Updated at: 27-10-2022 - By: Sienna Lewis

Have you ever pondered the best location in your yard for a greenhouse? If you have a little greenhouse or a full-sized greenhouse, situate it in a location that gets the most sunlight. Just make sure that it gets at least six hours of sunlight a day in a south-facing position, if that isn’t possible.

Keep in mind that the temperature of a little greenhouse might fluctuate greatly throughout the summer months, so if you can locate a sunny place, make sure that your greenhouse has adequate ventilation. They need to be near a water supply or you can install irrigation. Your plants will not live without water even if you situate your greenhouse in the sunniest spot.

You should try to locate your mini greenhouse so that it may be seen from your house if you have a large backyard. By keeping them in mind throughout the day, it will be impossible for you to forget about them. You may want to keep your greenhouse out of the reach of youngsters if you have any.

Do Mini Greenhouses Protect Plants from Frost?

Keeping your plants safe from the winter cold may be as simple as setting up a small greenhouse in a corner of your yard. The majority of mini-greenhouses are quite reasonably priced and can be set up in a matter of minutes with relative ease. Keep in mind that strong gusts can easily snatch your greenhouse if you don’t keep it in place.

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A wide variety of mini-greenhouses are available. It’s preferable if you’re just beginning to grow seeds to use a shelf. However, there are also shorter and tent-like compact greenhouses. Putting together and taking down most of these structures is a snap.

How Should You Take Care of a Mini Greenhouse?

Your little greenhouse should be well-cared-for regardless of the model you choose. After each growing season, you should clean your greenhouse with soap and water. This prevents fungal spores, bugs, and bacteria from accumulating.

In addition, make sure to thoroughly clean the pots and containers so that the soil can breathe. Taking care of your mini greenhouse will ensure that you get the most out of your investment, as well as get the benefits of growing plants in an enclosed area.

What Can You Grow in a Mini Greenhouse?

You can grow just about anything in a greenhouse because of its size and growing conditions. Having the ability to regulate the weather and temperature allows you to grow crops that aren’t in season. If you live in a location where it’s difficult to cultivate leafy greens or other plants, you can grow them in your greenhouse. The manual is the greatest place to learn about the ins and outs of your greenhouse.

Is It a Good Idea to Invest in a Mini Greenhouse?

Yes, in a nutshell. You can’t go wrong with a little greenhouse for gardeners and hobbyists.

Planters are sometimes associated with pricey floor-to-ceiling glass, which is incorrect. Glass greenhouses are available, but there are also low-cost options for people who desire a high-quality greenhouse that is also economical.

The following are some of the advantages of purchasing a small greenhouse:

Ideal for beginners

This type of greenhouse is suitable for folks who wish to experiment with greenhouses but aren’t quite ready for the full-blown commitment. Or maybe you’d rather have a smaller, more intimate space to experiment with before investing in a larger one, or both. To save space or for beginners and gardeners who wish to save money, a compact greenhouse is an excellent choice.

Useful for tender plants

Tender perennials require special attention and care. You may protect them from frost, severe heat, and high winds by placing them in a greenhouse. Until April, you can store them indoors. You can begin planting them in your garden when the weather is just right.

Kick-start plant growth and extend the growing season

Another fantastic purpose for a greenhouse is to start plant growth before the cold season arrives.. As a result, you’ll have a longer growth season and a larger crop. Your garden can be ready for planting when the weather warms up and there is no risk of frost.

Once the plants have been harvested and replanted, you’ll be able to reap the benefits sooner. Even more so, you can begin sowing additional seedlings in your greenhouse.

Protection from pests and harsh weather

If your houseplants are in danger of dying, you can give them a second chance by putting them in a small greenhouse. Summer is the ideal season for this type of activity.

As a result, you’ll be able to create an optimal humid environment for plants. Greenhouses make the most of the sun’s rays and the heat it generates. In addition, a greenhouse shields your plants from the elements, including rain, wind, and hazardous insects and creatures.

Placing A Greenhouse In Your Yard

What’s the best spot in your yard for a greenhouse? The type of plant you intend to grow in your greenhouse should be taken into consideration first.

