jrslick:
Would love to hear about your PVC pipe ideas re the high tunnel.
I am hoping to extend my season by planting spinach, mignon carrots, mesclun and lettuces.
My husband will be the builder and he is not keen on the idea of PVC because we get so much rain (very very little snow, maybe once)and we have found that it puddles in between the rungs of PVC. Saw a picture using it looked like concrete reinforcement but have no idea how expense that would be.
We don't want to go gung ho our first year - just see if we can grow anything before a huge outlay of money. (been there done that before) Am really hoping to be able to grow at least the spinach all season - that would really help out financially.
Thanks for any info you can provide - you always seem to be a wealth of information

Herbgardener: Trust me, this structure will be strong enough to stand up the season. Rain is not a problem. The only thing that I would fear is 80+ mph wind and more than 4 inches of snow. I have had two of these structures up this year. They have been through so much! In March we had 2 days straight of 40-60 mph wind. Roofs damaged, sheds blown over, semi-truck blown off the road and we only had slight damage. We live on top of a hill too! Then in April we had four inches of wet heavy snow. I was able to sweep the snow off and the structure was unharmed. May we experienced 70 mph thunderstorm and we had no damage, just had to re-stretch the plastic. The stories could go on. I am planning on building a third one this fall. I am going to document the build and post it on garden-web. I haven't got started on it yet.

This is my own design. My wife says I should patent it, but I don't think I will. I built this 18foot by 45 foot structure for around $500. It has been the best $500 I spent. I almost paid for it the first market day with the plants that I sold. Since then I have harvested 2,770 pounds of tomatoes out of it!

Here is a picture:
{{gwi:12743}}

I will be very happy to share my plans. It is very simple to build. If you have simple carpentry skills and tools you can do it too! All you need is a circular saw, miter saw, cordless drill or extra extension cords, post hole digger, Reciprocating saw and a shovel.

Here is a picture of the frame with out plastic.

{{gwi:289446}}

I also built a structure out of Cattle Panels, good but too small. I also built a true Hoop style one too. It worked well, but it has its drawbacks. This new structure fixes alot of those problems.

I would love a metal structure, but I can seem to find the $2,000+ to pay for one. I could build four of my structures for the price of one.

Let me know if you want specifics.

Good luck!

jrslick,

That structure looks very impressive. The wooden construction on the lower part is definitely a style I haven't seen anywhere else. I'm interested in investing in something similar. Do you heat it? How is it ventilated?

The structure is ventilated by opening the doors on the ends and the small triangles in the corners of the ends come out. The sides pull up the four feet. If I have time, I will go out and take a picture of it with the sides pulled up. I do not heat it. It is not for overwintering, but I suppose you could. I planted tomatoes on March 28th this year. I used several layers of row cover and that worked great. I did lose some plants, however it was 16-18 degrees outside and a 30 mph north wind. Not the usual in early April!

Very cool! I'm interested in your how-to as well, I plan to use some cold frames for this winter but have been thinking about some thing to extend our seasons on a larger scale for next year. Thanks for sharing photos!

I have a 17 year old Troybilt horse. I have loaned it to a few people to till up a small patch, but I wouldn't loan it to someone that was going to work up the amount of ground you are talking about. You need to buy one for that much ground.

Also MTD bought Troybilt a few years back. Troybilt used to be a high quality product. MTD has turned it into overpriced, throw away junk. Although I have never used one, I have read many good things about BCS tillers. That would be high on my list of tillers to look at when I need to buy another one.

Please continue this thread!! ie/how you buit this for that cost!!! how you use it (do you plant directly in the ground?...do you use it the rest of the summer?) thanks!!

I didn't know this would be so popular of a post. I will give you some ideas on how I built these types of structures and how I use it.

Growing in them. Everything is grown in the ground. I make four raised beds, amend with compost and other nutrients, put out irrigation (this year soaker hoses, next year drip tape) and plant away.

How did I build it for that cost, SHOP AROUND! I bought posts from one place, 2 by 4's at another etc. Also, I picked up things on Craigslist and I saved big bucks!

Materials needed for the building shown are something like this.

10 4 by 4 posts 5.50 each (picked up at an auction) store price $8.00 $55.00

16 2 by 4 by 10 foot (untreated) 2.55 each $40.80

16 2 by 4 studs 1.79 each $28.64

3 2 by 4 by 16 feet (for center beam)$4.00 each $12.00

21 1 inch Schedule 40 PVC 20 foot long (DO NOT GLUE TWO TOGETHER FIND 20 FOOT STICKS!) $9.00 each $189.00

30 1 inch 45 degree elbows .99 each (SHOP AROUND) $30

3 1 1/4 PVC Pipe 10 foot long $3.00 each $9.00

6 OSB 4 by 8 sheets 6.00 each $36.00

20 furring strips 8 foot long 1.25 each $25.00

Misc. Screws, Hanger Strapping, Glue, Rope, Wire $50

Grand Total $475.44

I left plastic out. I bought a 32 by 100 piece and cut it in half The whole thing cost $281. $140 for each buildings plastic. I picked up the plastic on a trip for a doctors appointment, so I saved on the shipping.

