Green house construction requires a lot of effort. People in Texas prefer to convert their garden sheds into a greenhouse. Reason being the enhancement of gardening capabilities without a need for a brand new structure.
If you’re an experienced gardener looking to extend a season or a novice aiming to experiment with plants, this transformation can save you time, money and effort.
We have compiled a list of eight steps that will help you create a perfect environment to flourish.
The important steps that you must always abide by are assessing the garden shed’s potential, improving ventilation and insulation, enhancing natural lightning, enhancing shelving, implementing an irrigation system, controlling climate, organizing tools and selecting the right plants.
These might be hard to start with. However, their progress can transform your garden shed into a flourishing greenhouse.
Assessing Garden Shed’s Potential.
The first ever step in converting your garden shed into a greenhouse is evaluating its condition and location. You should be considering structural integrity and location. In terms of structural integrity, you should be looking that the shed is structurally sound.
Check for signs of rot, rust and damage that can compromise stability. If you need reinforcements for it. Do integrate them. Make sure you have a large enough shed to accommodate your gardening needs. For that, you can adjust the interior to maximize growing space.
Improve Ventilation and Insulation
It’s Texas right? And the weather won’t be your friend. Ventilation and insulation are crucial in Texas. There are fluctuating temperatures and there can be humidity in your greenhouse.
You need to maintain proper airflow that can regulate temperature in the greenhouse. Preventing overheating and promoting healthy plant growth.
Adding roof vents will allow hot air to escape. It will keep the interior cool. You will add side vents and windows. They will provide cross ventilation, which is essential for maintaining a stable environment.
You can install an exhaust fan as it can pull air out and circulate fresh air.
For insulation, you can install seal gaps. You can use weatherstripping or caulk. It will seal gaps in the shed’s walls and windows to prevent drafts. You can add insulation material. Recommendation is of foam boards that can help maintain a stable temperature especially during colder months.
Enhance Natural Lightning
Natural lightning is the energy of a greenhouse. You need to change your shed’s existing roof. The walls will have some modification as well. You will need to block sunlight. For that, replace roof panels.
You can replace opaque roof panels with transparent materials such as polycarbonate sheets. You can install skylights that can increase light levels. You can remove or modify walls. Replace them with glass or polycarbonate panels to increase light
Enhance Shelving and Planting areas
An organized greenhouses maximizes space and ensures easy access to plants. You must be planning shelving and planting areas based on types of plants, you’re looking to grow and available space.
You must have sturdy shelving. These are adjustable shelves that can hold pots, trays and gardening supplies. You can also have metal or plastic shelves that can resist moisture.
You can have raised beds that can be used for growing vegetables or larger plants directly in the soil. You can have vertical space by hanging baskets for trailing plants.
Implementing an Irrigation System.
Frequent watering of plants is recommended for plants during dry months. This process is called automated irrigation. You can have drip irrigation, soaker hoses and rainwater harvesting for this scenario.
In drip irrigation, you can have water directly given to the plants roots, minimizing waste and ensuring moisture levels. While installing soaker hoses, you lay these planting beds on shelves to water multiple plants at once.
For rainwater harvesting, you can consider a rainwater collection system to capture and use rainwater. This is especially beneficial for drought periods.
Control Climate
A stable greenhouse climate is vital for your transformation. You must be installing climate control systems that will create an environment. In this environment, you must be installing plants that can thrive a year round.
You can have cooling systems by installing sheds or reflective materials to reduce heat. This can help your plants survive during peak summer months. A portable air conditioning unit and evaporative cooler can also be used to cool the greenhouse.
In winter, you install a heater or radiant heating system that can keep your greenhouse warm. Make sure you have a heater with a thermostat to maintain consistent temperature.
For humidity control, use a hygrometer to monitor humidity levels. Adding a humidifier or misting system can maintain the right moisture levels for your plants.
Organize Tools and Supplies
Keeping your greenhouse organized will make your gardening experience more enjoyable and efficient. Designate areas for storing tools, potting soil fertilizers and other gardening essentials.
Tool storage can be adjusted here. Hang tools on shed walls or install a pegboard to keep them within easy reach. Potting benches have to be set up with drawers or shelves for storing small tools, seed packets and other supplies.
Label shelves, bins and containers to keep everything organized and easily accessible.
Select The Right Plants
In the final step of the conversion , choose plants that will survive in your converted greenhouse. You need to consider Texas’s Climate and specific conditions inside your greenhouse when selecting plants.
You can have warm selection vegetables like tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. For cool season vegetables you can have lettuce, spinach and kale.
For ornamental plants, you can have blackfoot daisy or gulf coast that can add beauty to your greenhouse while being well suited to the local climate. You can install herbs like basil, rosemary and thyme.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, converting your garden shed into a greenhouse is a practical and fulfilling project. It allows you to grow plants all year long regardless of weather.
By following the above mentioned steps, you can create an organized greenhouse that caters to Texas’s unique climate providing you with a fresh harvest and beautiful green space to enjoy.
If you’re a seasoned gardener or a beginner, this transformation will enhance your gardening experience and will offer endless opportunities for cultivation.
If you are looking for a contractor to help you with this conversion and you’re a resident in Texas then hire sunview builders. Being an experienced contractor and having full suite solutions can do your work in no time.
We have consultation available for our clients and with good prices, we can sort out a better project for you.