What Are Greenhouse Supplies And Which Ones Will I Need?
June 12th, 2007 by 
Greenthumb
These are two good questions for any greenhouse owner or someone who is thinking about purchasing a greenhouse. Greenhouse supplies are something every greenhouse owner will need. Your greenhouse supplies help create the right conditions for your greenhouse environment to keep your plants thriving and healthy.
Let’s start with your greenhouse flooring and walkways. A concrete floor gives you a solid base for your greenhouse, but this type of flooring is also more expensive and needs drainage. For walkways it is best to find something that will give you traction and not be slippery. We have always preferred a 3/4″ gravel base throughout our greenhouses. This is easy to walk on and care for and provides great drainage. Also, consider a weed barrier to set under the greenhouse or be prepared to do some weeding!
Benches make important greenhouse supplies. Some greenhouse kits come with benches already built into the kit to help maximize your growing area. If your greenhouse does not have benches, you will want benches that are strong and well-made. Another important consideration is that the benches are porous to allow air to flow around the plants and allow water to drain. These greenhouse supplies should be easy to clean, too. If you have room to add double-tiered benches, you will have even more space to start seedlings and house your plants.
Have you thought about how you will heat your greenhouse? This is a consideration that can make the difference between a successful greenhouse experience and one that is not successful. Since greenhouses have minimal insulation, there can be quite a bit of heat loss on nights that are cold. You will want to investigate greenhouse heaters carefully - they are one of the most important greenhouse supplies.
Ventilation systems are another important greenhouse supplies that needs to be considered. When you have a good ventilation system, you will be able to remove hot air and lower the relative humidity in your greenhouse. Ventilation is important even in the winter to help minimize condensation. A good exhaust fan and a few circulation fans should help keep your greenhouse healthy.
All of these greenhouse supplies will help ensure that your greenhouse experience will be a good one.
Posted in Greenhouse Supplies |
June 14th, 2007 at 12:18 pm
I have an old Lord and Burnham greenhouse that needs the glass windows cleaned on the inside. There is a hard film on the glass that can be scraped off with a finger nail or razor blade. I was able to reduce the thickness of the film with a power washer, but it is not completely off. Can you suggest a way to get this stuff off? Ideally, I’d like to consider a product that can be diluted and sprayed on. The product would then cut the film so I can wash it off with the pressure washer. Any suggestions? Thanks.
June 14th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
I have not had to deal with the situation before. I don’t know of a liquid solution that would work. You might try a local hardware store and ask them what window cleaning product would help to remove that type of grime. Once it is removed, the glass will look pretty again, but the film was applied on the glass for a reason. Glass greenhouses get very hot. The glass creates direct light in the greenhouse making the inside feel much like the inside of a car on a hot sunny day. The film was put there to help reduce the light transmission and perhaps to diffuse the light and keep the greenhouse from getting overheated and the plants from burning. That is one of the pitfalls of a glass greenhouse. They look beautiful when the glass is clean, but they don’t really provide the best environment for your plants. There are white washes available that can be easily cleaned off in the winter. You can also try shade cloth and lots of venting to help keep your greenhouse cool. Good luck!