If you are a city or suburban gardener then weather extremes can be very frustrating for you.  Your gardening is shutdown in the winter.      

Your greenhouse, like the larger models should have a screen door and a screen vent that allows air to circulate and allows for cooling when it is hot.  You can also let outside air in to prepare plants that you have started in the winter to acclimate themselves for transplanting outdoors.  When the vents close you can increase the humidity if you want to help plants that need it.  Otherwise you can keep possibly damaging wind and rain out.

Most commercial kits make use of UV resistant material that resists rips and tears.  Velcro, snaps, or zippers are used for fasteners on the openings.  If you decide to go with plans you might do the same or actually use a hung door.  Either way, your portable greenhouse will keep you gardening year round.

You can use polycarbonate or polyethylene plastic for any or all of the greenhouse covering.  Some people use it for both the walls and roof while others use aluminum sheets for the roof.  Usually kits will use an aluminum frame while construction using plans would use a wooden frame.

Grow Year Round With A Portable Greenhouse

The benefits of a portable greenhouse couldn’t be easier to see.  You will be able to grow year round, protecting your plants in the winter, being able to grow your own seedlings.  In summer you can provide a stable environment for the plants, and in fall you can continue even though the days have begun to grow shorter and the nights get colder.

Portable greenhouses are inexpensive compared to a permanent structure.  Portable greenhouses can also be fitted into the smallest backyards.  And you know, there are even portable greenhouses as big as 50 by 100 feet.  They are portable because they can be assembled quickly by 2 people and easily moved with partial dis-assembly.  These larger portable greenhouses are mostly used commercially whereas the 8×10′ and smaller are usually bought by backyard greenhouse enthusiasts. 

Types of Portable Greenhouse

As with full sized permanent greenhouses there are various styles available.  Lean-to which can be attached to a house or garage to save on construction costs and ease of providing electricity and water.

Miniature portable greenhouses which are collapsible.  These are various sizes and can be used for perennials and other small plants.  They can also be used to start plants in the spring.

I invite you to have a look at some great greenhouse plans, visit http://buildagreenhouse.org/suggests/BuildAGreenhouse.php and discover plans and ideas to build the greenhouse you’ve been dreaming about.  Build your own greenhouse!

Additional Web Resources: Build Your Own Greenhouse

• Tips In Building Your Small Greenhouse | Make Green House Guides – … Equipments that a Grower Must Have · How Greenhouse Climates Work in the Growth of Plants · Tips In Building Your Small Greenhouse · Free Greenhouse Plan for You · Thinking of Buying a Greenhouse · How to Build Your Own Greenhouse …
• How to Build a Greenhouse – Greenhouses are becoming a very popular option for people who love to garden, have decided to start gardening, or want to start a gardening business. With the.
• How To Build Your Own Greenhouse – A person may have the pleasure of building his own greenhouse. He may choose from various designs and sizes he would like to build. A greenhouse gives a person comfort whenever he attends to his plants, vegetables, flowers, and orchids. …
• Growing Vegetable Plants From Seed | Al’s Topics – If you’re one of the many Americans who will be cultivating a vegetable garden this year, one of the first decisions you’ll have to make is whether to grow your plants from seed or purchase transplants from a nursery. In this article, we’ll explore the pros and cons to both methods, and we’ll provide a basic how to guide for starting your own plants from seed. There are two primary deciding factors in whether to start plants from seed.

• How to build a Greenhouse, with pictures- Build a greenhouse construction photo slideshow.
• Build your own greenhouse – Greenhouse plans detail materials and includes an illustrated guide on how to build your own greenhouse.
• Ask How to Build A Greenhouse – Forum on Gardenweb dedicated to the subject, “How to build a Greenhouse

