Greenhouses come in all shapes and sizes to suit various needs. For homeowners and hobbyists, a greenhouse lets you nurture plants and start seeds much earlier than outside. Industrial ones are for larger operations that want to produce crops in large quantities to gain profits. No matter the scale, greenhouses are versatile and promising investments for your operation.
But whether you’re nurturing a small herb garden in your backyard or managing acres of commercial crops, it’s important to choose the right type of greenhouse. Today, we’ll explore two main categories of greenhouses: homeowner and industrial greenhouses. Each type comes with its own types and considerations.
Let’s jump in and discover which greenhouse type is the perfect fit for your needs!
Homeowner Greenhouses
Homeowner greenhouses are designed with the needs of hobbyists and small-scale gardeners in mind. This often makes them versatile, accessible, and quite charming.
A homeowner greenhouse offers more than just a space to grow your plants; it’s an opportunity to create your own little green ecosystem. You can grow vegetables to feed your family, cultivate exotic plants, or simply enjoy the therapeutic benefits of gardening. A greenhouse allows you to do it all, even in the dead of winter.
These greenhouses are often more aesthetically pleasing, easier to maintain, and less complicated than industrial greenhouses. Some are even customizable, so you can build the structure to fit your specific needs and preferences.
Homeowner greenhouses provide a controlled environment where you can nurture plants throughout the year. So, they are a fantastic way to elevate your gardening game.
Lean-to Greenhouse
The lean-to is one of the most popular styles of greenhouse for homeowners with limited space. As the name suggests, a lean-to greenhouse “leans” against the south-facing wall of a home and shares its roofline. This design is perfect for homeowners who want a greenhouse but have limited space or those who want the convenience of easy access from their homes.
The greenhouse usually has a sloped roof that angles away from the attached building so that rainwater can flow off easily. This also allows it to maximize sunlight exposure. Since lean-to greenhouses share a wall, the wall supports it to reduce the cost and complexity of the structure.
Constructing a lean-to is relatively simple and inexpensive. The wall of the house acts as one side, so you only need to frame the remaining three sides with framing materials like wood or plastic pipes. Lean-tos also add some charm and character to your home.
Freestanding Greenhouse
For gardeners with more space to spare, a freestanding greenhouse will do the job. This greenhouse is the image that comes to your mind when you think of a traditional greenhouse—a separate structure nestled in your garden, surrounded by plants, and bathed in sunlight.
A freestanding greenhouse is designed to be independent, so it doesn’t need any other structure for support. And it can be placed anywhere in your garden. Unlike a lean-to greenhouse, which attaches to an existing building, a freestanding greenhouse stands alone, so you have complete control over where it is placed.
This greenhouse is the best option for homeowners who want enough space and flexibility to grow their gardens. Because it’s not attached to a building, you can place it in the sunniest part of your garden to ensure your plants receive the maximum amount of light throughout the day. It also allows for proper ventilation.
Geodesic Dome Greenhouse
A geodesic dome greenhouse is a fascinating and innovative design for homeowners who want to create a unique and efficient growing space. It has a unique dome shape, so this greenhouse is visually appealing for your garden and is a practical and energy-efficient structure.
The geodesic dome design is based on the geodesic principles developed by architect R. Buckminster Fuller. These principles involve interlocking triangles to form a spherical structure, making the greenhouse designs stronger and lighter. As a result, the greenhouse is very stable and resilient and can withstand harsh weather conditions.
The dome shape also allows for maximum exposure to sunlight and proper ventilation. Although it may require a lot of time and resources to build, investing in this greenhouse has many rewards.
Hoophouse Greenhouse
Whether you’re just starting your garden or an experienced green thumb, a hoop house greenhouse is a practical way to grow various plants throughout the year. This greenhouse is a semi-cylindrical structure made from metal or PVC hoops covered with a durable plastic film.
The design is pretty straightforward. The hoops form the skeleton of the structure, and the plastic sheeting acts as the skin that traps heat and protects plants from harsh weather conditions. The result is a tunnel-like greenhouse that is lightweight and easy to assemble.
The hoop house greenhouse is versatile and can be made to fit gardens of all sizes. It’s also affordable and easy to construct. Unlike more permanent greenhouses, hoop houses are portable. So, if you want to relocate your garden or change its setup, you can disassemble the hoop house and move it to a new spot with little effort.
Industrial Greenhouses
Industrial greenhouses are like agricultural powerhouses. They are specifically designed to produce crops consistently in large quantities for commercial purposes. Unlike homeowner greenhouses, which are used by small-scale gardeners, industrial greenhouses are larger and use a lot of technology.
These structures are built to support the production of plants, vegetables, flowers, and even medicinal crops on a large scale. They also have advanced systems that monitor and adjust environmental conditions in the greenhouses to ensure the plants have optimal growing conditions, regardless of external weather.
One of the major advantages of industrial greenhouses is that they efficiently produce large quantities of crops, regardless of the season or weather conditions. And with modern technology, you can monitor every aspect of the growing process. Additionally, these greenhouses promote sustainability because they are mostly energy efficient and optimize water usage by recycling and reusing it.
Multi-Span Greenhouse
Multi-span greenhouses are large structures designed specifically for large-scale commercial farming. They consist of a series of connected greenhouses that form a large structure. This allows growers to grow multiple crops under one roof rather than in separate units and makes it easier to manage the growing conditions in the greenhouse.
These greenhouses provide the ideal conditions for growing everything from vegetables to flowers, herbs, and medicinal crops. They help growers optimize space while maintaining a consistent growing environment for various crops.
Multispan greenhouses can be easily expanded as the business grows. So, additional units can be added to the structure as needed. Additionally, since these greenhouses are huge and durable, they are a good investment for growers because they can withstand the harshest conditions and last a long time.
