Guidelines For Constructing Your Commercial Greenhouse

The productivity and efficiency of operating a greenhouse is primarily dependent on the kind of growing materials used.

Kinds of Greenhouses

Detached greenhouses generally independently stand from each other. However, they can be joined to gain access by way of a corridor to the other greenhouse.

The Quonset is the most common detached type of greenhouse for use in commercial production. These types are constructed using arched rafters that normally have end solid walls for added support. Quonset greenhouses types are appropriate for most crop varieties however the growing capacity is to a certain degree restricted close to “the side walls” which reduces productivity and efficiency.

Ridge greenhouses are joined through the eave with a shared gutter. Normally, an interior wall located underneath the gutter is absent permitting increased productivity.

Ridge greenhouses can either be curved arch or gabled. Gabled greenhouses are generally suitable for substantial coverings such as fiberglass or glass, whereas curved arch greenhouses are usually covered with much lighter materials such as polycarbonates or polyethylene. Many connected ridge greenhouses often are called "range".

Planning

This is one of the very important steps which have to be taken into careful consideration by the grower. Proper area selection with connection to labor, markets, utilities as well as future expansion really makes a lot of difference in how the business will profit and grow.

Here are basic things to consider:

• Crops that you will be growing (potted plants, Bedding plants, perennials, herbs, vegetables, etc.)

• The growing period of the crops (seasonal or year-round)

• Plants that will be grown (flats, pots, hydroponics bed, troughs, etc.)

• Growing medium (no soil, soil, mix, compost, nutrient solution, etc.)

• Growing methods (flooring, movable or fixed benches, growing bags, beds and flood)

• Annual productivity (space that is required)

• Marketing technique (retail, wholesale or both)

• Investment or capital

Here are things to be considered when constructing a commercial greenhouse:

1. Space. The area required greatly depends on your kind of business whether retail or wholesale. The minimum space must be more or less two acres so to make available parking for employees and customers, driveway access for deliveries, area for storage and also for future expansion. A wholesale venture generally will require much more because the greenhouse will be a lot more bibber and wider.

2. Zoning. These are local regulations that controls land use and encourage safety, health and the community’s welfare. Note that greenhouse operations are permitted in particular zones only.

Frontage, distances of side yards, signs and also parking spaces should be specified. You should confirm with your zoning officer and ask what is required and ask regarding building codes so you will know if a permit will be needed.

3. Highway Access. Site location with regards to highways must be taken into account. For retail business, a location beside or along a high traffic road or beside a considerable residential site can greatly increase business. Wholesale business needs access to some interstate highway so to deal with heavy truck road traffic.

4. Environment. Select a location that is away from “industrial pollution”.

5. Climate. Avoid areas with extreme temperatures, as in the winter plant growth is directly related the light that is received.

6. Slope. Ground slope to provide water drainage is very important. Greenhouses must be situated on gravel base, 6-12 inches above grade.

7. Water. Plants need sufficient moisture supply for optimal development and the highest production of flowers. As to how much water is required will greatly be determined by how big is the area that will be watered, weather conditions, crops grown, time of the year and “the environment control system”.

Note that water that comes from “natural sources” have some amount of impurities present, and are at times harmful to plant growth. You should have the water tested for chemicals that can be present in your water system, to address the problem, if there is a problem.

8. Electricity. Your commercial greenhouse should have enough supply of electricity as well as distribution system must be provided so to supply and manage environment in the greenhouse. As early as in the designing stage of the greenhouse, you should already call on your area’s electric utility regarding power availability and also call on your electrician to design the electrical layout.

9. Expansion. All throughout the development and planning stage, provisions must be considered for later expansion.

Note that before going into the business, as in any business, careful assessment should be made before a decision is made. Plan it carefully. Good Luck.

Learn the Benefits of Greenhouse Gardening

A greenhouse should provide all the important aspects in gardening. Many people take importance of the need to nurture and develop healthy plants in all sorts of climate conditions. Greenhouses are very important in providing necessary methodical ways to grow and develop plants in a more conventional and easy way. Plants can grow larger and quicker than their usual growth in normal agricultural methods of gardening.