• Sana BAMA » Getting The Most Out Of Your New Backyard Greenhouse – Imagine fresh-cut flowers gracing your Christmas table or home-grown peas and carrots filling your Thanksgiving bowls. With a greenhouse or solar shed on your property, they can become realities. It’s no wonder then that every backyard gardener dreams of owning his or her own greenhouse.
• Meeting 6: This Wednesday – What: Phoenix DIY 6 When: Wednesday, March 26 7:30pm Where: Conspire Phoenix 901 N 5th St (on the NE corner of 5th St and Garfield) Phoenix, AZ 85006 [map]. This month’s meeting will be outside at Conspire. Please bring a chair or two.
• How To Build A Greenhouse Out of Recycled Materials – Why do you want to build your own greenhouse? If you want to build your greenhouse to grow organic foods for the family, why not build it from recycled materials and materials you can easily find to salvage?

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• Building Your Own Greenhouse (Greenhouse Basics) by Mark Freeman(slideshare.net)

Greenhouses come in many sizes and shapes.  A lean to greenhouse saves money because it shares a wall with an existing structure such as a house or garage. The lean to greenhouse has easy access to electricity, water, and heat.

>>  Lean To Green House Plans 

Another advantage of a lean to greenhouse is easy access for the gardener, no need to go outside to tend the plants since the greenhouse is attached. 

Other Considerations For Lean To Greenhouses

The slope of the glass wall of the lean to should be considered when you build.  The slope should be such that light entering can strike the back wall in the winter for maximum effect.  As with any greenhouse that operates in cold weather you want to increase the thermal mass by filling milk jugs with water (painting them black helps too) so that solar energy can store during the day.  If there is room 55 gallon drums filled with water also helps – although the smaller gallon containers are more easily placed out of the way. 

A common size for a lean to greenhouse is 8X12 feet. Because it is built in conjunction with the house the roof cannot be higher than the roof of the house.  Also care must be taken in the wither that ice and snow not fall from the house onto the roof of the greenhouse. 

Other considerations are architectual, the greenhouse should fit in with the style of the home and backyard.  

>>  Large or Small Lean To Green House Plans 

Other Lean To Greenhouse Information

Build a Backyard Greenhouse – A backyard greenhouse building site with detailed photos.

Tom’s Garden Greenhouse – Build a lean-to style Greenhouse

• Questions You Should Ask When Looking For A Greenhouse – When choosing a new greenhouse for your garden there are several things to bear in mind if you are going to get the most from your choice. A wrong decision can prove costly in the long run so be sure you know exactly what you need before you buy. If you are looking to grow flowers or vegetables all year round then a tightly sealed, insulated greenhouse with good light transmition, ventilation and heating will be most desirable.

• A Little Bit About Greenhouses – Greenhouses nowadays seem to vary in their styles and sizes. He may find large and small greenhouses in environmentally oriented communities. A person can also spend more money to improve his greenhouse.

• Yellow Perfection Tomato: Hanna’s Tomato Tastings – Part of Hanna’s Tomato Tastings 2009 As far as yellow tomatoes go, well for me they are hit or miss. I have tried some really great yellow tomatoes.

• building a lean-to greenhouse – a lean-to greenhouse is a great choice if you are looking to extend the growing season for your fruits, flowers or vegetables. it is a practical cost saving structure with several advantages.

You can gain a lot of satisfaction if you  build your own greenhouse.  Many different designs and plans are available and you will also gain the freedom to grow in any season or climate and to grow in comfort while you work.

If you build your own greenhouse you can save a lot of money.  Good greenhouse plans and attention to detail can bring you a great place to nurture your plants. Here are some things to consider to build a great place and maximize your budget.

>> Greenhouse Design And Plans

1.  Consider using salvage materials.  Usually this means more work because you have to clean the materials and you need to adapt your plans to what is available.  Greenhouse plans – storm windows, it’s been done before, you just need to find the source and plan it out.  What is the cheapest way to build a greenhouse from scraps? Careful planning -in any construction project planning is everything.  You may alter your plans many times but planning is all important.

2.  Determine the climate of the place where you live. An insulated greenhouse is appropriate for cold climate areas. For warm places, a greenhouse with shade control is needed.  But you will probably find in most areas that you need both.

