The Basics on How to Build Your Own Greenhouse
A greenhouse uses solar radiation to heat plants inside of it while at the same time holding moisture in the atmosphere. This can help you to extend your growing season in spring and fall. The same principles that apply to a greenhouse are also at work when you use a cold frame or simply cover seedlings with plastic while they germinate. A simple, hobby greenhouse is inexpensive to make and can be put up in a short period of time using materials that you can find at most hardware stores. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Hammer
- Stakes
- String
- 3 2-by-4 boards, 24 feet
- Circular saw
- Drill
- Phillips head screw driver bit
- 22 Wood screws
- 4 L-shaped brackets
- 14 gooseneck pipe brackets
- 7 pieces PVC pipe, ¾ inch
- Greenhouse plastic
- Wire, 9 gauge
- Wire cutters
- Carpenter's staple gun
- Carpenter's staples
- Cinder blocks
Instructions
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1
Hammer stakes into the ground at the corners of your greenhouse. Stretch string between the stakes and tie it off to lay out the floor plan of the greenhouse. The greenhouse should be positioned in a sunny location where it will receive at least 6 hours of sunlight a day in winter.
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2
Cut a 2-by-4 that is 24 feet long in half to make two 12-foot boards. Place a 12-foot board up against the flat ends of two 24-foot-long 2-by-4 boards so that a 24-foot board abuts each end of the 12-foot board.
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3
Place an L-shaped bracket around each end of the boards where they touch. Screw wood screws into the boards through the bracket to secure the ends. Attach the remaining 12-foot-long 2-by-4 to the 24-foot boards at their other end to create a large wooden box.
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4
Place the box inside the string and stake markers. This will be the foundation of the greenhouse. You can remove the string and markers at this point.
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5
Loosely affix 14 gooseneck wall brackets for PVC pipe to the interior of your greenhouse foundation along the 24-foot boards using wood screws. The brackets should be split into two groups of seven. Place a group of seven brackets along each board. Mount a single bracket in each corner of the greenhouse, and space the remaining brackets at 4-foot intervals along the boards.
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6
Slip a piece of 14-foot-long, ¾-inch PVC pipe into each bracket so that the pipe stands vertically in relation to the ground. Tighten the bracket around the pipe.
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7
Bend each PVC pipe into a U shape and place the other end into the bracket on the opposite side of the pipe. Tighten the second bracket around the pipe.
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8
Stretch a 9-gauge wire across the ridge of the greenhouse. Wrap the wire once around each piece of PVC pipe where the wire meets the pipe. This will help to stabilize the structure.
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9
Cover the greenhouse structure with heavy gauge greenhouse plastic. Staple the plastic to the wood at the base of the greenhouse on three sides. Leave a narrow side free to form the doorway.
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10
Anchor the plastic from the doorway with cinder blocks. Lift a corner of the greenhouse plastic to enter the greenhouse. Lift the plastic door up completely to vent the greenhouse whenever it becomes too warm.
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References
Resources
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