Everyone knows that a greenhouse is used to grow plants. But do you know how the greenhouse works and what you need to consider?
A small greenhouse makes work easier for hobby gardeners. Plants can be housed there all year round, growing young plants is child's play and even tropical plants now feel at home in your garden. In principle, small greenhouses in hobby gardens are no different from professional greenhouses in garden centers or tree nurseries. When we enter a greenhouse, it quickly becomes clear that there is a very special climate here. Learn more about how greenhouses work below.
How does a small greenhouse work?
Surely the term greenhouse effect means something to you. In principle, nothing else happens in the small greenhouse than on the large global climate stage. Heat builds up in the greenhouse when the sunlight falls on the transparent coverings, penetrates them and the interior of your small greenhouse begins to heat up. The earth and the plants themselves also give off heat. This heat is prevented from escaping by covering the greenhouse.
No matter which model you choose, the way the greenhouse works is always the same. The energy emitted by the sunlight penetrates through the cover, regardless of whether it is made of glass, plastic or foil. The light is converted into heat there and remains in the greenhouse, but for different lengths of time.
Factors favoring the escape of heat:
- leaky roofing
- frequent airing
- Soil conditions
» Tip: Greenhouses work in a similar way to a solar collector. Even in unheated small greenhouses it is always warmer than outdoors.
Where to place the greenhouse?
The location of the small greenhouse is important so that the energy concept just described can be implemented and sufficient sunlight reaches the greenhouse. Plan exactly where you want to set up the greenhouse, so that all the prerequisites for heat exchange are met, but the small greenhouse is also harmoniousinto the garden.
If you are aiming for year-round use, the greenhouse should be placed as close to the house as possible. Because nobody wants to trudge through meters of snow in winter to check on things in the greenhouse. If greenhouses are supplied with heat from the house, it is also advisable to set them up close to the house so that not too much energy is lost.
The greenhouse should be shaded as little as possible. Therefore, installation under trees, roofs or walls is not recommended. However, if you only cultivate shade plants, it can make sense to set up the greenhouse under a treetop.
» Tip: Freestanding greenhouses placed in an east-west direction let in more light than small greenhouses placed in a north-south direction.
What types of greenhouses are there?
While closed systems with an independent microclimate are rarely achieved in domestic small greenhouses, the following distinctions can be made - depending on the average temperatures prevailing inside:
- Cold houses - temperatures are below 12 degrees
- tempered greenhouses - temperatures are between 12 and 18 degrees
- Warm houses - temperatures are over 18 degrees
As already mentioned, small greenhouses are also suitable for implementing the greenhouse effect and thus enable the hobby gardener to garden efficiently, even all year round if desired.
If the energy concept is successfully implemented, the following can be achieved in the small greenhouse:
- Overwinter plants
- Grow Plants
- Plants extend their flowering time
- Housing exotic and heat-loving plants
The trade offers a whole range of small greenhouses. The differences lie in the size, shape and material used for the covering.
The ventilation must not be forgotten
You may now be skeptical and think that if I ventilate, I will lose the greenhouse effect. But don't worry, you won't harm your plants with occasional airing, on the contrary, because in hot summers the heat can quickly become too much for the plants. If the greenhouse is not ventilated, even heat-loving plants will suffer
Excessively high temperatures and excessive humidity, measurable with an infrared thermometer, can be regulated if the room is ventilated in a targeted manner. In classicIn glass greenhouses, the roof hatches can be tilted. Ventilation openings in the side walls also ensure appropriate ventilation.
To support the energy concept in the small greenhouse, mechanical ventilation measures can also be used. This includes electric fans as well as fans and windows that open automatically when a certain temperature is reached in the greenhouse.
Consciously implementing the energy concept in the greenhouse
How the energy concept can ultimately be implemented in the greenhouse depends on the construction of the greenhouse and the materials used. How well the greenhouse is insulated and covered is ultimately decisive for how quickly the higher ambient temperatures caused by the sun's effect in the greenhouse are released to the environment without the sun's effect.
The energy concept described can be implemented particularly efficiently with an earth greenhouse. Since ground greenhouses are embedded up to one meter into the ground, there is optimal protection in both cold and heat. The idea of the earth greenhouse originally comes from South America. In the mountains of Bolivia, for example, people use it to extend the harvest season.
The floor of terrestrial greenhouses is made up of different layers. In the lower area there is gravel and stones, then manure and straw follow, above which the hobby gardener puts a layer of compost and humus. The roof is oriented at a certain angle and faces south, so that the sun's rays, which are flat in the sky in winter, hit the roof directly and vertically. It is not uncommon for harvesting to continue well into winter in the terrestrial greenhouse, because terrestrial greenhouses use geothermal energy in addition to solar energy.