The traditional methods seem to supply less production and allow a farmer or a gardener to spend much of his time in laborious work and consume effort in tending to the various needs of growing his crop and plants. A farmer may encounter some inconveniences in the changing climate conditions that may occur unexpectedly, leaving him with no choice but to let the crop find its own way to survive. There are certain plants and crops that only live in a specific season of the year.

Greenhouses help gardeners to grow plants regardless of the season. Greenhouses are built with well-planned internal systems that will provide the necessary aspects for plant to continue its life process. There are installed heating systems and humidifying systems that will supply the exact amount of heat needed to warm and light the plants during winter season where sunlight is limited.

Sunlight is very essential for a plant to grow and develop. It is where it allows its solar radiation to produce the photosynthetic reaction needed by the leaves and stems of the plant. This process is very essential in supplying the needed chlorophyll by the plants to grow healthier and larger.

However, too much exposure is not that good as well to some plants. Greenhouses must also be structured with proper shading and coverings to allow only the needed solar radiation. A good ventilation system is also required to have a good circulation of air that will react to the needed humidity and cooling in seasons where too much external heat affects the humidity inside the greenhouse.

Many gardeners nowadays build their greenhouses with proper greenhouse accessories that will supply them the needed functionality to have a well-balanced environment. It is necessary to set up some basic supplies that will attend to the need of producing healthier and larger plants. Some supplies instantly help a gardener to calculate the temperature such as the thermal measuring system that sets up the needed temperature to heat and cool the plants depending on the type of internal climate.

Rainwater systems are also important to have a well-distributed water flow in the greenhouse. He may collect water from the downspouts and gutters of the greenhouses, which is considered ecologically friendly instead of installing automated water system that can be installed with set timers and metered watering systems that irrigates the plants in specific intervals according to the set time to water the plants.

Some people also accessorized using modernized potting benches and tools, which are very helpful every time a gardener attends to his plants. He may have the luxury of placing his tools with the proper designated places where a gardener feels comfortable and allow him to work conveniently in sowing and cultivating the soil. Potting benches are mostly featured with trays and holders serving as storage whenever a tool is not in use.

Greenhouses are structured and are sometimes attached to the house where all the basic supplies are all provided in the systems of the house. In this way, all materials and basic needs are supplied directly into the house such as water, electricity, shadings and coverings. However, many people have more pleasure in freestanding greenhouses where they spend much of their time in enjoying and relaxing while tending to their plants.

In some cases, greenhouses are hydroponically oriented where the use of organic chemical materials is supplied on their plants. This method is vastly accepted all over the country. This method is basically conventional because a gardener may not need the use of soil in his gardening.

He may save more space and time in cultivating and potting his plants. The liquid solution is fed the roots of the plants allowing the roots to accept and distribute the needed nutrients to the fast growth of the plants. It also helps a farmer in increasing his production using this kind of method.

Portable Greenhouse – An Excellent Alternative for Gardening

The portable greenhouse is an excellent alternative for garden enthusiasts to indulge in their favorite activity given a small space and budget. A portable greenhouse is a huge space saver that can help jump-start spring planting that can be continued until the fall. Compared to traditional greenhouse structures, the portable greenhouse is easy on the pocket. Assembly can be done in under an hour plus no tools are required to put together a portable greenhouse. When finished, a portable greenhouse can easily be taken apart and stored in a closet, garage or basement.

Like most greenhouse kits, a portable greenhouse is designed to have screened doors and screened vent opening that allow for optimal air distribution within the structure. The vents can be opened in order to let outside air inside the structure in preparation for transplanting the plants within to an outdoor environment. When the vents are closed, the portable greenhouse become a water proof structure that helps encourage and sustain humidity levels at a high rate that is favorable to the growth of plants.

The construction of a portable greenhouse is virtually indestructible as most commercial products make use of UV resistant material that is treated to protect it against rips or tears. The openings are fastened together using either Velcro snaps or zipper enclosure. Portable greenhouses that incorporate a zipper design can be joined together using a unique interlocking zipper-system that can create an extended handy hothouse to accommodate more gardening.

