There are not as many good lean-to style greenhouse kits out there as I would like to see. I think building your greenhouse against another building is a great way to go, because of the insulation value of the other building. For some reason most lean-to greenhouse kits come with inadequate ventilation. Another problem is that most of them are small. I suppose not many people have a large space on the south side of their house to put a greenhouse. So, rather than a top 5, I have the top 3 lean-to greenhouse kits:

3. Sunshine Vertical Wall GardenHouse

This nice looking, small greenhouse kit has a redwood frame and polycarbonate glazing. It has a door at each end for excellent ventilation, but unfortunately, no automatic vents. If you want automatic vents, they suggest cutting the glazing and installing an opener. The kit is easy to assemble and it comes with an instructional video. For more information or to buy it now, click here.

2. Solexx Harvester Garden Greenhouse Kit

The Solexx greenhouse kits all come with revolutionary glazing panels, that provide optimal light for your plants. This greenhouse kit comes with shelving and rods for hanging plants. The only reason I do not make this number one, is that I feel it has inadequate ventilation. It has one door and one 12″ by 24″ vent. With increased ventilation, this can be a very nice greenhouse kit. For more information or to buy it now, click here.

1. Juliana Carport Lean-To Greenhouse

All Juliana greenhouse kits are of the highest quality, and this is no exception. It has plenty of ventilation, though automatic openers are sold separately. It has an easy to install, aluminum frame and double walled polycarbonate glazing. It comes with a twelve year warranty. Buy the Juliana Carport Lean-to greenhouse kit.

Juliana also has larger models in the lean-to style of greenhouse. To see them, click here.

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Top 5 Small Greenhouse Kits

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Here is a list of what I consider to be the very best in small greenhouse kits available in the USA. When I say small I do not mean tiny. I am talking about 50 to 100 square feet. Great for the serious hobby gardener, who does not have a lot of space.

5. 6′ x 8′ Greenline Greenhouse

The Greenline greenhouse kit is made from aluminum and plastic, with strong, clear polycarbonate glazing. The glazing has 100% UV protection, giving the panels a long life. Very easy to assemble, if you are on flat ground. Comes with a free base kit, to anchor it to the ground. 5 year warranty. For more information or to buy now, click here.

4. 6′ x 12′ Sunshine Gardenhouse

This beautiful greenhouse is made with a redwood frame and double walled polycarbonate glazing. The glazing, which comes with a ten year warranty, is slightly diffused, making for happier plants. This greenhouse has automatic vents and plenty of air circulation. The redwood frame is made from only second growth wood and the base is made from recycled plastic. Buy the Sunshine Gardenhouse here.

3. 9′ x 10′ Juliana Premium Greenhouse

The Juliana premium greenhouse kit is very sturdy, and yet, easy to install and take down if you need to. It comes with thick, double walled polycarbonate glazing, to maintain the warmth inside. It has adjustable, automatic vents. This greenhouse kit comes with a twelve year warranty. For more information on the Juliana Premium greenhouse, or to buy now, click here.

2. 8′ x 10′ Riga Greenhouse

The Riga greenhouse kit is the most well insulated of the five greenhouse kits. It has 10 mm polycarbonate glazing on the front and back, and 8 mm everywhere else. The glazing comes with a ten year warranty and the frame with a fifteen year warranty. The unique shape of this greenhouse gives it strength and plenty of headroom. It comes with automatic vents and an extra large rear window. You can order it with or without shelves. Click here to buy the Riga Greenhouse kit.

1. 8′ x 8′ Solexx Greenhouse

I am a big fan of the solexx greenhouses. They are very strong, standing up to high winds and heavy snows. Although the double walled Solexx panels are thinner than most double walled polycarbonate panels, they have a high insulation value. The panels diffuse the light much better than polycarbonate does, creating ideal light for your plants. The frame is painted white to reflect the light onto the plants, as well. They come with build in benches at no extra charge. All this and they are less expensive than the Riga or Juliana Premium greenhouse kits. For more information about the Solexx greenhouse kit or to buy it now, click here.

