A greenhouse is an enclosed environment made or constructed with translucent material. There are plastic or glass greenhouse walls that allow the sun’s electromagnetic rays to enter the structure and raise the air temperature while preserving the warm air.
Owning a greenhouse offers gardeners many advantages, such as a long growing season, plant protection, an ideal growth environment, energy-saving gardening methods, and cost and design efficiency.
A greenhouse makes the plants grow faster and healthier for the following reasons: the ideal temperature is reached for the optimum plant growth, you are provided with consistent lighting, greenhouses have a high humidity level, provide better control, and allow better pest control.
In this article, we will tackle why you should build a greenhouse and grow plants in it. We will also be discussing why plants grow healthy and faster in such a structure.
Advantages of Growing Plants in a Backyard Greenhouse
Greenhouse gardening provides crucial benefits compared to traditional gardening. From a simple to a lavish one, you get to enjoy the many benefits and advantages it offers.
There are many reasons why building a greenhouse garden is a great idea. If you want to turn your gardening hobby into a full-time passion, here are some advantages of growing plants in a greenhouse.
1. Longer Growing Season
One of the most crucial advantages of having a greenhouse is that it offers you a longer growing season. Indeed, the temperatures inside the greenhouse do not vary much since the sun’s radiation is trapped inside the greenhouse’s enclosure, retaining the heat inside the structure. Even in cold climates, growing seasons can be extended.
A greenhouse can be used for various things. You have the freedom to plant and grow your fresh organic vegetables, bulb plants, flowers, house plants, exotic plants, and different types of seedlings.
Having a greenhouse makes it possible for plants to grow regardless of the season. Plus, you can change what you want to grow in it every year and can mix different plants in it.
Besides, gardening in bad weather is hard to keep up with. But, with a greenhouse, you have nothing to worry about since everything is covered and protected. Even if it’s raining hard, the structure ensures that your garden remains dry.
2. Plant Protection
Greenhouses provide your plants with protection against rough weather and infestation from pests and predators.
A serious infestation of seasonal pests, like tent caterpillars, locust swarms, rodents, and spider mites, can be avoided with a greenhouse. You can also set up traps and screens for preventive measures. Predators like deer, moles, and squirrels can also be easily kept out with a greenhouse.
This kind of space protects your plants from bad weather, including high winds, dust storms, thunderstorms, and blizzards, which can destroy your plants. Indeed, with a greenhouse, you can evade and ignore the weather conditions and seasonal changes throughout the year since your plants are protected from these natural elements.
Plus, your plants won’t suffer from heavy rain, extreme temperatures, and longer days of drought in a greenhouse.
3. Optimum Growing Environment
The main purpose of a greenhouse is to secure a good amount of heat and water vapors. With this, humidity and warmth are maintained within the greenhouse.
If you’re a dedicated and long-time gardener, you’ll know that plants love humid and warm environments. With a greenhouse, you are creating an optimum environment for plants, whether you have herbs, flowers, vegetables, or other types of plants.
Using a greenhouse helps enhance the growth of your plants, which will prosper into healthier and better-producing plants.
4. All-in-one Gardening Place
Having a greenhouse means you have a single designated spot for your plants. Thus, you don’t have to build a garden shed and can store all your gardening tools, equipment, accessories, and supplies in the same space.
5. All-season Garden
As a greenhouse owner, you may throw all your worries away. You don’t have to stress over planting or being unable to plant seeds and crops due to unsuitable seasons. When you own a greenhouse, you have control over the temperature of your garden. You can start planting seasonal plants earlier or later than those who don’t own a greenhouse.
If you grow plants as a food source, a greenhouse presents the advantage of receiving lower food bills. You get the chance to grow your favorite herbs and vegetables, which are often overpriced at the supermarket.
6. Go Green with a Greenhouse
A greenhouse is also a great tool in combating global warming. Indeed, growing plants in a greenhouse allows gardeners to go green, which both benefit the Earth and gardeners. Overall, more plants within a greenhouse favor a clean and fresh atmosphere.
