Growing warm weather vegetables in colder climates requires protection for the plants. Plants like tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and many others need warm growing conditions, but we can grow these plants if we manage temperature changes, avoid frosts, freezing and extremes in heat and allow sufficient sunlight to reach the plants. Greenhouses that are designed to work in colder climates need to be able to both retain heat and vent heat. This balancing act is more difficult in smaller greenhouses because the smaller air volume means that temperatures fluctuate rapidly. This means that automated systems and those that temper the greenhouse environment are essential elements for small greenhouses.
Automatic vent openers, automatic watering systems and heat sinks that both store and release heat over a 24 hour cycle are the types of mechanical systems that work well in colder climates.
Glazing needs to be able to reduce heat loss yet allow much of the energy from the sun to reach the plants in the greenhouse. Tomatoes are sun loving and need a lot of sunlight to ripen. The north face of the greenhouse should be solid and insulated to minimize heat loss. Air movement should be kept to a minimum buy ensuring all doors, vents and seams are as air tight as possible.
Beds in the greenhouse should be raised and designed to promote early season warming of the soil. Using the heat that is generated during a sunny day to warm the soil both reduces cost of heating the greenhouse and soil and maximizes the nearly season warming of the soil.
Cold climate greenhouses should contain these features.
Automatic vent openers, automatic watering systems and heat sinks that both store and release heat over a 24 hour cycle are the types of mechanical systems that work well in colder climates.
Glazing needs to be able to reduce heat loss yet allow much of the energy from the sun to reach the plants in the greenhouse. Tomatoes are sun loving and need a lot of sunlight to ripen. The north face of the greenhouse should be solid and insulated to minimize heat loss. Air movement should be kept to a minimum buy ensuring all doors, vents and seams are as air tight as possible.
Beds in the greenhouse should be raised and designed to promote early season warming of the soil. Using the heat that is generated during a sunny day to warm the soil both reduces cost of heating the greenhouse and soil and maximizes the nearly season warming of the soil.
Cold climate greenhouses should contain these features.