I'm thinking of using some plastic sheeting to form a temporary greenhouse
or more precisely a green tent. I've been using steel garden fencing poles
as plant stakes. I'm thinking of putting them out earlier this year and
using them as tent poles by stretching plastic film over them to form a
tent. I'm hoping this might allow me to get an earlier start, maybe April
or early May instead of waiting to the end of May. When the weather is
reliably warm I'll take the plastic down.

I'm in Massachusetts, near New Hampshire.

I have a couple of questions,

1) Am I fooling myself? Will this really be helpful?

2) What sort of plastic should I use. I see that there are things marketed
as greenhouse films. Are they any better than a roll of plastic sheeting
from Loews or Home Depot?

In article ,
General Schvantzkoph wrote:

I'm thinking of using some plastic sheeting to form a temporary greenhouse
or more precisely a green tent. I've been using steel garden fencing poles
as plant stakes. I'm thinking of putting them out earlier this year and
using them as tent poles by stretching plastic film over them to form a
tent. I'm hoping this might allow me to get an earlier start, maybe April
or early May instead of waiting to the end of May. When the weather is
reliably warm I'll take the plastic down.
See:
http://westsidegardener.com/howto/hoophouse.html
How to Build a PVC Hoophouse for your Garden

http://www.veseys.com/us/en/?veseys=8029cdugg4vc0rc0bqvauiiig3
They are in York, Prince Edward Island (East of New Brunswick and North
of Nova Scotia), Canada, for cool weather seeds,



I'm in Massachusetts, near New Hampshire.

I have a couple of questions,

1) Am I fooling myself? Will this really be helpful?
It will help. You will lose about 5% of the sunlight, but if you have a
lot of full sun it shouldn't be a problem.

Also, add your amendments to the bed, then cover with news print, and
that with alfalfa (lucerne). Lay out drip irrigation, and cover
everything with clear plastic. It will raise soil temps by 5 - 6 degrees
Fahrenheit.

Tomatoes need soil temps of 70F to grow.

2) What sort of plastic should I use. I see that there are things marketed
as greenhouse films. Are they any better than a roll of plastic sheeting
from Loews or Home Depot?

Either will have cheap clear-plastic painters drop cloths. Better yet,
check with a local hardware store, and keep your money in the community.
--
http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2011/3/7/michael_moore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZkDikRLQrw

General Schvantzkoph wrote:
I'm thinking of using some plastic sheeting to form a temporary
greenhouse or more precisely a green tent. I've been using steel
garden fencing poles as plant stakes. I'm thinking of putting them
out earlier this year and using them as tent poles by stretching
plastic film over them to form a tent. I'm hoping this might allow me
to get an earlier start, maybe April or early May instead of waiting
to the end of May. When the weather is reliably warm I'll take the
plastic down.

I'm in Massachusetts, near New Hampshire.

I have a couple of questions,

1) Am I fooling myself? Will this really be helpful?


Yes it will help but how bold you can be starting early you will have to
work out on site.

2) What sort of plastic should I use. I see that there are things
marketed as greenhouse films. Are they any better than a roll of
plastic sheeting from Loews or Home Depot?

Plastic has various degrees of resistance to UV radiation after which it
weakens and disintegrates. The stuff that is not very resistant will fail
in a few months in the sun, the resistant will last a few years. You pay
you money and take your choice. You will need to fasten it in a way that
does not tear in a high wind.

Air circulation may become an issue. The tent may get very hot and steamy
which will encourage fungal diseases.

David

On Mar 8, 10:24*am, General Schvantzkoph
wrote:
I'm thinking of using some plastic sheeting to form a temporary greenhouse
or more precisely a green tent. I've been using steel garden fencing poles
as plant stakes. I'm thinking of putting them out earlier this year and
using them as tent poles by stretching plastic film over them to form a
tent. I'm hoping this might allow me to get an earlier start, maybe April
or early May instead of waiting to the end of May. When the weather is
reliably warm I'll take the plastic down.

I'm in Massachusetts, near New Hampshire.

I have a couple of questions,

1) Am I fooling myself? Will this really be helpful?

2) What sort of plastic should I use. I see that there are things marketed
as greenhouse films. Are they any better than a roll of plastic sheeting
from Loews or Home Depot?

Google Hoop houses, tunnel houses &/or Google videos: "build a hoop
house" and take your pick.

Easy to take 3/8 or 1/2" rebar stakes (or your garden stakes) and
some 3/4-1' PVC to make a hoop house. A dollar 2 ninety eight 10'
pole @ 24-36" OC will make ~7' at the peak, covered w/ a roll of 5
mil plastic will get you going. Opening flap ends during the day is
key. 2x4 or 2x6s on edges to hold down the 5 mil. Consider
orienting ends to prevailing winds

As David indicates UV is important but it still "depends" and
Contractor grade 5mil plastic will easily last a couple of good
seasons, more if you remove and store it when not needed.

The horticulture options to consider:
http://www.theonestopplasticsshop.co...ing-c-197.html.
Plenty of time to cost price that out in later seasons if you stay
with it, but for now the Big Box 5 mil or clear plastic is OK

Hoops are truly a great assist in getting your garden up and running
in early season.