Grand Total with plastic $615.44

Why did I say $500? Well, I bought the PVC pipe off Craigslist for $100 for 44 sticks So deduct $50.

I had 2 cut up sheets of OSB from my father in law, no cost to me. Deduct $12

I had four 4 by 4 posts that I picked up out of a dumpster at a college dorm. Deduct $32

I had the glue, screws and rope left over from other projects Deduct $20

With those deductions, you get to $501.44

The beauty of this design is everything can be bought at a local lumber yard and hardware store, minus the plastic.

Thanks for asking!

jrslick, could you please post a few photos of how the PVC ceiling ribs are attached to the side pieces?

I buy my T-shirt bags at Sams, yesterdays' price $11.22 plus tax. There is 1,000 bags per box. Well worth the price, plus having a handle makes it easier for the customer. We attach bungee cords to canopy and string the bags on the bungees. That way the customers or ourselves can reach the bags for self-service when we get TOO busy. We use alot of bungees at the market, also use them to attach weights to canopy.

I bought my second 'legal for trade' scale off of ebay, it's NOT as good as my original one (Mettler-Toledo).

We rent a small tractor with a tiller attachment a couple of times per year to first till our ground. Check out the rental sites.

We also have a troy-bilt super--bronco tiller, 5 hp.
We use a earthway seeder for the smaller seeds, but plant the larger seeds by hand. We plant in wide rows, so it does not need to be precise.

We have also picked up several 'mop' buckets from the dollar stores for $1/each. We have used frosting buckets, free from donut shops, but are running out of suppliers.

Check out the larger seed companies, there is ALOT of difference when you buy alittle larger quantities.

This is just a few tips that we have learned over the last 10 years. You will find what works for you, and it may not be the same things that work for me.

whitechampaca: I went out to take a picture and our digital camera broke, ok my wife said it broke before I took it, she just failed to tell me and blamed me! Then she told me it wasn't my fault. I will see if I can get a picture soon, until then I will explain with words.

Starting on the ground. I drove a 12 inch piece of 1 1/4 inch PVC pipe into the ground. I drove it down to be level with the 2 by 4 on the ground. Then I stuck the 4 foot piece of 1 inch pvc coming up into the ground and pushed it until it was tight. Don't precut these pieces, sometimes they are longer or shorter depending on the ground and how far you push them in. I usually pushed them in, marked and pulled them out and cut them. It did take a little time, but it was a better method. Also, if you need to you can splice pieces together on the up pieces. You could also save a little money and use thin wall pipe here if you would like. NEXT, glue a 45 degree elbow on the top of this up piece. DO NOT GLUE THE 20 foot rib to the elbow. The pressure keeps it tight.
This has been an area of concern as far as this design goes. At first I did not glue this joint at the top of the up piece. Then they would "Pop" off every once and a while. Well when they popped off, I would glue them back and the problem went away. It wasn't every one, just random ones. I have never had the other end come out. Just push them together tight. If you use bell end pipes, you will have to cut a small piece to put between the elbow and into the bell end pipe.

To attach the pipe to the top 2 by 4, I used 6-8 inches of metal strapping. Metal strapping is about 1 inch wide with holes punched in it every inch. Plumbers and other builders use it to hang pipes in construction. I would screw it into the wood on one side of the elbow and then loop it around the elbow and pull it tight and screw it on the other side. I used 1 1/4 drywall or deck screws. I had a problem with the heads pulling through the holes sometimes, so I started putting tiny washers on the screws, that fixed that problem. Use the heavier strapping. I would like to build/make a better system to secure the pipes. Maybe a 1 inch piece of flat steel, but the strapping works well.

Then when it is time to put the ribs on, stick one end in and walk it over and stick the other end in. Very simple. One person can do it, however two makes it go much faster! One person can do it about 30 minutes, two people in about 10.

An adult and my 7 year old daughter, about 45 minutes, but we were having fun too!

It is so much easier if I just could show you.

Jay

Found a picture, it isn't the best of how the pipes are attached, however, it is a good pic of the squash!

{{gwi:83782}}

Click on the picture and I think you can zoom in on that part.

Jay

jrslick, those pictures are great. We are thinking about buying a coldframe type of greenhouse, but now I think I'll show hubby and see if he can/will build one. One question, which direction did you place it, longwise N/S or E/W, and which direction do you have the most wind?

They are both North/South facing. A majority of our wind does come from the south. However, we were slammed pretty hard this year with east and west winds during storms. One in particular, we had 60 plus mph winds. They held up fine. Just a little tugging on the plastic under the furring strips.

Jay

Thanks very much, Jay, for the photo and explanation. Your 4x4 posts along the side, are they just set into dirt, and how far, or are they in concrete footings? And is your PVC on maybe 3 foot spacing?

