What do you need to consider when you are dreaming of having a greenhouse?

We have put together a list of questions you might ask yourself, and we try to provide some thought provoking ideas for you to ruminate on.

Things to consider when buying a greenhouse

• How much space do I have? How many people do I want to feed? Who will enjoy and benefit from the space?
• What is my budget? How much am I expecting to invest in heating and cooling?
• What kind of climate do I live in? What are the high and low temperatures? Do I live in a very windy area? How much snow falls?
• How much sunshine does my site get? How many seasons do I want to grow?
• What kind of plants will I be growing?
• What are the local building department’s rules?
• Do I have sufficient building skills?
• How long term is my living situation?
• Do I want to use the space for other things?

We’ve also created a short summary of the different types of greenhouses and we report some of the ups and downs of the different styles. This information comes from over 25 years of experience in the Greenhouse industry.

Essentially what we found was that there are low cost greenhouses such as hoop houses and pit greenhouses readily available, and they are quite popular. You pay less money upfront, but they are not as strong and are liable to be damaged by heavy snow and high winds. They also only extend your growing season by a small amount, would cost a lot to heat and cool, and the covering needs to be replaced frequently. Quality greenhouses cost more, but are stronger and last longer, and some of them can significantly extend your growing season. Read our summary here.

Finally, if you want a quality greenhouse, we have a comparison between our Growing Dome and other quality greenhouses available.

We hope that this information helps you prepare for purchasing a greenhouse! If you are interested in what others are saying about our Growing Dome, we invite you to become a member of our Growing Dome Enthusiasts Facebook page.