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The Complete Guide To
Building Your Own Greenhouse
By Max Clarke
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"Building Your Own Greenhouse" by Max Clarke
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Disclaimer
The advice contained in this material might not be suitable for
everyone. The author provided the information only as a broad
overview by a lay person about an important subject. The
author used information from sources believed to be reliable
and from his own personal experience, but he neither implies
nor intends any guarantee of accuracy. The results you obtain
will depend largely on your own efforts and other factors
beyond the knowledge and control of the author, publisher
and distributors. No particular result or outcome is promised
or guaranteed in any way. New theories and practices are
constantly being developed in this area.
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The author, publisher and distributors never give legal,
accounting, medical or any other type of professional advice.
The reader must always seek those services from competent
professionals that can apply the latest technical information
and review their own particular circumstances.
The author, publisher and distributors particularly disclaim any
liability, loss, or risk taken by individuals who directly or
indirectly act on the information contained herein. All readers
must accept full responsibility for their use of this material.
All pictures used in this book are for illustrative purposes only.
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"Building Your Own Greenhouse" by Max Clarke
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About the Author
Max Clarke has been a keen amateur gardener for several
years.
He loves building things to help him with his hobby and has
actually made several small greenhouses.
He is grateful to his friends, both amateur gardeners and
commercial growers that have shared some of their
experiences and knowledge to help make his gardening and
his book better.
He says that everyone should invest some time to create and
maintain their own garden even if they only have a small area
available.
A small garden is within almost everyone’s budget and there
are many rewards.
You will only really understand what he means when you start
eating fresh, flavorful and inexpensive fruit and vegetables
that you grew yourself.
But Max also gets great joy by sharing the produce and
flowers that he grows and the knowledge from his years of
experience as a gardener with his friends, family and, now,
with the readers of his first book.
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Table of Contents
Please Read This First ........................................................................ 2
About the Author ................................................................................. 4
Table of Contents ................................................................................ 5
1. What is a Greenhouse?................................................................... 8
2. Uses of a Greenhouse................................................................... 12
Innovative Uses of Old Greenhouses Include: .............................................. 13
3. Greenhouse Types and Styles ..................................................... 14
Greenhouses for Your Area.............................................................. 20
How to Choose a Greenhouse ......................................................... 21
5. Buying a Greenhouse ................................................................... 26
Ten Steps to Building a Greenhouse............................................... 31
Do You Need a Customized Greenhouse?...................................... 35
Building Your Own Greenhouse ...................................................... 36
Important Factors .............................................................................. 40
Planning a Greenhouse Business.................................................... 41
Essential Steps in Planning Your Greenhouse Business.............. 43
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Which Type of Greenhouse?............................................................ 47
Top Greenhouse Kits ........................................................................ 49
Planning Your Greenhouse Location .............................................. 52
The Best Frame for Your Greenhouse............................................. 56
Choose the Covering for Your Greenhouse.................................... 59
Footings, Flooring and Foundations ............................................... 62
Selecting the Right Lights ................................................................ 66
Cooling, Ventilation and Your Greenhouse .................................... 70
Cooling and Ventilation of Greenhouses by Plants .......................................... 70
Cooling and Ventilation by Blocking Sunlight ................................................... 72
Automated Cooling and Ventilation Techniques ............................................... 75
Understanding Heating Methods, Systems, Sources, and
Calculating Energy Requirements for Heating Systems................ 84
Energy Requirements for Your Heating System................................................ 85
Watering Systems and Insulation Techniques ............................... 88
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Basic Greenhouse Care .................................................................... 93
Essential Accessories and Equipments for Maintenance ................................ 93
Greenhouse Maintenance Checklist ................................................ 97
Maintenance Checklist for Your Greenhouse .................................................... 98
Getting the Most from Your Cooling and Ventilation Systems ... 101
Maintaining the Heating Systems .................................................. 105
Tips for Maintenance of Heating Systems........................................................ 105
Control Greenhouse Pests and Diseases ..................................... 108
Cleaning Materials and Tools for a Small Greenhouse .............................. 108
Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Greenhouse................................................... 109
Greenhouse Accessories Guide .................................................... 112
Know Your Equipment and Supplies............................................. 116
Cold Frames and Hotbeds .............................................................. 119
Facts about Famous Greenhouses................................................ 122
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Part-I: Introduction
1. What is a Greenhouse?
A greenhouse is a small house-shaped structure made of
glass or plastic. It is designed to maintain optimum
temperature and moisture inside it to help grow a wider
variety of plants than the local climate will normally support
and to protect them from any extreme weather.