The most common materials used for the walls of a portable greenhouse are polycarbonate or polyethylene plastic while the roof and framing would be made of aluminum. The prices of portable greenhouses start at $ 250 wherein a $ 400 structure would be about five by eight in dimension.

Extending the Planting Season with a Portable Greenhouse

Garden enthusiasts interested in extending and protecting the life of their plants during winter will surely enjoy the benefits of a portable greenhouse. Wintertime is the ideal season to bring out a portable greenhouse. Garden buffs can easily put up the portable greenhouse in just a matter of minutes to maintain the freshness and moistness of plants. It is a convenient and transferable structure that can be set up. The structure is light enough to be carried from one location to another by at least two people without damaging it.

A portable greenhouse can also be used during other seasons like summertime to help maintain a steady growing environment for plants. In the fall, a portable greenhouse can be used to intensify sunlight exposure since it is around this time of year when the days become shorter.

A Portable Greenhouse vs. A Permanent Greenhouse

More and more garden enthusiasts are using portable greenhouses to suit their gardening needs. Mainly because portable greenhouses are less expensive compared to permanent structures. At the same time, not everyone has a spacious backyard that can accommodate a full-scale greenhouse.

Although the term permanent may bring to mind a sturdier construction compared to a portable greenhouse, many of the portable greenhouse structures sold in the market today are made of heavy-duty materials that can hold out in any season, rain or shine. In addition, the available sizes for a portable greenhouse are as small as 6 feet by 10 feet and can extend to a considerable size of 50 feet by 100 feet.

Types of Portable Greenhouse

Portable greenhouses are available in various styles to accommodate the particular demands of every garden enthusiast. A lean-to style portable greenhouse can be attached to the shed or garage of any home, which at the same time can serve as an extension for the house like a sunroom.

Miniature portable greenhouses are also available for gardeners who have very minimal space to accommodate a standard sized structure. These miniature structures are generally collapsible and are ideal for small plants like perennials and shrubs. Another version of a miniature greenhouse measures approximately 3 feet and 5 inches by 1 foot and 11 inches. This box-size portable greenhouse is ideal for vegetables and young plants during the early spring.

The basic greenhouse structure is also available as a portable greenhouse. This type of structure is still quite popular among garden enthusiasts who even though have ample space to set up a permanent greenhouse prefer using a portable structure that can easily be disassembled to free up the space for other activities.

What Makes Up the Greenhouse Structure?

Having a farm is not just about planting crops and harvesting it. There is a lot of work to be done to protect it from disease, pests and the weather. Since these areas are usually big and require a lot of manpower, scientists have come up with a better idea.

This plan is to grow crops in a controlled environment which makes it easy to grow crops all throughout the year. This structure which can be big or small depending on the open space in the farm is known as the greenhouse.

A greenhouse is an enclosed building that is usually made up of metal, wood and glass. These structures are designed so that the farmer can grow vegetables, flowers and fruits. The person can buy one and have it assembled in the farm or have it custom made according to certain specifications.

This new method has better results than doing farming the non-organic way such as the use of sewage, irradiation, pesticides and herbicides. This is only after tests have shown that this is a health risk that does more harm than good.

A very good example which has shown that this approach is effective is the use of hydroponics farming. This technique doesn’t require the use of soil but rather water to make the plant grow. In one experiment, scientists were able to produce more tomatoes using water than it was using soil.

Since then, other ways of doing hydroponics have been done and this has helped the productivity of the farmers.

More farmers rely on free standing greenhouses. Before these can be set up in the farmland, a good location must be determined that should provide adequate sunlight and wind to help the plants grow.

The most important thing that keeps the greenhouse standing is the frame. Developers have made versions using wood, metal, aluminum and plastic. The farmer can use any of these or have one that is a combination of any of these materials. This will depend on the budget of the farmer and the type of weather conditions there is in the area.

Plants grow because of two things. The first is the nutrients that are given to it. The second is sunlight. This makes it important for the farmer to choose the right panels.

Traditional greenhouses use glass but there are many problems when these are used as panels. Since it doesn’t protect the crops from the sun and merely lets it in, too much heat can kill the plants.

