Wind Resistant Greenhouses Keep in Business Year Round

Greenhouses exist to provide shelter for things that grow. We use them to keep our plants protected against extreme weather elements, to extend our growing seasons, and to cultivate crops that would otherwise be impossible to grow in a particular climate. Most of the time, growers are focused on protecting the things that are inside the greenhouse. But what about protecting the greenhouse itself? In some places it is necessary to ensure you have a windproof greenhouse or a wind resistant greenhouse. Let’s take a look at why greenhouses are beneficial in windy areas, what special precautions you need to take for greenhouses in windy areas, how to protect your greenhouse from damage from high winds, and what the best greenhouse for a windy area looks like.

Outdoor Growing in Windy Areas Can Damage Plants

If you live in an area that has high winds, outdoor gardening can be challenging. Wind resistant greenhouses can provide a safe space for your plants to grow. If you don’t use a high wind greenhouse, your plants are susceptible to damage from the wind. 

Wind negatively impacts plant growth and cultivation by:

• Snapping trunks and stems
• Breaking or burning leaves
• Moving or shaking roots
• Making plants grow unevenly
• Dehydrating the plants
• Pulling off flowers and fruits
• Making the air too cold or dry
• Blowing away pollen

Utilizing high wind resistant greenhouses eliminates these risks. You can realize incredible yields and achieve amazing results, even in the windiest areas, by planting your crops inside the safety of a windproof greenhouse.

Wind Can Also Damage Your Greenhouse

Unfortunately, solving the problems of gardening in a windy area is not quite as simple as moving your operation into a high wind greenhouse. Wind poses a risk to your greenhouse itself! Typically, greenhouses have large, flat surfaces. The wind pushes against those surfaces and easily lifts it from the ground. It’s easy to imagine that this can completely destroy a greenhouse. Another concern with standard greenhouses in windy areas is that the framework of a common greenhouse cannot withstand the pressure from high winds. The frame buckles under the pressure of the wind and the entire greenhouse collapses as a result.

Wind Missiles Can Attack Your Greenhouse

You read that right! Wind missiles are a real threat in high wind zones. People who live around high winds are familiar with the term wind missiles. They are objects that have been picked up by the wind, carried away, and act as damaging projectiles to anything they come into contact with. Virtually any object can become a wind missile. Loose tools, equipment, branches, and more can all become dangerous weapons when being hurled by a strong wind. These wind missiles smash through glass windows and doors, leaving the area around your greenhouse to resemble a war zone.

Protect Your Greenhouse from Wind-Related Damage

Growers who live in an area at risk for high winds should take basic precautions to protect their greenhouse structure and the inherently valuable crops inside of it. Further, if you have advance warning for a severely windy weather event such as a hurricane or tornado, there are steps you should take to lower your property damage risks, even if you have erected a wind resistant greenhouse.

Choose a site for your greenhouse that offers some natural wind barriers such as trees, shrubbery, or hedges.
When building your greenhouse, make sure it is level and that the base is securely fixed to the ground with anchors.
In the event of an imminent storm, make sure all windows and doors are securely closed and locked.
Properly store and secure loose items in your yard prior to a windy event. This includes lawn chairs, yard ornaments, tools, sports equipment, etc.
If wind gets inside your greenhouse, it can damage it from the inside-out. Keep wind pressure out of your greenhouse by keeping it air tight.
Regularly inspect and replace greenhouse film and cover as needed.
Check all glass panes for cracks and replace as needed. Do not leave open spaces where window panes used to be.
Secure window clips (if present) with sealant.
Check for gaps around the frame and fill them with caulk or liquid foam.

Wind Resistant Greenhouse Kits

Sturdy greenhouse kits are available for purchase for those who know that their greenhouse will be vulnerable to wind damage. These are good choices for growers who are handy enough to tackle home improvement and basic building projects. Greenhouse kits are exactly what you would expect! They come with all of the instructions and materials needed to construct the greenhouse of your choice. Sturdy greenhouse kits will come with a steel framework and polycarbonate panels that are designed to withstand high winds. Wind resistant greenhouse kits are typically for greenhouse shapes that are inherently better suited for windy conditions. Rounded corners, fewer large flat surfaces, and strong frames are hallmarks of their design.

Hurricane Proof Greenhouse

Dome-shaped greenhouses have been known to withstand the assaults of hurricane-force winds simply due to their geometry. The round shape means that wind does not have anything to push against. It cannot get any leverage to lift up and throw the greenhouse. Dome-shaped wind resistant-greenhouses are especially strong when the panels are composed of strong polycarbonate. This material is superior to glass in strength and can hold up in winds up to 90 miles per hour. Some polycarbonate can even endure when struck with heavy and fast-moving wind missiles. For many growers, these qualities make a dome-shaped greenhouse the very best greenhouse for a windy area.

High wind resistant greenhouses allow growers to continue cultivating crops and enjoying impressive yields year round, even during the windiest times. Protect your greenhouse investment and what is growing inside of it by taking special precautions in windy areas.

Above Picture: Greenhouse built for wind and cold by Tunnel Vision Hoops