There are many different types of portable greenhouses available to today’s gardener. Portable greenhouses are ideal for container gardening and growing sensitive plants year round in milder climates. You can easily move these greenhouses to sunny areas of the yard throughout the colder months to give the plants inside the greenhouse maximum exposure to winter sunlight.

Different Sizes of Portable Greenhouses

Portable greenhouses come in many different sizes. Some are small enough to sit on an end table while others are big enough to stand in. Most portable greenhouses can be set up directly over a patch of garden to protect plants and extend the growing season.

The Cost of Portable Greenhouses

Portable greenhouse designs are available with price tags to fit nearly every budget. Some small portable greenhouses can be obtained starting around $100. Other portable greenhouses can cost upwards of a thousand dollars, but overall, portable greenhouses are less expensive than permanent greenhouses.

Types of Portable Greenhouses

Portable greenhouses come in various shapes and sizes. One popular type of greenhouse opens like an accordion. These store-away greenhouses can be large enough to walk into or just a small cold frame cover. Complete setup takes under two minutes. Pop up portable greenhouses are simply opened and placed over delicate plants while they are still in the earth. Some portable greenhouses consist of a shelving unit covered in a protective plastic. The front panel unzips and rolls up to gain access to the plants housed inside.
Other types of portable greenhouses consist of a metal or plastic frame that can be stored when not in use. These are generally small solid cold frames that can be set over a garden bed or used to store container plants for the winter.

Some portable greenhouses use lightweight plastic or vinyl panels that slide into place along a collapsible frame for quick set up. The very smallest portable greenhouses can be constructed of glass, vinyl, or plastic and often include a carrying handle for easy transportation. Some small portable greenhouses have a solid base with a clear dome that fastens over the base with hinges or latches. These small portable greenhouses are ideal for transporting seedlings or small plants to a garden show or garden club meeting.

Portable greenhouses come in many different sizes and shapes. A portable greenhouse is available to fit every garden space and every budget. Portable greenhouses are a great addition to the gardener’s potting shed.

Setting up a mini greenhouse for early season starts is an exciting process for the avid gardener. Mini greenhouses prolong the growing season by letting you start seeds earlier and allowing you to bring vegetation indoors after the weather grows too cool outside. Mini greenhouses come in many different varieties.

The Attached Greenhouse

The attached mini greenhouse is very popular greenhouses. Not only are they easy to set up, they are conveniently located right next to your home. Many mini greenhouse kits are available that allow for easy attachment to an existing structure, such as your home or garage. Some homeowners choose to convert an unused carport or breezeway into a haven for their plants. Others purchase a greenhouse kit made for attaching to a building. Some lean-to greenhouses are even fully enclosed so you can just lean them up against your home without having to drill holes into your house’s siding. The ambitious gardener may even decide to build an attached mini greenhouse from scratch.

Attached mini greenhouses are often more convenient because sources for ventilation, heating, cooling, and water are readily accessible from the existing structure. Many attached greenhouses are transformed into functional rooms with the addition of brick flooring, wooden benches, and wrought iron furniture. These combination solarium/greenhouse rooms are very popular retreats for rest and relaxation or even as a breakfast room. 

The Basement Mini Greenhouse

Numerous gardeners choose to convert a portion of their home’s basement into a mini greenhouse. Many compact greenhouse kits turn a shelving system into a miniature greenhouse, perfect for small spaces. Each shelf includes a grow light and the entire unit is covered in a protective wrap. These types of indoor greenhouses require manual watering and a heated room for plants to thrive.

Some indoor greenhouse kit systems, such as a hydroponic system, come complete with automatic watering and timer controlled lighting.

The Window Mini Greenhouse

The windows of your home can be converted into miniature indoor greenhouses as well. The basic seedling tray with a humidity dome (clear plastic cover) grows seeds quite well when cared for tenderly in a well-lit area of your home. Some people set up an indoor greenhouse in their home’s bay window. These all-glass enclosures provide warmth and light to your seedlings. You may need to add supplemental grow lights if you are not getting enough sun and also keep a fan nearby to provide constant gentle air circulation. If the sun is too intense, you may need to move the plants out of the direct light to keep the plants from burning and drying out too quickly.

