Best Greenhouse for Wind

wind blowing over a Growing Dome greenhouse

Growing Dome® Known to Withstand Hurricane Force Winds

Growing Dome Greenhouse covered in snow

The strong, wind resistant structure of a geodesic dome greenhouse is inherently wind proof, which is why the Growing Dome is the best greenhouse for wind and extreme weather, hands down! Google best greenhouse for wind and you’ll find best practices and conventional wisdom for protecting your greenhouse from wind.

But you shouldn’t need to protect your greenhouse from the wind. You should invest in a greenhouse that is naturally wind proof. Consider for a moment: “An 80 mph wind can produce a pressure of 16 pounds per square foot (psf). For example, the 10′ by 100′ sidewall of a gutter-connected greenhouse would have to resist a 16,000 pound force.”- UMass Amherst

Wind damaged greenhouse

“I’ve seen high winds lift an entire greenhouse and dump it 3 plots away, the glass in shards and the frame looking like a giant has tied knots in it.”- Allotment and Garden

Why a Growing Dome is the Best Greenhouse for Wind

With a Growing Dome, you don’t have to protect your greenhouse from the wind. You can rest assured your garden is safe. You protect your plants without worrying about your greenhouse.

The Growing Dome is incredibly windproof. It doesn’t give the wind anything to resist.

It’s the difference between flow and impact. Wind simply flows around a Growing Dome. Instead of wind impacting a large surface area – like the broadside of a rectangular greenhouse – it flows around the geodesic shape – distributing the forces back towards the ground.

There are no large flat surfaces for the wind to push against.

A traditional greenhouse structure has a point of weakness that buckles under the strain of the wind.

A Growing Dome distributes stress evenly throughout all points of the structure. 

The glass walls on a traditional greenhouse often go all the way to the ground. A solid foundation does not support the wall of glass. A Growing Dome fastens to a foundation wall with an engineered anchoring system.

The foundation wall also serves as the exterior wall for the indoor grow beds. Grow beds filled with 4-10 tons of soil depending on the size of the beds. When high winds impact the surface area of a traditional greenhouse, it wants to push the structure sideways. It will usually buckle at the structural point of weakness.

With a Growing Dome:

  • No large flat surface area.
  • No point of weakness. Stress distributes evenly across the structure.
  • The Dome securely anchors to a foundation wall, which holds tons of soil.
  • The foundation wall securely anchors to the ground.

Furthermore, a Growing Dome comes with an Above Ground Pond – the power pack temperature regulator. Filled with water, it also secures to the foundation wall, and adds another anchoring device, further strengthening the stability of the Growing Dome.

Woman photographing Growing Dome greenhouse in snow

Your Growing Dome is protected from high winds, hail and heavy snow loads! 

Growing food in a greenhouse protects your plants from wind. Outdoor gardening is challenging in windy areas.

Wind negatively affects plant growth by:

  • Burning and breaking leaves
  • Stunting plants and leaving them lopsided
  • Shaking roots
  • Snapping trunks and stems
  • Lowers air temperature
  • Dehydrates
  • Damages flowers and fruits
  • Disrupts pollination

A safe and protected indoor space helps you successfully grow, especially if you live in a windy area. It used to be there were windy areas. Now, more and more people tell us they live in a windy area. Places traditionally not thought of as windy. Click this link for wind map.

Map of wind across the United States

Is wind becoming more severe? Is nature becoming more violent? I don’t know for certain, but I do know greenhouses are supposed to be safe havens. Safe havens for our gardens. We want to protect our gardens from undesirable outside influences – like wind, snow and hail. But end up worrying about the safety of our greenhouse.

What about Wind Missiles?

With a traditional glass greenhouse, it is imperative you keep surrounding areas clear of objects, which might smash through the glass when picked up and hurled by the wind.

The polycarbonate on a Growing Dome can withstand a 16 lb. weight dropped from 25 feet with no breakage. Those figures come from testing on 8mm polycarbonate. Many dome owners choose 16mm. Its impact resistance would be much higher. See the post Best Greenhouse Covering for Unpredictable Weather for the benefits and strengths of polycarbonate as a greenhouse covering.

However, just because your Growing Dome can handle wind borne yard missiles, please keep surrounding areas clean. You never know who or what else might be in the crossfire!

The Growing Dome is engineer rated for 90 mph winds and has the ability to be engineered higher. We’ve received numerous reports of Growing Domes withstanding up to 130 mph in Montana, Alaska, and the front range of the Colorado Rockies.

