In the winter, this allows maximum (low-angle) sun exposure. They are always oriented with a long side facing the sun. Naturally, building one of these high-performing structures is more work than putting up a standard hoophouse (high tunnel), but once you have put up one of those, you might be ready for more challenge (and rewards).Ĭhinese greenhouses are solar-heated, earth-sheltered, well-insulated, plastic-glazed structures, using heat-banking, and shaded and curtained when appropriate.
This book tells you, step-by-step, how to build your own. Don’t reinvent the wheel – get this book and learn from those who have gone before.Ĭhinese Greenhouses are not readily available off the shelf, and are best designed to suit the particular site. As we harvest our abundant winter greens, we might ponder “What if it were possible to grow warm weather crops in winter without fossil fuels, given a careful greenhouse design with attention to insulation and so on?” The Chinese Greenhouse provides the answers, design and construction tips for pioneers in this new kind of greenhouse. This is a next step for those of us thrilled with what we can grow in a passive solar hoophouse. I have been eagerly awaiting this book, after attending several of Dan Chiras’ workshops where he talked about the evolution of Chinese Greenhouses. 230 pages, color photos and diagrams throughout, $34.99. Book Review: The Chinese Greenhouse: Design and Build a Low-Cost, Passive Solar Greenhouse, Dan Chiras New Society Publishers, 2021.