Mini greenhouses, whether the conventional outdoor greenhouse or a mini greenhouse area designated in your home, allow a gardener to bring beloved plants and seedlings indoors for extended growing seasons and added convenience.  Mini greenhouses add beauty and value to a home, and basement and window indoor greenhouse systems are relatively easy to set up and maintain. Mini greenhouses are the perfect addition to any garden lover’s home.

We tend to think of greenhouse kits as DIY systems for creating whole new greenhouses, but the modular nature of many modern greenhouses means that it’s increasingly easy to buy single-part kits for replacing damaged bits of your greenhouse. Where once you might have incurred the expense of a visit to the local glazier to replace a broken panel, now you can buy one ready-made, cut to the right size and easy to slot into place.

Greenhouse kits for replacing damaged parts are available to suit all the most popular greenhouse brands. They can save you not only a lot of trouble and expense, but also valuable time. Breakages in the greenhouse mean that you have to seal the affected area with whatever you have to hand. This may mean using wood, which isn’t always a good insulator; and even if you use high-grade plastic, the chances are that you won’t get a proper seal. This will make it difficult to control the temperature inside the greenhouse and so will place your plants at risk.

The well-organized greenhouse gardener won’t simply be ready to buy spare parts when they’re required, but will keep a few basic panels in the garden shed - or even in the greenhouse itself - in case of emergency. This makes it possible to deal with the most commonly needed urgent repairs as soon as you’re aware of them. Of course, it’s not practical to keep more complex parts, like doors, at home, but you can also purchase these as discrete items when needed. This is, naturally, much more cost effective than having to replace the whole greenhouse, and it’s much better for your plants, as it keeps the greenhouse environment as stable as possible.

Next time you need to make repairs to your greenhouse, don’t make do with home-made solutions or spend lots of money on expensive repairs - simply contact your greenhouse supplier to find the parts you need.

If you want to get maximum performance out of your greenhouse, it’s vital to ensure that your greenhouse panels are cleaned. Here are six top tips for keeping it shining and bright.

1. Choose the right cleaning products for your panels. What works on glass may not be the best choice for a plastic greenhouse covering. Some types of plastic panels can actually be dissolved by traditional cleaning fluids. Check with the manufacturer for product-specific advice.

2. Choose the right cleaning products for your plants. Some cleaning fluids leave a residue which can be toxic to delicate plants. Others leave behind chemicals which can be absorbed by plants you plan to eat. Products designed for kitchen use are the best bet if you can’t access specialty products.

3. Use the right scrubbing tool. A scouring pad can help to remove difficult dirt from glass, but should never be used on plastic, where it can cause scratching which will itself reduce the amount of light getting through the panel.

4. Clean frequently. Some of the organic dirt which can build up on greenhouse panels is very hard to remove once it’s become established, but a quick wipe once or twice a week will keep it under control. Basic cleaning should be an everyday part of your schedule when you’re caring for greenhouses properly.

5. Use an anti-algae agent. If you notice greenish misting on your panels, the chances are that you have an algae problem. Once established, algae can spread to the leaves of some plants, suffocating them. There are specialty products which can treat this far more effectively than ordinary cleaners can.

6. Don’t forget the floor! Dirt which builds up on the floor of your greenhouse can later spread to the panels, so it’s a good idea to wash down that concrete or rake through that gravel on a regular basis. This is particularly important in preventing the spread of mold.

With these tips in mind, caring for greenhouses doesn’t have to be hard work. It’s simply a matter of using the right tools for the job and doing that job in an efficient way. Proper cleaning will help to ensure healthy plants and many years of greenhouse-keeping pleasure.
 

Are you just starting to get your garden greenhouse ready for activity? Many of you have been growing through the winter and already have seeds sprouting. With the cold weather throughout much of the country though, you might just be starting to get back into the gardening spirit and wondering if it’s too late to start those seeds.

There is work to be done and no time to waste.  If you haven’t already, now is the time to get the garden greenhouse in order and start the season off right.

The greenhouse may need a little sprucing up.  This is one of those times when you need to make sure the greenhouse has a thorough cleaning.  You should also check everything in the greenhouse to make sure it is in working order.  You may have unexpected maintenance but if you go over the entire greenhouse now, those unexpected repairs will  be less likely.  This gives you more quality time in the greenhouse in the long run.  Having a working watering system and efficient greenhouse ventilation will provide you with a better chance of success in the garden greenhouse. 

