Harbor Frieght Aluminum Greenhouse, Need some advice for Michigan
cardarlin
13 years ago
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oakhill (zone 9A, Calif.)
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Anyone bought a Harbor Freight Greenhouse 10 x 12 recently??
Comments (90)mattwenfran "caved in the second winter and I have not figured out how to fix it." I used manual to identify what parts I needed to replace and called Harbor Freight and ordered parts they were very helpful. NOT all parts were available so I had to improvise sometimes, bending pieces the best I could such as the roof ridge was not available at the time so I used a Flat Mending Plate Joiner Repair Bracket to reinforce two piece roof ridge The snow load kit above has now weathered many storms just this week two feet of snow and it didn't flinch. I do rake snow off at some point during the day but I no longer panic when I here a storm is on the way overnight....See MoreNeed a greenhouse kit suggestion
Comments (7)OK, no greenhouse kit suggestions? By just reading through all the posts in the forum, one of the most popular higher end greenhouse kits seem to be the cross country. The Rions seem to have their proponents and detractors. That doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling. I would be kind of peeved if I purchased a greenhouse kit for $3000 or so and had it leak or melt in the sun. For less than the price of the cross-country, my DH can easily build me one from scratch. Maybe that is the way to go. One more question if someone would be so kind....I understand that pressure-treated wood may cause some problems if moisture builds up inside the greenhouse and drips on the plants. Has anyone heard about using Timbersil wood for greenhouse construction? Here is a link that might be useful: timerbersil wood...See MoreQuestion about Harbor Freight 4x6 or 6x8 greenhouse
Comments (4)A couple of things come to mind, Brian, when reading your post. 1. The frame is aluminum, a relatively soft metal, and I fear that repeated assembly and disassembly would tend to weaken the joints. 2. In SE Michigan, you are probably going to need some considerable insulation unless you plan on spending a bundle to heat your greenhouse. This means you will also have to remove and store your insulation material. (Here in Zone 7 coastal NJ, I use 1" foam panels inside on the north wall/roof and a clear solar pool cover outside.) 3. Could you find an alternate use for the greenhouse in the warmer months? It can get pretty warm inside in the summer, but with adequate ventilation and perhaps by replacing a few of the pc panels with screen panels during the summer, you might find it useful. I find it a safe haven for plants I'm coddling: young seedlings/plantlings or other plants that need a little TLC and protection from squirrels and other garden mischief makers. 4. If at all possible, go with the 6x8 at a minimum, You'll be surprised at how quickly it fills up; your plant collection will most likely expand, now that you have space for them, and, as long as you have the space, it's nice to have fresh herbs available through the winter ... and then maybe a cherry tomato or two, and perhaps some lettuce/mixed greens ... and so on. And unless you already have a sun porch, you'll find it a delightful place to spend time on an icy but sunny winter day; that's why I keep a chair in mine. We did assemble our 6x8 HFGH in about six hours or so. My oldest son and I did the assembly and my daughter saved us time by applying the foil tape to the ends of the panels. I added the weatherstripping later, only because I didn't have it on hand when we were first assembling. Our yard is also quite small, but the space "invested" in our little greenhouse has proved to be well worth it, especially in the winter! Good luck and enjoy!...See MoreLooking for some Wrapping Advice
Comments (58)I've seen stuff with smaller holes (as well as the stuff you mentioned with the 2x3" holes). The smaller holed stuff is generally called "hardware cloth" here and is frequently used to make collars for protecting trees from deer and other browsing animals. I've seen it at ACE Hardware and TSC (tractor supply co) around here, but I haven't gone looking for it in a couple years. Last year I lucked out and got 10 bags of mulch for $1 each. (I'm on the look-out again this year) and being lazy I wrapped my outdoor tree with first burlap, then a cage (2x3 inch holes making up an elliptical cage 4 feet high with leaves. Wrapped the top-growth with a tarp and enclosed the cage as well. Lastly just piled up the bags of mulch (and a couple stems all I did was bend to the ground, pile on leaves and weigh down with bags of mulch. Maybe it doesn't seem too lazy, but compared to what I did the year before, it was. My fig made it through with no loss at all. Unfortunately I really don't get as much sun as I'd like and it is still full of hard-green figs. Next year the shading ash tree nearby should be dead and the fig will go from 1/4 day sun to almost full day sun. I didn't pinch this particular tree this year, but next year I will be pinching it! I want to build an enclosure (eventually) for it, which would essentially make it easier to protect. My wife likes the idea as it would just then look like a strange growth off of the side of the garage rather than a big blue and white stalagmite in the back-yard. ~Chills...See Morepolcat
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