When there is a hurricane or a hailstorm, rocks and other things in most cases break the glass. This will cost a lot of money on the part of farmer to replace.

In order for the farmer to make money in selling crops than paying for repairs, designers have made panels using other things such as plastic, film and Plexiglas. This is a remarkable improvement since these are shatterproof and are able to stand severe weather conditions.

These also allow only 75% of ultraviolet light to enter the greenhouse which is the sufficient amount needed to help the plants grow.

The climate is changing and that is something that people cannot change. The effects of El Niño and La Niña have made the weather worse than the year before and this is a challenge that farmers must face.

Another thing that makes up the greenhouse is the equipment needed to keep it running. Farming in a cold climate can be difficult and since plants need warmth, a heater should also be installed.

Heaters come in big and small sizes. This can be powered by electricity, using propane gas, oil and other non-renewable resources. This device gives farmers the means to meet the demands of the people especially during the winter.

Farms have also changed thanks to technology. People don’t have to till the land anymore using rakes. Greenhouses can have timers which release water mixed with nutrients at certain times of the day helping the plants grow.

Though it is quite expensive to build a greenhouse, by selecting the proper structure, the farmer can be sure that come harvest time, there will be enough crops to sell to the market and money can be made.

Greenhouses: Where the Grass is Green All Year-Round

Gardening enthusiasts in the more interesting temperate climates and any place where there are four seasons are faced with great benefits as well as challenges. Because of the four seasons, gardeners are blessed with huge plant varieties conducive for planting on one or two of the seasons. In the period of a year, they are given an opportunity to plant varieties that must grow in cooler climates, and take advantage of the sunny summer to plant those that would require more exposure to the sun.

However, the seasonality of plant varieties may pose challenges to those who would rather grow plants continuously, regardless of season. This is especially true for flower and fruit varieties that require continuous sunlight for an entire year, for example, or fruit and vegetable perennials that do not bear fruit and instead shrivel up in the winter.

The response to these challenges is the creation of greenhouses or greenhouse facilities. A greenhouse is a structure made of glass or plastic that stores up the sun’s rays in order to simulate the temperatures in the spring all year long inside. By storing up heat inside a greenhouse, it allows individuals to grow plants continuously even while winter rages hard outside it. Greenhouses also go by the name glasshouses or hothouses.

The glass or plastic used in the construction of greenhouses are specially designed to have transmission qualities that will allow for the sun’s ultraviolet rays to be stored inside the greenhouse facility, providing a warm atmosphere inside, and in effect, warming the plants and the soil. A greenhouse leaves little or no openings through which the air heated by the stored sunlight can escape; leaving a small window or hatch open in a greenhouse will lead to a drastic drop in temperatures.

The general idea of a greenhouse is to protect temperature and climate sensitive plants from extreme shifts in temperature—either too hot or too cold. Maintaining a greenhouse has its own share of toil. Unlike the normal outdoor environment, which may be left to its own devices to some extent as nature creates some degree of balance, a greenhouse must be placed under strict regulation. Inside the greenhouse is a controlled environment that must simulate the outdoors without overdoing it.

For a start, it must regulate heat and humidity inside the facility. Other factors to be considered are irrigation of the plants (and sufficiency of the water available to them), light exposure, and the presence of pests and diseases must be put into great consideration. Moreover, due to the fact that the spring outdoors is sealed into a single facility, natural activities like pollination must be simulated by the introduction of species that will help make this possible. Bumblebees are the most popular option for pollinators in greenhouses.

It is recommended that greenhouses be built in the southeast portion of the property. It is in this way that the minimal sunlight available during the winter will be maximized by the greenhouse. Moreover, the house can serve to protect the greenhouse from strong winter blizzards coming in from the north.

Greenhouses may be built attached to a house, or as stand-alone structures. The latter option provides more growing room for the greenhouse facility.

