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G-Infos
Greenhouse - information
General greenhouse information
1. Greenhouse: Summary of
sizes and designs. |
2. The correct location
for the greenhouse. |
3. A reliable basis to build on:
The correct foundation. |
4. Which type of glazing
is recommendable? |
5. A very important topic:
Ventilation! |
6. Heating a hobby
greenhouse. |
7. The greenhouse as part of
the insurance on contents. |
8. Equipment and accessories.
Everything the greenhouse needs. |
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Avid gardeners,
For many decades, we have been giving buyers and greenhouse buyers many a piece of advice and hints to be able to start their new hobbies successfully.
We have set up the following list to give you detailed information about some questions with regard to greenhouses. When you have purchased your greenhouse, we would be delighted to be your competent supplier for the correct greenhouse accessories.
For many greenhouse owners, some of the hints are nevertheless still of interest.
Best regards from Bielefeld/Germany
Your Hunecke team
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Hunecke accessories, suitable for any greenhouse.
1. Greenhouse: Summary of sizes and designs.
Sizes:
A greenhouse should have a surface of at least 5 m².
8, 10, or even 12 m² are of course more comfortable if plenty of time and space are available.
Allotment gardening associations often have strict regulations. Here you should inform yourself beforehand about the permissible greenhouse sizes.
Designs:
Greenhouses made of aluminum
We always recommend aluminum constructions.
Aluminum greenhouses are of good quality and you will enjoy your greenhouse for your whole life. They are powder-coated and available in various colors or bare aluminum.
Small greenhouses
You would like to cultivate vegetable and herbal seedlings only to be able to reap the crops earlier? In this case, a greenhouse surface of 5 m² should be sufficient. When dealing with small and modest greenhouses, 4 mm hollow-design boards will do if necessary; however, we always recommend a thickness of 6 mm. In the case of plain or simple designs, pay attention to the fact that the boards are no glued together but attached by means of glazing clamps. This will make a later replacement easier.
Aluminum without special coatings will be sufficient for the framework.
Even in the case of a small greenhouse, you should not do without sufficient roof vents (at least two) equipped with automatic openers. On the contrary – the smaller the space, the faster the air will heat up and accumulate.
Lean-to-greenhouses
Similar to a conservatory, the lean-to-greenhouses is built close to the wall of a building and is especially suitable for narrow gardens.
Lean-to-greenhouses have many advantages:
White building walls do excellently reflect light and walls made of stone accumulate heat and dissipate it again during the night. The water and electric power supply is easier to realize than with a greenhouse at the far end of the garden.
Lean-to-greenhouses often have higher vertical walls and therefore a larger air volume compared to the floor surface than other models. Good ventilation is nevertheless indispensable. Since there is only one roof pitch, louvers – apart from roof vents – have to be additionally integrated into the sidewalls to ensure the air exchange.
Lean-to-greenhouses often profit as well from the heat inside the house. They can be kept free of frost for a short time by opening the windows of the living space.
Victorian greenhouses
Greenhouses in the Victorian style look very good but cost quite some money.
In order to be worthwhile, it should have a floor surface of at least 10 to 12 m².
You cannot build this type of greenhouse all by yourself but you need the help of fitters.
In addition, the knee-high or waist-high brick-built foundation is a typical feature of these greenhouses and is built at least 50 cm into the ground.
2. The correct location for the greenhouse.
As a rule, the location of the greenhouse should be chosen in such a way to ensure the greatest incidence of light. In addition, take into account that the shade of tress or houses will not fall onto the greenhouse. If the greenhouse is predominantly to be used during the summer, it should be raised in north-south direction. If you want to use it also during the winter, we recommend building it in east-west direction because of the more favorable exposure to light.
3. Reliable basics to build on: The correct foundation.
Heated greenhouses require a solid foundation. For many years, embedded concrete foundations – 50 to 80 cm deep – or brick-built footings were considered indispensable to protect the earth down to the depth of frost penetration against the environment.
These walls, however, are difficult to remove again whenever the greenhouse has to be moved somewhere else. In addition, the biological soil activity of such a ‘high-security gardening wing’ decreases with time if the soil is not permanently revitalized with compost.
In the case of common hobby greenhouses, you should prefer a foundation made of commercial-grade 50 x 50 cm (concrete) pavers. The ready-made foundation frames, which are offered to accompany the standard equipment of many greenhouses, are installed onto these pavers.
4. Which type of glazing is recommendable?
Hollow-design boards (also called hollow sheets or twin-wall hollow sheets) made of polycarbonate (PC) should be preferred to glass:
The resistance to tensile stress of hollow-design boards is 200 times higher than glass and the insulation is better. A board thickness of 6 mm is definitely sufficient. The largest part of the cold penetrates the greenhouse via the aluminum profiles, via the soil, or via leakages – even 16 mm hollow-design boards would not be of much help. When buying a greenhouse, please pay attention to a “long-life coating” that is protected against yellowing and embrittlement.
5. A very important topic: Ventilation!
Plants in the greenhouse need regular air exchange for healthy growth. Several roof vents combined with louver windows should definitely be installed or foreseen for retrofitting. Thus, the air can leave via the roof and penetrate via the louvers.
6. Heating a greenhouse
If your tub plants shall spend the winter in the greenhouse, it must be frost-free even during cold nights. An electrical finned tubular heater is sufficient for a small greenhouse; in the case of larger greenhouses exceeding 7.5 m², an electrical recirculation system will ensure the required heat. The necessary power supply line should nonetheless be installed in any greenhouse. The greenhouse heating system will be activated by means of a thermostat with temperature sensor at the correct moment.
Propane gas heating constitutes an alternative solution. Modern appliances with catalyst burner have an efficiency of approx. 99 % and could be worth considering. However, electrical recirculation heating systems are easier to handle and more economical since they ensure an all-round heating.
Practical hint: During the winter, separate the unused areas in the greenhouse with bubble insulating film. Thus, you need to heat only the important area.
Most of the time, you do not need a greenhouse to give priority to specific plants and to be able to harvest even in the late autumn season. A bubble insulating film which you install at the end of October and which you remove at the end of April/at the beginning of May will be sufficient. If you like to be on the safe side, buy yourself a recirculating air heating with thermostat as frost controller. Thus, you can get through the critical spring and autumn time.
7. The greenhouse as part of the insurance on contents
The climate change should be taken into consideration – it is of paramount importance to insure the greenhouse. Most of the time, the greenhouse is insured as part of the insurance on contents. Call your insurance agent to clear the facts. Important information.
8. Equipment and accessories. Everything the greenhouse needs.
For product information, please click on the corresponding product name in the photo.
With the correct accessories, you regulate the essential factors for an optimum plant growth in your greenhouse:
The correct light, controlled ventilation, specific irrigation and an energy-saving heating.
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