How to Improve a Greenhouse

Greenhouses can be very productive.

Improving a greenhouse can be a major project, or it can be as simple as increasing the amount of maintenance work done on the building. There are many levels of improvement for greenhouses, and each one will make the building more productive and more profitable. A greenhouse is a versatile building with a number of options for its use, including specialty gardens and traditional crop growing. The changes made to a greenhouse are entirely dependent on the owner and what needs to be changed.

Things You'll Need

• Broom
• Mop
• Greenhouse disinfectant
• Staging
• Plants
• Water
• Grow lights
• CFL bulbs

Instructions

Improving Greenhouse Maintenance

1. Remove all plants, staging and other items from the greenhouse so you can clean it. Greenhouse maintenance is the most important part of improving the building.

2. Sweep all dirt, plant debris and organic matter out of the greenhouse and dispose of it.

3. Mop the floor and wash all windows and walls with a garden disinfectant. Garden disinfectants are designed to kill harmful algae, mold and fungi without damaging the environment or plants.

4. Repeat steps one to three at least twice a year to keep the greenhouse well maintained.

Improving the Staging

1. Dispose of any old, rusted or rotted staging. Buy new tables that have watering systems in place. This helps to control the amount of water used in maintaining a greenhouse.

2. Redesign the interior of the greenhouse with your new staging. A new floor layout can dramatically increase the productivity of your plants. Place plants that require a great deal of light closer to the windows.

3. Add new plants to the staging. Replace the growing materials and fertilizer with fresh dirt, peat and organic compost to improve the growing conditions of your greenhouse.

Improving the Lighting

1. Replace all grow lights with new and more efficient grow lights. Grow lights can dramatically extend the growing seasons of your greenhouse.

2. Replace all supplementary lights with compact fluorescent light bulbs. These are more efficient and longer lasting. Using CFL bulbs can reduce the energy use and cost of running a greenhouse.

3. Install shades to cover plants that are susceptible to scorch during the day. Shades can help block some sunlight and reduce the temperature and likelihood of scorched plants.

References

• BBC Gardener's World: Tidy and Clean Your Greenhouse
• Greenhouse Growing: Greenhouse Maintenance
• Greenhouse Growing: Lighting Your Greenhouse

Resources

• Michigan State University: Improving Greenhouse Production Efficiency