When you start the season with a clean greenhouse you will be able to provide a healthy environment for all your plants and flowers.  You can avoid problems with pests and lessen the likelihood of disease.  Be sure to clean all the tools as well as shelves, flooring, pots, gardening benches and potting surfaces.

You may need to order a few new supplies for the greenhouse.  After you choose your greenhouse crops, you will be ready to buy the seeds and plants for the season.  You will have to calculate when to get the seeds started if you are planning to grow some plants or flowers to transplant outside when the weather warms up.  Timing is essential! Look on the back of the seed packet to see how quickly the seeds will germinate and check the expected last frost date for your area. If you get too much started too soon, you may run out of room to house your seedling transplants.

If you prefer to grow only plants or flowers that will remain in the greenhouse, think about staggering planting times.  This will give you the opportunity to have fresh vegetables available at all times and flowers blooming throughout the late spring and through the summer, too.

Prepare the greenhouse and your greenhouse plants and flowers and you will be ready to “spring” into the growing season with ease.

If you want to cut down on gardening costs, create a beautifully landscaped yard and enjoy the fun of building something for yourself, greenhouse kits are a great way to go. But how do you decide which is the right greenhouse kit for you? While simple greenhouses can be built by almost anyone, other designs are more complex. If you want a more advanced greenhouse model to allow you to garden all year, but you don’t want to be stuck with something which you find impossible to put together, what should you be looking out for?

The good news is that all greenhouse kits on the market today are easier to assemble than they used to be. As they’ve become more popular, manufacturers have aimed to make them simpler for the average garden enthusiast, rather than targeting them at DIY experts. Still, some are easier to work with than others. If you’re unsure of your skills, it’s best to stay away from designs which feature lots of small panels, as these can be trickier to put together.

Many of the most basic greenhouse kits can be assembled by just one person, but if the one you want features long supports or utilizes bulky panels (rather than wrap-over plastic sheeting), you’ll be better off having somebody else to help you hold the pieces in place as you work. Larger structures may need a team of more than two, so take this into account when you buy.

Some kits require you to screw beams together, which can be hard work for people with arthritis and similar conditions. It’s a difficult task because it has to be done all in one go - a half-assembled greenhouse can easily be damaged by the wind. If you have problems of this sort, look out for kits with simple snap-together beams which can be pushed into place with minimal effort.

If you’re somebody for whom part of the appeal of self-assembly is rising to a challenge, there are a number of easy to use greenhouse coverings available. You just put together the frame using lumber, PVC, or whatever is handy for you and then lay over the greenhouse covering. 

No matter what you’re looking for, there’s a greenhouse kit out there that’s right for you, but taking the time to make a careful decision will always pay off in the long term.

If you’ve been looking at greenhouses for your garden and you’re despairing of how expensive they seem, you’ve been looking in the wrong place. Although you may think that having a greenhouse will be a huge expense, you will be pleasantly surprised at how affordable greenhouse kits have become in recent years. To get the most out of your investment, choose a pre-fabricated greenhouse kit to save you the expense of hiring a contractor to erect your greenhouse.

Small square greenhouses can be the most practical greenhouse types if you have a small suburban garden, and they can look good enough next to small suburban houses, but what if you have a country house and you’re aiming for a more natural, old fashioned look? You’ll be pleased to hear that there are various sorts of greenhouses for your garden which do incorporate these ideas. Quonset greenhouses, for instance, can look particularly charming in your yard. Gothic greenhouses, on the other hand, have tall, arched roofs and look very elegant in the vicinity of tall trees; what’s more, because of their shape you won’t have to worry about fallen leaves building up on their roofs.

Some of the most attractive greenhouse types for the country garden have timber frames, so that they blend in beautifully with your old timber-framed outbuildings. You can stain the frames to complement the colors of the trees in your garden. Timber frames can easily be accessorised with mesh or nails so that you can train climbing plants across them, giving them a wonderful organic look.

With so many different greenhouses for your garden now available, it’s always possible to find something which suits your garden. The right greenhouse can make your country garden complete.

When you buy greenhouses for your garden, you probably plan to put them wherever you have space, or wherever you think they’ll look most attractive. Stop. Positioning a greenhouse is more complicated than that. If you want to get the best out of it all year round, and if you want to reduce the risk of it being damaged by the elements, there are several other things you need to consider.

