5 IMPORTANT things to consider when buying a Greenhouse 🌳
Unlike conventional open-field farming, a greenhouse allows people to grow a wide variety of food and flowers without the adverse effects of weather-related fluctuations. Plants in a greenhouse are shielded from extreme weather elements and have significantly fewer struggles than plants under conventional farming. As more people worldwide embrace greenhouse farming, numerous companies have developed greenhouses of different sizes, materials, and designs.
Today, you can find a greenhouse small enough to fit in your house or one that perfectly complements your outdoor garden. Amidst all these options, how do you choose the perfect greenhouse for your gardening project? This guide will look at the most important factors to consider and, later, the best greenhouses you can purchase today.
Page Contents
- 1 Best Greenhouses
- 2 What to Look for When Buying a greenhouse
- 3 Summary
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Best Greenhouses
Ohuhu Walk-In Plant Greenhouse
Pros
- Zippered, roll-up door for easy access
- Well-designed Velcro windows
- Sufficiently big for most gardening projects
Cons
- Plastic connectors are not very strong
- Easily destructible by small winds
The Ohuhu Walk-In Plant Greenhouse is designed to provide the best growing environment for your flowers, fruits, herbs, or vegetables to grow. By shielding plants from snow, wind, and extreme sun, plants can have uninterrupted growth under controlled conditions. This greenhouse is relatively large, measuring 55.5 inches long, 56.3 inches wide, and 76.8 inches high. Additionally, it comes with 12 wire shelves ideal for the placement of pots, gardening tools, potted plants, or gardening supplies.
The roll-up greenhouse door is zippered, while the side windows feature a Velcro open and close mechanism. With these, one can easily control the airflow in and out of the greenhouse by opening or closing any or all of the windows and the door. The windows also provide an intrusion-free means of peeking into the greenhouse. All the greenhouse’s parts are fully detachable, allowing users to set it up wherever they desire easily.
The only downside with this model is that it does not seem well suited for the outdoors. The less than stellar plastic connectors make the greenhouse easily destructible by even the slightest of winds.
Mini Walk-In Indoor/Outdoor Greenhouse
Pros
- Highly portable
- Excellent anchorage with ropes
- Easy access
Cons
- Assembly instructions are not very clear
- Shelves are not very strong
The Mini Walk-In Indoor/Outdoor Greenhouse is made from a highly durable powder-coated metallic frame. The greenhouse features layers of bearing nets for placing seed trays, growing pots, and other items. For the glazing, this unit comes equipped with a PE cover to protect plants from the effects of extreme sun, wind, or frost. The PE cover also provides sufficient UV protection and waterproofing. This helps the user extend the growing season by easily maintaining good growing conditions.
If you are looking for a highly portable garden unit, look no further than the Mini Walk-In Indoor/Outdoor Greenhouse. Measuring 57-57-77 inches in length, width, and height, respectively, this unit is among the most compact ones available today. You can easily move the entire unit between indoor and outdoor spaces. The greenhouse also comes with anchors and ropes to securely anchor it on the ground. This anchorage provides added protection against wind, snow, and rain. The zippered, roll-up door and walk-in design allow easy access to users for watering, harvesting, and other plant care activities.
One minor qualm with the Mini Walk-In Indoor/Outdoor Greenhouse involves its shelves. They do not seem to withstand the weight of huge, heavy plant pots and are better suited to small or medium sizes.
Eagle Peak Portable Walk-In Greenhouse
Pros
- Extremely easy to set up
- Light, portable, and compact
- Manufacturer offers a generous warranty
Cons
- Quite pricey
- Illegible pH chart
The Eagle Peak Portable Walk-In Greenhouse features an extremely innovative, easy-to-set-up design that allows users to put the entire greenhouse together in seconds. While most greenhouses come in different parts for the frame, this particular one is usually ready-to-use straight out of the box. If you require to move, it folds down just as easily as it goes up. If portability and ease of assembly are paramount to your gardening project, you would be hard-pressed to find a better unit than the Eagle Peak Portable Walk-In Greenhouse.
The greenhouse features a mesh-reinforced fabric as the glazing material and zippered walls for easy access. There are also height-adjustable legs to allow excellent access to people of different heights. The frame is quite sturdy too and made from steel. Besides being used on the sides, the steel is also generously used on the greenhouse’s ceiling. In terms of quality, the manufacturer provides customers with a one-year limited warranty that even covers frames and tops.
The biggest downside with this greenhouse is that the fabric filters out too much light compared with alternatives with glass or polythene glazing. This might affect plants that only thrive under sufficient light.
Amerilife Mini Walk-In Greenhouse
Pros
- extremely small size enhances portability
- Sturdy steel frame
- Glazing provides sufficient UV protection
Cons
- External fabric is not durable
- Too narrow compared to alternatives
The Amerilife Mini Walk-In Greenhouse comes with a wide array of features to help you manage your indoor or outdoor gardening project. First, the roll-up zippered door allows easy control of air circulation. The unit also comes with eight net rack buckles to keep the entire greenhouse steady. The sturdiness is further enhanced by the use of powder-coated steel in the frame’s construction. Inside, each net tier can hold about 33 pounds of plants.
