redback]

Read this to the missus, "Isn't that called a conservatory, or sun room?"

... or a solarium. It is but - it will help heat the house - will avoid having to go out in the cold - will have an indoor access. Tell the missus it's a winter room or library or a good spot for drying the clothes. You just have to have a mudroom somewhere nearby.

 

[redback]

My idea would cost tens of thousands of dollars and add even more to the resale of the house.
I'm unsure of how long those kit hothouses last.

 

[oneeye]

I don't have a greenhouse but I worked in some commercial greenhouses years ago. Amazing results you can get from having a greenhouse. The one thing that stands out the most, is all the work that has to be done and the cost to keep it in operation. Lot of work.

 

[gary350]

My first green house was 47 years ago I wanted to grow tomatoes all winter. I built it with 2x4 boards and covered it with polyethylene plastic. TN we have gusty wind plastic went in out in out in out in out wind pushed heat out then sucked in cold air, temperature in green house was the same as outside air.

Next I built a green house with glass temperature inside was always too hot for plants the green house needed cooling fan on a sunny day then heat after dark. If it was 20° outside during with full sun all day it would be 140° inside the green house with no exhaust fan.

About 5 years ago I built another green house 2 ft x 2 ft square I grew 20 lbs. of potatoes in side. Seed potatoes were plants Dec 27 harvest day was March 30. No exhaust fan and no heat required.

I don't want another green house I have no clue what to grew in it. An upside down fish aquarium makes a good green house to grow 5 lbs. of winter potatoes.

 

[Meadowlark]

I really like that upside down aquarium, @gary350. Well done.

 

[Leif]

I put up an aluminium greenhouse last June. I poured a concrete perimeter foundation, built a dwarf wall on the foundation, then erected the greenhouse. As the greenhouse base had a lip, I had to erect the wall very precisely and got to within about 2 mm of the desired outline.

This year:

Last summer:

Last year I grew tomatoes, chillis and a courgette plant, this year I’ve sown some carrots, beetroot, spring onions and pak choi in a small area for an early harvest, some as a catch crop, the rest is for tomatoes and chillis.

What do I value? It was fairly cheap, £500 for a 10 foot by 6 foot GH with toughened glass. I consider toughened glass essential in case I fall over. I should have made the wall a bit taller, it’s okay, I’m 5 foot 8 tall, but a six foot person would struggle. It survived strong winds, so strength is important. We rarely get hurricanes and even then they are weak ones. Automatic vents are a must have. I bought some shelf supports and made a shelf from a plastic trough bolted to the shelf brackets. The shelf is useful for young plants. As said, I put mine up on my own, and good instructions are essential. The supplied ones were mostly good, but the door construction was explained poorly. Having them online is good, as printing is not always well done. Instructions on opening to box are important. I struggled to open the crate until I found an online video. I also found a video explaining how to put the rubber seals on the frame: put them in warm soapy water first! So online videos are a must have too. A range of sizes is good, we don’t all have huge gardens or deep pockets. I bought the biggest I could justify.

I’ve seen posh greenhouses by Robinsons, wow, they are glorious. Very solid frames, double sliding doors, lots of accessories, and huge.

I have found that the inside of my greenhouse is an oasis of calm. The sounds of a neighbour cutting his lawn, the local steam train passing by, and distant traffic are blocked or reduced. The wind is absent, on a cold winter day it can get quite warm. I’m sure many people like to keep a chair in the greenhouse and relax, read a book, drink a tea or coffee, enjoying sun even in winter. Sadly mine is a bit too small for that, most space is soil, with a narrow central path.

 

[GFTL]

I live in Michigan and have a home built greenhouse with a 2x4 built frame. Started out as an 8'x 10' but with 2 additions it's now 8'x 32'. I have a wood burner and 2 propane heaters in it just to keep it from freezing inside. Given your location I'm thinking you have similar weather as me. Greenhouse growing in the winter (January-Feb.) isn't practical for me due to temperatures but more because we don't get much winter sun and you need sun to supplement heat in your greenhouse. As for supplemental heat wood may be free but it's very labor intensive. Propane is now my preferred way to heat the GH but just for cool weather plants. Otherwise it can get expensive.
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