Protecting your greenhouse from strong wind is an important consideration, as this is a leading cause of broken panels - and, of course, one broken panel can cause the temperature in your greenhouse to plummet, killing all your plants. If your garden gets strong winds which usually come from the same direction, you may want to consider lean-to greenhouse types, with the solid wall of your house or one of your outbuildings on the windward side of offer protection. If any greenhouses for your garden are inevitably going to be more exposed, consider greenhouse types such as quonset greenhouse. The curved sides of this structure mean that wind has nowhere to latch on to - there’s no point at which pressure can build up to a destructive level.

It’s probably obvious that greenhouses for your garden should be positioned where they can get the most possible light, but what many people overlook is that this position changes during the course of the year. Often a greenhouse which gets plenty of light in summer can be in trouble in winter when the sun doesn’t rise as far above the horizon, meaning that a building which was not previously a problem puts the greenhouse in shade for much of the day. It’s important to calculate the angle of the winter sun and position your greenhouse with this in mind. Bear in mind that some greenhouse types, such as timber framed greenhouses, let less light in to begin with and so require still more careful positioning.

If you keep these factors in mind, you should have a much more successful gardening experience, no matter which greenhouse types you opt to use.

Most people use their greenhouses for keeping tomatoes, herbs and flowering plants, but some gardeners are tempted to try something a little more exotic. Banana trees and coconut palms can grow extremely well in a greenhouse environment, giving you access to fresh tropical fruit even if you live in a northern climate - but they grow fast, and need a lot of space. Of you want to keep exotic plants like these, it’s important to choose greenhouse designs which can accommodate them.

Starting off with small specimens, many people don’t realise just how big plants like this can get. Pruning them doesn’t really work - they’ll still keep growing upwards, often smashing through the roofs of inadequately sized greenhouses - at which point, of course, they get too cold and simply die. What’s more, they need to be tall in order to produce their optimum yield. This doesn’t mean that they’re impossible to keep in greenhouses, but conventional box greenhouses are clearly unsuitable.

Before you buy, ask your garden supplier how big the plants you’ve chosen are likely to become, and choose your greenhouse accordingly, allowing an extra foot of height in case your specimen does unusually well. Greenhouse designs like the gothic greenhouse are well suited to keeping taller plants, as they provide extra space without becoming unstable - a tall greenhouse needs to have a reasonable floor area as well, or it may suffer in strong winds.

A tall, leafy plant, properly cared for, can look amazing in your greenhouse, giving it real character. Be careful to choose and position your other plants so that they don’t suffer from being overshadowed by it. Some plants, when encountering such shadows, will grow taller themselves in an attempt to reach the light, though this may lead to them becoming unstable so you should be ready to support them with canes. Greenhouse gardening like this enables you to do something really different, and can give you years of pleasure.

Having a greenhouse is all about concentrating sunlight to benefit your plants, isn’t it? That’s right; but sometimes it’s still possible to take it too far. Sometimes the sun is too bright, and the weather too hot, for too long, and greenhouse plants begin to suffer. Caring for greenhouses in the sun is as vital as protecting them in winter. Even if you live somewhere where really hot weather seems unlikely, it’s important to be prepared so that you can protect your plants from extreme exposure when emergencies arise.

Employing vents and cooling systems can be effective ways of reducing the air temperature in your greenhouse, but they can’t negate the effects of the sun’s direct rays. If you have a Solexx greenhouse covering, the light will be diffused and you will not have to worry about burning. However, with glass or polycarbonate greenhouse covering, the sun is magnified in intensity, and the sun can scorch and badly damage plants on summer days. The only way to protect against them is with screening. This can be employed either inside the greenhouse - for instance, by using pieces of cardboard to shield your most vulnerable plants - or outside, by covering greenhouse panels.

Some modern greenhouses come with clip-on covers provided so that you can easily attach shading to panels directly in the sun’s rays. If you don’t have these, an effective alternative is to drape the south facing side of your greenhouse with a shade cloth. The best type of shade cloth is reflective to keep your greenhouse from getting overheated.

Caring for greenhouses in sunny weather can require quick thinking, but it’s always worth being prepared so that you can act more speedily. If plants do become scorched before you can intervene, gently misting their leaves can help them to recover. Be ready to cut off any leaves which seem too badly damaged for recovery, as they may become vulnerable to infections. Make sure that damaged plants are kept safe from further scorching as they regrow.