“Will this plant thrive in a colder or a warmer environment?” or “Does this plant require direct sunlight exposure?” As you get to know your plants, you’ll be able to better serve their requirements.

In the case of creating a greenhouse for profit, you’d want to supply all of your greens’ essential necessities in order to ensure a high volume of production.

When deciding where to put your greenhouse, keep the following considerations in mind:

Direction

So, where in your yard could you put a greenhouse? Your plant’s growth can be aided by placing your greenhouse in the north, south, east, or west direction.

How? When it comes to growing crops year-round, facing the ridge of your greenhouse’s roof to the east-west increases light throughout the darker months.

The ridge should run north-south in your greenhouse in the spring and summer so that both sides receive an equal amount of sunlight.

It is ideal to place the lean-to greenhouse facing south on the north side of its supporting wall, so that it gets enough sunshine.

As a result, the direction of the greenhouse would be determined by the season in which it was installed or the type of greenhouse.

A good garden location

When the sun is too harsh, a place where plants can get plenty of sunlight (if that’s what your plant requires) or a shady spot to hide in. In the winter, your greenhouse is protected from strong winds and frost pockets, making it a great placement in the garden.

Because hot air rises, it can cause the bottom of your greenhouse to freeze longer than other areas because cold air goes in the opposite direction.

Due to the lack of sunlight, you should steer clear of locations where the soil is wet or prone to flooding.

It’s a waste of time and money to plant in the ground of your greenhouse if you don’t have a level piece of land. Using compost and grow bags, pots, or raised beds is preferable since you avoid the following mistakes.

Avoid tall trees

Don’t you fear for your greenhouse’s safety if a tree branch falls on it and damages your costly investment? So, where in your yard could you put a greenhouse?

This will only limit your greens’ ability to receive sunlight if the type of plant you’re caring for necessitates a lot of direct sunlight.

And if birds or pollens get trapped outside your greenhouse, you’ll have a lot of extra cleaning to do. It’d be a pain, wouldn’t it?

As long as trees are a reasonable distance away, they can serve as a barrier to protect your plants from wind chill forces while still allowing them to receive adequate sunshine; make sure that the trees aren’t too close to your plants.

A space for your greenhouse to breathe

Consider the area around the greenhouse before designing it. If you want to have access to all sides, leave at least 1 meter of room. Having a room large enough to clean your greenhouse is critical, especially if you need to repair its panels or if green algae begins to bloom, making your greenhouse unclean.

Accessible

To what extent is an area suitable for a greenhouse open to all? When there is a nearby water source or electricity for your heater, that is when you are prepared. You should choose a location that’s handy for you and your plants, and ideally near your home.

Away from naughty neighbours

So a good relationship with your neighbors can bring you peace and harmony, as well as benefit your business!

However, establishing a greenhouse does not necessitate relocating to another country.

A safe distance away from where youngsters play “pass the ball” would be ideal, because you never know what might happen.

When you have a glass greenhouse, children are not allowed to run around; they could trip and fall right into the glass.

As dangerous as it may sound, you’d choose a wooden greenhouse that is sturdy and shatterproof to avoid such accidents.

Catching The Sun

It may sound scary, but choosing a solid, shatterproof wooden greenhouse is the best way to avoid such mishaps.

There are a lot of other things that people put a lot of time and effort into, such as swing sets for the kids, flower gardens, and water features, in their backyards. Having a greenhouse might not be as important to you as it is to others. However, the increased self-sufficiency it provides and the aesthetic appeal it provides are strong arguments in favor of giving it high attention. The decision to build a greenhouse does not have to be a tough one.

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An Attached Greenhouse

Greenhouses can be attached to an existing structure by gardeners. As a result, you may save money by only having to create three walls for your greenhouse, depending on the design. The fourth wall will be built on top of the current structure.

Another benefit of having a greenhouse adjacent is the ease of access. Using a door from the current structure on the side where the greenhouse will be built is an easy way to go in and out of the greenhouse. That manner, there will be no additional framing required to build the greenhouse’s entrance. Both your time and money may be saved as a result.

It’s a good idea to have an attached greenhouse, especially if the wall it’s linked to faces south. The greenhouse won’t get the right quantity of sunshine if that wall is facing the wrong way. As a result, the temperature of your greenhouse in the winter months will be directly influenced by this.

