The main difference between greenhouse and nursery is that a greenhouse is a glass building where we grow plants that need protection from cold weather, while a nursery is a place where we propagate plants and grow them to usable size.
Greenhouses and nurseries are two places involved in the growth of various types of plants. However, we use nurseries to grow new plants from seeds, cuttings, etc. They do not necessarily need a cover. Meanwhile, greenhouses can be used as nurseries to protect plants from cold, dry, or wet conditions.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is a Greenhouse
– Definition, Features
2. What is a Nursery
– Definition, Features, Benefits
3. Difference Between Greenhouse and Nursery
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Greenhouse, Nursery, Plants
What is a Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building where we cultivate plants that require controlled climate conditions. Its walls and top are mostly composed of transparent materials, including glass. These buildings come in various sizes, from modest sheds to enormous factories. A smaller greenhouse is also known as a cold frame. When a greenhouse gets sunlight, the interior temperature rises significantly above the exterior temperature, insulating the contents from cold weather.
Many commercial glass greenhouses are state-of-the-art plantations for growing fruits, flowers, and vegetables. A computer system may control the heating, cooling, lighting, and screening components in the glass greenhouses to create an ideal environment for plant growth. This system then creates the best environment for the growth of a particular crop using various ways to control growth parameters such as air temperature, relative humidity, and vapour-pressure deficit.
What is a Plant Nursery
A nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to usable size. In these nurseries, we can grow quality seedlings until they are ready for planting on a larger scale or smaller scale. Moreover, the main purpose of plant nurseries is to provide young plants or saplings to gardens, farms, agriculture, forestry, and conservation. We can also sell these plants in retail nurseries (these sell to the general public) or wholesale nurseries (these sell only to businesses like other nurseries, commercial gardeners, and private nurseries). Some of these saplings can also help in plant breeding.
Some nurseries specialize in particular fields, such as growing out plant materials to a marketable size, retail sales, or propagation, and the sale of small or bare root plants to other nurseries. For example, some nurseries may focus only on groundcovers, shade plants, or plants for rock gardens. Some also grow bulk stocks of particular species as seedlings or grafted trees for uses like producing fruit trees for orchards or wood trees for forestry.
Difference Between Greenhouse and Nursery
Definition
A greenhouse is a glass building where plants that need protection from cold weather are grown, while a nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to usable size.
Purpose
The main purpose of a greenhouse is to grow plants that require protection from the cold, while the main purpose of plant nurseries is to provide young plants or saplings to gardens, farms, agriculture, forestry, and conservation.
Building
Furthermore, plant nurseries come in various sizes and shapes; more importantly, they do not necessarily have coverings. Greenhouses, on the other hand, have structures enclosed by glass.
Conclusion
Greenhouses and nurseries are two places we grow plants. The main difference between a greenhouse and a nursery is that a greenhouse is a glass building where we grow plants that need protection from cold weather, while a nursery is a place where we propagate plants and grow them to usable size.
Reference:
1. “Plant Nursery Starting for Beginners.” Agri Farming.
2. “Greenhouse.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Plant nursery, pot rows” By Liz west – Flickr: nursery (CC BY 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Strawberry greenhouse” By Joi Ito – originally posted to Flickr as Strawberry greenhouse (CC BY 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia
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