Not at all. The tour is a chance for you to see the greenhouse for yourself, ask us anything you want, and get a real feel for what year-round growing looks like in a Canadian climate. There’s no pressure and no obligation. The greenhouse tour is ideal for someone who wants to see how it all works and have their greenhouse questions answered. We want to spread the word that four-season growing is possible in Canada and be helpful resources during your research phase. 

Nothing at all! Just come curious. If you have questions brewing, feel free to jot them down ahead of time, but we will walk you through everything. Most people leave with answers they didn’t even know they needed!

Absolutely. Start thinking about placement on your property — sun exposure and orientation matter a lot for a passive solar greenhouse. Beyond that, just keep dreaming about what you’d grow! When you’re ready to move forward, we will walk you through everything else from there.

It’s always worth reaching out before you’re fully ready so you know what to expect in terms of timelines, and to get an updated quote. We are always happy to have an early conversation (there’s no pressure), so you can plan with real numbers in mind rather than guessing.

We aim to get back to everyone within 2-3 business days! After an initial consultation where we will ask you questions to determine the right size, heating system, and shipping costs, we will put together a quote that’s specific to your situation, not a generic number off a price list.

Not at all. A quote is simply the next step in getting clarity on what your greenhouse would actually look like and cost. It’s a conversation, not a contract, and it’s the best way to move from “thinking about it” to “knowing what’s involved.”

Your greenhouse ships in a carefully packed crate, and we will let you know the dimensions ahead of time so you can plan for receiving it. If you’re local to Armstrong, pickup is also an option to save on shipping. You’ll be notified before it ships so you’re not caught off guard by a large delivery.

You should plan to have a clear path for the delivery truck to be able to unload the crate in your desired spot, and have appropriate equipment ready to unload it.

Inspect the shipment as soon as it arrives and flag any concerns with us right away — don’t wait. You’ll receive documentation with your order that walks you through exactly what to look for. The sooner you can get eyes on everything, the better for everyone.

There are several options: concrete piers, screw piles, drill stem, or an ICF (insulated concrete form) foundation wall. Concrete piers are typically the most cost-effective starting point, and from there it comes down to your budget, soil conditions, and site specifics. We will help you figure out what makes the most sense for your property, goals, and budget.

Most customers do, and it’s something we factor into the process during our consultation right from the start. Engineering fees are included as an add-on through the quote, and the package that ships with your greenhouse includes everything needed to support a permit application. If you’re unsure whether your municipality requires one, it’s worth asking early and we can help point you in the right direction.

Less than most people expect. We spend around five enjoyable hours a week on average across the full year, more in the spring when planting and pruning ramp up, and less in the winter when the greenhouse largely takes care of itself. The rhythm becomes natural pretty quickly.

They are different, and that’s part of what makes a year-round greenhouse so interesting. In winter, the focus is on harvesting what’s already growing and protecting what you have — pinching rather than pulling so plants keep producing.

In spring and summer, it shifts to active planting, pruning, and succession growing to keep harvests coming. We will help you understand the seasonal rhythm so you’re not figuring it out alone.

Summer is when the greenhouse really produces! Cucumbers, tomatoes, and other warm-weather crops thrive, and things like fig trees and tropical varieties that need a longer growing season come into their own. Some cool-weather crops like broccoli and cauliflower will slow down in the heat — they prefer the shoulder seasons — so summer is the time to lean into what loves the warmth.

Yes, and it’s one of the smarter things you can do! Running the heating system through summer helps build up ground temperature. We typically aim to get the soil outside up to around 18 or 19 degrees by end of summer, which carries over as boosted heat well into fall.

It’s also the time to think about what’s climbing the structure: vines and loofahs trained up over the arches in summer provide natural shade, and when you take them down in fall, you get full passive solar gain back right when you need it most.

A couple of things are worth doing before winter arrives. Taking down any vines or climbing plants from the arches in fall opens up the structure to full passive solar gain right when you need it most. It’s also a good time to check that any insulation around doors and end panels is in good shape to prevent cold air from creeping in on the coldest nights.

Fall can actually be one of your best harvesting seasons! Summer crops like cucumbers can keep producing well into October or even November in the greenhouse, long after they’d be finished outside. It’s a season of overlap; you’re still pulling from summer plantings while setting up your winter crops at the same time, which means the greenhouse rarely has a quiet moment.

You don’t have to have them, but they do make a difference. Plants need around 10 to 12 hours of daylight to keep growing, and in a Canadian winter they’re not getting that naturally. Without grow lights, some crops like carrots will essentially go dormant for a couple of months rather than continuing to grow slowly.

We run ours from about 3am to 10am to top up daylight hours — they also give off a degree or two of heat at the coldest time of night, which is a bonus. It’s worth factoring the cost in when you’re planning your setup.

Winter harvesting is all about restraint. Rather than pulling whole plants, the approach is to pinch and trim — taking what you need while leaving the plant intact to keep producing. Leafy greens like lettuce, Swiss chard, and bok choy are well suited to this, and with a bit of succession planting going into fall, you can keep fresh food coming all winter long.

Many of them will, and the overlap is one of the best parts of the seasonal rhythm. Crops like potatoes planted in late winter will be ready to harvest in spring — well before anything in an outdoor garden.

The goal is to find a rotation that means you always have something ready to eat, and spring is when that rotation starts to feel almost effortless as the greenhouse fills back up with new growth.

It’s the perfect time. With longer days, warming temperatures, and the whole growing season ahead, spring gives new plantings the best possible start. We are always trialing something new in our greenhouse and we’re happy to help you figure out what’s worth trying in yours based on your goals, your setup, and what you’re most excited to grow.

Succession planting is the biggest factor, seeding a new row every two weeks or so means you’re never waiting too long between harvests. Beyond that, choosing crops that keep producing rather than giving a single harvest is worth thinking about early on. Plants like celery, Swiss chard, and leafy greens lend themselves to the pinch-and-pick approach, where you take what you need and leave the plant to keep going rather than pulling it all at once.

That’s a good problem to have. Preserving, freezing, canning, and gifting are all part of the rhythm for most greenhouse owners — We do all of the above. The greenhouse produces enough that having a plan for your surplus is worth thinking about before you even plant. It’s one of those aspects of year-round growing that shifts how you think about food at home altogether!