How to Build a Small Greenhouse in 8 Easy Steps

You love your veggies! Don’t you wish you had a way to enjoy them more, maybe even year-round? Having a greenhouse in your backyard is a great way to make this possible. Building a mini greenhouse isn’t too difficult. All you’ll need is a good set of plans, some tools, and time. Let’s see how to build a small greenhouse without too much trouble.

Even if your garden is really small, you can still enjoy fresh vegetables and herbs you grow in your own greenhouse.

Need a plan?  This is my favorite plans book

How To Build A Simple Greenhouse

Building a modest greenhouse can be as simple as getting a kit you can assemble in just a few hours. There are several options: from plastic to glass, you can choose the one you like.

This is my favorite method of building a miniature green house because it’s the easiest and it can be built really cheaply.

How to Build a Small Greenhouse in 8 Easy Steps

If you love the DIY route, you can build a sturdier structure. Just be aware that it will be more labor-intensive.

1. Choose the area where you would like to place your new greenhouse.
2. Make sure the land is level and choose an area where water can drain well. A partly shaded area would be ideal. This way your plants can benefit from the sun without being over-exposed.
3. Use a shade cloth to limit the amount of sun your plants receive.
4. Keep in mind that you’ll need access to water and electricity when choosing your location.
5. Choose the style of the greenhouse that you want. Decide if you want to build it from scratch or choose from a variety of greenhouse kits that will make the whole process much easier.
6. If you choose to build from scratch, now is the time to choose the materials needed to get started. Be sure and figure out how much material you’ll need based on the size of your greenhouse. Choose a pressure-treated wood for the framing and you can use fiberglass, polycarbonate plastic as well as glass for the panels.
7. Once your building is in place, you’ve taken care of the ventilation needs and you’re sure there are no leaks, it’s time to have a professional install your automatic control watering system unless this is something you’re qualified to do yourself.
8. Install a heating and cooling system with a thermostat to control the temperature inside the greenhouse.

Mythos Hobby Greenhouse – 6′ x 8′ x 7′, SilverPortable Greenhouse PlansFour Season Chalet Hobby Greenhouse – 12 x 8 x 9

Of course, remember to add a few accessories to your greenhouse, and don’t forget to install some shelves (check out these 6 greenhouse shelving ideas)

Would you rather build a storage shed? Try one of these

Greenhouse Ideas for Inspiration

If you need some inspiration, I hope you’ll find these images of small greenhouses helpful.

This narrow greenhouse is perfect if you only have a small, narrow space. But don’t let the size fool you: you’ll be able to fit lots of containers around the structure if you organize yourself well. I like how the owner of this one placed some pots on the rafter and let the plants fall down, then created narrow benches along the walls. Very smart gardener 😉

The only thing I’d do differently would be to bring in a folding chair, so I can sit and enjoy my plants.

If you like order, this will be right up your alley. I’ll be honest: I’m not this organized myself, so I probably couldn’t pull this off. But I’d enjoy strolling through and getting a tour of this vegetable garden. I see some onions (maybe garlic?), lettuce, and brassicas… it looks great! 

I love this type of greenhouse because it’s easy to keep clean and organized. With benches on both sides of the green house, staggered at different heights, this arrangement is perfect for those who love gardening, but not getting down in the dirt.

I love this arrangement: kind of two in one! A small greenhouse next to a small piece of land for gardening. Great for starting your plants inside and easily transferring them outside.

I like this one. We recently moved to a new property and in the back of our house, at a bit of a distance, there’s a wooded area. We are planning to build a small greenhouse in front of the woods, and this gives me some ideas. The woods will give it just the right amount of shade during the hottest time of the day, so it works out perfectly.

This is a gorgeous greenhouse! With a nice sitting area on the inside, you can enjoy your plants and a cup of coffee in the morning before getting to work. I also love the color accents and the nice pots around the greenhouse.

Video of building a small greenhouse

some of us are more visual, so if you like seeing how a tiny greenhouse is made, you’ll love this quick video:

Are YOU ready to build your greenhouse? When you finish, don’t forget to share pictures with us 😉

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