Build my own plastic green house or buy one

[hangin'witthepeeps]

Well, let me first say that money is the problem, as it is with all of us.

What I'm looking for is what is appropriate for my area? I see some of the poly tunnels. I could get 2 cow panels and make a poly tunnel. I have cement blocks, wood, pallets and such. So this would be the most affordable and I could have it by the end of summer up and ready for wintering over some tomatoes and such until it gets too cold here. Then I could get a jump start on the spring.

But is this idea realistic for my area? We do have torrential down pours 15+ times a year with all the wind and hail that goes with it. Every 3 to 7 years we get a good amount of snow or ice. We do get a dusting every year, but some years its more than a foot in one day. All of the snow is usually gone in 3 to 7 days. So keeping this in mind, would a poly tunnel work for my area or do I need to save up the money (or use next years tax refund) and get a good greenhouse?

Or would a poly "lean-to" be better? I have a shed with a good 8' wall to build a "lean-to" on.

The other thing I'm considering is an addition to the shed made with windows. I can get windows for $2 a piece at the local Habitat for Humanity Re-store. The do have a few sliding glass doors for $10 a piece which would make a good door. But I would have to buy lumber to frame that out.

Give me suggestions keeping in mind of my area which is North East Georgia. I do not live in the mountains, but at the foothills. Near Athens, GA.

I would also like to try some hydroponic lettuce and I've never done hydroponics before. I've only seen it done here through pictures and several youtube videos. I would like to put a vertical system in my greenhouse.

TIA, Melissa

 

[vfem]

I am all about making anything that works well on a small budget, I'm just as broke as anyone else. We were given free double hung glass panel windows, 28 of them even, and still we haven't the money to build anything with them. (Other then a mini greenhouse, my sweet sweet man!)

So I say go for it. Get a count of what you have and what you have available to spend. I think the tunnel is probably the cheapest and easiest option for your area.

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

Do you think a tunnel would hold up if i use cowpanels? I know the plastic will have to be repaired/replaced. I would think cowpanels would hold up to the wind better than PVC pipe?

 

[wifezilla]

Cattle panels would keep it from sagging and forming pockets. That is a problem I am having with my dog kennel converted in to a greenhouse/quail pen. Since I am in Colorado it is only a minor annoyance, but with all your rain, I wouldn't go PVC unless it was a slanted roof instead of an arch.

 

[patandchickens]

for wintering over some tomatoes and such until it gets too cold here. Then I could get a jump start on the spring. But is this idea realistic for my area? We do have torrential down pours 15+ times a year with all the wind and hail that goes with it. Every 3 to 7 years we get a good amount of snow or ice.

I guess my thinking would be, how often do you have torrential thunderstorms (or hurricane leftovers) DURING the season you'd have the greenhouse in use. If that happens seldom if at all during the winter and early spring months -- which would be more or less true for where I used to live in NC, but dunno bout you -- then as long as you build something that could easily be dismantled (or anyhow un-plasticked) for the summer, I'd say go for it.

As far as snow load goes, you can brace cattle-panel hoops reasonably well if you devote a bit of lumber and engineering towards it -- there are some examples over on BYC where people have done same for tarp-covered hoop coops.

And removing the plastic for summertime would not only reduce risk of catastrphic damage to the hoops, but also make the plastic last longer.

I don't know if that is the "right" answer but it is the way it seems to me, for whatever that's worth

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[ducks4you]

The other thing I'm considering is an addition to the shed made with windows.

I think this would be your best bet. Your existing shed should be heavy enough to stabilize the addition. I, personally LOVE sheds with windows, and I have had my eye on this one for awhile now:
http://www.handyhome.com/lowes/images/solarshed.jpg
IF I owned it, I would face the windows SOUTH to take advantage of the winter sun, for early planting.
One more thing...have you considered used windows with plexiglass? I have replaced ALL of my old storm windows with plexiglass, when they have broken. You still get the same protection, but hail will not crack them, or, at least, they won't shatter--you mentioned hail.

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

Yes, those summer time torrential down pours have hail. Usually pea sized for a few minutes. We have had a couple of tornadoes here over the past few years. Thank goodness all of them have been a few miles away, but the winds are terrible on not properly staked tomatoes and bean plants. I recently lost 3 of my young tomatoes that were on my back porch because the wind was so strong and it broke the 2 foot stalks at the pot level.

So I guess I'll call over to the glass place near my house and see how much plexiglass costs. I could build the lean-to frame and cover with plexiglass, at least the roof and upper walls. I still love the sliding glass doors at the re-store for $10. Perfect door for a greenhouse in my opinion.

But, truthfully it looks like the cattle panel and plastic for right now. I could use the cement blocks so that it could be moved or "broke down" easily.

One day, I'll have the greenhouse of my dreams, when I hit the lottery!!!

I need to find some instructions on how to build a hydroponic system with gutter. I have 4, 5' sections of down spout. I was going to cut holes and tack them up vertically so I don't lose my horizontal space in my mock greenhouse. I love lettuce, we buy 3 to 4 heads a week. This would save me a ton of money!!! I do have my potting table set up on the porch with lettuce growing in it. I should take a picture so ya'll can see it. You can tell where the sun touches the table during the day (porch has roof so table is shaded). The sunny spots do not have lettuce and the shady spots are covered in rows of sprouts that I need to thin. To me it was a funny discovery. I laugh at it every time I go outside to the garden. Growing lettuce on my porch in a table, who would have ever thought about that? BTW, it's 98 degrees outside and I have lettuce on my porch.

 

[lesa]

Hangin, I feel your dream for a greenhouse!!! I want one really badly...But, the truth is, I grew hundreds of perfectly good transplants using cold frames (all recycled, reused, materials). Are they pretty?? No! DH calls it my "shanty town". Even though you (and I) long for something fancy- you really don't need it. Attaching to the shed is a great idea and I am sure your hoop house would work too. Look over on SS, I think Davaroo built a shed type greenhouse that came out really nice. And if those ideas prove too costly or time consuming- the cold frames do a great job! Good luck!

 

[brandylorton]

Don't you have any pictures of your own plastic green house. That will be very much helpful to the beginners like us. How do you make it and how it works that all will be nice.