If you’re a dedicated gardener, you may have asked yourself this question already—are the long-term benefits of having a greenhouse significant enough to make the investment worthwhile? In this guide, we’ll look at the key greenhouse benefits to help you make an informed decision. Let’s get right down to business!
Having your own greenhouse offers quite a few advantages. If you are someone who’s passionate about gardening, you can use a greenhouse to make gardening an all-year-long hobby.
But even if you’re new to gardening you can still get a lot out of a greenhouse, and we don’t mean just happy flowers and organic vegetables. Here’s what we mean.
Top Greenhouse Benefits
Should you or should you not have a greenhouse? If the following benefits are important for you, then buying or building a greenhouse will prove a sound investment.
These are what we feel are the most important greenhouse benefits, the ones which can really inspire you to create a greenhouse.
1. Longer Growing Season
Cool weather won’t affect the plants in your greenhouse so you can benefit from an extended growing season. That means you can grow more plants than you do now.
At the same time, a greenhouse can give your plants the boost they need to produce more beautiful blooms. Or, in the case of vegetables, a bigger crop.
Don’t forget that a lot of the food in supermarkets comes from commercial greenhouses, which these days have become very important for farmers around the world.
Tip: If you invest in a greenhouse heating system, there’s nothing to stop you from cultivating strawberries in the middle of winter.
2. No Worries About the Weather
Another one of the major greenhouse benefits is that with a greenhouse, you don’t have to worry if it’s going to be a good summer or a bad one. You’re really not at the mercy of the weather.
Even if it’s a particularly wet summer and the gardens around you turn into mud pools, the plants in your garden will be safe.
When you count greenhouse benefits, peace of mind is one of them, and it’s something that can make gardening for you even more pleasant than it is now.
Tip: A greenhouse is not just for planting. You could also build a special compartment inside your greenhouse and use it for storing your gardening tools all in one place.
A greenhouse allows you to grow all your favorite plants without having to worry about changes in weather.
Given the often unpredictable weather patterns we’ve seen in recent years, a greenhouse could really make your life as a gardener much easier.
This means despite extreme temperatures, winter frost, heavy rains, or long droughts, your plants can enjoy protection all-year-long.
3. Broaden Your Horizons
With a greenhouse, your plant options are not limited to only ornamentals. Do you love fruits and vegetables? Plant some!
Do you adore the scent of fresh flowers? You can plant as many as you like. Or at least as many as your greenhouse space will allow.
Important: Having a greenhouse allows you to grow plants that are not suited for the weather conditions in your area.
As the owner of a greenhouse, you can use it for virtually all purposes you have in mind. For example, you can grow organic vegetables, bulb plants, ornamental plants, and even make seedlings and sell them for profit.
You could also mix and match and divide your plots to grow different breeds simultaneously.
If you have a greenhouse equipped with a temperature and humidity control system, you can transform your greenhouse into a tropical paradise with luxuriant vegetation no matter where you live.
Tip: Size matters. If you really want to broaden your horizons as a gardener, invest in a spacious greenhouse even if it’s going to take a while before you fill all of it up with plants.
4. Grow Your Own Food
Some people just want beautiful plants in their greenhouses, but others rely on them to have a constant supply of fresh organic fruit and vegetables for their families and lower their grocery bills.
With a greenhouse, growing your own food takes a new dimension. If right now you have only a small vegetable patch, a greenhouse is going to be a big step up.
You’ll be able to grow multiple types of vegetables all at once and increase the healthy servings of veggies you put on the table.
And you’ll be able to do this without worrying that a hailstorm or drought will ruin your crop.
5. Increase Your Production
A greenhouse allows you to cultivate all sorts of plants all year round and get bigger crops as the warm temperatures inside will accelerate growth.
You can create the perfect growing environment for any type of plant and maximize crops.
Optimizing production is one of the key greenhouse benefits that can inspire you to build a greenhouse.
But if this is your aim, keep in mind that the greenhouse design you choose can impact growth rate and yields.
In other words, you may have to invest more in temperature control and insulation than a gardener whose sole purpose in creating a greenhouse is weather protection.
6. Grow Pesticide-Free Crops
This is a big one. A greenhouse is an enclosed protected space which means you won’t have to use dangerous chemicals to protect your plants. Your family can enjoy safe food!
Being able to control every aspect of the growing process while at the same time having pest protection is one of the biggest greenhouse benefits around.
Important: With a greenhouse, you could save money in the long run. That’s because you could grow organic vegetables and fruits at a lower cost than buying them in the supermarket.
This may not be achievable in the first year, but it’s definitely possible in the long term.
7. Fewer Problems with Pests
Many gardeners wage long exhausting wars against squirrels or moles who like to raid their plots. But there’s no way these pests can get to the plants in your greenhouse.
Smaller pests, like rats, are sneaky enemies but you can easily protect your plants against them by using traps or screens to keep them at bay.
In most cases, pests like spider mites, caterpillars, and others cause more serious problems to your greens even before they mature.
With a greenhouse, you can keep these pesky insects at bay with less effort on your part. Meanwhile, your plants can grow as they should or until they are ready for harvesting.
Important: Better pest control is one of the top greenhouse benefits hands down.
8. Eco-Friendly Gardening
You can easily control the water needs of the plants in your greenhouse which allows you to save water.