Whitechampaca: You are correct, the pipes are on a 3 foot spacing. The 4 by 4's are set in the ground at four feet. I did not use concrete. Growing up and even now days, I get to build miles of barbwire fence on my parents and brothers farm. Just tamp them in. Tamping is using a heavy rod or 2 by 4 and pack in the dirt as you fill in the hole. Put in 6 inches and pack down and move your way up. If you do this, they will stay in place. Also, if you want you can shorten up the spacing between 4x4's or you can lengthen in out. I would say 12 feet is the limit. I have one building that is at 10 and the other is at 12.

Just an FYI, I did not put them in concrete, as in another year I plan on pulling out the posts and move the building to another location in the garden. I will use my neighbors tractor and loader to do this. If you plan on using it in one place for a long time, I might think about it.

Jay

Thanks very much Jay. The winds my not-yet-built structure will have to endure are probably not more than 40-50 mph, so it's great to learn the particulars of a structure that has stood up to the conditions yours has survived.

'Cause you know, if it blows apart, it'll be in the worst weather, and chasing it down and trying to put it back up would be a real torture.

You don't know the half of it. I started putting it up, it was a perfectly calm night. I had a halogen light and yard light to work with. It was perfect, no wind, no bugs, just me and some power tools. I was putting up the ribs and center pole when out of nowhere a powerful cold front came in. 30-40 mph winds! I was cold and half done. I needed to finish it to get the plastic up. That is when I figured out how strong it could be. I added a few cross bracing wires and all was well with the world.

I would buy some high quality greenhouse tape, just in case! I did and used it twice.

Jay

Yup, wind is pretty amazing when it's pushing on plastic. I've found out, I can't control a piece of plastic as small as 4' x 6' when the wind's around 20 mph, I just get pulled over, and the plastic flaps free.

Any more photos, I'd love to see them. Thanks for the explanations.

What did you use to hold the plastic to the house? And, where did you get your plastic? That design is so simple, yet obviously so rugged. Wonderful job.

The plastic is held down at the top 2 by 4. On the outside of the structure, I have the plastic sandwiched between the 2 by 4 and a 1 by 2 furring strip. The 1 by 2 is screwed to the 2 by 4 every 12 inches. Next year I am going to go every 6 inches. During the fiercest storms we had, the plastic did pull up and ripped. It wasn't bad. I just unscrewed the 1 by 2 and pulled it back tight. When I take the plastic off this winter, I am going to take it to my school or church and unfold it and tape any holes. That way it will be ready for next spring.

I got the plastic, Klerk's K-50 from Stuppy's Greenhouse and Supply in Kansas City. We have to go to KC every 6 months for our daughters check up with the doctor there. I was excited to find them and they are only 1.5 miles away from the hospital we visit.

With the plastic, shop around and pick it up if you can. The roll I get weighs 92 pounds. I am guessing it would cost alot to ship. Also, the price was cheaper if I picked it up and paid cash.

I did get pictures taken this week of some of the features I am talking about. I will share them later. My wife downloaded them on another computer and shut it off.

Thanks for the complements!

Jay

I designed and built a much smaller version of this years ago with just pvc, clips and elbows. I'm looking to build another larger one for commercial production. I hope I can get one up before winter, but we shall see.

I really like yours!

I've found that the best place to purchase tools is at estate auctions. The new tools don't measure up to the old ones, in my opinion.

The old tools, while sometimes I not sure of what they are or how they were used, are definitely made to last, unlike the new ones you buy today.

I too would like plans/info for the greenhouse you built. I have a really small one I use for seed starting but would like to grow some of my flower crops under cover.

backyardgrown, if you look back in the topic, I believe, jrslick gave a pretty good description. Also, I've been told that you will want to keep your flower plants in a different 'house' than the veggies plants (this was from someone that has grown both for years and years.

I worked on a friends farm a few years ago and putting plastic on the greenhouse was one of the jobs. We started very early in the morning and was done by 9am. We stapled down the plastic through old drip irrigation we ripped up from the fields.We also put 2 plastic layers on the green house and he had some kind of blower to inflate it "looked like a hair dryer with out heat> this keeps it tight in the wind no flapping. We had to put cuts in far end of house to let the air out so the plastic doesnt over inflate.

Our family built a greenhouse and covered it with double plastic. Unfortunately we 'tightened' the plastic too tight and was not able to use the 'blower'. We used a canopy designed for a car covering, with wood supports to help support the walls. I put water barrels along one wall to help maintain temps and store water for watering plants when needed, we don't have running water to the 'house'.

Jay, How long are the 4x4 post? Are they just 8 feet?

Yes, the 4 by 4 posts are just 8 feet, at least the four corners are. I did use some 12 footers cut into 6 foot pieces for the line posts. I would recommend against that, as I feel they need to be in the ground another 12 to 18 inches.

Jay