Greenhouse Kits
† Sunday, January 10th, 2010Establishing and using a home greenhouse is an excellent way to save money on food, follow a healthier and more nutritious diet, save energy, and benefit the environment as well. But greenhouses don’t grow on trees – they have to be built. We don’t all have a professional builder in the family, or the budget to hire a specialist.
This is where greenhouse kits come in handy. If you aren’t looking for elaborate design but you need a basic and simple greenhouse for home use, this is a great way to get started without a large investment of money or time.
Greenhouse kits vary widely in cost and design. A simple and economical variety can be found for under $40.00 or $50.00. This small structure might consist of nothing more than a two-foot square tent of fabric where you can house a few plants and extend their growing season.
In a similar price range, you can also find a basic enclosure system for a greenhouse, which will provide a framework and support which can then be covered in the material of your choice.
Moving up the line, you can find larger setups for anywhere between $400 and $900, which would include either glass or fabric walls, and provide sufficient space to grow a full sets of or other plants. Larege greenhouses, from 10 to 20 square feet in size, can cost a few thousand dollars. But this might still be far simpler than building the entire structure from scratch.
Once you’ve found and purchased a greenhouse kit, you will need to assemble it yourself. (It is, after all, a kit.) But you will have step-by-step instructions, and all the parts you need, sized to fit, and previously tested by the manufacturers.
While setting up a greenhouse does require an investment of money and time, you should be able to gradually recoup your investment, providing that you actually utilize your greenhouse. The amount of money that can be saved by growing one’s own food can be seriously underestimated – particularly where large families are concerned.
Growing food inside a greenhouse can be invigorating, fun, and educational. It can make it possible for you to grow foods at all times of the year, instead of being limited to certain seasons. Going out and buying gardening equipment and seeds can be quite frustrating when you get so busy with work that by the time you’re ready to work on your garden, it’s too late in the year.
A greenhouse can give you the extra leeway you need, and make it possible to have fresh home-grown vegetables year-round. It might also make it possible for you to grow the plants which normally wouldn’t grow in your region at all. Such as – who knows, jalapenos in Maine?
About the author: Megan Barlow helps others understand how they can live cleaner and more environmentally-friendly lives by using green living techniques. For more information, visit her blogs on Environmentally Friendly Building and Green Living at Home.
Original Article: About Greenhouse Kits