Thoughts on best type of floor for a greenhouse?

[Guest]

We live in a cold, windy climate.

[Keith]

Dirt, we plant right into the ground. Zone 5b we grow all year.

[Abby]

I built a platform floor and set thick insulation foam between the cross boards. Brought the dirt up around the edges so no air could flow under. On the inside, I caulked the floor in, and I have a rubber liner to keep the floor dry, and did a little border on the outside to keep moisture out.

Then I have a wool area rug over the top. I like to use my greenhouse as a sunny hangout space in the long Idaho winters, so I wanted to trap in all the heat.

Also, check out: Can I use woodchips for the floor in my greenhouse. Why or why not?

[Johnny]

I have bricks in mine the sun heats them up in the day and they help to keep it warm at night.

[Ron]

Zone 5. 6oz commercial landscape woven fabric and staples. But I just run wicking tubs on top of it on drippers. Really depends on how and what you grow. I don’t do pea gravel on top because I have a wire weed that eventually gets through anything. Even rubber swimming pools believe it or not. So the gravel just an extra headache when it needs changed out.

I’m on year 3or 4 with the layer I put down. So far so good. And I run it length wise so there is just one seam in the middle of my tunnel. I have a 20x80 high tunnel.

I’ve seen people do it across instead but that seems like a lot of seams. No pun intended.

[Ken]

I grow right in the soil. I amend it every year with compost.

[Carie]

We dug out the floor area, filled it with crushed stone for drainage, then put pavers on top. This gives us drainage so I can water with the hose, and it’s easy to sweep up.

Also, it’s a nice surface for greenhouse benches.

[Nazca]

Dirt with the stones that were in beds filtered out. Our greenhouse has a two foot stone and cinderblocks foundation. We live in a dry climate but I cringe to see wood greenhouse floors. Yuck!

[David]

Think drainage…

Anything works, but keep in mind the amount of water that needs to drain. I have 8X16 patio blocks… they can hold water if they’re to level…..
Pea gravel is good, but poor footing due to shifting..

Something rough is best for wet surfaces , and sloping for drainage. Something solid that you can wash off with a hose.

[Brian]

Zone 2B NE Alberta Canada. Depends on your definition of cold? We can get down to - 47°C. Our floor is a treated wood framed floor with a combination of R28 fiberglass batt insulation and 2" foam SM and vapour barrier. We have to shut our GH down in late October...we get way to cold and very expensive to heat.