Pros & Cons

It takes a lot of electricity (or other energy) to generate enough light for plants. I used to work in a greenhouses and remember that the bill for electricity and heating was a major part of all expenses. You can take an ordinary light meter and compare the light intensity during the dawn or on a very cloudy day. Next measure an average bulb. You will be surprise how little light in gives comparison to an average sunny day.

Using artificial light would generate a big infra red signature and you would invite people in (even assuming that the light was shielded). You can put a wood stove inside the greenhouse and keep it warm during the night, but here again you’ve produced an infra red signature.

Hydroponics is a messy business and you would have to deliver nutrients in a liquid form. With greenhouse you could start composting the next day after settling in (assuming that you are not in the desert). I have seen greenhouses set up with vertical conduits or pipes with soil. This allows plants to grow vertically. It looks like a tree. The only problem is watering which has to be done from the top.

Offered by Chris.

Hydroponics are beset due to limited sunlight and space available. 4 times as much in the same space can be grown with hydroponics.

Offered by Clipper.