When you’re in the market for a greenhouse, there are many factors you need to consider before making your purchase. One of the most important factors to consider is the weather conditions in your area. If you live in a windy area, it’s important to choose a greenhouse that will stand up to the conditions.
If you aren’t sure if a greenhouse is worth purchasing in a windy environment, it’s important to consider the issues that may arise while trying to grow plants where it can be windy.
Each environment type brings its issues and complications when it comes to growing plants, and a windy environment is no exception. Let’s explore why you should purchase a greenhouse in a windy area and how to choose the best one!
Challenges of Growing Plants In Windy Areas
While wind is a normal part of many environments, it can cause some complications for your plants if they are exposed to it a lot. If there are high winds around your plants, they will close up their leaf pores (stomata) in an attempt to reduce water loss due to the winds.
When your plant closes its stomata, it can also slow the plant’s growth rate by up to half! While this may not be a large issue if it happens rarely, if your plant is in a windy area, it may grow much slower all the time, which can hurt its performance over the entire season.
Another possible issue for your plant when it’s exposed to high winds frequently is the potential for physical damage. Your plant may lose leaves or flowers and may even bend or break if the winds are higher than the plant can manage.
This type of damage can be devastating to your plant, and it may not be able to recover from it.
Choosing a Greenhouse to Help
If you live in a windy climate, you should consider purchasing a greenhouse to grow your plants. Greenhouses can protect your plant from the damage they may experience in the wind.
However, your greenhouse must be made out of the right material to withstand the wind you’re protecting your plants from. Let’s look at what factors you should consider when choosing a greenhouse.
Insulation
Insulation is an important aspect of any greenhouse because that’s what helps control the environment inside the structure.
If you live in a windy climate, you should look for a greenhouse with high R-values and low U-values. Higher R-values indicate better heat retention and lower U-values indicate lower heat loss.
When evaluating insulation, look for for thicker panels. For example, Solexx greenhouse kits are available with 3.5mm panels and 5mm panels. The 5mm panels offer higher insulation strength than the 3.5mm panels.
Material
Not all greenhouses are made the same, and it’s important to choose one that is made of materials that will be able to hold up to high winds when you live in a windy area.
Polycarbonate and high density polyethylene are two good options to consider.
Polycarbonate greenhouse panels are shatter resistant and offer stronger insulation than glass. For particularly windy areas, we recommend considering twin wall polycarbonate. The twin wall design increases insulation value by increasing the density of the surface that heat must transfer through.
Riverstone Industries Mont Greenhouses are designed with 8mm twin wall polycarbonate and are a great option for windy areas.
See our article on polycarbonate greenhouse kits for additional information about polycarbonate as a greenhouse material.
Twin wall high density polyethylene is another good option to consider for windy areas. Solexx Greenhouse kits utilize this type of material which offers significant insulation along combined with excellent light diffusion.
Great Greenhouses for Windy Areas
Now that you know what specifics to look for when shopping for a greenhouse for a windy location let’s get a jump start on your shopping.
Here are some great greenhouses that will work well in windy climates.
MONT Greenhouse Premium
While the MONT Greenhouse Premium has been designed for colder climates, with insulation that can withstand frigid temperatures and even loads of snow, these benefits also help in windy climates.
The Greenhouse Premium can stand up to winds of up to 65 miles per hour! The twin-wall polycarbonate panels come in at a professional-grade thickness of 8mm, which can help keep your greenhouse well-insulated and able to withstand the wind in your area!
MONT Greenhouse Growers
A final choice to consider is the MONT Greenhouse Growers. This option is like the Greenhouse Premium in that it has 8mm thick twin-wall panels for added insulation and wind protection.
However, this greenhouse also offers a 17,000 BTU heating system to protect against cold temperatures.
With the addition of the heating system, the panels on the Greenhouse Growers can be light-diffusing, which allows for more light to make it into the greenhouse for your plants while keeping the greenhouse private.
You can’t see inside of this greenhouse from just eight inches away! This allows for optimal growing conditions for your plants, even in windy conditions!
Harvester
Another great choice is the Solexx Harvester. This greenhouse has a unique design that allows it to be put right up against another building, with a flat side and then a rounded side that faces out into the yard.
If you have limited space but still need a greenhouse, this is a perfect option for you. You will have 60 square feet of bench space and over 15 linear feet of hanging rods, giving you the maximum use of your space.
Choosing the 5mm thick twin-wall panels will give you more than enough protection against your windy climate!
Garden Master
The Solexx Garden Master greenhouse is a European-style design that has plenty of room for your gardening needs. This greenhouse has four bench frames that can hold up to 500 pounds, plus two hanging rods to make the most of the enclosed space.
The Garden Master has an updated door that has a built-in lock so you can keep unwanted visitors out.
The standard twin-wall panels come in 3.5mm thickness, but for a windy environment, you should upgrade to the 5mm thickness.
We also recommend the Deluxe option for Solexx greenhouse kits which includes the tie down kit which adds additional security for high wind areas.
Gardener’s Oasis
This greenhouse will provide you with 76 square feet of bench space for plants over a spacious 8’x8’ enclosed area. The rounded roof also allows for maximum height throughout the structure!
This option also comes with a stronger, lockable door and a heavy-duty frame that will withstand higher winds.
Again, the standard twin-wall panels are 3.5mm thick, but you should upgrade to 5mm thick for a windy climate. We also suggest the deluxe option which includes the tie down kit for added security.
Final Thoughts
Greenhouses make great additions for anyone who wants to have a longer growing season, but it’s important to choose one that’s designed to work in your environment.
If you live in a windy area, choose a greenhouse that can stand up to higher winds, with strong frames and flexible panels. You also want to look for thicker, twin wall panels as they will insulate better during high winds!
You can also browse our full selection of greenhouse kits for additional options.