Why A Wooden Amateur Greenhouse Is Ideal For Capturing the Winter Sun
Many gardeners use their greenhouses over the winter, both to protect less hardy plants from the cold weather and the elements and to get a jump-start on spring propagation and planting. Many even grow fresh vegetables so that they can enjoy their home-grown produce whatever the time of year. Gardeners who are considering buying a greenhouse for winter growing should always put a wooden ‘amateur' greenhouse at the top of their list.
The wooden frame itself is an aid to the winter gardener. The insulating properties of the wood mean that the frame can absorb the sun's daytime heat and hold that heat in at night much better than conductive materials like aluminium meaning that any heating bills for your greenhouse are lower. Insulation is still necessary, especially on the north-facing side of the greenhouse and the roof. Bubble wrap or another similarly transparent material can be fixed to the inside of the greenhouse for this purpose. In wooden greenhouses this is a simple matter – gardeners can simply nail the insulation directly to the wooden frame. This is quite apart from all the other benefits of a wood frame, such as sturdiness, attractive presentation and the long life of hardwood frames.
The main benefit of a wooden amateur greenhouse is in the design of its sides. These greenhouses feature a rectangular base and a peaked roof, with sides that slope slightly inwards. The maximum capture of sunlight occurs when the angle of the sun to the sides of the greenhouse is at 90 degrees. During the summer, the power of the sun will likely be higher than greenhouse plants require. However, during the winter, gardeners want to capture as much of that precious light as they can. In the winter, the angle of the sun decreases, compared to summer, so the inward-sloping sides of the ‘amateur' style greenhouse allow for a greater capturing of the sun's rays as they are closer to 90 degrees. In order to maximise winter sun capture, gardeners should position their greenhouse so that the longest side runs east to west.
While a wooden amateur greenhouse can increase the winter sun that a greenhouse captures, it is still important to take other helpful steps such as cleaning the glass thoroughly. Gardeners can use warm soapy water and a sponge to clean the inside and outside of the glazing, making sure that they have removed any build-up close to the frames. This will ensure that the wooden amateur greenhouse can capture the absolute maximum amount of winter sun possible.
Calculating the precise angles needed while ensuring that the greenhouse still has structural integrity and manhandling the heavy materials into position makes DIYing a wooden ‘amateur' greenhouse a tough challenge for the average gardener. Thankfully, greenhouse suppliers such as Alton Greenhouses offer wooden amateur greenhouses in a variety of sizes as well as with various customisable features, so gardeners can easily acquire the perfect wooden amateur greenhouse for their winter gardening needs.
The wooden frame itself is an aid to the winter gardener. The insulating properties of the wood mean that the frame can absorb the sun's daytime heat and hold that heat in at night much better than conductive materials like aluminium meaning that any heating bills for your greenhouse are lower. Insulation is still necessary, especially on the north-facing side of the greenhouse and the roof. Bubble wrap or another similarly transparent material can be fixed to the inside of the greenhouse for this purpose. In wooden greenhouses this is a simple matter – gardeners can simply nail the insulation directly to the wooden frame. This is quite apart from all the other benefits of a wood frame, such as sturdiness, attractive presentation and the long life of hardwood frames.
The main benefit of a wooden amateur greenhouse is in the design of its sides. These greenhouses feature a rectangular base and a peaked roof, with sides that slope slightly inwards. The maximum capture of sunlight occurs when the angle of the sun to the sides of the greenhouse is at 90 degrees. During the summer, the power of the sun will likely be higher than greenhouse plants require. However, during the winter, gardeners want to capture as much of that precious light as they can. In the winter, the angle of the sun decreases, compared to summer, so the inward-sloping sides of the ‘amateur' style greenhouse allow for a greater capturing of the sun's rays as they are closer to 90 degrees. In order to maximise winter sun capture, gardeners should position their greenhouse so that the longest side runs east to west.
While a wooden amateur greenhouse can increase the winter sun that a greenhouse captures, it is still important to take other helpful steps such as cleaning the glass thoroughly. Gardeners can use warm soapy water and a sponge to clean the inside and outside of the glazing, making sure that they have removed any build-up close to the frames. This will ensure that the wooden amateur greenhouse can capture the absolute maximum amount of winter sun possible.
Calculating the precise angles needed while ensuring that the greenhouse still has structural integrity and manhandling the heavy materials into position makes DIYing a wooden ‘amateur' greenhouse a tough challenge for the average gardener. Thankfully, greenhouse suppliers such as Alton Greenhouses offer wooden amateur greenhouses in a variety of sizes as well as with various customisable features, so gardeners can easily acquire the perfect wooden amateur greenhouse for their winter gardening needs.
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