A waste of money

13 years ago

I just threw this away yesterday:

Mostly, I posted this because I wanted people to see what these 4-tier portable greenhouses look like a year later. You might notice the duct tape that is patching the areas where the plastic cover has torn. What you can't see from the picture is that the plastic that holds the shelves together has also weathered and cracked, so I don't dare put anything valuable on it even if I wanted to.

My biggest problem with this thing was that it doesn't really keep anything warm at night, and during the day, if you don't open the front, you'll cook your plants if the sun comes out. So even though it seemed like a great idea in theory, when I went to actually use it, I couldn't find a real purpose for it.

Instead, I've set up shop lights in my unheated Tuff Shed. The lights keep the plants warm, the shed protects them from the heat if the weather gets hotter than expected that day. Even with nights down in the 20's, my seedlings did fine out in the shed without any additional heating. And when I do want to bring them out and give them some air, I set them on a table that isn't going to blow over in the slightest breeze.

Just some things to consider if you're thinking about buying one of these. I think I only spent around $50 on the thing, and though that's annoying, I'm even more glad I didn't buy one of the more expensive lean-to type "greenhouses" or something similar. I don't think they would have been any better from a practicality standpoint.

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Comments (12)

wordwiz
13 years ago
loribee,

We live and learn! For $50 you could have bought quite a bit of PVC or lumber and some 6-mill plastic.

I built a 12x16' GH and am I glad I did. Two years ago, I tried to raise tomatoes in it during the winter but there simply was not enough sunlight. Heating and lighting it both would have been too expensive. But this year, it has become a repository for seeds - hundreds and hundreds of tomato, lettuce, chard, pepper and pea seedlings. No way would I have had room (or lights) upstairs to grow as many.

If things go well this summer and I have time this fall, I am seriously thinking about adding another eight feet and replacing the roof and the west wall with glazing.

Mike
luvahydrangea
13 years ago
OMG, I bought one of those two years ago, threw it out last year. Then my sister buys me the greenhouse of that brand and type a couple of months ago for my birthday. I set it up in the basement to keep the cat out of my seedlings. When i set it up, I didn't consider the immense heat being given off by the grow light. I was too scared of a fire, so I took it down. I have no idea what to do with it.

I did use the one you have pictured to hang clothes from at a garage sale I had. It was pretty useful in that way.
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jollyrd
13 years ago
I used it for two years and it is still in good condition. And the plastic and structure is all intact. I use it to harden off the plants I start from seeds. I put plants out with the plastic on, to protect them from strong winds, but keep the front "door" open, and leave them out all day. If I forget to lift the front plastic - the plants get cooked!

In the winter I store all my seed starting equipment in it, - it sits outside all fall/winter/spring.
gardenweed_z6a
13 years ago
A gardening friend of mine bought one a few years ago, decided it was worthless and offered it to me. I took it but never did find it useful for anything other than shelves for slow-growing seedlings. I folded up the plastic cover and just use the frame & shelves to hold stuff. This winter the squirrels found it made a good launch pad to jump onto the bird feeder.
sarahbarah27
13 years ago
Mine didn't even last a year! The plastic all cracked a few months after i purchased it! Big waste, but it worked while it lasted.
loribee2
Original Author
13 years ago
Good to know I'm not alone! Jollyrd, I'm very impressed your plastic cover has lasted. Maybe it is the California heat that did this one in, although I've had it in a place where it's shaded in the afternoon. Ah well. Live and learn.

And luvahydrangea, LOL on your garage sale hanger!

Here is a link that might be useful: my blog
quilt_mommy
13 years ago
My Dad bought me one of these last year for my birthday. I used it for spring sowing, just to help keep the frost off annuals, and basically just a place to keep things that weren't ready to be planted. The plastic went on mine too, and I was pretty bummed.
ron_2008
13 years ago
Bought two of these type from a lady at work for $5.00.Figured I couldn't go wrong at that price.They will absolutely cook your plants though if you are not home to open the door.
nutsaboutflowers
13 years ago
I bought one a few years ago, and ended up cooking my plants =:(

I use mine now, with the shelves removed, to cover plants to protect them from light frost or hail.

The metal shelving I use to prop up peas.
faerygardener z7 CA
13 years ago
I have 2 of the smaller two shelf ones and this one. I use them as shelves on the porch for clustering smaller potted plants- I like to start plants and there are always some that fit on the shelves. The 2 shelf was a gift from someone who also didn't want to use it as a greenhouse. The smaller ones are about 4 years old - I've even picked up good for plastic paint so I could paint them easily all set up. I used the cover for a bit on the big one (1/2 a season) but it gets so hot here, I took it off by May that year.
I recall your blog saying yours blew over - mine are against the house on the porch, so they don't move at all.

Here is a link that might be useful: mists and enchantments my blog
foolishpleasure
13 years ago
It is called Human being ripping off a fellow human being. To learn more about that try to buy trees from Online Nurseries.
mori1
13 years ago
I have three of them, a two shelf, which is in my unheated garage. I put the plants I overwinter in them. I got a four shelf to start my seeds in and a three shelf that I put the seedlings in to grow in sunlight. I've had the two and three shelves for years and I don't put them outside. If I did, the plastic cover would cook them and I just don't find them sturdy enough for outdoor use.