My first greenhouse

14 years ago

I ordered this off ebay. Probably too much money for what i got, but i needed to start somewhere and didn't want to spend a ton. I know for a fact i'm going to jump to a 12x20 hoop house or bigger and cover my entire bed, use this one for young tropicals (palms, bananas, plumeria in the spring/summer/fall). Its 6x10 and probably 7ft at the peak.

Couple of things. It gets HOT in there. I had 93F the other day with 36F outside temp. At night it drops to outside temp, so it doesn't hold any heat (which i knew would be the case). I take all the plants into the house.

Wood chips on the ground, not good. I think i know where the condensation is coming from (the ground was frozen when i first put it up, its thawed out now). I think i'll move it onto some pavers for a more solid flooring. I also will put it on 4x4 posts i think and secure it.

Its already too small. Go big or go home! I want to grow tomatoes/peppers/eggplant under plastic and that is the game plan in the future with a large hoop house. I'm in Wisconsin, so while these will do fine outside, they tend to not ripen until August, so the plastic should allow me to speed that up a month.

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Comments (8)

colokid
14 years ago
Nice job with the pictures.
That's the same 6 by 10 that I have just bought. Don't have it up yet. Cheapest thing I could find.
BTW, Sears list it at over double the price I payed for mine.
Your going to have to mount a big fan to cool it.
I intend to drive a steel fence post inside each corner for the wind.
How about two barrels of water in stead
of those pots, with planks across for a shelf?
Kenny
dadhaslonglegs
Original Author
14 years ago
Once it gets a little warmer, probably April i'll add water to the inside to temper the heat. Probably a 100 gallons, plus i will need it for watering plants.
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eric_wa
14 years ago
dad - legs,

From the other post, what are your plans for the glass door panes? Did you check for the safety glass label in one of the corners?

Your greenhouse,
One suggestion, remove the chips, put down a heavy weed barrier and cover with 7/8 drain rock.

Eric
dadhaslonglegs
Original Author
14 years ago
Eric-

They actually are for building a solar hot water collector (drainback type system). I still want to build one (considering its free hot water for 5 months of the year).

This is just a temporary spot. I'm tempted to put it in the driveway (huge driveway here) on 4x4 posts. If/When i buy a 12x20 hoop house, that will cover most of the bed in the above pic. I'll till in the wood chips, add some black dirt and lay down pavers for walking on. I like wood chips (they are free!), but they really hold the bugs and they don't allow the soil to warm up that well (they seem to have an insulation effect. They do an excellent job of suppressing weeds, however.
sasha84
14 years ago
great pics! It'll look better with more plants.

I myself personally built a lean to greenhouse

Here is a link that might be useful: build my own lean to greenhouse
eric_wa
14 years ago
dadhaslonglegs,

I'm interested in your solar hotwater setup. Could you post some pictures along with your plans.

Thank you
Eric
ginger5588
14 years ago
Dadhaslonglegs, Nice greenhouse!
What kind of covering is that?
It looks like a woven poly.
Thanks. Sorry for the dumb question,
but I'm still learning.
colokid
14 years ago
Dad, I don't have mine up yet.
I have a question for you:
Package was 50 or 60 pounds.
How solid, heavy is it when assembled? Would it be easy, for like two people to pick it up and move it?
Fifty feet or so.
I might place it on my best tomato ground, start tomatoes in it, then pick it up and move it off in June.
I am also thinking that if it was on the south side of my house this winter I could use it as a solar heater and pipe hot air into the house.
I realize it needs proper tie downs of course.
KennyP