3.  A greenhouse should be designed with proper air circulation spaces, ventilation, pest control soil, heaters for winter season, and humidity control devices.  Sometimes in winter you just need to increas the thermal mass with many milk jugs or drums full of water.  The water is heated by day and has enough mass to hold the temperature up at night.

4.  When you select the location of the greenhouse, care should be given that sunlight hits it.  When you build your own greenhouse you will probably want to orient the longest side to the south to allow maximum sunlight in the winter.  Be aware too that in summer months it is sometimes nessecary to use a shade cloth to help keep the heat down.

5. Home greenhouses today are often covered with a poly material.  Some have found surplus tempered glass from salvaged storm doors.  Depending on the size of the greenhouse it may be difficult to find enough.  The materials chosen also affect the type of frame you need.

6.  The greenhouse floor and foundation can be as simple as building the structure on dirt, perhaps railroad ties as a base.  If this is done the greenhouse must be anchored to the ground to keep it from blowing over or even getting picked up in a storm.  A dirt floor also means you can plant crops right on the floor.  A concrete slab is also a good choice.  Consider your budget and choose accordingly.

7.  Many accessories can be added to a greenhouse.  The good thing is this can be done over time which will keep your cash outlay down at the beginning.  Automatic watering systems, heating systems, ventilatiion are all things to consider.

8.  Learn what the “good bugs” are.  The inscets that are beneficail to your garden.  Insects like the Praying Mantis and many kinds of spiders can be a welcome addition to your greenhouse and will help you avoid needing insecticides.

9.  Be sure to plan for storage of your supplies and the things to help you maximize your greenhouse experience.

How long will it take to build a greenhouse, can you build a greenhouse in one day?  You might build a small greenhouse in a day but chances are you will spend at least several weekends.  A major problem in greenhouse construction is that most people fail to do enough planning and talking to others who have built greenhouses.  They often underestimate the time and expense of building.  Good  green house plans can help you avoid this because you will find reliable bills of materials and time estimates.

You can build your own greenhouse and with a little extra effort save a bundle.  A greenhouse will help you in all aspects of your gardening.  You can prepare plants for an outside garden while it is still cold and so they will be of a good size when the planting season begins.  Your family will benefit too from the variety of fresh foods you can provide all through the year.

>> Greenhouse Design And Plans

HOW TO BUILD A GREENHOUSE FOR WINTER

Build Your Own Greenhouse Part I

Build Your Own Greenhouse Part II

Web Reading and Resources

• Find Out How To Build A Greenhouse – Kitchen greenhouse windows are a must these days if you want to know how to build a greenhouse and knowing how to install them is just as vital. The fact is our environment is in trouble, everyone knows it. Small greenhouses are easy to build.
• How to Build Your Own Greenhouse – Greenhouses are becoming a very popular option for people who love to garden, have decided to start gardening, or want to start a gardening business.
• Building A Greenhouse – Natural Way To Keep Your House Warm During Winter. – Want to know how to keep your house warm naturally? Build a greenhouse!
• Want to build a greenhouse? Here are the basic steps. – When you build a greenhouse, the savings are significant. When you start from seed, not only do you save money over buying starts from the nursery, but you can baby those plants and get a superior plant, as well as a wider choice in winter.

Backyard Greenhouses

 >>Backyard Greenhouse Plans 

We will discuss building your own greenhouse and the advantatages of building over buying one.  Then we will discuss the greenhouse environment, how your greenhouse design crates a mini-ecosystem that nurtures your plants no matter what the weather.  Finally we’ll discuss the portability that some of the smaller greenhouse designs  offer.

You can build your own backyard greenhouse if you can use simple hand tools like a hammer and saw, a drill and screwdriver.  The rewards are huge, not only money savings, but as a gardener you free yourself from the weather and you will be able to enjoy fruits and vegetables as well as flowering plants year round. You will be able to garden year round, rain or shine – and what a great place to save your patio plants through the cold months.

