Once you have decided to construct a greenhouse, you would look forward to picking your own produce for a good salad, or perhaps delight in creating beautiful vase arrangement with your flowers, or pluck fresh herbs for the most enticing culinary preparation you can manage. Hang on! You are getting ahead of yourself! You need to actually construct a greenhouse before you can enjoy its yield!
Here are ten things to keep in mind as you go about the task:
o Identify the plot of land you would be building upon. Clear away rocks, clods and lumps. Mark the boundaries.
o Level the ground and lay a suitable foundation of wood, concrete slab, or concrete block. Also work on the flooring. Plan drainage and insert insulating material external to the outer perimeter of the foundation if you have cold winters.
o Choose framing material for suitability, affordability, strength and durability. Take your pick between galvanized steel, aluminium, PVC or timber.
o Choose glazing suited to the greenhouse framework. Look for durable, scratch-proof material with high impact value and good light transmission capability. Glass is the classic choice, but poly films, polyethylene, polycarbonate and acrylic are easy to work with.
o During hot summers, evaporative cooling including fogging and misting, screening, shading and ventilation are all options for cooling the greenhouse.
o For cold winters use thermal systems to maintain conducive temperature. Kerosene, gas and paraffin heaters can be used, but electric heaters are the least-fuss option. Electric heaters should be chosen according to requirement by calculating the area of the greenhouse to be heated and installing an adequate heating system.
o Set up ventilation systems to exchange stale air with fresh air, keep the greenhouse temperature down, control humidity and keep carbon dioxide levels under control.
o Horticultural Lighting systems such as the HIDs (High Intensity Discharge Systems) comprising either MH (Metal Halide) lights or the HPS (High Pressure Sodium) lights can be chosen if needed. Cooler Fluorescent lights can also be used, especially in starting cuttings and seedlings.
o Irrigation systems like capillary mats, hoses, watering cans, or automated systems such as drip can be chosen according to requirement.
o Furnish your greenhouse with plastic, timber or metal benches, shelves, work platforms, tools, pots and containers, and plant supports. Put in a small table and a couple of chairs if you have the space and plan to spend some quiet time inside. Now, put in your plants using the appropriate potting mix or soil mix.
Now you know the ten things to work on when you construct a greenhouse. Set it all in motion... go back and pick up your day-dreaming where you left off...!
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