Which HFGH do you recommed--the 6x8 or 10x12?

17 years ago

Im trying to decided on whether to get the 6x8 or 10x12 HFGH. I've read just about everything I can find on them and still could use your help, opinions, what I might expect.

My original question is on the HFGH thread if any want to look there for more details.

The replies are good. (You sure are great people)

If any of you have strong feelings on which to get, I'd like to hear.

This GH has to be freestanding, no windbreaks nearby, in fact it seems that I am in the lowest spot on the street, get the coldest air and the worst wind. It's to be the culmination of my life-long hobby--a place to work and to just sit and enjoy.

1) I know if I get the 6x8, get it going, IÂll then want the 10x12. Or are most people happy with just the 6x8?

IÂm thinking too, being older, do I still need to grow 100 tomato plants and all the flowers in the world for bedding?

I could use most everything when I was younger, but now older, I canÂt plant as I used to. Will the 10x12 just be a waste as well as a real pain to put up?

Except, with the larger, I might be able to section off a part of it for tropicals, maybe even have a tiny pool, sit there and read, put my umbrella up when the misters come on and feel like IÂm back home in Louisiana with the green, humid, feel good air, which I donÂt think IÂd be able to do with the 6x8.

2) With all the great, detailed construction information on GW on the 6x8, IÂm pretty sure I can handle building it. I couldnÂt find the same kind of details though, for the 10x12.

If I go with the 10x12, would anyone be willing to help me with how to construct it and reinforce it so it wonÂt go down in the first or even third wind storm as well as survive two feet of snow load?

Can the instructions for constructing the small one be equally applied to the larger, just change the scale? Or am I going to have a mess?

It seems for every pro there is a con for getting either one.

Oh--HF is also selling a vent opener for $20--any good or go with something from Charley's or the like?

Decisions, decisionsÂ and then theirs my wife to consider (or maybe not):

She doesnÂt like plants, flowers, grass, or sunlight; while I am just the opposite. e.g., one day she was mad at me. I came home and found a rare plant IÂd been growing under lights for three years, ripped from its container, roots shredded, thrown on the kitchen floor, and stomped on.

But then, shouldnÂt she be happy IÂm not going to do what IÂd really like to do: knock down, the brick, south facing living room wall, replace it with glass from floor to ceiling; put in skylights throughout he rest of the house; move the living room to the basement (where she can live); and IÂll stay upstairs in the sunlight and my own little forest?

I know with either GH, IÂll be putting in a bit of money to equip it. I have always had to pinch pennies. However, as I mentioned, with getting older, if IÂm going to have a hobby greenhouse now is the time to do it.

Poll please on which one to get and why?

Bob

Provo, Utah

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Comments (19)

milwdave
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
get the larger....I have 2 of the smaller and I'm considering the larger one as well.
marquisella
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Get the larger one, especially if you are thinking about having a place to sit & relax, you'll need the elbow room.

Mark out a 6 by 8 foot area on the lawn, and you will see how small it really is. You'll want the larger one.

M
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Good morning Jeymac, Iâve been happy with the solution of putting wood framing along the inside of the base channel. I do think it strengthens it somewhat (prevents the c-shaped channel from flexing as easily.) Also after years of living with the greenhouse, I think the bottom of that channel would have been a great catch place for bits of gravel, plant leaves, dust, bugs, and other greenhouse debris. Having the wood there makes it look cleaner, and it really does stay a bit cleaner too. Iâm sure my wood does not look as pristine as it did, years ago, after I slobbered water all over the benches, week in and week out. But I never notice it, back there under the benches. Neither my husband or I can recall what Gardenerwantabeâs base braces looked like, although I bet at the time we looked at those photos and considered that. We must have decided they were not critical, along with the wood we used, as we are both drawing a blank on what his braces were. I guess we are getting old? I donât really have any knowledge of anyone else using braces on their base to strengthen it, so I donât think itâs a deal breaker, but I do understand the wisdom of thinking through any options for adding strength as you go. I donât have a great source of larger photos for the details of joining two greenhouses together, although I try to watch for that on the web, since the question of joining two greenhouses comes up fairly often. There have been a few folks who have mentioned doing this on GardenWeb, but I donât think any have posted step by step close up shots. Funnylady has been super nice when we have emailed, and I hope she can give you more specific answers. If you folks do join two together, you might consider doing a thread on Gardenweb with the nitty gritty details of how you joined them....Iâll bet others would thank you, down the road! So many times, I find that everybody who builds one of these seems to find their own way for resolving some of these questions. I know we did, too; we researched everything we could ahead of time, but often ended up finding our own solution, based what seemed practical at that moment...what we could find in the garage to use...and/or what we could find in the aisles of Lowes. In other words, on most any of these modifications, youâll find there is more than one way to skin the cat...and the way you find may well be a better solution than what other folks have done. I didnât make any notes about the length of the bolts we used with the EMT, but since the EMT is Â¾â, weâre guessing maybe 1 Â¼â bolts. Just enough to slip through the drilled EMT and add a washer and nut. Best of luck with your build!
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gardenerwantabe
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I have the 10x12 and after making the necessary modifications it is a great GH but I wish it was a little longer.
I guess I can always steal Dave's idea and put two of them end to end and have a 10x24.
chris_in_iowa
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Get the large one, a wireless router in the house and a cheap laptop with a wireless card in it for the greenhouse.

