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Greenhouses & Garden Structures

creating a cheap greenhouse

11 years ago

I'm thinking this might work as a winter greenhouse (or series of them):

I saw a little greenhouse while surfing... nasty expensive! but why couldn' one make a little greenhouse out of a big clear plastic storage tote? Follow me on this.... cut the bottom out of a tote (maybe 2' x 3') with a keyhole saw, take the lid and hinge it to the bottom (which will now serve as the lid). Bury the bottomless part about 4" into the soil.... voila! A greenhouse! For shorter plants (unless you make 2 and stack them), but about 20% of the cost of the commercial ones.

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Comments (5)

mksmth zone 7a Tulsa Oklahoma
11 years ago
more like a cold frame but yes you could do that. The only draw back is totes especially clear ones break down very fast in sunlight. In your zone it may last longer than mine but I left one outside and it shattered in a matter of months.

Mike
AdamBorzy12
11 years ago
What are your specifications for your greenhouse?
What are you looking for?
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I have had a solar water storage greenhouse for over 6 years now! I have a A frame type made with 2 by 4's and double 4 & 6 mill plastic ! Its about 8 by 20 and has about 400 gallons of water storage.I keep some cold hardy plants like lettuce all winter and maintain a temp about 28 at the lowest. I plan on starting seeds by the end of Jan and have what I think is a great idea for keeping a heat chamber inside my greenhouse. I am using a 5 foot bought greenhouse with shelves that will be set up inside the main greenhouse. Inside this small greenhouse I will have a 30 gallon aquarium with a aquarium heater that heats the water to above 60 all the time. The heater is only 50 watts and will not cost much. I think the advantage is moisture and heat for a very cheap price. Aquarium heaters are very cheap less than 420 and are very accurate. What do you think?
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Greetings, dirtguy50 Thanks for the tip. I have placed mine in a semi-shaded area outside and its working great for my purpose (seed germination) so fat at least. I'll keep an eye on the plastic quality. Looks like the plastic cover quality was improved, it looks quite sturdy in my opinion. The zippers are a little flimsy. I am a bit scared they might come apart one day. I try to be extra gentle with them!
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Ottawan: I would have to inquire with the company. The only thing that they state on the packaging and website is "Made of horticulture film stabilized against UVÂÂ Some of their tarpaulins have 3 layers of film but the sizes are just too big carry in a suitcase. desertdance : it would defeat the purpose to travel all the way to eastern Europe just to buy greenhouse tarp. It was more an example for people coming here or anyone who lives on the borders of countries such as Hungary or Poland. (the polish website is also in English just click on the UK flag on the right side)
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Comments (10)
I would buy a second hand one, too. If you're handy, it doesn't take much to dismantle it, and putting it up can take only an afternoon, especially if you don't dismantle it all completely in the first place (ie. leave some of the components bolted to the framework). Don't worry about transporting glass Â put a sheet of glass between each pane and bind batches of ten panes in cardboard. Cleaning is easy Â use a squeegee and water with a drop of vinegar in it. With only a cursory cleaning, you can have a greenhouse which can look just like new. I'm assuming the greenhouse is metal, of course. I built mine from second hand and it is wooden. It was going to be condemned, but once I got it down and cleaned the wood of years of accumulated algae and moss, it is now like new after a lick of preservative. It is 60feet long, but you may not have enough room for such a beast (if you can find one, that is).
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mksmth zone 7a Tulsa Oklahoma
11 years ago
here in my area I can get 100' of 1" electrical PVC for about $20, $20 for some big box store 6mil poly, a few stakes laying around and for $40 a cheap 10' wide x 12' long x 7.5' tall hoop house.

Mike
greenhouseman
11 years ago
Another option is to buy a used greenhouse. You could look at craigslist, or even POST on craigslist. If you agree to take down the greenhouse, I bet you'd find someone to take you up on the offer.
stevelau1911
11 years ago
I was able to get my solar greenhouse with well less than $200. I first have to buy the $85 off eBay. I have 4 55 gallon barrels inside which cost $3 each, a foam reflector on the back costing $25, tarp costing $40, tent stakes costing $10, and finally the string to hold everything together which is less than $5.

This setup is good enough to prevent major freezes in a cool climate, and overwinter temperate plants, but if I wanted to add tropicals in there, I would need some sort of heating system.

Here is a link that might be useful: my cheap greenhouse

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