My Homebuilt Wisconsin Greenhouse

11 years ago

I built this greenhouse last summer/fall. I started building it in early August and finished it in mid October. I'm actually still adding things to it (in the process of adding an exhaust fan and intake damper). The greenhouse is framed with a 3/4" PVC skeleton. The end walls are treated lumber. I also have a 4x6 beam that runs down the center with 2 posts that are cemented into the ground. In the back I have a concrete room built that has a metal roof. In this room I have a barrel stove that I use to heat the greenhouse. There is one layer of poly on the outside of the PVC skeleton and another layer on the inside -- so there is an air gap between the two layers. So far the greenhouse has been through 50 mph winds, heavy rains and heavy snow. The snow slides right off the plastic and never accumulates.

Here are some pictures. Outside looking at greenhouse tonight.

Standing at doorway looking in.

Wireless router (yes I ran a network cable out there!!), wireless temp receiver (puts temperature on website every 10 mins for me to monitor), and one of my thermostats (I have 3 of these stats -- each one controls a 1500 watt electric heater that I use for backup heat for when I can't stuff the wood stove).

Exhaust fan. I'm still waiting for intake damper to arrive. Exhaust fan will kick on at 85 degrees -- this will also be controlled by a stat).

Croton, ficus sylvie, musa basjoo and other stuff.

Mandarin orange tree.

Meyer lemon tree in full bloom.

Late December strawberries.

Wood stove that uses outside air for combustion.

Inner layer of poly is held up by strings which are stretched tight across the length of the greenhouse. I use bungees where it bends down for extra support in the corner.

Almost 66F inside and it's 24F outside. Nice!

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Comments (16)

wertach zone 7-B SC
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Nice! I hope you ran some big wire to power that baby! Those heaters will be pulling 37.5 amps plus your lights and other stuff!
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cole_robbie
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
The "snow slides off easily" roof is nice to have this winter, isn't it? I have swept a lot of snow off mine by hand. Nice job, everything looks great.
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Hey Kent, it's good to hear from you and to know that you're still looking in here from time to time. I think that in un-snowy VA you could space the frames farther than the two feet that I used -- maybe as much as four feet apart would work. Be sure to send us some pictures when you make yours. Glenda - Now that I think of it, there is a way to cut the half-lap joints that is easier than the one I mentioned, and I don't know why I didn't think of it for mine. (1) You still make your first cut 1 3/4" deep and about 3 1/2" from the end, assuming your 4 x 4 measures 3 1/2". (2) Then you rotate the 4 x 4 a quarter turn and, setting the saw to full depth, saw in from the end along the 1 3/4 " deep line until you get to your first cut. (3) Now flip the 4 x 4 a half turn and make the same cut on the opposite side of cut (2). Finish up with a hand saw to take out the wood that the circular saw couldn't reach. Hmmmm, looks complicated in print like that, but it is faster, especially if you have a reciprocating saw to use instead of the handsaw. It was pretty silly for me to not do it that way. ThinMan
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defrost49
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Looks great! Nice way to enjoy winter. Ours is an unheated cold house for veggies.
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azbolt
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Very impressive, you've done a great job!

Kevin
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trudy_gw
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Nice set up! Looking forward to see how your greenhouse fairs the middle of winter. Envious in Iowa!!!

Thanks for sharing your ideas and photos!
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karin_mt
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Oh, that December strawberry, wow!
Of course if I had that, I would probably be so reluctant to pick it that it would rot before I could take the plunge.

Beautiful setup! I always love the image of a lit greenhouse at night. So cozy and productive. :)
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ddsack
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Great idea for the attached cement room for the wood stove. I don't use my greenhouse in the winter, but if I had seen your idea sooner, I might have changed my mind! We have more wood down from last July's huge wind storm than we'll use up in our lifetime. Nice set-up!
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trianglejohn
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Are those two tables covered in palm seedlings??? Whatchagonna do with all of those?

