Greenhouses and cold frames are both highly useful garden buildings, allowing gardeners to have greater control over their plants’ growing environment. As they have relatively similar functions, it can be unclear as to what the exact differences are between the two. They each are better suited for different purposes, and either may be more preferable depending on what you’re planning to grow in your growing space.
To help you better understand the difference between greenhouses and cold frames, we’ve put together this comprehensive guide that compares both. Read on to find out the advantages and disadvantages of each and whether a greenhouse or cold frame is the ideal option for you.
What Is a Greenhouse?
A greenhouse is a large glass garden building used to provide plants with an ideal growing environment. This works by trapping the heat from sunlight to create a warm environment. This makes it much easier to control the ideal conditions for your plants, making them a better option for some plants rather than planting them out.
Though outdoor planting is fine for some plants, and even preferred when growing the likes of carrot seeds and brassica plants, keeping your plants at consistently warm temperatures is often much more beneficial for their growth.
Advantages of Greenhouses
Greenhouses are a worthwhile investment for those looking to get serious with their gardening, offering ideal growing conditions and protection from poor weather for your plants.
Greenhouses allow for great control over temperature, humidity, and light exposure, allowing you to create the perfect conditions for plants that may not grow as well if they were to be grown outdoors. There are some plants, for example, that ideally need a high level of heat for best results, such as tomato plants, cucumber plants, chilli plants, and tropical plants.
They also allow for the opportunity to grow tender plants even throughout winter, which will do even better when the greenhouse is heated (either with electric, paraffin or propane heaters).
Disadvantages of a Greenhouse
Whilst a greenhouse is a fantastic addition to any garden, they do come at a higher cost. As a result, they are typically chosen by experienced gardeners who are looking to grow a variety of plants all year round. Therefore, you may not consider one if you intend to grow just a few plants or are very new to gardening.
Space is also a consideration with greenhouses, as they are large structures that will need a good amount of room. If your growing space is smaller, a more suitably sized structure such as a cold frame, may be worth considering.
They will require some commitment, as greenhouses require regular maintenance in the form of cleaning and repairing their structure when needed.
What Is a Cold Frame?
A cold frame is a small garden structure that has a glass lid, whilst some will also have additional glass panels. In a similar manner to a greenhouse, these create a warm environment by trapping the warmth from sunlight. They provide a protective environment that’s ideal for protecting smaller plants and seedlings.
They’re great for hardening off plants, which is the process of gradually exposing indoor-grown plants to outdoor conditions.
Advantages of Cold Frames
Cold frames are a worthwhile option for those looking for better control of their plants’ growing environment. They come at a much lower cost in comparison to a greenhouse as a much more budget-friendly option. In addition, their smaller size makes them much more suitable for those limited on space and simple to install.
They’re ideal for keeping your plants protected if the weather is a little chillier as opposed to the outdoors. They’re also great for giving plants a head start in spring and extending the growing season.
Disadvantages of Cold Frames
Though cold frames offer much better protection from outdoor conditions, they do have limits and aren’t capable of keeping ideal temperatures for plants all year round. For instance, they can’t support tender plants or winter crops as well as a greenhouse can.
Though they do keep plants warm, they can also suffer from becoming too hot or too cold when the weather is more extreme.
Due to their smaller size, they are only suitable for smaller plants, and a greenhouse would be required for anything larger.
Cold Frames vs Greenhouses - Which Is Best for You?
Though both of these garden buildings are very useful, there are key differences between the two that make them better for certain preferences. Which is best for you will depend on what you intend to grow within your garden and any limitations you may need to consider.
A greenhouse is an excellent option for creating a warm environment for your plants to grow in. They’re ideal for those wanting to grow a variety of plants and who have the space to do so.
A cold frame will provide a similar controlled growing environment to a greenhouse, though on a smaller scale. For those more so limited on budget or space and are looking to protect smaller plants or simply have a space for hardening them off, they are the perfect choice.
Which of these garden buildings is better suited to you will depend on your requirements and preferences. Someone looking to grow a wide range of plants throughout the year will benefit from a greenhouse. However, someone who is looking for protection for their plants on a smaller scale will be better suited to using a cold frame.
Quality Garden Buildings at D.T. Brown
Whether you think a greenhouse or a cold frame is a better fit for your gardening aspirations after reading this article, you can find your best choice of both from our online shop. At D.T. Brown, we have both greenhouses and cold frames available to provide the ideal growing environment for your plants with many quality options available.
If you’re looking for further advice to get your garden at its best, our garden blog has many more useful articles to help you out.
If you have any questions about our garden buildings or are wondering which of our choices is better for you, get in touch with us today and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