The Amerilife Mini Walk-In Greenhouse uses a UV-protected PVC cover for glazing. Two ribbon ties help keep the door open when a user needs frequent access. Measuring 56-29-77 inches long, wide, and high, this greenhouse is significantly narrower than most alternatives. While this definitely makes it more portable and compact, it also results in less operating space. If you are looking for a greenhouse to accommodate only a few vegetables, herb, or flower pots, you will find this particular model appealing.
One easily noticeable downside with the Amerilife Mini Walk-In Greenhouse concerns the questionable quality of the external fabric. It is nowhere near as durable as some high-quality greenhouses.
Quictent Large Walk-In Greenhouse
Pros
- Excellent ventilation using ten outlets
- Comprehensive warranty program
- Extremely stable and sturdy steel frame
- Quite large
Cons
- Does not do well in windy conditions
- Quite pricey
The Quictent Large Walk-In Greenhouse features two doors on either side of the unit. One is made from a mesh fabric and is meant to keep out small animals and enhance ventilation, while the second is made from PE materials and designed to provide warmth. Additionally, the greenhouse has 10 exhaust vents and independent zippers on the doors.
Construction-wise, the Quictent Large Walk-In Greenhouse is made using seven rows of heavily galvanized steel bars. The entire structure is surrounded by steel crossbars making it extremely sturdy and stable. The ground frame uses U-shaped stakes to provide excellent grip and reduce shake and wind obstruction. The 10 exhaust vents all use Velcro to keep the greenhouse airtight during winter. The vents also have gauzed mesh to prevent animal entry when the vents are open.
The greenhouse’s transparent cover allows about 85% of sunlight in while filtering out harmful UV rays. The manufacturer provides a 6-month warranty for the cover, a 1-year warranty for poles, and a lifetime replacement for connectors.
What to Look for When Buying a greenhouse
The effects of climate change have led to increased demand for advanced farming systems such as those involving greenhouses. If you happen to shop for a greenhouse today, you could easily get lost in the sea of options available. Here are some of the factors you shouldn’t overlook when choosing a greenhouse for your indoor or outdoor farming project.
Sturdiness
Normally, greenhouses are constructed from a frame and glazing materials that filter the sunlight. The frame is undoubtedly a significant part of any greenhouse. On some models, the frame is made from heavy-duty plastic, while others are made from metal or metal alloys. In most cases, makes with metallic frames are significantly sturdier than those made from plastic. However, metal-framed greenhouses tend to be pricier than those whose frames are constructed from other materials.
Besides the materials, it is also important to assess the quality of joinery, buts, and bolts used in the frame. You wouldn’t want to have a nice metallic frame only to find out that it is still shaky due to poor joinery.
Easy to Assemble
Due to their significantly large sizes, most greenhouses are sold in boxes containing individual parts that the customer then has to assemble themselves. In this case, it is important to purchase a unit that will not take you all day to assemble. This ease of assembly is paramount since it will also come into play if you ever require to move the entire unit. Look out for the joinery mechanisms and parts, and determine whether you require any specialized equipment to put the greenhouse together. Ideally, a good unit should be easy to assemble using common household and gardening tools.
Size
Nowadays, indoor gardening has gained much popularity as more challenges continue to wreck conventional farming. However, indoor gardens come with significant limitations, such as the relative lack of space. Before purchasing a greenhouse, it is important to determine whether it can comfortably fit in your desired space when it’s fully assembled. If your space measures 10 feet wide, you want a slightly narrow greenhouse to give you space for installation, maintenance, and movement.
Glazing
The glazing material forms the sunlight-filtering layer of the greenhouse. The most common materials include glass, polythene, and polycarbonate plastic. As you can guess, glass is the most durable and premium of all these. However, it also tends to be the most expensive. Glazing filters out sunlight, only allowing the necessary amount to get into the greenhouse. If you have pets and children in your household, you may want to avoid glass due to how easily it breaks. Polythene is an excellent glazing option but requires to be replaced every two to five years. Polycarbonate plastic is more durable than polythene and provides better heat retention and insulation.
Materials
When choosing the combination of materials that make up a greenhouse, numerous factors come into play. For most do-it-yourself models, wooden frames and polythene glazing are common. However, wood is highly susceptible to rotting, unlike other materials such as aluminum, steel, or plastic. However, wood provides excellent anchorage, sturdiness, and space to add attachments. Aluminum and steel frames are also excellent options due to their rust resistance, durability, and in the case of aluminum, lightweight. For beginners, aluminum greenhouses are probably the best options.
Plastic greenhouses are popular for their extremely lightweight and portability compared to those made from heavier materials such as steel and wood. However, they are also the least sturdy of all greenhouses. If your gardening project requires permanent structures, consider a steel greenhouse. While definitely among the heaviest varieties, they are also extremely durable. Attributes such as rot-resistance, rust-resistance, durability, weight, and portability make it important to consider a greenhouse’s materials carefully.
Value for Money
Your gardening project could require temporary or permanent structures. Either way, the greenhouse you choose should comfortably last as long you intend to and are willing to pay for. Factors such as construction materials, size, and brand reputation will all determine a greenhouse’s price. The amount you pay for your greenhouse should more or less reflect the overall utility you will derive from using it.
Summary
Greenhouses have become integral pieces of the modern-day gardening trends. The ability to control growth conditions makes them quite attractive compared to conventional methods. Choosing the right greenhouse for your gardening projects can be quite daunting, but no more. The factors mentioned earlier in this article make up an excellent criterion for choosing the ideal greenhouse. Hopefully, the five best options outlined above also make it easier to choose one.
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