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Top 3 Lean-to Greenhouse Kits

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This cute and very functional kid size greenhouse kit comes from Solexx, perhaps the best manufacturer of greenhouse kits in North America. The glazing material on Solexx Greenhouses is different from your usual polycarbonate in that it diffuses the light, which plants really like. Diffused light also eliminates shadows, so your plants are getting light more of the time. Solexx greenhouse kits are also very easy to put up and they retain their heat quite well, when the sun goes down. See more Solexx greenhouse kits here.

If you are looking for a great little greenhouse at a good price, I’ve found one, but it’s only on sale until Sept. 15th, 2008. I’s on sale again! It’s under $300, and you can buy it here.
It’s a Juliana, leanto style greenhouse. When the sale is over it will be about $460. Even at that it is a good buy. Juliana is one of the Top greenhouse manufacturers in the US.

Generally, I don’t recommend any greenhouse kit below $400, but if you are just getting into gardening and you really want a cheap cheap greenhouse kit, there are some options. Generally, they are quite small and covered in plastic film, rather than rigid glazing. A good example is this 4′ by 6′ greenhouse kit for about $115. This little greenhouse kit will definitely get you started, if you aren’t serious about greenhouse gardening, but, as I said, I don’t generally recommend kits in this range.

Other inexpensive greenhouse kits are often difficult to put together. You really need to make sure you are buying a good brand. A friend of mine bought an inexpensive polycarbonate glazed greenhouse kit, and had nothing but complaints. First, it took forever to put together, then it had great big air leaks that he had to seal up. The good price was not worth the headache. And of course, if he had hired someone to put it together, or even help him, the labor would have more than eaten up the savings on the purchase price.

Now that’s what I’m talking about. Watch them build this greenhouse kit in 60 seconds.

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Get your fine,easy to build greenhouse kit from Yardiac.com – The Ultimate Garden Center

Before you decide on a greenhouse kit or plan, there are three things you want to consider. What is the purpose of your greenhouse, how big do you want it to be, and where will you put it? Answering the first question will help you in answering the other two.

What do you want to use your greenhouse for?

There are three main purposes for a greenhouse. The first is to grow things in the winter, or at least extend your season past when you could grow outside. The second is to start seedlings earlier in the Spring, for transplanting outside. The third is to grow Summer vegetables. In the Pacific Northwest you can’t count on a good Summer for tomatoes and peppers, so many people put them in their greenhouses.

For the first two purposes, you want to keep the greenhouse as warm as possible. That means keeping it relatively small and having double paned windows. The double walled polycarbonate works very well. You may also want to consider getting a lean-to greenhouse and putting it against the south side of your house or other building. The building will insulate the greenhouse and protect it from the wind. If you are starting seedlings you want enough space to benches or planting tables. It is much easier to work with your seedlings standing up than crouching down.

If you are planning to use your greenhouse for Summer vegetables, you’ll need to keep it cool. Lots of opening windows are important. You may also want to get a fan to improve circulation. Most tomatoes grow quite tall, so make sure there is enough vertical space above the planting beds.

How big should your greenhouse be?

The short answer is, no bigger than necessary. Unless you are only using it for Summer vegetables, you want to be able to keep the heat in. The more air space there is, the faster the heat dissipates. If you are not growing Summer vegetables, keep your greenhouse as short as is comfortable for you. Think carefully about how much you will use your greenhouse and how many plants you will put in it. Many people wish they had gotten a bigger one after the first year, but you don’t want a lot of empty space.

Where will you put your greenhouse?

The most important thing, of course, is to put it in a very sunny location. The next thing to consider is do you want your greenhouse to be freestanding or up against the south side of your house or other building. Given the choice, against a building is best. Besides conserving heat, it conserves space. You also don’t have to worry about shading other parts of your garden. Shading the garden is the last consideration in planning the location. Look at your site carefully. If you have not started a garden already, plan out the space, even if you don’t think you will put a garden in, in the near future.

Having gotten clear on those three issues, you need to decide whether you want to buy a greenhouse kit or build it from plans. That is really a personal matter, and I’ll leave it up to you. Lastly, make sure you have plenty of ventilation. There should be some windows in the roof, so the hot air can go up and out. Automatic window openers are a must on every greenhouse, to avoid accidental overheating. I like doors at both ends of my greenhouse. It really helps keep the air flowing in the Summer.

Now you are ready to start looking at greenhouse kits or plans and choose one that will work for you.