Due of the solid wall on the fourth side, you will only get sunlight from three sides of a “attached” greenhouse. If the greenhouse is joined to an already-existing structure, that makes it less acceptable.

As long as your general yard or property plan includes an attached greenhouse, go ahead and do so. Anything would have been preferable to the alternative of a free-standing greenhouse. Just be aware that it may not receive as much sunlight as it would if it were situated somewhere else.

Why? Because a greenhouse can’t function properly without direct exposure to the sun. The sun will track at a much lower angle in the winter than it does in the summer because it will be at its southernmost point on the horizon. The sun is practically straight overhead during the summer. In the winter, the horizon is substantially lower.

The Freestanding Greenhouse

The freestanding greenhouse, in my opinion, is the superior option. Because every homeowner has a different vision for their backyard, a freestanding greenhouse may not fit into those plans for everyone.

Another thing to keep in mind is that even if you’ve already designed your backyard, a greenhouse does not have to be “intrusive.” The free-standing greenhouse is an excellent example of this.

Freestanding greenhouses come in a variety of shapes and sizes. If you look for greenhouse constructions, you’ll find an almost infinite variety of forms and shapes.

Now that we’ve established that, let’s look at the form. Ideally, I think the shape should be rectangular. Depending on how many plants you intend to keep in it at any one time, you can adjust the height and width accordingly.

If you’re not surprised, I’ve had about 2500 plants in my 8 x 7 greenhouse in the past. Counting them was quite the undertaking because there were so many of them.

Obviously, the seedlings were vertically stacked and shelved to get to that high of a count. I grew hundreds of seedlings and planted a vast garden, so I still had plenty to offer to clients.

My point is that a large greenhouse may not be necessary. In addition, if you have a smaller greenhouse, you may have an easier time deciding where to put it.

Let us return to the subject of form. Rectangular greenhouses should have their longest side facing south, so that sunlight from the sun’s southern path gets to the greenhouse first when it’s daytime.

This means that the greenhouse should be located so that its 10-foot length runs east and west, and its 6-foot width runs north and south. To maximize the amount of heat you get from the sun’s rays, you should place the greenhouses’ southern face (the length) such that the sun can strike it at its most direct angle.

The 6-foot side of the greenhouse will be exposed to the sun if the greenhouse is oriented north-south. Because of this, there will be less exposure to the sun and less heat. During the colder months, you’ll want to crank up the heat.

In order to save money on heating, it’s important to maximize the amount of sunshine that gets into your greenhouse. Maximizing your greenhouse’s southern exposure will reduce your heating costs.

The person’s height is also important. The amount of sunlight that enters the greenhouse depends on whether the roof is a flat surface or a gable. An east-west orientation is particularly more critical for a “gable-roofed” greenhouse. In addition, the more difficult it will be to heat a greenhouse with a high roof (if you want to heat it). Because heat rises, a lower roof will trap more of the interior temperature.

With a “bowed” roof, I believe it will receive more sunlight than a gabled, flat roof. The sun can strike a larger region of the surface. A Quonset-styled building may be the greatest option for you, but you’ll have to decide based on how much space you have in the greenhouse and what style you prefer.

Shaded Locations

If you want to get the most of the available sunlight, it’s obvious that you should put your greenhouse in a sunny area. When the greenhouse is located in a shady area, less sunlight enters the structure, reducing its capacity to heat.

Even in the dead of winter, the tree’s limbs will still provide some shade for the greenhouse. Depending on the size and density of the tree, it may or may not make a difference to the amount of heat created inside.

There will be an inability to generate heat if the trees surrounding your greenhouse are not deciduous, meaning they don’t lose their leaves (like cedar or pine). There should be no trees near the greenhouse because it will be shaded, especially in the winter.

Season Matters

Summer sun travels in a different path than winter sun, as previously indicated. In the dead of winter, the light shines down on us from the south. Because of this, the greenhouse’s location must be taken into consideration. If there are trees to the south of your preferred greenhouse location, your preferred location will be shadowed throughout the winter, when you most need the sun.

