Keep Your Greenhouse Cool During a Heat Wave: Tips and Tricks

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We are beyond proud that BC Greenhouse Builders, North America's leading manufacturer of hobby greenhouses, is featured in May 2022's issue of House and Home! Author Wendy Jacob scribed "This Dreamy Greenhouse Is Also A Chicken Coop And Party Room", about our client, Lisa Moody's, dream of having a combination greenhouse and chicken coop in her garden.
Where do I place my lean-to greenhouse for best results? The ideal placement for a lean-to greenhouse is along a south-facing wall to maximize sunlight exposure—especially during spring and fall—while also integrating seamlessly with your home and garden layout. Before building, it’s essential to consider local bylaws, available space, and potential shading from trees or nearby structures. Whether attached to your home, built into a south-facing slope, or framed as a garden focal point or sitting area, a thoughtfully positioned lean-to greenhouse not only supports healthy plant growth but can also enhance your outdoor living space year-round.
When planning a lean to greenhouse, its placement is critical to its functionality and aesthetic appeal. A well-positioned attached greenhouse can enhance both your gardening experience and your home’s appearance. According to Angela Drake, Marketing Director with BC Greenhouse Builders, 1 out of 4 inquiries about new greenhouses involve home-attached designs. So, is this an option for you?
It's essential to consider several factors before committing to planning a lean-to greenhouse.
When it comes to custom greenhouses, Kevin is an amazing resource for the team at BCG. The custom projects that are designed and manufactured from his department are unique, complex and quite frankly cool. But let’s go back to the beginning for a moment.
BC Greenhouse Builders Limited, North America’s leading builder of hobby and estate greenhouses, is proud to announce the recent article "Backyard Greenhouses are Growing on Homeowners" by Melissa Feldman. The publication comes at a great time while we are celebrating our 70th anniversary. This article featured two of our greenhouses and greenhouse customers.
What are the tips for greenhouse gardening in March and April? Early spring greenhouse gardening involves starting fruit cuttings like raspberries over heat mats to encourage rooting, transplanting hardy crops such as peas for early harvests, and directly sowing cold-tolerant seeds like radishes, spinach, and arugula in unheated soil. By managing space, timing crops carefully, and using seasonally appropriate strategies, gardeners can extend their growing season and enjoy fresh produce well before outdoor gardens mature. This approach maximizes greenhouse productivity while creating a rewarding, year-round gardening experience.
I close my eyes as I bask in the sun, heat on my face. I take off my jacket and then my hat. My neighbors, friends and family have gone away to Martinique, Belize and Spain but I am experiencing the best holiday. I am sitting in the sun at home – in my Greenhouse Garden.
What Are the Tips for Growing Greenhouse Tomatoes in the Heat?
To prevent heat stress and flower drop in greenhouse tomatoes, use 40-70% shade cloth to reduce temperature and light intensity, maintain good air circulation with fans and open screen doors, and regularly water soil and paths to cool the environment and increase humidity. Selecting heat-tolerant tomato varieties, like smaller-fruited types or proven heirlooms such as Juliet and Cherokee Purple, helps ensure fruit set during hot spells. Combining these strategies allows growers to maximize tomato yields and extend the harvest season even in extreme summer heat.
If your tomato blooms are bending and falling off, flower and all, they are having a heatstroke. When extreme heat hits, greenhouse tomatoes fail to set fruit even as the leaves keep growing and new blooms appear.
Build the best greenhouse for you, forever. Listen to this greenhouse podcast and learn more about BC greenhouse Builders and their 70 Years of building high-quality greenhouses.
Recently, I had the opportunity to connect with Mike Brouwer, owner of Clear Choice Glass Construction, about his history with BC Greenhouse Builders. Mike is what we would call a "legacy employee." Legacy to us means someone who has been with the company for an extraordinary amount of time, adds value and improves the company over the years through their dedication and hard work.
As with any company, there are many people, vendors, and supporters that make up the fabric of your success. When I started at BC Greenhouse 10 years ago, they shared with me the story of Erik Davis and it was a pleasure to talk with Russ and Aarron Davis to get the full history of our Vancouver Island connection. It’s clear that Erik Davis was one of the remarkable people that changed the course of our company. Erik was a bricklayer by trade who lived on the Island and he was known for his love of gardening. The president of four garden clubs, Erik was familiar with BC Greenhouses and had met Don Vale who was an installer with BCG. Erik purchased his first greenhouse in 1981.