Plus, owning a greenhouse is good for your health. It diffuses lighting that helps alleviate Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The plants within your greenhouse lift your mood when you’re feeling down. Being inside the greenhouse is a great way to escape from and reduce stress. It is indeed the best place to get away from the crowd and stress, and instead, enjoy the time spent tending your plants.
7. Save Energy
Using a greenhouse allows you to save energy. In such a structure, it is possible to conserve energy like water since you can control your water energy sources contrary to when you’re traditionally gardening.
Owning a greenhouse doesn’t limit the benefits and advantages of growing plants. It can also change your lifestyle and allow you to live an environment-friendly life.
8. Grow Plants without Dangerous Pesticides
Many of the commercial crops are bathed with pesticides, making people unhappy. In a greenhouse, it is possible to raise and grow plants without dangerous and toxic pesticides. Dedicated gardeners have control over what to use when growing their plants and crops within their greenhouses.
9. Cost and Design Efficient
You can customize your greenhouse according to your preferences. You get to choose what types of plants work well in your greenhouse and design it based on your tastes.
You can also have a greenhouse that suits your landscape or backyard setting. Greenhouses can be built in different sizes, shapes, and designs; you get to choose! Like gazebos and pergolas, you can build and create a space that achieves your garden goals and hits its purpose while providing a visual appeal to your backyard.
Greenhouses keep you from spending extravagantly on plants every spring, especially if you wish to fill yours with enchanting flowers. With a greenhouse, you can plant and grow as many seeds as you want. You’ll have enough space and will have plenty of plants to give away to your friends.
In the long run, a greenhouse is a good investment as it saves you a fortune on flowers, herbs, insecticides, and garden improvement materials.
A greenhouse is one of the best assets you can have in your backyard. If you are a plant-lover, having a greenhouse is a dream come true, but there are many factors to consider before getting one, one of the major one being where you should install it. Read our article to know where to put your greenhouse in your backyard.
Why Plants Grow Faster in a Greenhouse
Plants do grow faster and healthier in the greenhouse because of their ecosystem. The temperature is controlled and the carbon dioxide content is higher compared to the outdoors, which is vital for plant growth.
Greenhouse plants have a low chance of pest infestation and the humid atmosphere inside them is very beneficial for their growth. These are the factors that contribute to making the plants grow faster in a greenhouse.
Below are the easy and simple ground factors for faster plant growth in your greenhouse.
1. Ideal Greenhouse Temperature for Optimum Plant Growth
Greenhouses provide a controlled temperature that contributes to better plant growth. Most greenhouse plants live in a space around 77°F (25°C), which is the optimum temperature for photosynthesis.
However, if there is CO2 in the enriched environment, 82°F (28°C) is the ideal temperature for photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants make their food grow. The primary elements of photosynthesis are CO2, water, and sunlight. Temperature is just another factor that affects the process. You should maintain a moderate temperature in your greenhouse for optimum plant growth.
Greenhouses also provide gardeners with the flexibility to control the plants’ environment. They get to control the shifting of temperatures and offer their plants the temperature they need.
When the greenhouse environment becomes cold, start heating it to get back to normal temperatures. To heat your greenhouse, you can use a conventional stove or eco-friendly methods.
Overheating your greenhouse will damage the natural process of plant growth, resulting in stressed plants. Most of the greenhouse wonders use automatic vent openers or automatic vent systems to ensure the temperatures don’t rise too much.
2. Consistent Light Makes Plants Grow Better
Light is one of the primary elements in photosynthesis, and most plants need at least eight hours of direct sunlight per day. Without this, plants can’t perform photosynthesis to produce food, without which they die.
Summer is the most abundant season for sunlight and plants love it, so don’t try to block off the light. The only time you’ll need to block the light inside your greenhouse is when it is too hot inside and the installed vents are having a hard time keeping the temperature down. Covering your greenhouse with a 40% shade cloth around noon is recommended to prevent overheating.
During winter, the light isn’t abundant anymore, pushing greenhouse owners to use artificial growth lights to supplement their plants with 6-8 hours of light per day. Of course, this necessity may depend on your location, but in some places, 1-4 hours of artificial light is required for your plants to grow healthily and better during winter.
3. High Greenhouse Humidity
Humidity is one of the factors that affect plant growth inside a greenhouse. Greenhouse plants need a continuous supply of moisture in the air and roots to thrive.
