With grocery prices going up at alarming rates and food product recalls increasingly common, many people consider growing their own food. Weather is also changing, making it harder to grow a garden outside. One answer is to add a greenhouse to grow vegetables and flowers for enjoyment. And, while we are thinking of enjoyment, it is legal in more and more states to grow a few marijuana plants.
What Size Greenhouse Do You Want?
What a greenhouse is meant to accomplish may dictate the size the homeowner chooses. Having space for a few vegetables and maybe a few marijuana plants for personal use can be accomplished with a small greenhouse. But, if a person wants to sell part of their crops for income, the greenhouse will need to be larger and more professionally equipped. Having a place to grow plants and also provide a sunroom type of space will have additional requirements for space, ventilation, and so forth.
Sit down and plan what the new greenhouse will be used for before even ordering the building materials. Decide on a realistic budget and where the money will come from. Will you be building this greenhouse, or will you hire a contractor specializing in greenhouses? What crops are you going to grow and will you start with plants or with seeds? If you plan to grow a little marijuana, you can purchase high-quality seeds from HCC.
What crops would you like to grow and in what quantities? Study the plants and their growing needs. When you know what each plant needs, build a greenhouse equipped for success in growing them. Make the greenhouse the size you need to grow those plants. Keep the greenhouse a practical size so you can maintain it and have it look like it belongs on your property.
Is a Greenhouse Addition Affordable?
Will a prefabricated greenhouse work for you? Where on the house can you add a greenhouse? The south side of the home is recommended, but other locations may work. There are good plans for building greenhouses as home additions and reasonably priced prefabbed units to make the process easier. Converting a cement-floored patio into a greenhouse is one possibility. But, pouring cement foundations and building the addition from scratch or a kit is doable for many people.
The available budget may drive the greenhouse design and size. Build a greenhouse that is large enough to be a good addition to the home. Some homeowners build the greenhouse envelope first and add features as money allows. In this case, it is important to have water and electricity as part of the basic project.
When you design your own greenhouse, it can be exactly what you need as far as size and shape. If the greenhouse can be integrated into the house as a lean-to structure, it can add to the living space and the home’s value. The added value will depend on how good the design and installation of the greenhouse is.
Can You Make Money With Greenhouse Crops?
Once the greenhouse is complete, it is time to buy the seeds and plants to grow. These plants will need shelves and containers to grow in, water, light, and nutrients. Airflow and ventilation must be considered. Don’t forget to get the required building permits. Good design is very important.
Once the greenhouse is ready to grow plants, the homeowner can check with their community to be sure that growing a few marijuana plants for personal use and sale is legal and what the limits are. One section can be dedicated to marijuana plants, and the rest can be dedicated to salad greens, vegetables, and herbs for family use and sale.