Your greenhouse is like a mini-echosystem, a mini-planet earth that you control.  The sun, as with our earth, provides the 1st element – light, the light makes heat, it interacts with the air, water, and greenhouse systems to setup the proper temperature, humidity, and overall environment for your plants.

There are many backyard greenhouse designs. Some offer portability and allow you to move them around the yard for the best sun exposure or for convienence.  Backyard greenhouses range from a small starter to lean-to, to a large conservatory style that allows you more than one work station.

Build a Cheaper Backyard Greenhouse

Greenhouses are invaluable to gardeners. You can start seedlings earlier, grow plants later, and otherwise extend the window of warmth that Mother Nature gives you. Best of all, you can build one without going broke.   

Garden Sheds – Your Own Food with Vegetable Gardening

If you decide to pick up indoor gardening, then consider building a greenhouse in your backyard to allow vegetables and other fruits to grow year round instead of in your home. A greenhouse allows the sun’s natural rays to shine through.

is a contained, man made, natural ecosystem possible in a greenhouse?

Weird question probably but i have always had an obsession with creating my own jungle style greenhouse, koi pond included and possible semi free range guinea.  

What is a greenhouse?  Backyard gardeners, health enthusiasts, and flower lovers can all benefit from having a greenhouse. A greenhouse is a home that protects young plants especially when growning them out of their normal seasons. 

>>Great Greenhouse Plans 

With a greenhouse you can protect your plants from a harmful environment and nurture your plants.  You will free your gardening from seasonal changes and produce year round fruits and vegetables without having to worry about pollution, seasons, and even insects.   What is a greenhouse ?  It is your ticket to freedom from the seasons in your gardening.

A greenhouse is a remarkable creation that provides a closed environment that provides for all the differing needs for your plants.  There are three unique parts to a greenhouse.

Greenhouses are typically made of glass or translucent poly film that allows sunlight through and keeps the weather out.  This allows you to control the humidity, temperature, and ventilation.  Allowing your crops to grow year round in the environment that you provide.

Greenhouses need warmth and humidity.  Glass and poly films allow sunlight through, sunlight warms the surfaces it hits.  Yet the glass and poly films do not conduct heat well and so the greenhouse stays warm. 

Because of the careful control of temperature, humidity, and nutrition your crop yield and nutrient value is increased.

Greenhouses work most effectively when systems are setup.

1. Greenhouse Lighting

Light is essential for growing plants, a good greenhouse lighting system is therefore important. Nomally natural sun light will meet the needs of the plants but in northern regions, in the winter a greenhouse lighting system is important.  The greenhouse lighting system needs to recreate the sun’s heat and light.  Plants can then thrive year round allowing year round fresh produce and flowers.

2 Greenhouse Watering

Without water your plants will die, of course you could manually water your plants but if you expect to take some days away then you need an automated system.

If you build a trickle type irrigation system you can also have it trickle out fertilizer.  This allows continuous feeding and watering of your plants.

3. Greenhouse Electrical

Electricity feeds the lighting and the automated irrigation system.  It can also runs temperature and humidity controls.

What is a greenhouse?  Your greenhouse is your freedom as a gardener .  Enjoy the bounty of plants, fruits, and vegetables.

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Using Solar Greenhouse to Keep Your Home Warm During Winter Naturally

The blog post explains how you can save money by making your air-conditioning system more efficient. Are there any ways you can cut your HVAC consumption even further? Yes there is and it is by using a solar greenhouse? 

Indulge Your Gardening Hobby Year Round With a Portable Greenhouse

There are a lot of reasons why so many individuals enjoy gardening in a portable greenhouse. The same benefits can be had as you would enjoy from conventional gardening outside. 

Garden and Greenhouse Watering Systems

For greenhouse gardening, a weeping garden hose is a better solution. A weeping garden hose produces water at a much slower rate than a soaker hose, continuously seeping small beads of water.

What Every Gardener Needs To Know About Greenhouse Systems

better than nature and to fine tune the greenhouse system to the point where it produces the maximum output for the minimum possible input.