Orchid Greenhouse Design – Orchids surpass beauty in all forms. And the best way to preserve this beauty is by growing it year round in proper conditions in a greenhouse.
In this article, we’ll discuss some of the best orchid greenhouse design hacks that will ensure your blooms remain lovely and magnificent flowers all through the year.
Greenhouse heaters are a must have need to have the Best Orchid Greenhouse Design to grow the best Orchids
All about Growing Orchids
Orchids or the orchid family (Orchidaceae) is the most specialized group of flowering plants in evolution. The group has various subfamilies and incorporates more than 22,000 species at last count. Orchids evolved from Hypoxis-like ancestors. And today, there more types of wild orchids than there are mammals and birds combined!
These perennial blooms need re-seedling every year and never germinate woody trunks.
Did you know that orchids have a huge market these days because of the following uses?
Uses for Orchids
They are used by perfume and cologne manufacturers to make new fragrances.
One of the most profitable members of the orchid family is vanilla, valued for its use as food flavoring.
Orchids can be a great way to beautify your home or garden, especially if you know where to properly place them.
As they grow indoors, you can easily accessorize your kitchen and living spaces with them.
They can also serve as great gifts for loved ones on special occasions.
The most common type of orchid, the Cymbidium, is often boxed as gifts on Mother’s day.
These flowers are also commonly used in corsages and boutonnieres
Other common types of orchids you can grow at home are the Cattleya, Phalaenopsis and Pansy orchids, to name a few.
Some of these are available for purchase in regular flower shops or supermarkets.
More specialized ones can be found in orchid nurseries.
Are orchids difficult to grow at home?
Some people feel that orchids are a difficult plant to cultivate at home, because the plant is easily susceptible to root rot.
However, in reality, orchids just need a bit more of attention than, say, a cactus.
Though growing orchids can be challenging, but they can also be rewarding and addictive, especially when you’re starting to get beautiful blooms yearly.
If you’re going to ask how tough it is to grow orchids, then the truth is, some orchids can be quite difficult to keep alive or maintain.
Both beginners and professional growers tend to experience challenges in propagating orchids.
If you’d like to increase your chances of success, then it’s best to stick with orchid varieties that are uncomplicated and less stressful to take care of.
There are varieties of orchids that can survive indoors, with ample light nourishing it.
Pick an orchid variety that has already adapted to the living conditions in your area.
Buy the most mature plant you can get your hands on, preferably ones that are in bloom to give you an idea of what to expect if you do become successful in keeping the plant alive.
If you keep these orchid cultivation tips in mind, you’ll quickly see that most orchids are a real joy to grow.
Commercial orchid cultivation can be the perfect excuse to start that simple orchid greenhouse you’ve been dreaming of.
Let’s look at how a good orchid greenhouse design can affect growth and be used effectively to propagate plants:
Orchid greenhouse design and ideas
Gardening can be such a fulfilling experience.
Not only is it a way to become more environmentally aware and responsible, it is also a therapeutic activity that can do wonders for your well-being.
Who knows, your simple hobby might even turn into a productive source of produce and profit.
For gardening and environmental enthusiasts, a greenhouse is a great way to house and protect all your plants.
Greenhouses come in various sizes and can be adjusted to the size of your living area.
Inside it, you can grow a number of plants, such as flowers, herbs, house plants, vegetables, orchids and so much more.
When growing orchids, it is important to know that there are many places to grow orchids.
As long as there’s enough sunlight, you can successfully grow them near a windowsill or in your kitchen.
Check out the following video on tips for growing these flowers, orchid greenhouse design models and ideas below:
If you’re just beginning to grow orchids, start cultivation in a small and simple backyard greenhouse.
If you’ve got the space and the budget to spare, or if you’re pretty serious about propagating various types of orchids, you can pick larger and more complex greenhouses.
Before deciding on your own orchid greenhouse, it is important to visit other orchid nurseries as much as you can to give you an idea of what you want and to inspire you with regards to designing your greenhouse.
Choose the right orchid greenhouse design
There are three most common types of greenhouses; the lean-to, the attached, and the free-standing greenhouse.
The first two are structures attached to the house, while the third type is unattached an all four sides.
It is also the most expensive in terms of construction.
Look out for the following features when choosing the right orchid greenhouse design:
Orchid Greenhouse Design Features
A well-made greenhouse should offer the right amount of protection from the elements for plants.