A comfy chair, a coffee maker, a beer fridge and a reading light. A hammock would be difficult to set up in a 6x8, but in a 10x12 would be no problem.

Flat screen TV on the south wall, dvd player, even a DirectTv dish.

You could even put a "port a pot" next to it.

Yes, get the big one and enjoy it!!!!

Plants????? Who said anything about putting plants in it!

:)
two_dogs
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Sunlight,

Why not get a Special Umbrella for Shade........ just for your Wife..... and..... a packet of her Favorite Flower Seeds...... As a gift you know..... letting her know maybe she will enjoy your special little place too...?

Go for the larger, with your passion I feel it will serve you better...

Now think happy thought's and most of all I wish you a Merry Christmas!!!
2 dogs
buyorsell888
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Get the bigger one.
anya_101
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Personally, I had decided on mine to be 16' long when I got it, therefore I purchased a 20' long one. : )
By this next year, hope I have room for more plant's!
And on goes the addiction.....
chris_in_iowa
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
anya_101,

Mine is 24ft long, built on a cement pad that is 54ft long...

Greenhouses tend to grow, just like plants. You got to give them room.

:)
sunslight
Original Author
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Thanks everyone.

It's nice to come out of surgery (with no anesthesia) and see that everyone agrees: get the larger HFGH.

OK. I can take the hint! You've convinced me.

I just have to make certain to understand as much as I can about building it and doing the construction right. I'll need all the help I can get. --especially on what kind of lounge chair and 50" TV to get!

I got my grand piano a couple of years ago. Now with the greenhouse, everything will almost be as I want. Only a thing or two left.

Of course I have to outfit the green house with the lounge chair, fridge, nice TV, computer, small pool, a few dancing girls (maybe a new wife or at least someone to smile at and to smile back at me), lots of seed catalogs, some suduko puzzles, books to read, potato chips, chocolate, ice-cream, a double chair to sit with someone and enjoy the fragrance of the flowers...maybe even have a potting soil, mud fight?

Still though, I could just forget HF and go for knocking out the south wall of the house, put in floor to ceiling glass, extra lights, sun tunnels everywhere else, some trees, tropicals, a place to grow things, and simply enjoy. Of course I'd have to get a new wife, or either take up growing cactus so the next time she is mad at me, and takes it out on a poor, defenseless plant, this one could give a little tit-for-tat! hmmm--wonder which would be harder--growing cactus or finding a sweet woman who enjoys flowers and sunshine? --how nice it'd be to not have to argue over whether the lawn should be green grass or green asphalt. Or even play together in the potting soil, have a little mud fight, get excited about the blooming of a new plant or excited about other things--oops, I stray too far.

I must still be in shock from the surgery? or either thinking more clearly.

Thanks everyone for really putting on the pressure, twisting my twisting my arm to go for the larger greenhouse.

If I can get through the snow, I'll be at HF tomorrow, plunking down the $600, to get started on a place to enjoy the hobby we all like so much. (I wonder how my grand piano will hold up in there?)

