4 Tips On Setting Up Your 6x8 Greenhouse
This article provides you with some of the best tips for setting up a greenhouse.
24/05/2021
Congratulations on the decision to build your own greenhouse! If you’ve got the space for it, then why not make one, right? Whether you’re up for planting vegetables, or you’d just like to have ornamental flowers, building a greenhouse is always a good idea. It's a lot of effort and study, but it’s absolutely worth it.
The hard part really is just in the beginning, as you have to ensure you get everything right. This is a big pursuit, where you can’t go wrong. Your greenhouse must be able to achieve its main purpose: keep plants healthy, alive, and well.
To guide you, this article brings you some of the best tips to apply.
1. Know What To Plant In Your Greenhouse
Yes, you can plant anything in your South West Greenhouses at home. But if this is your very first time setting up and having one, then it’s best to start with the basics.
Stick with plants that are easy to grow. In doing so, you don’t get discouraged if it dies or wilts, because they’re easier to germinate and maintain. If you jump to the more difficult plants right away, then the tendency is you may be disappointed when they don’t grow, and then you’ll lose interest in your greenhouse.
With that in mind, here are some of the easiest plants you can grow as a first-timer:
- Arugula
- Radish
- Cabbage
- Strawberries, if your climate permits it
- Garlic
- Sunflowers
- Lettuce
- Tomatoes
- Onions
- Potatoes
2. Understand The Basics Of Temperature Control
One of the main reasons why a greenhouse is better than planting directly in the yard is that you’ve got more temperature control. Your plants won’t succumb to the harsh weather or strong winds outside, because they’ve got that layer of protection.
But your greenhouse won’t be able to serve that purpose well enough if you don’t equip yourself with a basic understanding of temperature control. This should form part of your greenhouse design.
For instance, no matter what you’re growing, if you live in a four-seasoned country, then you absolutely need to have provisions for a gas heater so you can keep your plants warm enough during the winter months. On the reverse, if you live in a tropical area where the summer months can get extremely hot, an evaporative cooling system will also come in handy.
Remember that the plants inside your greenhouse are now dependent on you for temperature control. You need to be able to convince these plants that they’re in an environment that they can thrive in.
3. Factor In Proper Air Circulation As Well
As you set up the right temperatures in your 6x8 greenhouse, don’t forget about the air circulation. Once you’ve put up all the sides of your greenhouse and the roofing, this is an enclosed space. So, without a proper air circulation system, your plants will still die.
This closed space can cause a buildup of moisture inside. In effect, plants that are prone to mildew and fungal diseases will develop these. As a beginner, one of the simplest ways to keep the air circulating in your greenhouse is by setting up a rotating fan at its lowest settings just to give the plants good air to breathe in.
4. Place Good Lighting
Another thing that a greenhouse can’t achieve is making bright days last longer. Letting in sunlight is not a problem with greenhouses, but there are certain days or seasons where the weather is just cloudy or gloomy.
Remember, however, that most plants require light to flourish and be healthy. This is an inherent requirement as plants undergo photosynthesis. However, not all plants have the exact same light needs, so you’ll have to be able to create that distinction based on factors like the following:
- How much natural daylight is achievable in the place where you’re from.
- Whether or not this natural daylight is sufficient for the plants, or if you need to supplement.
- The kind of plant and its variety being grown, so you can determine how much light it needs.
Conclusion
So, are you now feeling more confident about starting your homegrown fruits and vegetable garden? Surely you can do this successfully without a greenhouse, but if you have the space for one, then it’s actually better to have it. If you do push through with building a 6x8 greenhouse, the tips above will come in handy. Go through it again, so you can be sure that you’ve got a strong foundation—literally, for your greenhouse.