While it may seem that there is too much to do in order to simply start a greenhouse, gardening enthusiasts will be more than willing to vouch for greenhouses, especially if gardening is a hobby. Gardening affords even the busiest of folks to tend to their plants when they are available. With a greenhouse, the constraints of day and night, and even the seasons, are put in the backseat. Greenhouses provide the option of tending to gardens even at night because lighting and heat is consistently present inside the structure.

Moreover, it gives gardeners the ability to plant exotic flowers and fruits that are usually grown in warmer tropical areas as they are able to control light exposure and heat inside the greenhouse.

Greenhouses may even provide profit-making possibilities for gardeners. With potted plants for indoor growing and flowers growing in demand, greenhouse owners are given opportunities to sell what they grow inside their greenhouses to buffer whatever maintenance costs they incur along the way.

In the higher-latitude territories, greenhouses carry the important task of growing fresh produce in areas where the climates are harsh and cruel on plants. This is one of the biggest reasons for huge greenhouse facilities that house vegetables and fruits more than flowers and exotic foliage.

At the end of the day, greenhouses allow for the creation of a miniaturized and highly controlled natural environment to suit gardening needs. Its growing potential to provide for fresh produce in territories even with the instability of global climate proves to be a benefit that may be explored in the future.

Advantages of Organic Hydroponic Greenhouses

Soil is very essential for a plant's life. Many people would wonder how a plant would grow without the use of soil. Because of the many advances and new technological discoveries, everything can be made in an instant such as food, beverages, and even plants. There are new methods in these modern days where they can grow the plants fast.

The use of the traditional method of agriculture, which consists of the slow process of cultivating, watering, sowing, and attending to the plant everyday, became less popular to those gardeners who have learned the methods of organic hydroponics. Organic hydroponics lessens a gardener’s effort of growing the plant in an instant.

A person can grow his plants fast and can create more production by applying the methods of organic hydroponics. Others have known this method to be interesting in the first place, because it does not require the use of soil to raise the plants. Some people also know this process as soil-less culture, water gardening, soil-less gardening, and chemi-culture. For many farmers and gardeners it is commonly known as hydroponics gardening. This methodical way of gardening shows a simultaneous way of cultivating the plants without any presence of soil.

The needed nutrients needed by the plants are directly supplied on their roots. The organic chemical fertilizers must be in dissolved so that they will be fed for the plants. The nutrients must be soluble enough so that the roots will surely zip the solution. This is an amazing process that no soil is needed to complement the liquid provided to the plants.

Many greenhouses are now used in applying organic hydroponic fertilizers to their plants. However, there are still many greenhouse owners who do not want to perform this method on their plants. They believe that it is ecologically harmful and bad for the environment, but this could not be true according to many experts who study the science of hydroponics. They insist that in this way they could attend to the much needed demand of food supply nowadays.

This could be true because organic hydroponics allows the plant to quickly grow healthier. A gardener should also be satisfied to the increase of his crop production than his usual harvested crop. Here are some benefits and advantages of using organic and hydroponics gardening.

1. A person may not worry if the water fed to the plants could be less or enough for the roots.

2. He may not worry on the fertilizer or chemical solution applied to the plants because the amount may not matter as long as the plants is able to sustain its fast growth and production.

3. Many organic hydroponics greenhouses are used for many researches and studies for plant and seed propagation using the science of hydroponics. They seem to be valuable for many scientists that experiments about technological advancements on how to improve more on plant organic fertilizers and chemical solutions.

4. The space needed for holding the plants is now more convenient because he may use lesser space to accommodate and attend to more plants than being more concerned in potting and sowing or cultivating any soil.

5. Hydroponics gardening helps a person conserve more time and effort. It relieves a person on laborious work in attending to the different needs of the soil such as keeping the soil wet, sowing, weeding the soil, and nurturing the soil.

6. Plants can grow together even if they are grown close to each other. Unlike in traditional agriculture, the plants need more space because the soil creates bigger roots for the plants. In hydroponics gardening the roots of the plants grow smaller in contrast to a larger plant or crop.

7. A farmer can practice multiple cropping for he can harvest and plant the crops at the same time. He may realize that he harvested more crops compared to his previous harvest where he had used the normal way of planting.

