Are you considering a custom greenhouse but unsure what maintenance is required?
Custom greenhouses are fun, architectural additions to prolong your growing season, experiment with new edibles to spice up your recipes, and are beautiful both inside and out. As spring quickly approaches, now is the time to start doing maintenance checks so we thought we would share a few tips to keep your greenhouse in tip-top shape.
Structure Maintenance For Wood Greenhouses
Routine maintenance checks are crucial for the longevity of any structure, just like the type of wood you choose to make up your greenhouse. Consider woods with great rot and weather-resistant properties such as Sapele Mahogany.
As the seasons change, each climate affects the wood differently. We recommend a minimum of twice a year to conduct a maintenance check – once at the beginning of Spring and again around mid to late Fall. Start by carefully looking over the frame and base to see if there are any chips in the paint, damage to the wood, leaks or any other problem that would require fixing. This quick semi-annual check will help to catch any potential issues early to avoid costly damages!
It is important, especially before a hot summer, to make sure you have proper ventilation and air circulation to reduce the formation of dampness and mold. Then, before winter hits, make sure to install a proper vapor barrier to keep humidity from building up due to the lack of ventilation that typically occurs during the winter months because the doors and windows are shut to keep the heat inside. For a fully controlled greenhouse environment to help with this, consider adding greenhouse systems.
Glass Maintenance For Custom Greenhouses
One of the most common maintenance questions we are asked is how to clean the roof glass.
People are often surprised roof glass does not need a lot of attention as rainwater helps in the day-to-day cleaning and clearing of items off the glass. About 2-4 times a year we recommend getting up on the roof to do a good cleaning depending on whether you see build-up on the glass. The roof glass is strong enough to support additional weight to lean on which makes it easier to do yourself, or you could hire a company to clean it for you.
Interior Upgrades For Custom Greenhouses
A common issue for greenhouses in the winter is managing the low humidity to avoid distressed plants susceptible to dry-climate-loving pests like spider mites. Use a humidity meter, a hygrometer, to monitor how dry the air is. According to our friend and horticulturist, Dea Schofield, “Even cacti and succulents need a little misting to be at their best. Also, just keeping debris swept up deprives pests of a place to hide out.,”. Now is also the time for pruning and repotting plants not in bloom. Dea recommends interior upgrades such as venting, interior water supply (a hose and spigot), proper drainage, humidity control with a misting system, fans, heating, or heat mats for growing food plants.
Recommended Plants to Grow in Greenhouses
In speaking with Dea about what plants we should consider planting this year, here is what she recommends:
“Annual and perennial herbs like basil, cilantro, dill, chives, thyme, rosemary (medium shrub) bay (shrub/tree that makes a beautiful accent in a greenhouse), tarragon as great to have on hand. Also starting tomatoes, peppers, okra, and aubergine is great right now. In fact, if the greenhouse is warm, those can be grown throughout winter with the right care. It’s also the time to start your cucurbit vines for planting outside later: pumpkins, watermelon, squash, zucchini. Cool-season crops like brassicas–cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, sprouts–should have been started earlier, but worth a try. You can also start quick-growing lettuces and field greens, which do quite well in a greenhouse as long as they have the correct care.”