Are some greenhouses better for your plants? The answer is yes. One of the big factors to consider when you purchase a greenhouse is LIGHT. Greenhouses come with different types of greenhouse covering. From clear glass panels to milky Solexx covering, there are a wide range of choices.

Glass has it’s benefits if you are growing plants that need direct light. Otherwise, you will have to manage your greenhouse to find areas that get shadows for your shade loving plants and areas that get hot and bright for plants that can tolerate those conditions. To help reduce the direct light, there are special paints available to apply on the glass to help reduce the direct light or you can use greenhouse shade cloths to help filter and block the light.

On the other end of the spectrum are Solexx greenhouse panels. The milky white panels highly diffuse the light and spread it throughout the greenhouse. Light reaches all areas - even under the leaves of the plants. With no shadows or hot spots the greenhouse environment is suitable for a combination of sun loving and shade loving plants in any area of the greenhouse. The more diffuse the light, the more of your greenhouse is usable.

To really get a good understanding about light and how it relates to plant growth in a greenhouse, read our full article about greenhouse light. It is packed with carefully researched information to help you make an informed choice when you are considering which greenhouse will be the best choice for you.

There are some greenhouse accessories that you can live without.  Some of these items could even be considered luxuries and are used mostly to enhance the greenhouse.  Shelving and greenhouse benches are greenhouse accessories that are necessary for gardeners to make the best use of their greenhouse space.

Shelving is generally something that you attach to the interior of your greenhouse walls or they lay on top of built in framing.  These are not the same things as greenhouse benches, which are free standing and can be moved throughout the greenhouse.

Benches and shelving do have some things in common.  Both can help you organize the greenhouse.  Making good decisions concerning the use of these greenhouse accessories will allow you to function efficiently while you are gardening.  Shelving and benches are used in combination to give the gardener choices as far as working, storing things and providing areas for the flowers and plants.

You can use benches and shelving for growing plants, flowers and vegetables and use the undersides of the benches for storing your pots and tools.  You could also use this area for additional room for your plants.

Some greenhouses come with the benches included and others have shelving and benches available as options. Before you purchase benches and shelving for your greenhouse you will want to take some measurements and do some careful planning.  Whether you have a very small greenhouse or one that has lots of room you will want to take some time to figure out the best use of the space and coordinate the placement of the shelves and benches. 

Be aware that when you use shelving and want to have plants on the lowers shelves you will have to take shadows into consideration when you have a greenhouse with clear covering.  Shadows caused by upper shelving can delay plant growth because the plants will not receive as much light when they are on the lower shelves. If you have a greenhouse with translucent covering that provides diffused light, then you won’t have to worry about shadows, so you will have much more room to spread out your plants.

Look for shelving and benches that are well made and are built to last.  Find shelving and benches that are easily cleaned and have holes for drainage and air circulation. Without drainage, your plants will sit in pools of water which can be a breeding ground for disease.

Shelves and benches are greenhouse accessories that help the greenhouse gardener use space to the fullest.

Did you know that more greenhouse plants die from overheating then from the cold? Greenhouse ventilation is essential for successful greenhouse gardening. That’s why an exhaust fan is one of the most important cool the greenhouse.

It is important to maintain the air movement in your greenhouse to keep your plants healthy. If the air under the leaves of the plants becomes stagnant, the plants will not have the CO2 needed to photosynthesize. An exhaust fan will help to keep the air moving throughout the day and bring fresh usable air to the plants. 

Any time of year, even on a cold winter day, the greenhouse temperatures can get over 100 degrees with the warmth of the sun. A thermostatically controlled exhaust fan will turn on automatically when the greenhouse begins to overheat to draw fresh air into the greenhouse to help cool it down. Once the greenhouse air has reached your desired temperature the exhaust fan shutters will close. Other important greenhouse supplies for ventilation are circulation fans and base vents. Circulation fans should be on at all times in the greenhouse. So even when it is too cold for the exhaust fans to be operating or for the door to be open, the circulation fans are distributing fresh air to the plants. Base vents and greenhouse shutters help to assure that fresh air is flowing into the greenhouse. Make sure to place base vents and shutters low to the ground for the best cross ventilation. 

