The Essential Greenhouse Guide

Greenhouses are an extremely popular addition to growing spaces up and down the country. They are perfect for protecting those crops you want to keep growing throughout the winter, as well as offering growers with itchy green fingers the opportunity to make earlier sowings in spring. Greenhouses also offer summer crops a more controlled environment, which proves essential in our unpredictable climate! If you don’t already grow in a greenhouse it is well worth considering, but as this is likely to be one of the biggest garden investments you will make, it is important to make sure you choose the right one for you. What do you need to know if you are considering growing under cover for the first time? In the main, it will come down to personal preference and your budget, but there are a few other pointers to consider to help you on the way to your best growing season yet!

How will your garden grow?
You will need to ensure you have planned the spacing carefully in your greenhouse, and think about whether you will be planting in growbags or in the greenhouse borders. Prioritise crops that wont get on well outside, or those that you use regularly in the kitchen to get the most from the area you will be growing in. It will also be important to consider the differing care needs of your crops, as with any other growing space. For example, one of the key benefits to greenhouse growing is that crops aren’t impacted by the elements, but this also means you can’t make the most of natural irrigation. Under cover crops will need to be regularly monitored to make sure they aren’t drying out, and that the greenhouse is adequately ventilated.

The structure itself will also need some seasonal checks – glazing should be kept clean and monitored for any cracks or smashes on panels that may require replacing (glazing can be either glass of plastic). You may also need to add a layer of insulation to the greenhouse in especially cold weather. A greenhouse thermometer is a great purchase to help you keep track of conditions.

Heated vs unheated?
One of the questions you will need to ask yourself before you embark on your greenhouse growing journey is whether you will be growing in a heated or an unheated structure. This will have an impact on what you can successfully grow, and the care you will need to give them. Heated greenhouses obviously offer more protection to tender plants, but there is the extra cost incurred that isn’t viable for all gardeners, and it is possible to insulate unheated greenhouses relatively cheaply and easily, as mentioned above.

Sizing considerations
The size of your allotment plot or veg garden is essential to take into account when deciding on your greenhouse. There are plenty of different types available - some perfect for small, urban spaces, while others are spacious and decorative, perfect for those with more room to play with, and everything between.

GYO Greenhouse Choice
Cassandra Greenhouse from Vitavia
The Cassandra greenhouse is designed for the discerning gardener who appreciates quality and aesthetics. It is supplied with full pane toughened glass throughout and the elegant bar capping, which secures the glass panes, adds a great finishing touch to this superior quality greenhouse. The low-level threshold gives unimpeded access.

Cassandra is available in two sizes: 9.9 m2 (8′ x 12′) and 11.5 m2 (8′ x 14′). Both sizes are available with powder coated black aluminium profiles.

Designed to sit on a single skin dwarf wall, the required height is 50cm, the dwarf wall increases the insulation of the greenhouse, and although the wall is not included with the greenhouse frame it enables the customer to choose the material which best suits their taste.

By absorbing heat in the daytime and releasing it at night, the dwarf wall reduces temperature fluctuations. This provides a more even temperature in the greenhouse around the clock, providing gentle growing conditions for crops in the greenhouse. To find out more about this or any other greenhouses within the Vitavia range, please visit vitavia.co.uk

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