Mother's Mini-Manual: Greenhouse Gardening

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Remember, then, that you can greatly lower the original out-of-pocket cash costs of a greenhouse by [1] doing it yourself or [2] trading labor with someone else who has the necessary construction skills that you lack. You can also [3] fabricate your building from salvaged materials or [4] cover it with low-cost plastic film instead of heavy-duty plastic sheeting or panes of glass.

On the other hand, you must always beware of saving a dollar on your original construction if that dollar saved will cost you an extra five or ten dollars over the life of the building. Lightweight polyethylene film, for instance, can be used to cover a greenhouse. But it ages rapidly in the sun's ultraviolet rays and must be replaced every three months to a year. And that constant replacement soon becomes costly in money, time and aggravation.

The most traditional of all coverings for a greenhouse, of course, is glass. But it, too, has limitations (hailstones and small boys with BB guns do love to shatter those panes!) that can increase its maintenance expense. For this reason, many modern greenhouses both commercial and private-are sheathed with fiberglass and panels of other plastics that [a] transmit even more light than glass, [b] are virtually shatterproof, and [c] are easily and inexpensively mended when they are damaged. That all adds up to more efficient and less costly operation over the years.

And if you live in a colder climate, don't overlook the economics of covering your hothouse with two layers of glass or plastic panels. It'll add substantially to initial construction costs, but it'll also save up to 40% of your winter greenhouse fuel bills this year and every year you use the building.

Nor should you forget the "hidden" expenses of operating a greenhouse. Insurance, for example, and taxes. It should cost more to insure a wooden-framed, plastic-covered structure than a hothouse sturdily framed with aluminum beams and enclosed with glass. Balance that, however, against the fact that the first building will most likely be called "temporary" by the local assessor and taxed at a much lower rate than the "permanent" second structure, and you'll see that the total cost of building and operating a greenhouse can, indeed, vary more than somewhat.

ATTACHED OR FREESTANDING?

Greenhouses fall into two basic categories: attached and freestanding. Each has points in its favor.

Since they abut an existing building (usually the house), attached greenhouses can at least partially rely on the original structure for strength . . . and frequently can tap directly into that structure's water, heating, and electrical systems. This makes them easier and less costly to fabricate. In addition, a lean-to "plant room" (because of the unglassed wall it shares with its parent structure) generally loses less heat to the atmosphere than a comparably sized freestanding hothouse. The add-on unit can also double as a convenient (just open the door and there it is!) greenery filled "sitting room" addition to a home . . . an addition that transmits welcome warmth and humidity to the rest of the dwelling on sunny winter days.

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