At the same time, a greenhouse works by harnessing solar energy to grow more produce than a traditional garden.
In a greenhouse, solar energy provides light as well as heat, resulting in an environment that doesn’t just promote plant growth, but does it in a sustainable way.
What’s more, you can use growing systems to maximize the nutrient intake for each plant in order to use existing resources in the most efficient way possible.
At the end of the day, sustainability is one of the most important greenhouse benefits and one which, given what’s happening to our planet, we shouldn’t ignore.
Tip: A greenhouse creates a sheltered environment that’s great for hydroponics or aeroponics.
9. Portable and Customizable Garden
Greenhouse structures are easy to assemble so you can move them around your property or customize them to meet the specific needs of the plants you want to grow.
If you want to cultivate plants that need a particular micro-climate, you can upgrade your greenhouse to provide those specific conditions.
Important: The almost complete control you have over the growth process allows for very fine adjustments that may not otherwise be possible in a garden.
That’s something that can prove very useful especially if you plan on growing plants that are sensitive or have very specific growth requirements.
10. Stress Relief All-Year Round
Many people take up gardening as a way to relieve stress and fill themselves with positive energy.
With a greenhouse of your own, you can combat the winter blues and keep up your spirits, not to mention that gardening is as good as a full workout to keep you in shape.
If you like to stay in good shape but don’t live near a gym or don’t like the gym atmosphere, a greenhouse can prove to be an inspired alternative.
11. Save Hundreds of Bucks in the Long Run
When you love plants so much, it’s very easy to spend a fortune buying grown-for-you flowers or ornamentals in pots on a regular basis.
Important: Once you have your own greenhouse, you can save a great deal of money since all you need to buy are seeds or seedlings that you can plant whenever you like.
You could also grow as many fruits and vegetables as you like so you can harvest them right from your own backyard when you need them.
Not to mention that fresh, healthy plants are also great gifts for your loved ones!
The bottom line: In the long run, creating a sheltered indoor space for plants can help you save money. It’s one of the greenhouse benefits you shouldn’t disregard.
12. Turn Gardening from a Hobby Into a Passion
Last but definitely not least, a greenhouse creates a good environment not just for plants but for your own skills as a gardener to develop and thrive.
Creating and maintaining a greenhouse is a process that requires time and that is bound to develop your gardening skills. It will help you understand plants better and teach you how to better care for them.
The last of the greenhouse benefits on our list could prove to be the most important.
That’s because it can give you that final nudge you need to devote more time and more energy to gardening and, in the process, make you a better, wiser gardener.
Best Greenhouse Kits to Get Started
Getting a greenhouse up and running requires a lot of sweat and tears, especially when you’re new to greenhouses. However, there’s no need to worry because luckily there is a simple solution to building a greenhouse much faster…
And that is purchasing a greenhouse kit!
Some of these greenhouse kits have technology that allows you to set up your greenhouse in seconds whereas others need to be assembled via an instruction manual or video. Whatever fits your needs and time best, there’s a greenhouse that’s made for you!
Here we have selected the best greenhouse kits currently on the market with in-depth reviews and descriptions to find the one that’s right for you.
Greenhouse FAQ: Gardeners Ask, We Answer
We hear lots of questions about greenhouses from both new gardeners and seasoned ones. Here are our answers to some of the most common questions gardeners ask about greenhouses.
What is the purpose of having a greenhouse?
The whole point of having a greenhouse is to be able to grow whatever you want in a controlled environment, protected from the elements. The most important of all greenhouse benefits is the luxury of having fresh flowers, fruit, or vegetables all-year-round without fearing that a bad spell of weather will ruin your hard work.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a greenhouse?
One of the top greenhouse benefits is that it makes gardening much easier. You don’t have to worry about the weather or various pests destroying your plants and you don’t need to use pesticides. The only disadvantage is the initial investment you will have to make. But you can save on your grocery bill when you have fresh vegetables in your greenhouse.
Is a greenhouse worth it?
Long-term greenhouse benefits are hard to ignore. You can grow your favorite plants, have some fresh fruit and vegetables on the table and, above all, enjoy gardening all year round. No more spending those long miserable winter days indoors when you have a nice warm green right next to your house.
Do plants grow better in a greenhouse?
Plants grow better in a greenhouse because they get all the sun they need while being protected from the elements. A hard rain won’t ruin anything in your greenhouse and you can easily control pest infestations. You can also control the temperature and use water and other resources more effectively.
Greenhouses: A Great Way to Go Green
Passion aside, having a greenhouse to grow some food or simply to cultivate beautiful plants is a responsible climate-minded life choice.
Using the full power of the sun to extend the growing season and cultivating oxygen-producing plants are simple ways to help preserve the planet and minimizing gardening-related waste.
And you can enjoy your hobby even in winter. What better way to spend a cold day than gardening for a couple of hours inside a warm greenhouse full of colors?
As we’ve seen in this article, there are lots of other greenhouse benefits you’ll get on top of all that.
So it really isn’t an overstatement to say that a greenhouse can be one of the best investments you can make as a gardener.
We hope you enjoyed this article.
Do you have a greenhouse or intend to create one?
Drop us a comment and tell us all about them! Or contact us if that’s easier for you. Either way, we’d love to hear about your greenhouse experiences.
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