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The Well Organised Greenhouse

3rd November 2020

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Before buying a greenhouse it is worth taking the time to think through how you might go about organising it. There’s not just the greenhouse layout inside but also what goes on around the greenhouse, how you might go about approaching it and what facilities it will offer you as a gardener. There’s a lot to consider and this guide should help you make the most of use of the greenhouse space.

Greenhouse interior layout ideas
A common set up for any greenhouse is to have a complete side of staging. This waist height bench usually sits lower than your average kitchen work surface. When you put pots on top of the staging this essentially raises the working height so when you are pricking out tender seedlings in the Spring you are not having to stoop. It is also advisable to go for a high-level shelf above this. High level greenhouse shelving is commonly used for trays of seedlings. Because this is usually mounted higher up the greenhouse, closer to the roof glass, the temperature here is a little warmer which makes for quicker and better germination. When not in use for germinating seeds the shelving is a useful place for storing any useful tools like your dibber.

On our larger greenhouses the cultivar staging comes with the option of an integral potting tray which is handy for retaining any compost whilst potting up your seeds. The position of this on the staging is variable, so you might choose to have it at the plain end of the greenhouse rather than in the middle say. You can of course choose to furnish the greenhouse with your own potting bench as is the case here.

On an ordinary greenhouse it’s popular to leave one side of the structure open for growing from pots or growbags but the staging on a cultivar greenhouse is designed to fold down. This means if you opt for staging on both sides, you can ensure you have plenty of workspace for your seedling in the early Spring. As Spring gets going and the seedlings take off you can make better use of the greenhouse space by folding down the staging and using the full height of the structure by moving your pots to the ground.

Ventilation
All our greenhouses come with full-length automatic openers along the ridge. These wax filled cylinders require no electricity to function and simply rely on the ambient air temperature for the wax to expand which in turn pushes out a piston and opens the vents. These work in conjunction with low level vents on our greenhouses to create the chimney effect so at the height of summer the greenhouse is well ventilated. The addition of a manual vent along the side of the greenhouse at eaves level or at the plain end might prove invaluable on the very warmest of summer days, you can never have too much ventilation on a greenhouse.

Coldframes
If space allows then you can complete your greenhouse with a side of cold frames. In the Spring, these are used as a halfway house for hardening off tender seedlings in their transition from the greenhouse to the garden. In summer, the cold frames provide a sheltered environment for precious plants whilst in winter a cold frame can be used to offer some protection to some of your less hardy plants.

Water collection
There’s a host of waterbutts on the market and you’ll need to make practical decisions to how much water you want to be able to save as well as where you will want the waterbutt to be positioned. With a cultivar greenhouse it’s possible to collect water from the aluminium guttering and when it is being fitted you can decide the best position for the downpipes which can be adapted to feed into your waterbutt.

What else should you be thinking about when it comes to organising your greenhouse?
Think about the position of the greenhouse on the plot. Ask yourself questions like ‘Will the door be best hinged on the right or left?’ for example. If only opting for one side of shelving, which side is this best placed for you? Will you require greenhouse shading? If budget allows, it is probably best to accessorise your greenhouse from the start.

Finally, with Cultivar you are investing in a beautiful greenhouse so give some thought to how this might feature in your garden. Think about putting a chair in your greenhouse, a place to sit with a cup of tea perhaps and enjoy a view of the garden that you might not otherwise appreciate.