How to Build Your Own Greenhouse
From the simplest cold frame to the most elaborate tropical paradise, this collection has a greenhouse plan to suit your needs.Master gardener and builder Roger Marshall guides you through the various options, the details of choosing materials and a site, and every step of the building process, from foundation to glazing.He even covers plumbing, heating, lighting, misting, and automatic venting systems, and he includes detailed plans for nine different greenhouses.
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For avid gardeners, the biggest downside of the hobby is the limited growing season in much of the country. Gardening during the winter is often reduced to tending houseplants and browsing seed catalogs for next summer’s tomato choices.Master Gardener and builder Roger Marshall enthusiastically presents his case for home greenhouses with a thorough examination of everything the potential builder needs to know. Marshall’s coverage of the subject begins with a careful consideration of the various purposes served by greenhouses. Will the structure be used as a damp, warm hothouse for rare orchids? A tropical paradise for banana and citrus trees? A friendlier environment in which to get a jump on a summer vegetable garden is the goal for many gardeners, while an inviting setting for a year-round hot tub surrounded by lush greenery has an undeniable appeal. Whatever its eventual use will be, Marshall helps the reader examine every option and make an informed choice.After determining the type and style of the structure, Marshall progresses, chapter by chapter, through the construction elements of the greenhouse — from choosing a site, to laying the foundation and determining which glazing material will work best. Plumbing, heating, supplemental lighting, misting, and automatic venting systems are also covered for the truly committed reader/gardener.The final section of the book includes detailed plans for nine actual greenhouses, from a simple cold frame to an elaborately detailed framed, detached structure. Whatever the greenhouse goal, Marshall opens the way to longer growing seasons, abundant organically grown fruits and vegetables, and manymore happy months playing in the dirt!
Introduction\ 1. Questions to Ask before You Begin\ How Much Time Does a Greenhouse Require? What Is Your Budget? How Large Should Your Greenhouse Be? What about Structure and Systems? What Are the Pros and Cons of Kit Greenhouses? Build It Yourself or Hire a Contractor? What Aesthetics Are Important to You?\ 2. The First Glasshouses\ The Start of Growing under Glass\ • The First Conservatories\ • Orangeries and Pineries\ • Nineteenth-Century Colossal Greenhouses\ • The Hobby Greenhouse\ 3. An Overview of Greenhouse Options\ What Type and Structural Style Do You Want?\ • Five Basic Types\ • Basic Structural or Building Styles\ 4. Choosing the Greenhouse Site, Size, and Interior Layout\ Site selection\ • Determining the size of your greenhouse\ • Making the floor plan\ • Designing the entrance\ • Getting permits\ 5. Controlling the Greenhouse Environment\ Water in the Greenhouse\ • Lighting and Electricity in the Greenhouse\ • Heating, Cooling, and Ventilation Systems\ • Hydroponics\ • Insecticides in the Greenhouse\ 6. Greenhouse Building Materials\ Wood as a Construction Material\ • Sheathing\ • House Wrap\ • Exterior Siding\ • Other Greenhouse Framing Materials\ • Framing Materials Insulation\ • Vapor Barriers\ • Doors\ • Alternative Building Materials\ • Painting the Greenhouse\ 7. Glazing\ Understanding Light Transmission\ • Types of Glazing Materials\ • Combining Glazing Materials\ • Caulking and Weather Stripping\ Checklist for a New Greenhouse\ 8. The Foundation\ Types of Foundations\ • Types of Floors\ • Constructing a Concrete Foundation and Slab\ • Finishing the Foundation\ 9. Building Techniques\ Building a Kit Greenhouse\ • Building a Conventional or Do-It-Yourself Greenhouse\ 10. Wiring, Plumbing, and Heating: Systems Design and Installation\ Installing Electricity\ • Installing Plumbing\ • Installing a Heating System\ 11. Greenhouse Accessories\ Benches\ • Shelving\ • Growing Beds\ • Tools and Equipment\ • A Germination Chamber or Seed-Starting Box\ • A Growing Chamber\ • A Potting Bench\ • Storage\ • Greenhouse Clothing\ • Accessories to Control Insects\ 12. Greenhouse Maintenance\ Regular Chores\ • Monthly or Quarterly Maintenance\ • Biannual or Annual Maintenance\ 13. Greenhouse Plans\ Basic Conventional Greenhouse\ Slant-Front, Insulated Greenhouse\ Slope-Sided Greenhouse\ Gothic Arch Greenhouse\ Lean-to Greenhouse\ Greenhouse Built on Piers or a Deck\ Hoop House or High-Tunnel Greenhouse\ Window Greenhouse\ Garden Shed/Greenhouse\ Multiuse Cold Frame\ Potting Bench\ Resources\ Index
