How Green Is Your Greenhouse?

For years, many people have trusted greenhouses as a great way to grow quality healthy fruits and vegetables all year round.  And recently, growing your own sustainable and organic gardens has become more and more popular.  So it comes as no surprise that many people are now building eco-friendly greenhouses to help grow great produce in a more environmentally friendly manner.

Greenhouse Plants (Photo credit: azmichelle)

While many people don’t think about it, growing your own vegetables is a great way to reduce your energy consumption.  Your food doesn’t magically appear at the grocery store; it has to be shipped there, usually by truck, and sometimes from very far away.  And that can take a lot of energy, which you save by growing your own food at home.  So why waste all the good you’re doing by using tons of energy in your greenhouse?  It’s not only bad for the environment, it also costs you more in utility bills.

If you use a heated greenhouse, you can invest in lower energy light bulbs and increased insulation in the winter.  Even adding a layer of bubble wrap at night can cut down your energy by letting the heat in during the day and sealing it in at night. If you follow Eliot Coleman's method of unheated greenhouses, you don't have that expense, and you can use floating row covers inside the greenhouse to provide extra protection for the plants without heating. In some greenhouses, saving energy is as easy as opening the vents during the hot part of the day, and closing them during night-time cooling.

Another great way to make any garden more eco-friendly is to reduce your use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.  While a greenhouse can protect your plants, you still may have pest or disease issues. But if you're an organic gardener, you'll want to protect your family from these potentially harmful substances by using natural means of dealing with garden problems. (See http://www.newholisticliving.com/sustainablegardening.html for some helpful tips and resources.)

Did you know that certain areas of the United States will run out of fresh usable water before there’s ever a noticeable effect of global climate change?  That’s because certain areas are using water at an alarming rate, which is why it’s a great idea to cut back water usage in your eco-greenhouse.

Rain barrel (Photo credit: roger_mommaerts)

Because they don’t get rain water, greenhouse plants need to be watered, but what water you use makes a difference.  The easiest solution is simply to collect rainwater and use that to water the plants.  A simple gutter system can be rigged that runs right to where you need it, and rain barrels are now readily available and fairly inexpensive.  You can also manually apply collected rainwater to the plants, or rig a rump system.  Just remember that pumps are not only expensive, they’re going to use energy as well. (Also remember that plants will need less water in the winter when the ground is cold - so don't overwater - it's not only wasteful but bad for the plants!)

Another great water solution is to reuse grey water from other areas of your house.  Water leftover from baths, boiling food, or even water that runs when you’re waiting for the sink water to warm up can be collected and used for watering plants.  Just remember to pay attention to what chemicals may be in your leftover water.

Making small adjustments to your greenhouse can actually make it a lot greener, and provide you with even safer and healthier food.