Keep the air flowing at a steady and constant rate with greenhouse ventilation. You will be rewarded with beautiful and healthy plants!

Plants, flowers and vegetables need a certain amount of daily light to grow.  Greenhouse gardeners who want to garden all year will usually need the help of a grow light in the winter when the days are shorter and in areas that have a lot of dark cloud cover.  Grow lights are greenhouse supplies that are very helpful in these types of situations.

When you are involved in greenhouse gardening as a hobby or a business venture there will likely be instances when you want to start plants from seeds.  If this is the case, grow lights are extremely important greenhouse supplies for getting your seeds off to a healthy start.

The time of year will be the key to the need for grow lights.  If you are starting plants from seeds during the winter, grow lights will be just the greenhouse supplies you need.  During the winter you will not have as much natural sunlight in the greenhouse and the plants will become dependent on the grow lights as a way to get the light they need each day.

Grow lights with T5 lights provide up to ten times more lumens than regular incandescent light bulbs.  Lights designed as grow lights are made specailly to get the right spectrum of light to your plants. There are different strengths of grow lights that you can buy.

Grow lights are used in commercial greenhouses as well as in the greenhouses of those who garden as a hobby.  Since plants need light to make their own food there are many times when using grow lights will speed along the photosynthesis process.

When you want to figure out which type of grow lights will work best for you, consider these things:  determine how big of an area you need coverage for and how much light intensity your plants need.  One other thing to think about is the spectrum of light you want to use.  There are different types of light available that benefit the plants in their various stages of growth.

Grow lights are greenhouse supplies that help plants and flowers thrive in the greenhouse.

If you use your greenhouse mainly for growing plants and vegetables you may want to add a little color to your surroundings.  Whether you spend hours every day in your greenhouse or just a few hours a week, hanging baskets are a wonderful greenhouse accessory to help brighten up your greenhouse environment.

Hanging baskets serve as a way to admire and appreciate the beauty of flowers and celebrate your gardening efforts. Once your seedlings have outgrown their 4″ pots, you can bring them together to make a colorful arrangements from floor to ceiling.

How do you go about getting started with hanging baskets?  First you will have to decide where your hanging basket will be displayed and what you will plant. One thing to keep in mind when you are making your hanging basket planting choices is that each basket should all have the same needs when it comes to sun, water, nutrient and shade.  Taking the time and effort required to do this will give you the best hanging baskets that will be filled with gorgeous groupings of plants and flowers.

If you are hanging the basket in the greenhouse, you will have many more options of flowers to plant together. Since many modern greenhouses diffuse the light, both sun loving and shade loving plants will thrive. If planting outdoors, take into consideration how much light the location gets throughout the day and what plants do best in those conditions.

Careful planning will also allow you to streamline the time you will need to spend caring for the hanging baskets.  Each basket will need the same nutrients at the same time and the same applies to a watering schedule. You might want to rotate the baskets from time to time so that they get the best exposure to sun and heat. A hanging basket rotator works well to rotate your hanging basket automatically throughout the day.

Some of the flowers that work well in hanging baskets are Geraniums, Impatiens, Brown-eyed Susan, Vinca, Ivy vines, Bacopa, and Verbena.  Other good choices are Petunias, Browallia, Viscaria, and Fuchsia.  

Hanging baskets are greenhouse accessories that enhance the structure and make the greenhouse an even more pleasant place to be.

What would you learn if you could hear the thoughts of the greenhouse and it’s inhabitants?

Greenhouses are the home to many plants, flowers, greenhouse accessories and greenhouse supplies.  What might all these inhabitants be thinking?

The greenhouse itself is brisling with pride over all the healthy and abundant plants and flowers growing inside. This is the busiest time of year for the greenhouse with all the new plant starts getting moved into bigger and bigger pots. The greenhouse is excited for the new addition that is ready to be built this summer to help ease the crowding. There will be another eight feet to spread out the flowers next year!

