What is a greenhouse?

A greenhouse is a garden building designed to create a warm, sheltered environment for growing plants. It needs to have walls and a roof that are made from glass which lets sunlight in to naturally heat the space inside. This trapped warmth helps plants to thrives and protects them from cold temperatures, as well as opening the door to grow more exotic plants. Greenhouses can be used to start seeds, grow tender crops and help overwinter plants so they can avoid the chill.

What do greenhouses do?

Greenhouses create a controlled growing environment by trapping solar heat and protecting plants from cold. By keeping temperatures up, plants get a better environment to thrive and through ventilation, can be kept stable. Being able to keep plants warm is especially valuable during colder months and having control over temperature and humidity is crucial for gardeners looking to grow.

What temperature should a greenhouse be?

Most plants grow well between 18–24°C during the day, while a minimum of 2–5°C is usually enough to keep a greenhouse frost-free in winter. In order to keep temperatures in the correct range for your plants you may need to invest in a heater that helps to keep your plants

Why is a greenhouse called a greenhouse?

Despite the old joke that greenhouses aren’t usually green, it’s still an interesting question. Obviously, the name doesn’t refer to the colour, but to the cultivation of greenery in a protected space. Because they can hold heat and keep plants alive throughout winter, their vegetation saving qualities earned them the name greenhouses. They have also been called glasshouses (which is self explanatory) or orangeries (which usually were not painted orange either).