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jally1

makeshift greenhouse for storm protection

jally
9 years ago

Hi, all. I don't have a car, so it's hard to get around to big box stores. I'm seeking advice regarding easiest way for a weak shrimp like myself to set up a Sloping-Roof Clear-Vinyl enclosure for the weird situation you see in my attached photo.

There's no garden as of yet (I'm a total Newb, hoping to plant snow peas, green beans etc.

I have yet to drag alot more layers of earth from a far-off part of my yard, prior to adding {{gwi:297905}} to each seedling.

I'd like something durable, to hold up against severe weather.

I was considering placing the 3 cinderblocks surrounding the black corrugated pipe you see in the pic, then filling the pipe with more rocks or cinderblocks, then placing a sturdy tree-limb within (I've plenty of those).
Then tying vinyl clothesline wire to North fence post,
...then connect that to the post-inside-corrugated-pipe
.....then connect that to the East fence post.

Then tacking vinyl sheeting to a thin-wood plank
...and tie the plank to the East fence
.....and letting the vinyl sheet extend till clothesline
.......where it would be fastened.

Something like that.
Would it work?
Also, see the pic where I stated re: kids & groundhogs.

Advice appreciated, thanks!

Comments (10)

  • CanadianLori
    9 years ago

    Have you thought about making a light weight pvc frame, anchring it, and covering with plastic?

  • apprenticegardener
    9 years ago

    I've modified your picture to illusltrate an easy way to do what you want.

    The red line outline is the left "side" of your plot. The blue line is the right side. Get a piece of rebar at least 8 feet long. Drive it into the ground at the point marked as "C". It will form the line "B-C". Get a piece of 1X2 or 1X4 lumber and fasten it to the fence at point "A" and to the rebar at point "B". Get some Visqueen or similar transparent/translucent material. Drape it over the wood and secure it there with staples. Gather the material along the edge parallel to "A-B", tie a piece of twine/parachute cord at each corner and in the center. Tie the cord to the back fence. Quick, easy, adjustable, cheap.

  • jally
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Uh, I see, thanks. It was very kind of you to offer the pictorial demo! And to both of you - at least now I have some feedback to chew on as food for thought.

    - the hard parts are - for shrimp with no car:

    (1) getting rebar to the house
    (2) getting an 8' rebar into tough ground
    (3) getting proper lumber to house
    (4) getting the latter fastened from fence to rebar

    P.S. Meantime I got a HORRENDOUS case of poison ivy, merely in my attempt to clear that pitiful plot of ground. I'm suffering to the Nth degree, and the doctor put me on Prednisone pills plus cream. But still suffering.

    So I need to take a long break from computer (due to EMFs heating up my body, thereby worsening both my poisoned parts, as well as my long-existent cysts.

    Is there any other gardenWeb forum where people can help with this? There were so many Sub-Forums - it was hard to decide.

    I'm afraid with everything I'm up against, I got my greenbean and summer-squash packets for nothing. By the time I'd ever by a miracle get healed of Ivy, plus get it all pat, the summer will have passed by.

    This post was edited by jally on Sun, May 18, 14 at 19:51

  • jally
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    just an update to say that my hands are still with painful and/or itchy blisters, some in finger crevices or knuckles (those are worst)

    Already tried:

    fluocinonide cream (from doctor - burned & worsened it)
    cortisone & fluticasone cream (from doctor - no help)
    hydroxazine HCL pills (from doctor - no help)
    methyl Prednisolone pills (from doctor - no help)
    Technu wash (no help, and may have spread it more)
    Florasone (boericke/tafel) - no help, even burned
    Caladryl - OK
    Aveno (beige & navy 4 oz. intense lotion) - OK
    Zinc oxide cream - OK
    pascalite +tea-tree-oil & aloe-gel - OK
    peppermint-oil bathing (this is relieving)

  • CanadianLori
    9 years ago

    As I said before. If you want light easy to buy/carry stuff to make a structure to support plastic covering, get pvc. The 3/4" is sturdy. You can you also buy the ready made elbows and 45 degree angles to join the pieces
    I bought a pile of this stuff at Home Depot and because I was bringing it back from across the border, bought it in the 2' pre-cut sections. You can make the shape something like Apprenticegardener's drawing with as much effort as putting together lego.

  • jally
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Hi, Lori & all - sorry for the months-long delay. I don't even remember if I was eNotified of your last response, but I browsed back here, due to wanting to reference this past post.

    ...OK, by now I've been healed from the poison ivy (no thanks to the AMA) - by self-helping
    ...(applied wound-honey Atop Basic-Calamine on the worst palm-burns, topped with Duct-tape, and other spreadable-strategies for the rest of my arms & legs. Also Oolong & hibiscus tea drinking plus squeezing/rubbing the juice of bags on hands/wrists.

    Regarding PVC:

    I don't think I can drag an 8' long PVC pipe onto local buses. So my question is:

    Can I easily tote a bunch of shorter lengths via bus system, and then connect them?

    I don't have a staple gun to staple plastic to wood (not that I have the correct lumber, or know how to tote that home either).

    Note that by now, after all the hard hard work clearing the grass, the brown-dirt area that you see in my pic. is already overgrown with tons of grass.
    So I got to thinking about this other possible option:

    POSSIBLE SELF-WATERING PALLET+TARP OPTION:

    I have a wood pallet. So maybe I can use my reciprocating saw to saw off the wood from the underside, and then flip the pallet over, and lay it on one of those large blue tarps, then drape the tarp over the rims to create a self-watering trough?
    As alternative to this:

    Here is a link that might be useful: self-watering system

  • CanadianLori
    9 years ago

    You can buy 2 foot sectins of pvc or do like I did. I took a hacksaw with me and cut to size in the parking lot after purchasing. You can order clamps from acf or johnnies . Check diameters of clamps before buyjng pvc. They do hold the plastic firmly.

  • jally
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I see & thanks for the info! But I'm thinking that for all the hassle, the hypothetical garden wouldn't get protected anyway in case of heavy rain. Also, due to lots of tough roots, not sure anything could grow.

    Would the above-mentioned pallet option work? I also posted the video link.

  • CanadianLori
    9 years ago

    I am really puzzled. Why would you want to garden where the ground would not sustain any type of crop, let alone worry about protecting the area from a storm?

    I can't imaging doing the self watering situation with an old pallet and it probably would not be feasible for you since it would entail bringing in good soil. And soil weights a lot more than pvc or any of the other building materials suggested by other posters.

    I will be removing my option of notifications regarding this post as I do not feel that I can possibly come up with any suggestions to help because of the severe limitations you face. Sorry I can't be of any help. Good luck with whatever project you settle on.

  • jally
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I actually have a bag of miracle gro from the past, so thought I'd mix it in with soil I already have.

    OK, well, I see you removed notifications, but that's for the record. As for luck, my name begins & ends with bad luck, but thanks for the wishes - hey the whole world is slated for chaos by the end of month anyway...at least according to many predictions.

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