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anijunga

Corrugated plastic roofing idea for a container

anijunga
13 years ago

IâÂÂve offered to help a friend start wintersowing this weekend and am looking for a quick alternative to collecting and using recycled bottles/containers. I personally use 2L pop bottles and underbed storage bins, however, I find that the underbed storage bins become brittle and break easily after a year or two in a Canadian winter.

I was thinking of using corrugated plastic roofing material screwed onto an 8" tall wooden box that you just put over 4" plastic pots? I could just buy some 1" x 8" x 10' pieces of lumber and build a wooden box without a bottom, drill drainage holes into the roofing material and then attach to the top of the box. Then I could put the whole thing over the wintersown pots out on the patio deck.

Do you think this would work and be worth it? Does anyone have any better ideas?

Attached is a link to what I was thinking of building.

Here is a link that might be useful: Photo of idea

Comments (7)

  • jodie74
    13 years ago

    I might suggest you not screw the roofing material (this material is clear?) on but perhaps just set a couple of bricks or rocks on it. When spring comes you need to have access to seedlings & remove cover in daytime yet cover at night time. If screwed in, that might be hard to keep covering & uncovering. I have read where people use clear plastic too for covering. Might be cheaper as Walmart sells it for like $6 & it's a HUGE roll! It's back in the painting dept.

    Why bottomless? What will hold the dirt in? Do you plan to just use cups set inside you frame?

  • anijunga
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    Bricks are a good idea, thanks. The corrugated plastic roofing material is clear and can be used for making cold frames (my dad has some). It holds its shape as it's a solid sheet. I thought about clear plastic (like a shower curtain) but I didn't like the idea of run-off from thawing snow pooling in one or two areas. At least with the plastic sheeting I can drill holes and there's less of a chance of snow melting in one place.

    And I would use Solo cups underneath with holes drilled into the bottom so there would be drainage onto the patio.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Example of plastic roofing

  • rosemctier
    13 years ago

    i wonder if you could put hinges on one end so you can just prop it open when need be?

  • msbatt
    13 years ago

    My only suggestion would be to invest in some of that moulding that's shaped like the corrugated roofing, to nail to the ends of your wooden box. The roofing can crack pretty easily, and using this stuff keeps a lot of the strain off it.

  • TedLeger
    10 years ago

    That actually is a good idea with the sheet of plastic roofing. Light will get to the plants well, and the material is hardier than you would think. I found a site that talks more about these sheets. Some of what I read though was kind of off a bit, but overall, it describes them well.

    Here is a link that might be useful: plastic roofing

  • october17
    10 years ago

    What a great idea! If you can make the cover removable, you can use the box for something else. If you can make a box with hinges, it would all fold flat for storage.

    I was just looking at that plastic corrugated roofing. It is nice stuff. Not sure about putting bricks on it. But that would be a quick start.

    Maybe you can slant the roof and catch the runoff in something for later use.

    Lots to think about. Thanks again for the great idea.

  • gardener_mary
    9 years ago

    Basically what you are planning to build is a simple cold frame. You may find a lot of useful info if you research building and/or using a cold frame or starting seeds in a cold frame. You will most likely find most of the info targeted to growing vegetables but not all.

    Good Gardening, Mary

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