It should provide the best heat control and air while still giving maximum light as some orchids can be very tricky and hard to please.
Storage space is also important for growing orchids.
The right type of glazing can reduce the amount of heat and harmful rays entering your greenhouse.
This is crucial when growing orchids.
You can use frames that are made of wood or aluminum.
Orchids do well with both types.
Consider the durability and cost when choosing the frame for your orchid greenhouse design.
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A greenhouse made with polycarbonate material — apt for orchids
Why choose a greenhouse kit for your orchid greenhouse design
Establishing greenhouses can be costly and labor-intensive.
A greenhouse kit can solve your worries with ease of installation and low cost.
In fact, the cost varies so much that you end up paying just 1/8th to 1/4th of what you’d otherwise spend on a fully functioning greenhouse.
Before buying greenhouse kits, there are a few external factors to check out first before deciding to pursue your orchid cultivation project.
You’ll need to determine any land-related concerns like getting necessary permits and zoning requirements for your area.
You’ll need to choose a site that will be able to provide adequate sunlight, will have easy access to water and one which you can easily walk to in any weather.
As for the greenhouse kit, make sure that you buy it from a reputable supplier who uses quality materials in their products.
If in case you have little experience when it comes to building greenhouses on your own, check if the suppliers provide assistance or installers for the kit.
Stick with a product that is affordable. but still boasts of high quality and durability.
It is important not to skimp on a greenhouse kit, as you want this building to last for many seasons.
It is not just a simple building project.
It’s a valuable investment that you will benefit from in more ways than one in the long run.
The ideal size for a greenhouse for orchids is 14 x 20 feet.
This provides ample space for 3 benches, and enough work and storage space, especially for those who are really serious in propagating orchids.
A simple orchid greenhouse of this size will be able to house an ample collection of various orchids as well as other plants and flowers.
Check out our detailed article on what are included in best hobby greenhouse kits here.
Choosing the perfect greenhouse design
As you keep growing your orchid business, you will learn how to adjust to the behavior of your orchids.
You can employ several DIY practices to help you get better at caring for your flowers.
You can turn these potted plants into indoor decor by hanging them on the ceilings of a brightly-lit room.
They can turn into natural centerpieces by using different colored pots and chains for hanging.
Just make sure that the room is always brightly-lit, at the same time, not directly exposed to sunlight.
To avoid wet roots, make sure you buy pots that have good drainage.
You can avoid wetness by placing a layer of pebbles at the bottom.
Some of our top tips on choosing the right orchid greenhouse design are.
Best Orchid Greenhouse Design
Finances and space will determine your greenhouse size.
Orchid greenhouse kits can be purchased for self-installation.
Your building can be stationary or portable.
Depending on the location, it can be made as a free-standing structure or lean-to or shed structure.
Orchids can be grown in a simple shed, a luxury building or a commercial type greenhouse.
Flooring can be concrete, dirt, stone, grass or gravel.
You will need several gardening tools for growing orchids on a large scale.
Shovels, pebbles, draining pots, gloves, etc. have to be purchased and stored.
Space and creativity are both needed to arrange orchids and these garden tools in a cost-efficient way.
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A glass greenhouse
Best orchid greenhouse design models
Dome greenhouse
A dome greenhouse is an innovative and popular type greenhouse structure, based on geodesic dome principles.
The geodesic approximates provide good volume to surface ratio along with good and frequent heat retention.
Moreover, a spherical structure is, by default, more robust and stronger than any other structure with the same volume.
These orchid greenhouse design models comprise of 20 triangles closing up within a sphere with their corners bordering each other.
There also may be additional 20 triangles divided into smaller ones inside the existing dome greenhouse.
Larger permanent dome greenhouses are usually expensive.
Geodesic dome greenhouses may be simple, portable, lightweight, bottomless tent structures.
They could also be a permanent, large complex with a sub-soil heating system and thermal mass water tank.
The type depends on your needs and price range.
How to assemble Orchid geodesic greenhouse
If you are an amateur grower, first, determine what you want from your dome greenhouse structure before purchasing.
While creating a geodesic dome greenhouse design is not rocket science, this is not as easy as creating a table or a chair either.
Start small when beginning to construct your greenhouse.
The bigger domes take more time and expertise.
Be sure to place your structure within maximum sunlight.