I love heating with wood. It keeps the air dryer in my greenhouse. I have not had to fight any sort of rot or fungus because of it. Now that I have mastered the art of fire making I can get up to 25 degrees above outdoors if I need to. My space is larger, which makes heating harder. I have discovered that if you set up a simple greenhouse within the big greenhouse I can keep that area super warm.
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rpetersen14
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Looks great, I am looking to build a greenhouse this year. Looking for ideas to build as well as an energy saving way to heat it during the cold North Dakota Winters.
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wxman81
Original Author
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Yes, they are palm seedlings. Here is another update.

I spent yesterday working in the greenhouse making several improvements. It was a cold 18 degrees outside, but with the wood stove in the greenhouse fired up, it was a comfortable 75-85F inside.
The first thing I did was build some shelves that span between the walls and the posts. These shelves are 7 feet off the ground, and they will allow me a place for seed trays and other small plants. I figured I needed to maximize my cubic footage and this seemed like a no-brainer way to go.
Here is a picture of the new shelves standing at the greenhouse door -- looking in. I will be leaving the center section open and that is where I can place really tall plants.
{{gwi:311907}}
Several thousand windmill palm seeds occupy this shelf.
{{gwi:311908}}
I also installed and exhaust fan / motorized intake shutter in my greenhouse. This is connected to a thermostat that I have set at 85 degrees. So, when it hits 85F in the greenhouse, the motorized intake shutter will open and the exhaust fan will kick on. I designed it so that the system replaces ALL the air in the greenhouse each minute. Yeah -- rapid cooling. Today when I tested the system, it cooled the greenhouse from 77F to 70F in 6 minutes. Should work great in March, April, May when it's sunny. I don't want it getting up in the 90s or 100s in there. That will stall plant growth.
Here is a picture of the exhaust fan and you can see the other shelf that is empty for now.
{{gwi:311909}}
Here is a picture of the motorized intake. (It's inside the sheet metal fitting). I built the sheet metal fitting so that the intake air is directed toward the center of the greenhouse. There it will mix with the box fan air and get dispersed through the greenhouse fairly evenly. I needed the fitting so that the cold air doesn't blow directly across my plants on the table. When the system is running, the air really rushes in from outside!!
{{gwi:311910}}
Closeup showing the actual damper motor and shutter.
{{gwi:311911}}
Here are some other miscellaneous pictures.
These are last year's windmill palm crop.
{{gwi:311912}}
Musa basjoo and croton hanging out.
{{gwi:311913}}
Meyer lemon still blooming.
{{gwi:311914}}
Some pups that I separated from my bananas when I dug them up in fall. The parent's are stored dormant in my basement. I will never separate bananas in fall again, though. These have languished all winter even though it's warm in the greenhouse. I attribute this to the short days -- just not enough sun for good growth. I hope they make it.
{{gwi:311915}}
Closeup. I see them finally starting to push up, so I'm holding out hope.
{{gwi:311916}}
Fresh strawberries in January? Oh yeah!!
{{gwi:311917}}
Nice and warm in there tonight!!
{{gwi:311918}}
Thanks for looking!
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mksmth zone 7a Tulsa Oklahoma
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
great job. It really has come along nicely!

Mike
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karin_mt
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Really neat! Looks like you are very good at figuring out how to build what you need.

Do you sell your tropical plants? Or is there another purpose for them all? (not that anyone needs a purpose to have plants that you love!)
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rjbowinkle
11 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I too spent the summer building a greenhouse. I have an album of photos on Flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bowinkle/sets/72157631286705184/

Here is a link that might be useful: The Greenhouse
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hpedley
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Was wondering where you are located. How has the structure faired so far?
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hpedley
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Do have any plans that you followed?
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hudson___wy
10 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Nice job Wxman! You have way more energy and determination than I have and your even nuttier than I am! Haha - just kidding! What do you do with all the windmill palm crop in Wisconsin? Everything in your GH appears to be tropical except your strawberries? What is the purpose for growing tropical plants during the winter in Wisconsin - just had to ask? Appears you are doing a great job and that you know what you are doing!

jrbowinkle - you should start your own thread showing off your GH. It looks awesome - I bet a lot of GWeb members would like to see it - that may have missed your link!
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My Homebuilt Wisconsin Greenhouse

Comments (16)

wertach zone 7-B SC

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