You people are really tough on a person. But you managed to convince me. And that's just what I need. Thank you to all.

(btw) have you enjoyed the Solstice? Anyone paint themselves blue and run around in the snow, celebrating the coming return of the sun? Solstice, Yay! more sunshine now each day in the the northern hemisphere.

I thought I'd paint myself own self blue, go naked and take a run outside--except with it being 14 degrees, I think I can forgo any need to use pain.

Probably the trip to HF to get the greenhouse will bring out enough of the "Druid" in me.

And for sure, it's better to celebrate the Solstice indoors, with the thoughts of coming happiness with the freight, rather than let the neigboors see the naked, shaking, blue, fright--right?
Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday, to all. And thank you, again.

bob
gardenerwantabe
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Wasn't hard to talk you into it. You know you wanted the bigger one all the time. Just be sure that you do all the modifications or you won't have it long.
nathanhurst
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
If you get the bigger one you'll be able to put your grand piano in there and play into the sunset.
sunslight
Original Author
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
So I will!

anybody want to join me for a concert of Chopin, while the misters go off?
or if you sing, I can accompany (studied at Royal College of Music),
and if you can play, we can do piano 4 hands--
but you'll have to bring your own bench.
A page turner would help also
--ah, concert in the atrium!
Sounds (pun intended) great/ :)

Thanks for the twist of the arm and kick in the rear to get me to get the large GH. Now, to follow meticulously the instructions here and if I get into trouble, I'll be calling you--ooo---ooo--ooooooo---ooo--ooo--ooo, as the song goes!

Bob T
alblancher
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Bob,

A wife that destroys my plants
Snow
Utah (nothing against Utah, I visit often, but talk about different from home)
Feeling Old

No wonder you miss Louisiana

My advice come home we miss you down here and would love to have you back!
buyorsell888
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Make sure you read the threads and make the recommended modifications!
lilies4me
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Bob...I'd change my priorities. Get rid of the wife first...anyone that rips out a plant, stomps it into the floor, etc. is going to be a pain in your side in the future and I'm certain she's been that in the past. Replace her with a dog...they know how to give unconditional love...then go for whichever greenhouse you want. Learn to be happy again and not obsessed with worries.

For years I dealt with someone that would threaten suicide whenever she didn't get her way...or feel properly coddled. After years of enduring that we separated...eventually divorced and thank God she moved to another state. She no longer could get her way with her threats or nastiness. My life has changed totally. I'm no longer the quiet, cautious, think-everything-over-five times and then do-nothing guy. Think it over, get counseling, take it slowly...but if your life is one of worrying about plants destroyed, avoiding nastiness, busted windows from her throwing things in rage, etc...change it and be happy.
funnylady
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Get your GH and enjoy it life is to short. My husband doesn't enjoy gardening like I do but at least he doesn't try to stop me. Wouldn't do him much good anyway. I don't try to stop him from doing the things that he likes. I have 3 HFGH's 1-6X8, 2-10X12. I put everyone of them together by myself. Some of the directions aren't real clear but a little common scents goes along ways.

I start about 400 plants this time of year. I move my orchids aroung so I have enough room. I have put in alot of auto things like roof vent openers and misting system with auto timers.

All I can say IS GET YOUR GREENHOUSE AND ENJOY IT
PRO
Nell Jean
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Funnylady, do you have photos to share? You made it all sound so easy. I appreciate everybody sharing how they modified their HFGH. Do you use a heat sink or modify the indoor climate somehow as the seasons change?
funnylady
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I wish I knew how to post pictures but at this time I don't. I have no heat sink. Have heat matts for my flats. With the cold snap we are having I moved them all to the sunroom attached to the house. They will be back out shortly. The summer heat is what is worst for me. A misting system with a timer works great. Also have auto vent openers.
Get a GH you will find ways to get around a lot of things that come up.
kbcherokee
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I wouldn't get the HF vent opener. I bought theirs and it only worked for a few days. I haven't tried any others. Good luck with you greenhouse. I have a 6x8 (got mine before the 10x12 was available) sometimes think I would like a bigger one, but would just stuff it full of more plants and it would still be to small !!

Which HFGH do you recommed--the 6x8 or 10x12?

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Which HFGH do you recommed--the 6x8 or 10x12?

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