15′ Growing Dome Greenhouse Survives Hurricane Force Winds in Pine, CO

The dome owner writes – “I just wanted to let you know that our dome survived the recent hurricane force winds and all the flying debris such as broken tree branches. We had gusts of winds measuring up to 115 mph (but that is as high as the anemometer will register). All around the dome there was destruction and chaos of debris. The dome survived beautifully. Thank you for providing such a quality product. I love my Growing Spaces Dome!”

PVC DIY greenhouse

Traditional greenhouses have a point of weakness. Glass breaks. Flexible coverings flap and abrade in the wind and eventually wear out. The Growing Dome’s geometry and strength provides flow, traditional greenhouses provide area for impact.

With a Growing Dome, there is nothing for the wind to push against. It secures to a foundation wall with an engineered anchoring system. The foundation wall secures to the ground with an engineered anchoring system. The weight of the soil beds and the above ground pond add further strength and stability.

Glass greenhouse damaged by wind

The wind is going to blow. Chances are it’s going to blow hard. In addition, you probably live in one of those “windy areas.”

If you want to protect your garden without worrying about protecting your greenhouse. If you want the best greenhouse for wind, the Growing Dome delivers the safe haven.

Please contact us if you’d like to get more information on Growing Domes. Or to receive more informative gardening and Growing Dome articles, please sign up for our monthly Newsletter “The Happy Grower”.

author avatar
Jason Stuck
For three days in March 2008 Jason Stuck shoveled gravel into a Growing Spaces’ 33’ Growing Dome. That was Jason's first “project” working for Growing Spaces. Jason easily fell in love with the product, the people, and the philosophy of helping the earth by helping others grow their own food. Jason wore many hats at Growing Spaces over the years. Shovel slinger, metal fabricator, shopkeeper and author. Jason wrote many articles for our website and newsletter.

13 Comments

  • When install twin wall polycarbonate over the dome. How to prevent water/mositure infiltration
    in to the wall of PC. Silicoin caulking seems not to ne the righ method.

    Please reply

    Sam Kay

    • Hey Sam,
      The seam where the polycarbonate comes together is sealed with a high quality aircraft tape. We do not recommend silicon caulking the seam.

  • I live in Puerto Rico and have a concrete patio garden. Currently I have a 10′ x 20′ cover with 6 legs holding the roof up. On a regular basis the winds are 30-45 mph with local thunder showers. I fear for my plants from the wind and the rain. I am interested in finding a suitable structure. A 15″ round Growing Dome sounds interesting. Please send information and pricing, including shipping

  • I live on an Island which has wind all year long. I do not think a traditional rectangular greenhouse would withstand it. A local farm uses half domes to grow their produce in, but I think a geo dome would work for me. Do you have a dome for back gardens?

  • We live in North Reno experience winds 40 mph with 70-100 mph wind gusts year round. We also get snow and ice storms. We want a ten foot diameter dome greenhouse we can construct in our back yard garden area. We need good ventilation due to hot summers and good insulation during our cold winters. Summer will average 80s to high 90s with occasional triple digits. At night it drops to the 50s or 60s, sometimes can go to freezing. Winters during the day average 40s and 50s with freezing temperatures at night in the teens and twenties.

      • Wind definitely makes gardening difficult! Our domes are engineer rated for 90 mph winds and has the ability to be engineered higher. We’ve received numerous reports of Growing Domes withstanding up to 130 mph in Montana, Alaska, and the front range of the Colorado Rockies.

  • We live in Eagar, Arizona. 85925. We experience winds up to 80 mph. Temperatures get into the 90’s in the summer and down to within the -10 range. We have plenty of land. Please advise.

    • Our domes are rated at 115 mph, and can go higher with a cement foundation. We would recommend adding some additional fans due to the warmer climate, but we have many successful dome owners all over Arizona!

  • I have been in my new mountain home north of Las Vegas for 3.5 years. We frequently get high wind gusts of 90+ mph, so I’m very interested in your product.
    I am retired on a fixed budget, so costs are definitely a consideration; but I know that putting up an everyday greenhouse could result in a disaster.
    What options can you suggest?

  • Are you still in business?…we live in west central Iowa and could use a large or several of your greenhouses…we have winds sometimes to 80 mph but often at 40 – 50mph yr round…how do we get a hold of you?

    • Yes! We’re in Southwest Colorado, but have domes all over the US, Canada and in several other countries. Our domes definitely handle wind as well as snow, hail, and rain. Some of our dome owners will graciously give a tour of their dome so call us to find out where the closest dome is to you. Give us a call at 800-753-9333 or visit our website: https://growingspaces.com/
      We’re on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest, also.

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