On Wed, 09 Mar 2011 08:28:16 +1100, David Hare-Scott wrote:

General Schvantzkoph wrote:
I'm thinking of using some plastic sheeting to form a temporary
greenhouse or more precisely a green tent. I've been using steel garden
fencing poles as plant stakes. I'm thinking of putting them out earlier
this year and using them as tent poles by stretching plastic film over
them to form a tent. I'm hoping this might allow me to get an earlier
start, maybe April or early May instead of waiting to the end of May.
When the weather is reliably warm I'll take the plastic down.

I'm in Massachusetts, near New Hampshire.

I have a couple of questions,

1) Am I fooling myself? Will this really be helpful?


Yes it will help but how bold you can be starting early you will have to
work out on site.

2) What sort of plastic should I use. I see that there are things
marketed as greenhouse films. Are they any better than a roll of
plastic sheeting from Loews or Home Depot?

Plastic has various degrees of resistance to UV radiation after which it
weakens and disintegrates. The stuff that is not very resistant will
fail in a few months in the sun, the resistant will last a few years.
You pay you money and take your choice. You will need to fasten it in a
way that does not tear in a high wind.

Air circulation may become an issue. The tent may get very hot and
steamy which will encourage fungal diseases.

David

I'm only planning on keeping the plastic up in the cold months, as soon as
it's warm enough to worry about fungal diseases I'm going to take the
plastic down.

"General Schvantzkoph" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking of using some plastic sheeting to form a temporary greenhouse
or more precisely a green tent. I've been using steel garden fencing poles
as plant stakes. I'm thinking of putting them out earlier this year and
using them as tent poles by stretching plastic film over them to form a
tent. I'm hoping this might allow me to get an earlier start, maybe April
or early May instead of waiting to the end of May. When the weather is
reliably warm I'll take the plastic down.

I'm in Massachusetts, near New Hampshire.

I have a couple of questions,

1) Am I fooling myself? Will this really be helpful?

2) What sort of plastic should I use. I see that there are things marketed
as greenhouse films. Are they any better than a roll of plastic sheeting
from Loews or Home Depot?

It'll work just fine. Can't comment on the plastics since I don't even know
what the 2 businesses are that you mention.

"General Schvantzkoph" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 09 Mar 2011 08:28:16 +1100, David Hare-Scott wrote:

General Schvantzkoph wrote:
I'm thinking of using some plastic sheeting to form a temporary
greenhouse or more precisely a green tent. I've been using steel garden
fencing poles as plant stakes. I'm thinking of putting them out earlier
this year and using them as tent poles by stretching plastic film over
them to form a tent. I'm hoping this might allow me to get an earlier
start, maybe April or early May instead of waiting to the end of May.
When the weather is reliably warm I'll take the plastic down.

I'm in Massachusetts, near New Hampshire.

I have a couple of questions,

1) Am I fooling myself? Will this really be helpful?


Yes it will help but how bold you can be starting early you will have to
work out on site.

2) What sort of plastic should I use. I see that there are things
marketed as greenhouse films. Are they any better than a roll of
plastic sheeting from Loews or Home Depot?

Plastic has various degrees of resistance to UV radiation after which it
weakens and disintegrates. The stuff that is not very resistant will
fail in a few months in the sun, the resistant will last a few years.
You pay you money and take your choice. You will need to fasten it in a
way that does not tear in a high wind.

Air circulation may become an issue. The tent may get very hot and
steamy which will encourage fungal diseases.

David

I'm only planning on keeping the plastic up in the cold months, as soon as
it's warm enough to worry about fungal diseases I'm going to take the
plastic down.

And elderly friend of mine has a plastic 'greenhouse' which she uses year
round - it's no posh structure, it is just some plastic sheeting pulled over
hoops of poly over tomato stakes - she's been using the same structure in
the same place for about 5 years at least. She lives in an area which gets
morning mists and the summers aren't overly hot but do get into the high
30sC. She just takes the ends of it in late summer until late autumn and
replaces them with plastic fruit tree netting to keep the 4 legged pests
out.

In article ,
"FarmI" ask@itshall be given wrote:

"General Schvantzkoph" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking of using some plastic sheeting to form a temporary greenhouse
or more precisely a green tent. I've been using steel garden fencing poles
as plant stakes. I'm thinking of putting them out earlier this year and
using them as tent poles by stretching plastic film over them to form a
tent. I'm hoping this might allow me to get an earlier start, maybe April
or early May instead of waiting to the end of May. When the weather is
reliably warm I'll take the plastic down.

I'm in Massachusetts, near New Hampshire.

I have a couple of questions,

1) Am I fooling myself? Will this really be helpful?

2) What sort of plastic should I use. I see that there are things marketed
as greenhouse films. Are they any better than a roll of plastic sheeting
from Loews or Home Depot?

It'll work just fine. Can't comment on the plastics since I don't even know
what the 2 businesses are that you mention.

A chain of hardware stores that have a lot of floor space and sell,
lumber, lighting fixtures, plumbing supplies, power tools, gardening
supplies, plants, and so on and so forth. You get the idea.
--
http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2011/3/7/michael_moore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyE5wjc4XOw
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#41959570
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZkDikRLQrw