"Of a truth, Knowledge is power, but it is a power reined by scruple, having a conscience of what must be and what may be; whereas Ignorance is a blind giant who, let him but wax unbound, would make it a sport to seize the pillars that hold up the long-wrought fabric of human good, and turn all the places of joy as dark as a buried Babylon."



-George Eliot

Greenhouses are structures which provide the ideal growing environment for flowering plants as well as vegetables. There are many styles and basics you need to know before you begin building greenhouses. Ask yourself a few questions to determine what type of greenhouse you want to build and how much money you want to spend. Also ask yourself what purpose the greenhouse is going to serve.

Here's what Wikipedia has to say about the topic:

"The closed environment of a greenhouse has its own unique requirements, compared with outdoor production. Pests and diseases, and extremes of heat and humidity, have to be controlled, and irrigation is necessary to provide water. Significant inputs of heat and light may be required, particularly with winter production of warm-weather vegetables. Special greenhouse varieties of certain crops, like tomatoes, are generally used for commercial production."

Note: after your done reading the following article on the topic "building greenhouses," see a list of research ideas at the end of the article. In the meantime, this article should provide you with a nice summary.

When building greenhouses you can build on a steel base or a pressure treated lumber base. For the hobby greenhouse builder you may decide to build on a flat surface of ground and have a polyethylene covered frame. This type structure will do well if you only want to get a jump on the season by starting your own seedlings. An aluminum frame can be erected to accommodate the polycarbonate panels. This provides strength to the structure while the polycarbonate panels allow for internal lighting and an increase in temperature.

With proper planning you can build your greenhouse to require a minimum of attention. If you have a lot of time to spend in your greenhouse then you may not be prone to install some of the automatic controls which cut down on daily maintenance. But if you are like most people you will want to be able to save as much time as possible. When building greenhouses there are automatic controls that can be installed to help maintain the best temperature for growing, provide artificial lighting, proper humidity, and ventilation.

Planning The Location

Finding the best location to build your greenhouse is as important as the structure itself. The best choice is an area located to the south and preferably a sunny location. Take care to stay far enough away from trees to eliminate the danger of falling limbs causing structural damage.

Building your greenhouse to attach to your house can be of benefit since the greenhouse would benefit from the heat which comes from your house. Another important factor is to place your greenhouse where it will have the least exposure to wind. Because of the materials used in building greenhouses they are often susceptible to strong winds.

Always make sure you install proper ventilation for your greenhouse because the sun can heat the interior even in the winter months. Bright, sunny days can cause the temperature to rise to a dangerous level and could lead to plant loss. Proper ventilation will allow for weather changes and help you to maintain a temperature which promotes healthy plant growth.

To find more information the topic, here are some suggestions:

1) The internet - one can use a favorite search engine

2) Catalogs - There are hundreds of catalogs on almost every topic imaginable

3) Local stores - depending on the store, well-trained employees can be a great resource