Hi,
I'm building my greenhouse and I'm out here checking out the sunlight and where it's going to hit and I realized that it is 9:46 a.m. and the greenhouse is getting really shaded sunlight and my 3 raised beds + back of the property is getting full sun at this time.
Now as the sun rises it will eventually hit the greenhouse until about sundown.
So I'm guessing that the greenhouse is going to get 8 hours of full sun (given the correct conditions) and the raised bed about 9 or 10.
Do you see anything wrong with this? What are your thoughts?
Thank you!
🌱🌈
by IGrowPlantz
8 Comments
Do you want to use your greenhouse year round? The shaded areas of your yard will change with the angle of the sun. Parts of my yard that are full sun now are pretty much full shade in October.
I went with the place with the most sun year round for mine as I plan to use it year round. The sun moves a lot though, what might be the best spot in April may not be in September. Just something to think about. I did sunshine checks throughout a year before committing to a location
That still looks pretty shady. What time of day are the photos taken? Looks like early-mid morning and it’s still in shade. You really want as much light as long as possible.
Are there trees that are going to leaf out? Are you willing to cut some down? The boxes look good. I would get in there with a good trimming saw and start by trimming out the brush and any weak branches. Any small saplings should go unless you really really want a few. If there’s any dead or dying Ash, get rid of it if you have emerald ash borer in your area.
It really depends on what you want to grow and how you want to use your greenhouse. Sometimes partial shade in the summer can be a good thing.
If that’s where you must site your greenhouse, you need to do something about those pines. In fall, winter, and spring mornings, you want the sun touching the greenhouse as early as possible.
This looks to be a new 12′ Planta Sungrow greenhouse, so I am assuming you have already invested some time and money into this project. My two cents is to put the greenhouse in a location where it gets the MOST sunlight. You may as well try to get the best bang for your buck and this thing is going to outperform your garden bed for nearly any crop. It can also be good frost/snow protection for potted plants over the winter.
You should ideally choose somewhere with southern exposure (presuming you are northern hemisphere) where it gets the first strong morning sun, so it heats up quickly and gets the nighttime chill off. Second consideration is near a water source, and lastly is power. I would NOT recommended heating the whole thing, but heating mats (which use about as much energy as a light bulb) are great for starting seedlings or holding plants during shoulder seasons.
Good luck, a GH can be a game-changer in some zones. I’m sure you will enjoy it wherever it goes on your property!
Dawn til Dusk
Full sun from sunrise to sunset.
My greenhouse gets sun by noon or so, then stays in full sun until about sundown in the winter, and about 1 hour from sundown in summer. I have fruit trees that give it partial shade in the summer. I’m looking into a shade cloth for summer, so I don’t have to leave it wide open all summer.