greenhouses

Nancy Carter
Nancy Carter Posts: 202 ✭✭✭

I'm looking into making a greenhouse next winter. What are some easy diy greenhouse ideas that are inexpensive yet creative? I would like to walk into it so it will need to be upright and wider than 4 ft!! I am interested in the creative use of materials! Let me know your ideas please!

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Comments

  • Nancy Carter
    Nancy Carter Posts: 202 ✭✭✭

    When having a small outdoor greenhouse, in the winter how do you keep it warm at night?

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    @jodienancarrow and @Nancy Carter Following is a link to the University of Minnesota for a Deep Winter Greenhouse (DWG). If you look at the Resources tab part way down the page it will take you to several links including a PDF called "Starting a DIY Deep Winter Greenhouse Operation on a Budget". The PDF "DWG Presentation" has more plans and instructions.

    https://extension.umn.edu/growing-systems/deep-winter-greenhouses#statewide-prototype-2.0-initiative--2066620

  • tomandcara
    tomandcara Posts: 712 ✭✭✭✭

    @Nancy Carter There are plans for a DIY hoop greenhouse here on TGN for$10. https://thegrownetwork.com/hoop-house-guide/

  • Torey
    Torey Posts: 5,679 admin

    @tomandcara I rarely shop online so I always forget about TGN's shop. Thanks for reminding me.

  • tomandcara
    tomandcara Posts: 712 ✭✭✭✭

    @torey You are very welcome. Sometimes it is too easy to forget about the things that are right in front of us

  • Annie Kate
    Annie Kate Posts: 680 ✭✭✭✭

    Thank you for the links @tomandcara and @torey . The deep winter one sounds especially good since we are in Ontario. And I, too, need to explore the TGN shop.

  • MelissaLynne
    MelissaLynne Posts: 205 ✭✭✭

    The Deep winter greenhouse is now on my wish list...

    The are so many great ideas and projects that I’d like to tackle it is hard to know/decide which to focus my efforts and materials on.

  • ltwickey
    ltwickey Posts: 369 ✭✭✭

    In CT we built a medium size green house out of repurposed windows and blackened out a few on each wall to ensure the heat was brought in throughout the winter. The most expensive parts were the 2x4's for studs.

  • smik123
    smik123 Posts: 60 ✭✭✭

    My husband wants to build one using a shed kit and instead of putting wood on the sides we could use some vinyl. Any time he takes an interest in helping I am excited. Hope it works as well as he is anticipating.

  • dottile46
    dottile46 Posts: 437 ✭✭✭

    I've looked online for greenhouse film but not purchased it. Most places have a closeout section with discounted prices on remnants. These links might help when planning to build.


  • kfoto
    kfoto Posts: 108 ✭✭✭

    Did you know that Home Depot has kits? Not bad at all. I’m thinking I may need one.

  • SuperC
    SuperC Posts: 952 ✭✭✭✭
    edited July 2020

    @Nancy Carter hoop greenhouse with poly. Add weights onto the stakes that hold the poly securely due to probable winds. Place a wood burning stove at one end not so close to the tender plants, and put a box fan on the ceiling to circulate the warmth in cold months. This also keeps a portion of the ground warm, so having a small amount of livestock running around in a squared area is beneficial due to collection of manure. However, make sure it’s the kind of manure either from herbivore (carbon) or carnivore (nitrogen) so you’d need either more carbon or nitrogen added to have bountiful crops. Are you planning to have aquaponics, a solárium or a vegetable greenhouse? There are many ideas!

  • Grounded
    Grounded Posts: 153 ✭✭✭

    Very cool ideas presented here. I would also like to build a greenhouse in my backyard. I will have to take a look at TGN's plans to see how I could modify it to fit my circumstances. Nancy Carter, thanks for starting this thread.

  • Desiree
    Desiree Posts: 255 ✭✭✭

    I tried a poly film greenhouse and the first winter it ended up shredded by NWC Ohio winter winds. I tried to locate it in a good spot but... the winds got the better of it. Luckily I was able to salvage the plants I had put to sleep in it by relocating them but I still want a sturdier greenhouse someday.

  • Nancy Carter
    Nancy Carter Posts: 202 ✭✭✭

    This is fantastic

  • Lisa K
    Lisa K Posts: 1,935 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @vickeym Very cool!!! Right now I have a mini greenhouse I use to start seeds.


