How to build a greenhouse on a budget

If gardening is your true passion and you want to extend the garden season, then you might consider constructing a greenhouse in your garden.

Naturally, there are plenty of prefabricated ones on the market, but since you happened to land on this article, you would probably agree that with a bit of time, patience and handicraft it is not rocket science to build it yourself.

And here you can find some tips on how to do it in the best possible way if you are on a tight budget.

1. Planning a greenhouse type and location that will save you money in a long-term perspective

First and foremost, you have to decide how big you want your greenhouse to be, where should you place it, and if it should be a separate building or an attached one.

Best sizing for a greenhouse

Naturally, everyone decides for themselves on the needed size of the building, depending on the size of the garden, quantity of the plants and lots of other factors.

An average size which would suit almost any garden and will satisfy almost any hobby-gardener is around 3×1,5 metres, which is around 10×5 feet. The height should be preferably around 2 metres or 6,5 feet, so you can freely enter it, not bending.

Which type of greenhouse is better value for money: freestanding or attached?

An attached one is a nice opportunity to transport the warmth of your house to your greenhouse and so enjoy the season for a longer time.

Attached ones can spoil the look of your house to some extent, though. Moreover, the increased humidity of the aligning room can lead to red rot, house mildew and mould.

Choosing the perfect location: sunlight exposure and wind protection

Where should you place your greenhouse to receive all the necessary sun and heat? The general rule is the southern or southeastern side of the building.

An orientation to the north should be (if possible) avoided, because of the low sunlight exposure. This will let you get the most of early spring light to extend the planting season and will also allow you to place frost-sensitive plants there for the winter season.

However, speaking of an attached greenhouse, there is a risk that your greenhouse would be in the shadow due to surrounding buildings. Especially in winter months when the sun is low in the sky.

When you are sure about the chosen location in terms of sun exposure, you have to make sure that it is not too windy. Wind damage to the walls can lead to compromising isolation of your greenhouse.

You can achieve the needed wind-breaking by planting around hedges or bushes. Setting up a fence could also yield some benefit in this case.

Note: setting up your greenhouse near the huge plants like trees in order to get the needed wind protection wouldn’t be the best option since its crown will absorb some of the light and moreover, the falling branches can cause…
 
 
Continue reading and learn more about greenhouses on my other blog.