8. He may be able to grow larger and healthier plants because of the organic fertilizer supplied on the roots of the plants.

Nowadays, hydroponics gardening is widely accepted by many farmers and gardeners. The presence of many organic hydroponic greenhouses is a proof to its popularity and accessibility to the needs of plants and crops in this modern time to accommodate more plant and crop production.

Building An Easy And Cost-effective Greenhouse On Your Back Yard

Thorough planning and preparation is essential before starting your greenhouse project. Putting up a greenhouse need not be time-consuming or expensive. Your greenhouse design will very much depend on your home’s home architecture, space and plants that you want to grow, cost and available location. Make sure that your greenhouse should provide the environment suitable for your chosen type of plants.

Location

Your greenhouse must be built in a site where it will get the full and concentrated sunlight.

Your best option is the “southeast side” of your house or shade of trees. All day sunlight is best, though also consider the morning sunlight coming from the east side because this is adequate for most plants, as it permits the course food production to start early so then progress is maximized.

The location on the east captures most of the November up to February sunshine.

Deciduous trees like oak and maple can shade the greenhouse effectively from the strong late afternoon sun during the summer but they must not shade or cover your greenhouse during the morning. These trees likewise permit maximum sun exposure during the winter due to the shedding of their foliage during fall.

Your greenhouse must not be located beside trees having leaves all year as it will block the winter sun. You must maximize greenhouse exposure to winter sun especially if your greenhouse will be used year-round.

Another necessity for the location of your greenhouse is good drainage. When needed, construct your greenhouse higher than the ground so as irrigation and rainwater will easily drain away.

Light that is required by certain types of plants that you will grow, water, electricity, heat and protection from strong wind are other factors that should also be considered.

Also, you need to set up a workplace and an area for storage of your supplies in your greenhouse.

Here is a simple and easy to construct greenhouse:

Materials:

5 pieces of 20 foot each “of 5/8 inch” rebar, cut into 1/3's - 6 foot in length.

7 pieces of 20 foot schedule” 40 PVC” drilled with a hole size 3/16 to ¼ inch “dead center” at 10 feet.

84 feet that is “cut into 4 foot lengths” of “½ schedule 40 PVC”

80 pieces size 2X4 wood (treated).

4 pieces fence posts, 8 foot in length (treated).

Size “40X24 fee” UV “polyethylene”, stabilized

60 pieces 2 ½ inches fence staples

1. Begin by extending a thin rope or string where the “two long sides” of your greenhouse should be. Then pound the 6 foot rebar in, each with a distance of 4 feet away from each other, in a “straight line” and allowing 48 inches to protrude from the soil or ground.

2. Nail the 2X6 runner on to the “rebar stakes”. This will provide you with something so as to nail on the polyethylene later. You may use a “60 2 ½ inch fence staples”.

3. Slide in the PVC pieces (20 inch) over the “rebar stakes”, making certain that no sharp points are exposed, such as rebar, wire ends, rough pipes, etc.

4. Put the PVC pieces (20 foot) on the “rebar stakes”. You need to have somebody do “one side” as you also do the “other side” carefully and slightly at each time. Make sure that you drilled holes “parallel to the ground”.

5. Slide the wire all through the PVC holes and through the 8 PVC (4foot) pieces “along the roof”.

6. So as the “ribs” will not shift horizontally, you need to wire together the 4 foot PVC pipe lengths with either baling or copper wire. Make certain that the wire is wrapped so that the PVC pipe is forced inward.

7. Construct now the “two end walls” and the doors. Use vertical posts (4X4) 10 foot length and buried 3 or 4 feet for the doorway frame. Make certain that the end walls are not floppy and must stay vertically so that the PVC will not separate. Your door must be very tight so that the wind will not be able to inflate the greenhouse.

8. Drive some nails into the post’s base horizontally of the posts and submerge them to the ground.

9. With somebody’s help, and each person on each side holding the plastic, slide it over the rib cage and then attach the ends by wrapping the plastic’s end around lath pieces then “nail the lath” to the “end walls” and also along the foundation.

10. Be creative and add a few of your personal touches.

All done! Have fun in your greenhouse!