Ridge and Furrow Greenhouse
Ridge and furrow greenhouses are a classic design that has been used in large-scale farms for years. As the name suggests, they consist of multiple A-frame greenhouses connected side by side by their rims to form a continuous structure with a shared roof. These rims then form paths known as furrows.
One benefit of this greenhouse is that it allows a lot of natural light to enter. It also makes the structure stable and creates an ideal environment for growing various crops. The furrows between the ridges also act as gutters that drain rainwater or condensation away from the greenhouse.
Additionally, growers can start with a smaller setup and expand by adding additional frames as their business grows. The shared walls and roofs reduce the amount of materials required to build this greenhouse, making it a cost-effective solution.
Gothic Arch Greenhouse
You can always easily recognize the Gothic arch greenhouse by its pointed arch shape, which adds an aesthetic appeal and makes the structure durable. The design is similar to the Gothic architecture you’d see in historic cathedrals and churches. This greenhouse is a reliable and efficient choice for commercial growers who need a versatile and durable structure for their large-scale production.
The design of this greenhouse allows snow, rain, and debris to slide off easily, preventing any buildup that could damage the structure or affect the growing conditions inside. The high ceilings and open space inside provide more vertical growing space, suitable for tall crops. The steep, angled roof also ensures that sunlight enters the greenhouse from different angles throughout the day so that the plants receive enough even sunlight.
Sawtooth Greenhouse
The sawtooth greenhouse gets its name from its unique roof design, which resembles the teeth of a saw. The roof has sections that alternate between high and low slopes, creating a sawtooth pattern. This greenhouse is a practical choice for commercial growers, especially those who live in regions with warm climates because it allows enough air to circulate and sunlight to enter.
Sawtooth greenhouses are often made from steel frames with rigid glass panels, polycarbonate, or fibreglass. Their design also makes them very durable because the alternating slopes provide additional support for the structure. This helps the greenhouse withstand strong winds and harsh weather conditions.
Quonset Greenhouse
Quonset greenhouses have a semicircular design with roofs that form archs. They are generally long tunnel-like greenhouses with a curved roof that extends from the base on one side to the base on the other side to form an arch.
Quonset greenhouses are suitable for growers who need a reliable but inexpensive greenhouse for their crop production. They are made using metal or PVC pipes as the frame, which is then covered with plastic, polyethylene or other translucent materials. These material allow sunlight to pass through but protect the plants inside from the elements. Additionally, this greenhouse is versatile and can be used to grow a variety of crops.
Commercial growers love this greenhouse because it is affordable and easy to construct. The arching design is simple, so it requires few materials and less labour. This mostly benefits those just starting their commercial production or already established growers who want to expand.
A-Frame Greenhouse
The A-Frame greenhouse is a classic choice for commercial growers. This design is simple and symmetrical, with two equal roof slopes meeting in the center to form an “A” shape. It is similar to regular house roofs and provides balance and stability for the structure. The greenhouse is usually made of metal or wood and covered with materials like glass, polycarbonate, or polyethylene film.
The A-frame greenhouse is a common choice for many growers because it efficiently uses both horizontal and vertical spaces. Due to the slopy sides, growers can place taller plants in the middle of the greenhouse, while shorter ones can be placed at the edges. The design also allows for an even distribution of sunlight around the greenhouse. Because of the simple A-frame, it is also easy to construct.
How To Choose the Right Greenhouse Type
Needs and Goals
When selecting a greenhouse, it’s important to consider what you want to achieve with the space. Are you a home gardener who wants to extend your growing by a few months or a serious farmer growing year-round?
You must also consider the types of plants you intend to grow because different plants have different requirements for light, temperature, and humidity. So, the type of plants you want to grow should determine the type of greenhouse you choose.
Additionally, you must also determine the scale of your operation. For homeowners growing a small number of plants, lean-to and freestanding greenhouses are appropriate. However, commercial growers with large-scale productions would require multi-span or sawtooth greenhouses due to their large capacity.
Budget and Initial Costs
No matter the size of your operation, the amount of money you have and are willing to invest in your greenhouse will determine the type you can get. So, you must set a clear budget and figure out how much you’re willing to invest upfront.
You must also consider the cost of the materials used to build the greenhouse. Greenhouses can be made from materials like glass, polycarbonate, or polyethylene film. Glass greenhouses are often more expensive, while polyethylene film is a budget-friendly option, but it might need to be replaced frequently.
You should also think about the long-term value of your investment. A more expensive greenhouse might exceed your budget, but it could provide better durability, energy efficiency, and higher crop yields, ultimately saving you money over time. However, a cheaper structure might have higher and more frequent maintenance and replacement costs down the line.
Climate Suitability
The climate in your environment determines the type of greenhouse that will best support your plants to ensure they grow throughout the seasons. Are you in a region with cold winters, hot summers, or a mild year-round climate? If you live in an area with harsh winters, you’ll need a greenhouse designed to retain warmth and vice versa.
Some greenhouses can help with different levels of temperature control. Some provide maximum sunlight exposure, which is great for colder climates but may require extra shade or ventilation in hot regions. Others can be fitted with climate-control systems, so they can be used in areas with unstable temperatures.
Greenhouses such as sawtooth provide natural ventilation, making them suitable for tropical regions. However, a greenhouse with less ventilation might be best to maintain warmth if you live in a cooler climate.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a home gardener or a large-scale farmer, we hope this overview provided you with enough insights into the different types of greenhouses available. Homeowner greenhouses are perfect if you want to enhance your outdoor space while growing plants year-round, while industrial greenhouses are built to be efficient and meet the demands of commercial growing.
The beauty of greenhouses is that they are adaptable. So, there’s a greenhouse for every level of cultivation. And as we’ve seen, there are many options to suit various budgets and production needs.
