Photo: Scott Webb

What is the difference between a potting shed and a greenhouse?

A greenhouse is a storage place for plants to grow, keeping them protected from the outside weather conditions. A potting shed can also store plants, but it can also help you store other items such as tools, and has dedicated space for gardening work too.

swgreenhouses.co.uk - Potting Shed vs Greenhouse - How to Choose Between Them

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Can I build my own shed?

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Potting Shed vs Greenhouse - Comparing The Two

Wednesday, 26 August 2020 | Matt

If you're trying to decide between a greenhouse and a potting shed, then we've got the guide for you. They are similar, but there are specific traits of each that will determine which is right for your situation. A greenhouse is a storage place for plants to grow, keeping them protected from the outside weather conditions. A potting shed can also store plants, but it can also help you store other items such as tools, and has dedicated space for gardening work too. Greenhouse vs Potting Shed | Light Exposure | Temperature | Practicality | Produce | Positioning | Strength

Greenhouse vs Potting Shed

1. Light Exposure

Greenhouses get more light during the day, because all 4 walls and ceiling are made from glass, which means they will always provide the plant with the most sunlight in order for it to grow. A potting shed on the other hand only has glass down one side, which restricts the total amount of sunlight it will get. Certain plant types that require more sunlight, may not be appropriate to grow in a potting shed.

2. Temperature Control

Potting sheds will generally be warmer, as they have 3 wooden walls which retain the heat better. This will be useful for temperature sensitive plants, and for overwintering plants. A greenhouse on the otherhand is bad at keeping in heat, meaning when it gets cold, you need to put a lot of work into wrapping plants in cotton wool and other insulation, in order to protect them from frost.

3. Practicality

A greenhouse is dedicated to growing the most plants possible, and so there's little room to do much else (and that will require extra staging, and shelving). A potting shed on the otherhand, has dedicated hooks and walls for tools, benches for potting up and keeping plants, as well as floor space to add other plants in the light. This means it offers a lot more options for the same space than a greenhouse.

4. Type of Produce/Growing Requirements

If you want to just grow as many vegetables and tomatoes as possible, then you will want the growing space that a greenhouse provides, helping you to get the optimal harvest from your crops. However if you want to plant seedlings, and have a variety of different plants and stages of growth going on, then a potting shed will offer you more flexibility in what you grow.

5. Positioning Restrictions

A greenhouse can generally be placed anywhere that's practical in your garden, so you have very little restrictions there (somewhere flat preferably). A potting shed on the otherhand has have the windows south facing, in order to ensure that plants can get natural light during the day. So if you're restricted into a non-south facing direction, then you will want a greenhouse.

6. Strength/Longevity

A greenhouse is obviously prone to having glazing smashed through accidents, and is more fragile in general when it comes to moving it around, and general accidents. A potting shed is far more robust, with the three wooden walls keeping it very sturdy, and it obviously has a lot less glass to smash too.

Final Thoughts

These are the main points of comparison!

Hopefully that's help you decide which one is right for you.

If you want to buy a greenhouse, checkout our full range here.

If you want to buy a potting shed, you can shop our range here.

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Where should a potting shed be placed?

Where should you put your potting shed? You should put your potting shed in a place that's both practical to use, and gets enough sunlight for your plants to grow well. Keeping it out of exposed/windy areas will help with heat retention, which is why many people place their potting sheds against a wall.

swgreenhouses.co.uk - Where to Put Your Potting Shed and Which Way It Should Face

Where to Put Your Potting Shed and Which Way It Should Face

Wednesday, 26 August 2020 | Matt

Potting sheds are fantastic additions to any garden, helping you get the most out of your space with a multi-pupose garden structure, to both plant and store tools!

Where should you put your potting shed?

You should put your potting shed in a place that's both practical to use, and gets enough sunlight for your plants to grow well. Keeping it out of exposed/windy areas will help with heat retention, which is why many people place their potting sheds against a wall. If you want to have a nice view while planting and potting up, you should face it towards your favourite end of the garden (as long as it still gets enough light during the day).

Which way should a potting shed face?

As you only receive light from one side, your potting shed windows should face south to get the most light exposure during the day, ensuring the plants still get enough sunlight to grow properly. This is particularly important during winter, where there is less light during the day. You can learn more about potting sheds here, see what to grow in them here, or buy a new potting shed here.

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