It’s fine if the trees are to the north of the greenhouse’s proposed placement. In the winter, the trees should not obstruct the sunlight from entering the greenhouse.

It’s essential that you understand the layout of your property and how the sun moves across it throughout the year. It’s a good idea to keep track of the path the sun takes across your property during the year. No matter how you do it, you should be able to recall the location of the sun on your land at all times, whether you use flags or just your memory.

Zone Matters

I’m writing this to a mostly Northern Hemisphere audience. We’ll now discuss Zones in this context.

For those who live in Zones 2 through 5, winter is a critical time for soaking up the sun. Even if we need a little brightness in the winter, we don’t have to worry about genuine hard freezes in the south. Extreme temperatures do occur, however they are extremely rare in zones 10 and 11.

If you live in the northern hemisphere, the placement of your greenhouse is much more critical. You must utilize every ray of sunlight available to you.

Wind Matters

In addition, wind is a factor to consider. During the winter, the majority of the wind comes from the north.. For the most part, the winter winds will come from the north or northwest, but storms and weather patterns can shift that direction on a regular basis.

As a greenhouse owner, having a row of trees or a building that blocks the winter winds would be beneficial. To do this, you’d need to place your greenhouse to the south of a building (such as a garage or shop) and utilize the structure as a windbreak to protect your greenhouse from the wind.

Although the greenhouse’s plastic (or glass) covering will act as a windbreak, the greenhouse’s inside temperatures may still be lowered by the wind chill effect more than they would be if there were no wind. The greenhouse’s ability to heat itself from the sun will be affected if the wind speed is reduced.

In addition, a location near the equator is the ideal for capturing the sun’s rays. Even if trees would block the greenhouse, it’s an ideal location for it on the southern half of your property.

Using The Greenhouse In Summer

If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to live in a greenhouse, then you’re right. However, a greenhouse can also be used throughout the summer months.

Shade fabric can be used to cover a greenhouse to create a “shade house”. An example of a Shade House would be a building that is covered in a “shading” material (shade cloth). It blocks some of the sun’s rays, yet some still get through the shade cloth.

This is the shade cloth’s rating. It’s graded in terms of “percentages.”” 70 percent shade cloth blocks 70 percent of the sun’s rays, making it ideal for blocking out the sun. The type of shade cloth you’ll need depends on the type of plants you’ll be growing. Your greenhouse placement is still crucial in the summer, if you utilize it as a shade house.

Most vegetable plants thrive in a shadow level of 40-60%. It is possible to grow veggies even in the sweltering southern and southwestern regions by placing shade cloth on a structure.

A greenhouse that can be used both in the winter and in the summer would be ideal, as it would be able to serve both purposes.

However, the cyclical tracking of the sun can provide a problem when it comes to situating the greenhouse. When it’s hot outside, it may function best in a spot with a lot of natural shade, but when it’s cold outside, it may work better in a place with a lot of southern sunlight.

What’s the answer?

Portable Greenhouses

It is vital that the greenhouse be built in the proper area. You can imagine a greenhouse that can be shaded in the summer and full sun in the winter. A greenhouse that can be relocated from season to season would be a huge benefit.

When the seedlings need light and heat in the winter and early spring, you can move it into the sun. During the summer, you can grow delicate plants in it by putting it in a shady location.

As a result, think of it as a “mobile greenhouse.” This, in my opinion, is the perfect compromise. An easy-to-move-around movable greenhouse may be placed in a sunny spot in the winter and relocated in the summer when the weather is more favourable.

Shade cloth may not be necessary in the summer if there are trees nearby. Just take advantage of the tree’s leaves screening the sun’s rays and lowering the temperature in the grow house before it reaches the plant.

This is why I created the Portable Greenhouse, which is now being manufactured all over the world. Literally. Thousands of people throughout the world have received the plans. Those from all around the world have purchased the plans, including people from the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and many other nations.

There is no need to be an expert in construction to put together my Greenhouse. Besides greenhouses, this design can also be applied to animal barns, garden sheds, and even summer “shade houses” if shade fabric is utilized.

I’ve had a number of letters from grandparents who claim to have built their own. and even included a few photos!