Building a geodesic dome greenhouse becomes easy if you plan and do your homework well ahead.
Select your configuration and radius and work out how many connectors and struts you need.
It can be challenging the first time, but a good greenhouse kit will make your job easy.
Rooftop greenhouse
For a good greenhouse, the surface should be even and stable.
So then ideally, there can be no better surface for a greenhouse than a flat rooftop.
Other factors that support the use of the rooftop for a greenhouse is that the space on top of your house is not used in any way.
You can plan a beautiful garden, install a greenhouse and thus, make good use of the space.
Consider the following structural features of this type of orchid greenhouse design to make the best use of it:
Rooftop Greenhouse Design Features
- The greenhouse rooftop needs to be well lit.
- It should get a good amount of sunlight.
- Air circulation should be in plenty.
The roof top greenhouse model benefits in many ways, one of the major ones being that insects and rodents will not disturb your orchids as they are not close to the ground.
But there are chances that they are easily accessed by birds.
Note that the greenhouse rooftop should not be too heavy on the building and exert too much pressure on its structure.
Therefore, construct it using lightweight sheets and rods.
The building should be constructed after consulting the building contractor in order to ensure that the installation of a greenhouse tavern rooftop does not pose any danger to the building.
By installing small greenhouse rooftops, the factor of weight can be alleviated and the problems caused by weight on the building are also lessened.
The materials used in the construction of the roof must have high absorbency capabilities and should also be able to adapt to the moisture present in the rooftop.
In tropical countries and in countries where warm weather prevails almost the year round, it is a great idea to have a greenhouse rooftop installed as this will help to keep the home cool and reduce the amount of heat transferred from the rooftop.
Walk-in greenhouse
There are many different types of greenhouses, coming in various colors, sizes, shapes and materials.
The walk-in greenhouse is one of the more popular types for hobby farmers.
There are numerous benefits of buying a walk-in greenhouse when compared to the regular 4-tier mini greenhouse which sits up against a wall.
Benefits of walk-in greenhouse include:
- Walk-in greenhouses are larger and can include more plants.
- It better protects your plants from flash storms and the burning sun.
- These greenhouses need lesser investment and can be made from cheaper materials.
- They are perfect for orchid cultivation.
Greenhouse shed combination
A greenhouse shed combination building is the best way to comfortably fit the needs of growing plants and storing merchandise in your yard or garden.
These buildings combine both a greenhouse and a storage area. Some key benefits of this type of orchid greenhouse design is that:
- It enables you to free up space in your garden.
- All your gardening products become more accessible, with everything being in one place.
- Storage is made easier and more secure.
- It also minimizes the amount of structure space.
- These models have better climate control with areas sectioned off for shade and sunlight as explained below:
Generally, the concept of greenhouse and shed combination includes growing areas as well as shaded shed storage space for plants.
The best shed greenhouse combo option will have a portion of the greenhouse attached to a part of the shed.
These will have certain portions sectioned off.
This, in turn, helps to optimize energy absorption.
However, bear in mind, that such a sectioned off shed will affect the capability of catching sunlight within it.
The shed greenhouse combo is usually made from pressure treated shiplap.
This combo comes with one opening window.
It is an ideal structure where space is very limited and you need both a greenhouse and a shed.
Whether you are searching to grow plants or vegetables or to store bulky items like garden mowers, a shed greenhouse combo is a great option for growers in almost any stage of gardening.
If you are considering a shed or a greenhouse structure and would like both but are on a limited budget, you can choose this shed greenhouse combo kit:
Growing Orchids in a Greenhouse
While many beginner farmers find growing orchids to be a challenge, we assure you that if given due care and consideration of certain factors, you can grow healthy orchids all year long.
If you’re planning to grow orchids on medium to commercial scale, you should consider investing in a greenhouse for your needs.
Orchid greenhouses need sufficient storage space and shading.
Pick places with natural shade and regulate the climate inside these greenhouses.
If low on budget, you can also consider using a greenhouse kit.
A good orchid greenhouse design can be portable or permanent.
Common types of orchid greenhouses are dome, rooftop, walk-in and shed combo.
Each one of these types are cost-efficient and have their advantages and disadvantages.
Either way, know the purpose of your orchid cultivation and decide your budget to make decisions easier.
If you have a solid greenhouse structure, then your plants will last for a longer time, irrespective of seasons, pests and climate issues.
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