  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Lisa K That is what I use as well. A friend gave me 2 of those this spring.

  • Merin Porter
    Merin Porter Posts: 1,026 admin

    Love this! I've actually been using my egg incubator to sprout seeds, and I've been really pleased with the results -- although I can't do as many at once as what you've got going on here!

  • Lisa K
    Lisa K Posts: 1,935 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Merin Porter thanks and I never thought of an egg incubator - great idea!

  • spanthegulf
    spanthegulf Posts: 81 ✭✭✭

    I've been trying to get a greenhouse built for some time now... other projects keep pushing that one off priority! With frigid temps just around the corner (even here in 8B east Texas!), I've come up with a "compromise": I have a quanset style storage hut built of arched cattle panels and covered with corrugated roofing tin. It is 7' wide, 12' long and about 6' tall. I plant to simply replace 2-3 of the metal sheets on the south side with clear corrugated PVC panels, thereby providing an enclosed storage area with southern sunlight for my more frost sensitive plants (citrus and other tropicals mainly) until I can (hopefully) get back on track for a "real" greenhouse in 2021. Do y'all think this will work?

  • spanthegulf
    spanthegulf Posts: 81 ✭✭✭

    3 cheers for hubby! That's a great greenhouse! Plus effective up-cycling. That's a winner any way you look at it. Your plants look awesome!

  • spanthegulf
    spanthegulf Posts: 81 ✭✭✭

    Ana White has a couple of nifty greenhouse plans. At least one of them is free download from her site. If you simply google "Ana White Greenhouse Plans" I'm sure you'll hit on it. Perhaps compare to other plans you've found and you can glean the best points from all of them. Be sure to post photos when you get your greenhouses built and growing! All the best!

  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Well, the season is basically over here. Just wanted to say this is the best results I have ever had on my tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Have always tried either outside in the past. Never got much from any variety no matter their claims for cooler climates.

    Considering how late a start we got, and how late we were transplanting everything out, we did fantastic. I have probably 10 gallon bags of (small) tomatoes in my freezer and 2 flats still ripening. Will be making sauce from these. There are probably 10 pounds or more of bell peppers, there must have been close to 100 pounds of cucumbers, and 3-4 pounds of cayenne peppers. We got 12 small sweetie pumpkins for pies, and around 15 pounds of tomatillos. Unfortunately those did not ripen in time. We are planning on more greenhouses next year. lol Have already ordered and received my heirloom and open pollinated seeds for next year. Decided to get them before things in this country get any worse. Hope everyone's gardens did well for them. Happy preserving to us all.

  • Michelle D
    Michelle D Posts: 1,465 ✭✭✭✭✭

    A friend told me that there is a way to make a heater for a greenhouse using aluminum cans and pvc pipe. He said that it would keep the inside at summer temperatures even when it is below zero outside. Has anyone had any experience with that kind of thing? I would love to be able to grow all year!

  • vickeym
    vickeym Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Michelle D Have never heard of this system. Would love to find out about it if anyone does know. e have talked about building a small rocket mass heater in the greenhouse to extend our season but have not gotten that far yet.

  • JennyT Upstate South Carolina
    JennyT Upstate South Carolina Posts: 1,273 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @torey Thank you for sharing the link. I too am interested in a green house. I only have a small one for seed starting however the covers are broke because of age.

    @tomandcara Thank you for mentioning the TGN shop. I'm new here and have yet had the chance to look around much. But I will definitely be checking out the shop for sure.

    @vickeym I love that your husband used what he was able to fine and built that for you. I'm all about that too. Did he come up with the design himself or did he see it somewhere?

  • Lisa K
    Lisa K Posts: 1,935 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @Nancy Carter I just finished the TGN Greenhouse course and what I really liked was seeing the different types of greenhouses that Lynn (the instructor) uses for her home & business. She also has some points that need to be considered before buying or building.

  • John
    John Posts: 163 ✭✭✭

    Yay! Thanks for all the great information and ideas. My old hot tub is kaput, and I am trying to get rid of it-the wooden platform that it sits on has electricity of course and this provides an opportunity to have a new greenhouse with heat, and it's in a good spot to receive sun a good part of the day. I hope to have something ready by Spring planting time here in NW Wisconsin.