I’d like to share some success stories with you, if you don’t mind:

  • Alan, I built a chicken coop with it. A chicken house couldn’t be built any other way for me, because I’m 67 years old. Sincerely, thank you. -Tavia
  • Wow!! Thank you very much for all of your help. In order to build my greenhouse, I am awaiting the end of the snowstorms in my area. It’s a kit I bought online. I’ve decided to sell the kit to someone else, so they can build a similar model to yours. Thank you very much for saving me money that may have been spent on stuff that would quickly wear out. Yours is fantastic. It all makes sense now. Thank you once again. -Meghan
  • Greenhouses are something I sell on my business, but this one really stands out. What a wonderful concept. Thank you for the tip; I’ll put it to good use. -Sam
  • It was a pleasure working with you. You have inspired me to create a glass house of my own in Sydney, Australia. I intend to grow tomatoes year-round using this. A glass house would allow me to have access to a wide variety of year-round edible plants, even in the middle of winter, thanks to our mild environment. A novice like myself can easily use it because of its basic design. Again, I appreciate your ingenuity… Mate, you’re a genious. -Emmanuel

As you can guess, helping these people realize their dream of owning a greenhouse has been a great experience for me, and I am grateful for the success of my Greenhouse Design. The portability, in my opinion, is the key feature. Since it’s possible to shift the greenhouse from season to season, the issue of “location” is somewhat alleviated.

Where to Put a Greenhouse in Your Yard - Krostrade

Check out the design and see whether it’s something you can use. The blueprints cost about $10, and they’ll enable you build a portable greenhouse that’s both elegant and functional for roughly $150. Depending on the cost of materials in your location, it may be a little more expensive, but for the majority of people, it will be around $150.

When it comes to length, I designed my Greenhouse so that it can be built in any length. Its basic structure is made of “Cattle Panels,” which are far more stable than greenhouses built with PVC pipe.

In addition, because it is constructed from cattle panels, it is virtually unaffected by the weather. “Quonset”-style designs allow wind to flow across them. I’ve heard from a lot of people who live in windy locations that it performs quite well. With 65 MPH winds, I’ve had no issues with my “Tie-Downs,” which some people have elected to employ.

In addition, it doesn’t appear to be bothered by snow. When it comes to snowfall, we don’t get much in East Texas, but a lot of people in the north say that the snow just rolls off the ground here. The roof’s solidity is provided by the use of cow panels. At over 200 pounds, I’m able to scale the roof of my own home!

Using this link, you can access my easy to follow Greenhouse plans. You can get a closer look at my greenhouse by clicking here.

It has a vent window and a door that can be opened and closed. The vent window is important because greenhouses can get very hot in full sun. The vent window is opened by an automated mechanism. I get the automatic opener for the vent window here at Amazon. (affiliate hyperlink)

With a vent window and door, it’s equipped with air flow. Because greenhouses can get very hot in full sun, the vent window is essential. Vent windows in my home are opened by an automatic mechanism. Amazon is where I get the vent window’s automatic opener. (affiliated link)

Up to a month after most people have given up on their gardens because of the lack of sunlight, it can help you grow food, flowers, or succulents.

A greenhouse may be an attractive and useful addition to your property, and it can help you learn new gardening and homesteading skills, regardless of whether you use a portable greenhouse or a permanent one. You’ll be the talk of the town among your fellow gardeners.

My Portable Greenhouse building video has been seen more than 2 million times.

Over the course of my YouTube channel, I’ve posted more than 800 videos on a variety of topics related to homesteading and farming in the greenhouse.

Water and electricity may be necessary for your survival. Remember to take all of these things into account when planning where to put your greenhouse. The greenhouse may require additional electric or gas heating, depending on the amount of sunlight it receives. You can utilize the house’s heat to heat some greenhouses if you set them against a window, door, or the basement. Heating your greenhouse in tandem with your home will raise your utility costs but could save you money in the long run.

Final Thoughts on Where to Put a Greenhouse in Your Yard

Whether you’re a novice or an experienced gardener, a mini greenhouse is the ideal solution. If you want to reap the benefits of a greenhouse but don’t want to spend a lot of money, this is a good choice. Choosing a location for a greenhouse in your yard is essential if you want to get the most out of it.