If a minimal amount of water is lost by the plants through transpiration, then, the humidity level is high. On the other hand, if a large amount of water is lost, the humidity level is low. In this case, the greenhouse plants need more water to make amends for the loss.
Transpiration is a process that consists of the evaporation of water from the plant’s leaves, while humidity is the way to measure the water content in the air. The optimum humidity level for most plants is between 40 and 60%.
In a greenhouse, you can easily control the humidity, contrary to outdoors, where the humidity level depends on your location and the season.
In dry regions, the humidity level is low, especially during summer. This leads to drought, stress on plants, and stunted growth. Meanwhile, in hot and damp regions, the humidity level is low during winter.
In a greenhouse, you can ensure to provide the best humidity for your plants. But, there are some exceptions as some plants prefer low humidity and are accustomed to thriving in drought and dry conditions, which can be easily managed in the greenhouse.
4. Greenhouse Provides Better Control
In a greenhouse, plants are protected from the outdoors, and you have control over the amount of water and sunlight they receive.
The soil in the greenhouse soil is also protected from rainwater runoff. So, the nutrients in it keep contributing to better plant growth. A controlled and better environment leads to ideal and faster plant growth.
5. A greenhouse Allows Better Pest Control
Greenhouse plants are less prone to insects and bugs. Hence, it lessens the risks of diseases and pests.
Disastrous and harmful insects tend to make their way inside greenhouses through air vents and doors. Thus, use an insect barrier on air vents and doors to prevent insects and pests from entering.
6. We Are the Reason Plants Grow Faster in Greenhouse
Humans are one of the reasons why greenhouse plants grow faster and thrive better. Indeed, greenhouse plants usually get more care and maintenance than outdoor plants.
Humans ensure they are providing the best conditions for their greenhouse plants, from the temperature to the controlled air movement, ideal humidity, and protection from insects and pests.
7. Your Greenhouse Soil According to Your Choice
Outdoor plants are prone to disease and pests. But in the case of greenhouse plants, you decide what goes in your plant, from the compost and soil, to the draining materials.
Adding a disease-free soil with a good amount of organic matter helps your greenhouse plants thrive better. Avoid putting your garden soil into your greenhouse if it’s infested with diseases and insects. Also, maintain healthy soil in your greenhouse for better plant growth.
It is strongly recommended to use soil from a flowerbed or vegetable patch. To provide the best for your greenhouse plants, carefully select homemade compost or buy a good quality one at your local garden store.
8. Plants Live Longer and Better in Sheltered Upbringing
Gardeners prefer growing their plants in a greenhouse for many reasons. First, in the controlled atmosphere of the greenhouse, they start by planting seeds and seedlings to get the best start before moving the plants outdoors.
Some gardeners start planting in their greenhouses in the summer, and when the plants are strong and healthy, they can be transported outdoors.
Some gardeners also use their greenhouses to extend the growing season of their vegetables and have people enjoy fresh food all year round.
Plants that are kept in a greenhouse tend to live longer and more healthily than those kept outside and in a natural environment.
Some people use greenhouses for tendering plants during winter. Indeed, some plants, like oranges and other citrus fruit plants, wouldn’t survive winters otherwise.
If you are a fan of gardening, having a greenhouse in your backyard is probably something that you have dreamed of. If you are ready to make your dreams a reality, there are a few things that you have to deal with first, like building permits. Do you need a permit to build a greenhouse in your backyard? Read our article to find out.
Conclusion
If you want to improve your gardening game, one of the things that you can do is build a greenhouse in your property. A greenhouse is a great initial investment, making all the money spent worth it in the long run. As you have seen in the many advantages and benefits mentioned above, owning a greenhouse is a wise idea, especially if you are gardening for sustenance.
To maximize your greenhouse, you should ensure the perfect temperature and humidity for your greenhouse plants to keep them healthy and help them grow faster. You can manage your greenhouse manually, but the advancement of technologies and the multiple choices, like heaters, humidity controllers, fans, and other gadgets, helps make a perfect lair for plants. A greenhouse is not a necessary structure for gardens, but it’s definitely worth having.
