Upkeep depends on the material from which it is made? Tell us more about it. Take a look at this link. Here is a link that might be useful: Greenhouse Link

I have a new 10x12 HFGH (big grin) and I have gone hog wild on the seed starting..and I'm just amazed at what is happening in there...And this is with no heat lamps, pads, grow lights or any other heating mechanism...I now am the proud mama to about 150 okra :) (I dont really even LOVE okra) but hey it was the first thing to pop up and I had seeds....I also have tomatoes, snap peas, onions, peppers (several varieties) basil, cilantro, india mustard, turnips (went in today) beans (went in today) artichokes!! they went in today too...Lavendar and I've got about a zillion different flower seeds to start soon. I have had an oil filled radiator heater on 3 to 4 different nights in the past few weeks...it's staying around 40 (when it's under 30 outside) In the daytime, the temps have gotten as high as 110...I keep the doors open and a oscillating fan going. I say go for it...and I think you'll be surprised at what you will get...worse case is that you have too many and have to give them away :) I would like to think (complete newbie here too btw) that what is happening with the flux in temps is more like what would happen outside anyway and that they will be healthier because of it? I'm sure it that reasoning is flawed, someone will be kind (and bold) enough to set me straight!!!!! PS: I forgot to mention that my GH still does not have shelves or fancy tables or anything like that...all my transplanted seeds are in trays (which consists of either peat pots til I ran out and then styrofoam cups) are all potted up and on the floor. And all of the above was germinated in a big giant seed starting tray.

It's a big adventure, especially to one who does not have any gardening experience to help guide your desires, tempered by your knowledge and abilities. It's all best gained by doing it firsthand. The first steps are always just a big pile of questions and mysterious natural and technical processes. The best hobbies are those that seem outwardly simple, but have layers of complexity one can grow into. Gardening fits this premise very well. Perhaps ask your neighbor what their thoughts are. Sounds like your retiree friend may be providing a lot of the sweat equity, at the least their broader experience, unless you are out there shoulder to shoulder, sharing the work load and learning as you go. If their plot is small now, are they willing and up to the task of attending to a large space devoted to a multitude of "new" plants they are not currently growing? Does this person have any gh experience? Actually, the large greenhouse you're dreaming of could keep three or more people busy. Especially with such "exotic" plants (for a gh) as you're contemplating. For your circumstances, I'd also suggest starting smaller. By all means choose a high roof, it does help stabilize temps a bit. Try all sorts of things, but keep it simple, too. Later on, the first gh could become a tropical space, a potting/starting area, or devoted to some more specific use while you add a larger greenhouse that utilizes what you learned in that first, smaller space. If I were a bug, I'd head straight to that shady area in your pic. Lots of shade, good understory (small plants to cling to and breed in) and plenty of moisture. Bug heaven! Your gh choice probably has plenty of gaps, but a sealed up gh is just heaven for molds and fungus to invade. That'll be harder to control than anything if not dealt with by proper moisture control. For bugs, you'd need to screen all openings and plug the gaps, which decreases air transfer a bit as well. So, it's all a trade-off of one thing for another. Fortunately, if you can afford it, the liberal application of money can address most of the issues, lol! Seriously, many problems can also be dealt with by addressing them early and it doesn't always take a ton of money if you're willing to be creative, fabricate and scrounge a bit. I made a temperature controlled air exchanger from a couple cheap box fans, an old aquarium thermometer, a relay and a model train transformer! Looks odd, but works great! You will probably see bugs no matter what. I usually don't have a large problem with bugs, but more than once, an infestation required I sacrifice the plant or plants, as all the bugs were on them en masse and it was easier to just remove the entire plant very carefully and more or less be done with it. I have a few uninvited dinner guests this season, but so far, it's pretty minor. Keeping mulch in place and picking off the dead leaves and keeping it clean helps greatly. The larger or more gh's you have, though, the greater the area to patrol, clean and treat for problems. But, presumably, the larger space would let you have room to grow things yet get around them from all sides. Still, it can become a chore, even a job, if you over-plan and bite off more than you and your helper can tackle. One week unattended, you can find disease, bugs, dried out plants, overgrowth with plants flopping over, equipment problems, you name it, any or all suddenly taking over. It's not like model ship building, where you can park it for weeks or months. Once committed, you are in for the long haul. Sometimes I think I should be committed! ;) I also wonder about debris from all those trees falling on the gh. An arched roof is strong, but a heavy branch could penetrate or even something minor like bird droppings might become a nuisance if those trees were also nesting sites. Better to move the gh more into the yard and add cooling and shade cloths. The money you save on the purchase of a smaller gh can be put into the utility bill. Generally, a gh will amplify certain things and temper others. Overcrowding, lack of air movement or heat and moisture control can run rampant in a gh, yet be milder in their effects outdoors. On the other hand, nasty weather, cold snaps, rainy drenches or dry spells are more easily dealt with, and the heat problem can be conquered. You can control the bugs for the most part. Manual pollination of flowers is fun when there's only one or three a day, but I don't think I'd relish having surrogate sex with an entire tree full of blossoms! Somethings like peppers, tomatoes or even squashes it's faily easy, but for cucumbers, it can become an exercise in futility. God made bees for a reason, after all! I'd love to have a 700+ square foot gh. That's about 7 times the space I have now. I have 6 seasons experience to help tell me what's required, but I'm really just a newbie myself, still experiencing new things every season. I imagine you could start with a space that large, but not try to fill it all right away and sort of grow into it season by season. Every yard, every situation is different. You won't really know what you need till you get one up and start growing your own stuff. Don't overload and take it into the "job" category, and it should be a ton of fun and healthful foods for you and your friend! -Ed

I had no problems last spring with my tomatoes going direct from my GH to the garden. Most were about 12 inches tall or taller. The GH has a large swamp cooler blowing air when ever it got up to or over 85 degrees. High altitude Colorado bright sun. It could depend on the quality of the GH material. \