greenhouse info please
March 19, 2011 9:12 PM Subscribe
Please tell me everything I need to know if I want a green house...
I'm in the very beginnings of the imagining stage, and I know very little, except that I'll probably have trouble keeping it cool in the summer. I live in Zone 4-5. I would be using it mostly as a place to keep plants year round, and to have a planty place to go to in the winter. I also might want to do some seed starting. I imagine it being kinda biggish, so I can have a coule chairs and maybe a teeny water feature, but of course there is a budget to consider. We are a little handy, but a kit/directions would also be considered. I did search previous questions, and on this thread, saw the link to the one thats halfway burried, but I guess I'm looking less for serious winter vegetable productions, and more of a cool place to keep interesting plants and putter in during the winter. I'll appreciate any help or direction you can give.
I'm in the very beginnings of the imagining stage, and I know very little, except that I'll probably have trouble keeping it cool in the summer. I live in Zone 4-5. I would be using it mostly as a place to keep plants year round, and to have a planty place to go to in the winter. I also might want to do some seed starting. I imagine it being kinda biggish, so I can have a coule chairs and maybe a teeny water feature, but of course there is a budget to consider. We are a little handy, but a kit/directions would also be considered. I did search previous questions, and on this thread, saw the link to the one thats halfway burried, but I guess I'm looking less for serious winter vegetable productions, and more of a cool place to keep interesting plants and putter in during the winter. I'll appreciate any help or direction you can give.
Zone 4-5 is rather big. Can we get a state at least?
posted by ihadapony at 10:40 PM on March 19, 2011
posted by ihadapony at 10:40 PM on March 19, 2011
I've got one of these greenhouses. I'd be really surprised if it stayed upright somewhere windy. It works fine for starting seedlings and keeping plants alive in the winter, but I'm in San Francisco so my idea of winter is sort of ridiculous. It's a nice place to be for small periods of time, I think you'd want a lot more space if you were going to be inside your greenhouse for any significant amount of time.
posted by foodgeek at 12:01 AM on March 20, 2011
posted by foodgeek at 12:01 AM on March 20, 2011
It kinda sounds like you are more interested in a conservatory (attached to your house) or an orangery, or a solarium. Using those words as search terms may help. I like Lee Valley for their garden greenhouse supplies. I am not sure where you are but in my part of the world zones 4-5 are pretty cold in winter which may affect the reality of actually traipsing across the garden to a greenhouse, that is why attached solariums or sunrooms are so popular in my neighbourhood.
posted by saucysault at 12:24 AM on March 20, 2011
posted by saucysault at 12:24 AM on March 20, 2011
Response by poster: Mountainy Arizona. 65000 ft. elevation. Snows in winter, but usually melts within a few days. usually sunny. monsoon rains in July. Can be cold in winter and hot in summer.
posted by hollyanderbody at 8:15 AM on March 20, 2011
posted by hollyanderbody at 8:15 AM on March 20, 2011
Especially if the wind is an issue, you might also want to look at something like cold frames, which are not a hell of a lot bigger than the plants inside of them.
You can't fit any furniture inside, but they're also small enough that they're easy to construct, and easy to repair, which might balance out that convenience.
Check out some of the cheap/easy ones listed here:
http://tipnut.com/how-to-build-a-cold-frame-with-an-old-window/
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 9:10 AM on March 20, 2011
You can't fit any furniture inside, but they're also small enough that they're easy to construct, and easy to repair, which might balance out that convenience.
Check out some of the cheap/easy ones listed here:
http://tipnut.com/how-to-build-a-cold-frame-with-an-old-window/
posted by ivan ivanych samovar at 9:10 AM on March 20, 2011
The most important thing with a greenhouse dealing with heat is air movement. Get fans and make sure you have vents. Think about getting thermostat controlled louvers or windows because if you ever forget to open the window your plants will scorch.
posted by srboisvert at 10:34 AM on September 22, 2011
posted by srboisvert at 10:34 AM on September 22, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by hollyanderbody at 9:34 PM on March 19, 2011