My small Greenhouse...

[chris09]

Thought I would share a picture of a 8' x 12' x 8' greenhouse that I made about 3 years ago when my wife and I decided to buy this house on a land contract.

The Greenhouse is made out of a old wood A-Frame swing set similar to this that the previous owners (my in-laws) left behind. The plastic that I used on it was just 6 mill "hardware" plastic that lasted about 8 months. The greenhouse heats up well with little sun even on 25 days and for the real cold Ohio days and nights I have a older forced air Kerosene Reddy Heaters on a thermostat set at 70.
The old hay bales that I have around the bottom of the greenhouse are to seal the bottom of the plastic to the ground.
I still use this greenhouse but I do have plains to build a new greenhouse closer to the garden.
I think I will be building a 16' x 20 x 7.5' "hoop" or Quonset style greenhouse much like this but I will be building is from scratch (no kit) out of heavy gauge electrical conduit.
But time will tell on the style of the new greenhouse it might even be a slant side greenhouse.

Chris

 

[journey11]

I've been scrapping for old windows hoping one day to have enough to "frankenstein" a little greenhouse out of them.

I like the look of those hoop style ones. They are slick! I imagine they'd hold up better to the wind gusts I get on my ridge in the winter.

 

[chris09]

I've been scrapping for old windows hoping one day to have enough to "frankenstein" a little greenhouse out of them.

I like the look of those hoop style ones. They are slick! I imagine they'd hold up better to the wind gusts I get on my ridge in the winter.

The greenhouse that my dad and I built had around 30 old school bus windows on the north wall they worked great...

The only thing I dislike about the Quonset style greenhouses is that you have to have the plants on or close to the ground and the soil temperature tend to stay a bit cooler...

Chris

 

[hoodat]

Nice design and it looks as though even a "black thumb" carpenter could build it.

Does anyone use cold frames any more? They used to be a regular feature for every serious gardener.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Hoodat wrote:

Does anyone use cold frames any more? They used to be a regular feature for every serious gardener



Here in the UK cold frames are used all the time, especially for hardening off plants prior to planting-out in Spring.
I use a version of them because the walls of my raised beds are double walled black plastic which you can add to to build up the height. I then lay old windows or plastic sheet across the top. Usually this works well ( but not this last bitter & long winter). I can usually keep winter lettuce & fall-planted garlic, broad bean & peas growing for an early Spring/Summer crop. I am hoping to buy more 'walls' in the end of season sales because I have now added more raised beds & have run out of my winter 'spares'!

http://link-a-bord.com/home.page

In the past I have also used them to put young chicks & their mama out in the garden during the day ,with a sheet of welded mesh across the top.

I have had mine for 8 years & they have never cracked or warped. They are so easy & light to move & a dream to clean -- no maintainance needed.
What more does an old lady need...........

Hattie

 

[vfem]

Nice design and it looks as though even a "black thumb" carpenter could build it.

Does anyone use cold frames any more? They used to be a regular feature for every serious gardener.

I have one we made last year on my deck, I use it for spring starts... and lettuce in the winter. This is the first year with it, thanks to an awesome free window find.

Chris, I think that is awesome that you went and reused what you had there... function and recycling go hand in hand!!!

 

[digitS']

Good for you, Chris!
Gracious! We are currently having wind gusts to nearly 50mph . I hardly know what to do with my greenhouse half filled with basil plants. The outdoor temperature is 77 and there's nothing between the gh and the sun except blowing dust! Close it down? Let it shake?

. . . .

I'm not attentive enuf to ventilation for a cold frame. There's not much air volume to help with sudden temperature changes, like when the spring clouds blow away and a mid-day sun bears down intensely on tiny, surface-dwelling creatures. Anyway, that's been my failing .

My first backyard greenhouse had a corrugated fiberglass roof and 5 large storm windows. The lower part of the wall was plywood and insulation.

It was a lean-to against the south wall of my garage. The door and 1 of the windows served for ventilation.

A greenhouse probably has no need for a glass or plastic north wall. An attached insulated building helps to moderate the interior temperatures. Access to the gh may even be thru that building.

. . . just a thought.

Steve

 

[chris09]

Good for you, Chris!
Gracious! We are currently having wind gusts to nearly 50mph . I hardly know what to do with my greenhouse half filled with basil plants. The outdoor temperature is 77 and there's nothing between the gh and the sun except blowing dust! Close it down? Let it shake?

. . . .

I'm not attentive enuf to ventilation for a cold frame. There's not much air volume to help with sudden temperature changes, like when the spring clouds blow away and a mid-day sun bears down intensely on tiny, surface-dwelling creatures. Anyway, that's been my failing .

My first backyard greenhouse had a corrugated fiberglass roof and 5 large storm windows. The lower part of the wall was plywood and insulation.

It was a lean-to against the south wall of my garage. The door and 1 of the windows served for ventilation.

A greenhouse probably has no need for a glass or plastic north wall. An attached insulated building helps to moderate the interior temperatures. Access to the gh may even be thru that building.

. . . just a thought.

Steve

Steve,
I agree totally in that in most cases you can get away with a greenhouse with Glass/ Plastic or fiberglass only on the south roof and half the south wall and all the rest can be studded walls with a good amount of insulation in it.

Chris

 

[hoodat]

Good for you, Chris!
Gracious! We are currently having wind gusts to nearly 50mph . I hardly know what to do with my greenhouse half filled with basil plants. The outdoor temperature is 77 and there's nothing between the gh and the sun except blowing dust! Close it down? Let it shake?

. . . .

I'm not attentive enuf to ventilation for a cold frame. There's not much air volume to help with sudden temperature changes, like when the spring clouds blow away and a mid-day sun bears down intensely on tiny, surface-dwelling creatures. Anyway, that's been my failing .

My first backyard greenhouse had a corrugated fiberglass roof and 5 large storm windows. The lower part of the wall was plywood and insulation.

It was a lean-to against the south wall of my garage. The door and 1 of the windows served for ventilation.

A greenhouse probably has no need for a glass or plastic north wall. An attached insulated building helps to moderate the interior temperatures. Access to the gh may even be thru that building.

. . . just a thought.

Steve

There's a gidget you can get that automatically liftes the cold frame cover when the temperature gets too high and then lowers it again when it drops back down.

 

[chris09]

Good for you, Chris!
Gracious! We are currently having wind gusts to nearly 50mph . I hardly know what to do with my greenhouse half filled with basil plants. The outdoor temperature is 77 and there's nothing between the gh and the sun except blowing dust! Close it down? Let it shake?

. . . .

I'm not attentive enuf to ventilation for a cold frame. There's not much air volume to help with sudden temperature changes, like when the spring clouds blow away and a mid-day sun bears down intensely on tiny, surface-dwelling creatures. Anyway, that's been my failing .

My first backyard greenhouse had a corrugated fiberglass roof and 5 large storm windows. The lower part of the wall was plywood and insulation.

It was a lean-to against the south wall of my garage. The door and 1 of the windows served for ventilation.

A greenhouse probably has no need for a glass or plastic north wall. An attached insulated building helps to moderate the interior temperatures. Access to the gh may even be thru that building.

. . . just a thought.

Steve

There's a gidget you can get that automatically liftes the cold frame cover when the temperature gets too high and then lowers it again when it drops back down.

I was thinking about getting this for the "new" greenhouse when I get to putting it up.
http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/Jempvent-Automatic-Opener/productinfo/NV-JV5/
or
http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/Bayliss-Autovent-Opener/productinfo/GA-1007/


Chris