On Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:09:03 -0700, gunner wrote:
"General Schvantzkoph" wrote in message
...
I've been thinking about getting a greenhouse to extend my growing
season by a month or so on either end. Does any one have any experience
with them and have any suggestions about what to get? Costco has a $300
coupon next week for a 8'x12' that will be $1300 after the discount. I
assume at that price it's going to be polycaronate not glass. They are
also selling an $8000 glass green house that's much nicer looking but
I'm not sure that I'm up for spending that much.
Get the largest size you can, they fill up quick. and for the $8k range,
I would go commercial at that point.
I decided on the Harbor Freight's (HF) 10x12, it is ~ 750$
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93358
or http://tinyurl.com/33mzq5 . I got it for $600 at the time, a grand
less than the Costco one was. It's double wall poly also. Instructions
are a bit difficult to understand, (call and get pics) and its frame
seemed a bit less sturdy than the Costco one . but it has held well for
last 2 years. A hoop house might have been cheaper, lots of free plans
on the Internet for those but my wife wanted pretty and cheap as she
wants to move.
Do plan on benches & also consider electricity and water if you really
want to extend your seasons. I ran a 20 amp circuit with GFI and 3/4
poly pipe w/ antisiphon hardware for added protection, Our code allows
them in the same trench and we only have to go down 12", so it was one
dig w/ a $60 a day trencher.
Mine is on an old kennel slab with plastic decking as a frame to anchor
it. Normal construction calls for gravel, so plan accordingly. I
figure 3-5 yards of pea gravel to fill it in. lot of wheelborrowing if
you can't dump inside it.
Keep air moving inside, controls mold and strengthens plants. I got 2x
20" box fans from our local Hardware store for ventilation, but saw
similar ones at Walmart for $20 ea. Dual outlet timers are ~ $20 at
HF also, same item is $24-32 at the Big Boxes and garden stores . In the
really hot parts of summer I built screen frames that fit inside the
channels, the xtra cross ventilation cools pretty good. I'm telling you
this because temps will jump to over 100 degrees as fast as inside a car
when that sun hits it in the summer. You might have to consider shade
cloth or whitewash if you live in a hotter climate. For xtra winter
protection I am going to try 4 foot wide bubble wrap for inside
insulation to give xtra protection. I also run 2 small oil heaters on
low ~ 36f and have them turn off at 45. But we have mild ( but long cool
winters).
My raised beds are just outside so I start seeds inside on a couple of
4' heat mats and then move them outside. I have budgeted for 2x 6 light
T5s for next spring in there.
http://www.fullspectrumsolutions.com/
commercial_lighting_fixtures_35_ctg.htm
or http://tinyurl.com/32btko also have 2 x1' square tube frames with
feet spreaders for hanging plants inside.I wouldn't trust the walls or
ends to hang anything from.
Yesterday we loaded it up with my wife's plants she wants to overwinter
. I have another hydro system to build this winter and put in there for
next year. Similar to this one:
http://extremegrowing.com/web/content/view/110/41/ or
http://tinyurl.com/ykdzqwq.
Use one of the inexpensive inside and outside remote weather info
gadgets to watch your temps. another 20-30$.
If there is anything I can help with, let me know.
More Hydro: Dr. H. Resh:
http://betterbuyhydroponics.com/inde...onic_Lettuce_3 or
http://tinyurl.com/yfemr8h
Thanks for the suggestion, $750 is cheap enough to be used as an
experiment to see if a greenhouse would be helpful, if I liked it I could
get a nice glass one in the future.