The optimal direction for a greenhouse is east-west to receive balanced sunlight throughout the day. South-facing greenhouses get the most direct sun but can overheat, so add shade cloths as needed. North-facing greenhouses get the least light, so grow only low-light plants. When planning your greenhouse location and direction, consider spacing, tree shade, access, and safety. A greenhouse allows a degree of control over your plants and flowers’ living environment that conventional greenhouses do not provide.
The direction in which a greenhouse should face impacts its visibility and accessibility. In the northern hemisphere, a greenhouse should face south, while in the southern hemisphere, it should face north. For lean-to greenhouses, the best location is along a south-facing wall, whether along the garden or property’s external wall. The sun’s movement from east to west plays a vital role in the placement of a greenhouse, and orienting with its long side facing south maximizes sunlight exposure, especially during the critical shoulder seasons of spring and fall.
When placing your lean-to greenhouse, take stock of how much natural light it will receive. South-facing with ventilation is the way to go, as little will stay in all year but you can keep plants warm at night/winter and make babies year-round. A greenhouse with western exposure is the way to go, but other orientations may work.
For lean-to greenhouses, the best location is south-facing, with the supporting wall on the north side. Avoid tall trees, as they cast shadows on the greenhouse. Lean-to greenhouses that are south-facing could capture too much sunshine and overheat, while a north-facing lean-to may not get sufficient sunlight.
In conclusion, the direction in which a greenhouse should face plays a crucial role in maximizing efficiency and productivity. By considering factors such as spacing, tree shade, access, and safety, you can ensure your greenhouse gets the most out of its potential.
📹 “In What Direction Does Your Lean-to Greenhouse Structure Face?”
STORY Fred has been an avid gardener for over 25+ years–gradually growing and expanding his organic garden, to where it is …
Where to site a lean-to greenhouse?
For optimal spring and summer greenhouse use, a north-south ridge is recommended for equal light distribution. For lean-to greenhouses, a south-facing location with a supporting wall on the north side is ideal. Avoid placing the greenhouse under tall trees as they can reduce sunlight and cause glass to become dirty. Additionally, branches can break off in bad weather or high winds, potentially damaging the glass panes.
Which direction to face a greenhouse?
If a greenhouse cannot face directly south, a southwest or southeast-facing greenhouse is possible. Southeast is preferable as it receives the morning sun, which helps heat up the greenhouse after it has cooled down overnight. The morning sun also helps plants warm up after being stressed and activates photosynthesis. However, caution is advised when choosing a southwest or completely west-facing greenhouse, as the afternoon sun can overheat the greenhouse.
Building a greenhouse without adequate southern exposure is not recommended unless there are limitations in what can be grown. Cool-weather and low-light crops thrive in east-facing greenhouses, while heat-loving crops like tomatoes and peppers thrive in west-facing greenhouses. Supplementing light may be necessary for proper fruiting.
What is the best side of the house for a lean-to greenhouse?
Hobby farmers are recommended to use a Lean-To style greenhouse, which is half a greenhouse built onto the side of another structure. This orientation allows for sunlight from the south and avoids cold winter wind. It requires less wall space, making it easier and less expensive to build than a freestanding structure. Lean-tos are also sturdier against weather events like hurricanes. There are various types of greenhouses, including plastic covered, plastic covered, scissors truss, large greenhouse, greenhouse framing, and hobby greenhouses.
What is the best direction for lean-to greenhouse?
A lean-to greenhouse should be placed along a south-facing wall, either in a garden or on a property’s external wall, to maximize sunlight exposure and protect plants from the elements. Avoid tall trees blocking out sunlight and consider practicality by leaving ample space around the greenhouse’s free walls and being near electricity mains and water taps. If you have children or grandchildren visiting, use an external wall slightly further away from the main garden area to avoid damage to the greenhouse.
What are the disadvantages of lean-to greenhouse?
Lean-to greenhouses have limitations in size and control due to their warmer side next to the main wall. They can be difficult to control temperature. On the other hand, even span greenhouses have two sloping roofs, making them flexible and suitable for large or small spaces. These roofs prevent rainwater or snow accumulation and maintain consistent temperature throughout. Both types offer advantages and disadvantages in terms of growing and temperature control.
Do greenhouses need to be south facing?
Large greenhouses should be facing east-west, with the door at the western end, to fully expose them to the sun from the south, especially during winter when it captures more light. This orientation is best for over-wintering tender plants. North-south-facing greenhouses with doors at the south end benefit from summer sunshine but not the full force of hot midday sun, making them ideal for growing crops like tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers.
How should I lay out my greenhouse?
Typical greenhouse layouts include a shelf for seedlings, full-height plants in the ground bed, and room for potted plants on the paving. A path down the center of the greenhouse provides good access for watering and collecting fruit. Pavers reflect heat back into the growing space and absorb it to keep the temperature up. Another option is a gravel pathway for good drainage.
The layout depends on the desired growth. Plants can grow huge in a greenhouse, so allow plenty of room. If you need maximum height, planting directly into the soil is an option, but the soil will be slightly cooler. Digging over the soil thoroughly and rotating crops is essential. Building a mini raised bed using timber or blocks confines the soil. Growing in bags, tubs, or pots offers more flexibility, as the soil will be slightly warmer and the soil can be easily dumped into compost. Combining both in ground beds and bags/pots works well.
What is the least desirable location for a greenhouse?
