Choosing a Site for your Greenhouse
Greenhouses present the perfect gardening environment irrespective of the time of year. But a greenhouse can only be as beneficial to you as your planning and preparation is. You need to have the right foundation for your greenhouse' success by ensuring it is fitted with all required functionality such as water, electricity, ventilation, air conditioning, cooling and heating.
The first and most important factor you need to consider is location. If you are building a permanent structure you are not going to be able to change the site selection very easily so you need to get it right the first time. There are many things you need to consider before you chose a site location; here are a few of them:
Sunlight Intake: Before deciding on a final location for your greenhouse you should examine your yard and keep track of how much sunlight each area gets per day. Ideally a it should have about five - six hours of sunlight per day. Having too much sunlight can be as harmful as not enough. In some cases too much sunlight will force you to spend extra money on a cooling system which can be avoided if planned out properly.
Accessibility: If you're going to be using your indoor garden on a regular basis you probably want to keep it as close to your main home as possible without salvaging other important factors. If you live on a large piece of land it might not be as convenient as you think if your greenhouse it located far away from your house. If you are going to tend to your crops on a regular basis it's usually more efficient and it is easier if they are near your home.
Wind Protection: Choose a spot that is not exposed to direct winds. Not only can high winds damage your structure, they can make your house lose heat. A single constant draft can kill your plants, or cost you when the heating bill comes in.
Soil Strength: If you plan on planting in the ground directly you need to examine your soil and make sure there aren't many large rocks or roots. Soil that is not high in nutrients could be a problem that is not easily dealt with. In some cases if the soil is really bad the entire area will need to be excavated bringing the bottom soil to the top.
Utilities: In order for you to be successful you need access to water, electricity, air conditioning and a good drainage system. When choosing a site opt for locations that already have these or where there are no physical barriers to getting these utilities to the greenhouse.
While many factors of your greenhouse can be maintained or altered your greenhouse location is something you need to get right the first time. Breaking down and moving a permanent greenhouse can be a very costly process that you will not want to be hassled with.
To find out more about Greenhouse Site Selection. Stop by Jonathan Miranda's site where you can learn all about Greenhouses. How to build greenhouses, where to buy them and more.