Flowers and vegetables in the greenhouse are basking in the perfectly warm humid air of the greenhouse. They are grateful for the glowing light from the Solexx greenhouse panels. Because the greenhouse is insulated, they stay warm and cozy even in the winter with their small greenhouse heater. They stand up straight and proud and blush just a bit when complimented.

The tools in the greenhouse are very tired and a bit worn, but they work harder than many of the inhabitants.  They are proud to have such an important job to help keep everything looking beautiful. The tools look forward to a nice cleaning and sharpening; it gives them the energy they need to keep working hard year after year.

The greenhouse exhaust fan is the muscle of the greenhouse and a “plant pleaser”. He works day and night to keep everyone happy. He takes great pride in keeping the greenhouse at just the right temperature. All the inhabitants appreciate his hard work and know how important he is to keeping them healthy. He doesn’t get to sleep for long, and as soon as it gets too stuffy, he is busy blowing the stale air out of the greenhouse and sucking in fresh air from the base vents.

This is the greenhouse insider update.

Once you have your greenhouse in place you will need to start thinking about greenhouse heating, correct?  Actually the best time to consider your greenhouse heating needs is before you even buy your greenhouse.

You will have to know where your greenhouse will be built. One thing the greenhouse heating requirements will be based on is the location of the greenhouse.  A lean-to greenhouse built next to a home or another inculated wall will need less greenhouse heat then a stand alone greenhouse. A greenhouse that is shaded by many tall trees will have other heating issues as will a greenhouse that has no shade at all.

Another thing to consider is whether your greenhouse will be used all year long.  Greenhouse heating requirements will be much less if you are not planning to use the greenhouse during the winter.

Where do you reside?  If you live in a warmer climate you may not need as much in the way of greenhouse heating as someone who lives in the Midwest or the northern part of the United States.

How large will your greenhouse be?  The bigger the greenhouse the more greenhouse heating considerations you will probably have.  Greenhouses come in all sizes and if you are buying online there will be someone who can help you figure out what your heating needs will be.

What type of greenhouse covering is installed on your greenhouse? If you have a single layer covering you will lose more heat and your greenhouse heater will run more often then if you have a double-wall greenhouse covering.

One final consideration when you are thinking about heating your greenhouse; what will you be growing?  There are some cool weather crops that require very little heating and others that will require quite a bit of heat.

So, before you order your greenhouse, consider your greenhouse heating needs.

Is your greenhouse dream about to come true?  Have you made the decision to purchase a greenhouse?  Are you just sitting there imagining all the lush flowers or delicious fruits and vegetables that will soon be grown by none other than you?

Now you have to decide where you will look for greenhouse kits.  You may have a local place you can purchase greenhouse kits.  Some lumber and gardening stores may have them or you may have a contractor in the area who could build a greenhouse exactly to your specifications.  Sound good?  These options may be fine but there are advantages to buying greenhouse kits online.

For one, you can take your time and read all about the features and benefits of each greenhouse. With the internet, companies have lots of room to post testimonials, frequently asked questions, and pictures. If the company has a catalog, request a copy of their greenhouse catalog. A catalog has a different format then a web page and sometimes seeing the product presented in a different way may help you with your decision.

When you look for greenhouse kits online you will be working with a business that deals solely with greenhouse kits and accessories in many cases.  This means you will have the advantage of working with a company that knows greenhouses. Be sure to check and see that the company has a facility and has greenhouse displays on site. There are many companies that have never even touched the greenhouse, they are simply reselling them as a dealer. So do your research and read the company background. It is also a good idea to call the company and ask questions. This will give you a good idea of what their customer service is like.

You will have many choices of different sizes and types of greenhouse kits when you shop online.  Why should you limit your choice to one or two greenhouse kits? Sites that have greenhouse kits for sale will also have all kinds of accessories and supplies for the greenhouse.  It is a one-stop shopping experience. In some cases, online greenhouse companies will offer discounts when you buy accessories with your greenhouse purchase.

Greenhouse kits purchased online will be delivered right to your door.  You won’t have to worry about how you will get the greenhouse kit home.  Shipping is usually speedy if the greenhouse kit is in stock.

Shop online for greenhouse kits and enjoy all kinds of advantages.