The optimal location for a greenhouse is typically on the south or southeast side of a house, in a sunny area that receives the most sun from autumn to winter. If this option is not available, the east side, southwest or west side, or north side is the best option. The greenhouse should be positioned lengthwise from north to south, providing more light and less shade. The location near trees or bushes may result in leaves, sap, and sticky honeydew littering the structure. It is also important to avoid building the structure at the base of a slope, where cold air collects and is prone to frost. Ensure the area is level and well-draining.
What should a greenhouse sit on?
The foundation for a new greenhouse must be constructed in accordance with the specific location and the owner’s preferences. The construction materials that can be used for the base of the greenhouse include slabs, concrete, or bare earth. However, it is recommended that slabs be laid on a level surface, ideally using a sand and cement mixture. In the event that a slabbed or concrete area is already in place, no further action is required. The optimal foundation and base for a square, level greenhouse is a level one.
📹 HOW TO Align your Beds and Greenhouses
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Interested in your opinion. I have gathered ample windows and plan on building a slanted roof greenhouse with a polycarbonate roof. The spot I’m envisioning will be oriented east-west like most would suggest, But I’m wondering instead of slanting the roof south I was thinking north to prolong the panels life. Will be in nearly full sun. Thanks
This might be the best descriptive narrative I have read about this subject: “There are basically three schools of thought with respect to greenhouse orientation; 1) capture the morning sun 2) capture the winter sun 3) orient plant growth instead of the building. For this discussion, let’s assume that you have a rectangular shape in mind for your gardening structure, since it is by far the most common style. Morning sunshine is important to stimulate growth, to remove condensation from leaves, and to get your plants off to a good start each day. This is typically the interest of greenhouse gardeners who focus their efforts on summer vegetables. If this is your interest, my suggestion is to orient your greenhouse in a North and South direction. Such an orientation promotes full capture of the morning sun and allows the sun’s rays to penetrate between your plants as it travels up and over the width of your greenhouse. This orientation assumes that your plantings are in rows oriented perpendicular to the length of the structure. For those with an interest in fall, winter and spring greenhouse gardening, an orientation of the greenhouse in an East to West manner will make more sense. Such an orientation helps capture the sun’s rays that are much lower on the horizon during those times of the year. The third approach to orientation is applicable to the both summer and off-season gardeners, and for those of us who don’t have an ideal location that would allow for our preferred orientation of the gardening structure.
A fact that I find fascinating: In the tropics, the solstices are little-winters when it comes to sunlight, with high summer occurring twice a year around the equinoxes. I use the term ‘around’ very loosely, as the Sun is directly overhead at different times of the season depending on how far from the equator one is and in which direction.
hi Curtis! thanks fox keeping up the good work in your website! glad to learn your book and website are doing so well, must be satisfying to share something valuable with the world. congrats! I heard your open to suggestions for content, I just read an article about SOLE FOOD FARMS in Vancouver, an big urban farm in the inner city providing jobs for poor people and former addicts. Maybe someday you could drop by and interview them, sounds like an amazing project. Best wishes! 🙂 — PS. have fun with the Rhodes!!
Another factor that you may want to consider when choosing the orientation of your non-greenhouse beds is drainage. Surface runoff will mostly occur in the walkways between beds. So, if your plot of land is on a slope, you can orient your beds along the slope to increase drainage. Alternatively, you can orient your beds perpendicular to the slope in order to reduce drainage (and increase water retention). Ultimately, the best orientation would be based on your climate. In an arid climate, you’ll want to increase water retention in the garden. In a very wet/rainy climate, you’ll want to do what you can to help drainage.
Question for anyone to answer, there may be in answer in one of these articles but I must of missed it. What is the minimum size you would recommend for an urban farm plot. I see that Curtis uses mainly 50ft beds, but I want wondering what would be worthwhile width-wise. My partner and I were supposed to be using some rural land for the 2018 season, but circumstances have made us stay in the city, so we are going to see what we can do on urban plots in the area
hey Curtis. in Justin’s latest article you mentioned you pay your two guys really well and you don’t even take a salary from the farm. I’m interested in what does it mean really, cause it seems you spend still a noticable time on the farm and I expect you don’t do that for “free”. you mentioned you’re trying to make sales much more simple and actually all your farm quite simple, I guess this involves the ongoing specialization on the farm. It would be very interesting if you would make a article about these topics. keep up the good work
I disagree. There had to be one I guess. Traditionally, crops in the field were planted north south, so that each plant would get an even amount of sunlight and not end up leaning south, with the most northerly plants doing badly behind row after row of plants shading them. Assuming some space between rows, planting north/south allows an even distribution of sunlight. I have the ends of my polytunnels facing north/south for the same reason, and they don’t have any problems with shading from the gable ends. Even if they did, it would be even shading, either side of the tunnel, in the morning and evening. The shade midday, when it is most important, falls close to the door, where there are no crops. For me, the orientation of the rows should dictate the orientation of the polytunnels, and not the other way around. If the gable ends really create a significant shade, perhaps a different design would help. I use a pair of 6x3m tunnels that have a door one end and top to bottom zips at the other, meaning I can roll that end up, the southern end, out of the way to get maximum sunlight when possible. I’m at 57degrees north, in the Highlands of Scotland, and need every extra lumin I can get, with a brief season and a long winter. If I had my polytunnels the other way round, the northern half would yield significantly less, and be a waste of half a polytunnel IMO.