Writen by Paul Wonning
Plastic covered greenhouses are by far the most common among commercial growers these days, and for good reason. The structures can be quickly and economically constructed, so they can go into production very quickly. Irrigation and heating equipment is easy to install in these structures, and they can be quickly covered with shade fabric when spring turns to summer. Plants can be efficiently moved around using mechanized equipment, lowering costs further. So for the commercial grower, these types of houses are a boon.
For the home gardener, a plastic greenhouse can also make sense. If you need a quickly built structure which may be used seasonally for the production of seedlings for the vegetable or flower garden, one of these types of greenhouses may be just what you need.
Typically, these are Quonset styled greenhouses, covered with a single layer of plastic film. The type of film you use depends upon the use of the structure. If the greenhouse is to be used seasonally, and left unoccupied for most of the year, an inexpensive plastic may be used and discarded after each season.
Heating this type of house is not hard. If care is used when watering, a small electric heater may be sufficient. Small propane heaters will also work, if some provision is taken for ventilation of the waste gasses given off by these devices. Kerosene heaters should be avoided like the plaque, as the fumes emitted by this heat source can kill plants very quickly.
Irrigation for a small house like this may be provided with a garden hose using a fan spray head. Mist heads should be used on seedlings and small plants.
A Quonset style plastic greenhouse may be the right choice for the home gardener. Quickly and inexpensively built these greenhouses are easy to grow in.
© 2006 Paul Wonning is the owner of Gardens and Nature.com a web site about gardening, hiking and other nature related topics. |
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