Certain gases in the atmosphere, like carbon dioxide, water
vapor, methane and nitrous oxide do not allow heat to escape
back into the atmosphere. This quality makes these gases
popular in commercial greenhouses.
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Greenhouse with Geraniums (Pelargonium sp)
All greenhouses function on the same principle; they store
heat from the sun. The glass or plastic panels of greenhouse
reduce the amount of heat escaping while allowing light to
penetrate. This increases the temperature within the
greenhouse and keeps your plants warmer in winter.
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Lettuce seedlings grown in a greenhouse before planting
Greenhouses range from a small structure for keeping in your
terrace garden to as big as a city building. Their glass panels
are grouped according to their transmission rate. The energy
trapped within greenhouses heats up both soil and plants.
They prevent or reduce infrared radiation, convection of gases
and arrest electromagnetic radiation too.
Greenhouses are used for growing vegetables, fruits, flowers,
and even crops like tobacco. You can grow flowers and
vegetables in late winter in greenhouses, then transplant them
outside in early spring.
These houses have meant an increase in artificial pollination
although using bees is preferred when practical.
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You have to maintain specific levels of humidity and heat
within your greenhouses and control any potential influx of
pests and associated diseases.
You can irrigate the plants in greenhouses if the need arises.
The increased temperature is essential if you try growing
summer vegetables in winter.
Greenhouses maybe used to protect plants from blizzards and
dust storms too. Such greenhouse cultivation proves useful in
deserts, Arctic wastelands and other land areas with poor
fertility.
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2. Uses of a Greenhouse
A greenhouse helps you grow your plants at regulated
temperatures and humidity levels. It is easier to regulate
temperatures within small greenhouses. Greenhouses are not
necessarily hot houses. They allow the required amount of
heat to be present within so that plants do not suffer from
extreme heat or extreme cold. Having a greenhouse need not
be a luxury. With a little persistence and innovation, you can
have a greenhouse anywhere.
Coriander seedlings in a greenhouse
The Main Uses of a Greenhouse are –
• Helping small and tender plants to grow from seeds
earlier than usual
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• Grow plants within indoor environment in winter months
• Helps carry forward garden plants to use as stock in the
next season
• Increases the variety of plants and blooms
• Allows you to experiment with new varieties of flowering
plants and vegetables too
• Helps cultivation of winter vegetables in pots
• Helps maintain a continuous supply of vegetables all
year through
• Helps develop your hobby of growing plants even if
there is a space crunch
Innovative Uses of Old Greenhouses Include:
• Bus-stop for children in a cold winter
• Proves to be a garbage bin without the possibility of
animals or pests creating a nuisance with open garbage
• Useful as a pottery room for children
• Useful as a storehouse for holding skateboards, bikes,
ramps, and other things
• Can be used as a hot water tub for bathing
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Part-II: Greenhouse Selection
3. Greenhouse Types and Styles
There are many different styles and types of greenhouses.
Greenhouse with Geraniums
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Some of the more popular are:
A Freestanding Greenhouse: This greenhouse has an
independent structure, not attached to your home. It has
independent sidewalls, end walls and a gable roof. You can
make it in any size, shape and style that you like and that can
get planning permission for.
The amount of sunlight penetrating your greenhouse depends
on various factors in its construction. You could an need extra
heating system if the free-standing greenhouse is completely
separate from a heated building.
This freestyle greenhouse spreads over seventeen to eighteen
feet. It can accommodate two walks, two side benches, and a
center bench.
Business and Commerce Use
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An Attached Greenhouse: These greenhouses are connected
directly to your main building. Such greenhouses receive heat
radiated from your home. Additionally, you can arrange for
any necessary heat and light infrastructure from your home
too. Also, be sure to take into consideration any special
building restrictions that exist before constructing an attached
greenhouse.
There are different types of attached greenhouses, including
lean-to, even-span or window-mounted.
Attached, lean-to greenhouses lean against the building.
They are supported because one of the sides is att