How to Build a Home Greenhouse

Make a greenhouse at home.

A home greenhouse can be your second garden, a place to keep your plants in a warm place in the winter. Greenhouses protect plants from heavy rains, frost, strong winds, mildew, and snacking wildlife. Tropical crops thrive especially well in the humid greenhouse atmosphere. A greenhouse is generally built as a standalone structure. Using PVC pipe is one way to create a supportive frame.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Gravel, dirt and/or sand
• Firm metal rake
• Paper
• Pencil
• Hacksaw
• Three-quarter inch PVC pipes
• Four wood stakes
• String
• Post-hole digger
• Straight PVC connectors (to fit the ¾”PVC pipes)
• PVC pipe glue
• Plastic sheeting
• Clamps
• Rebar rods
• Hammer
• 2” x 4” lumber
• Staple gun

Instructions

1. Measure the space outside where you want to build your greenhouse.

2. Rake gravel, dirt and/or sand to roughly level the ground off.

3. Draw a rectangular-shaped plan for your greenhouse on a piece of paper. Mark the dimensions based on the measurements you took earlier.

4. Measure the PVC pipes and mark the dimensions with a pencil on the pipes. Cut the pencil markings on the pipes with a hacksaw blade.

5. Measure the ground and drive wooden stakes into the ground at the corners of the rectangle. Tie some string around the stakes to define the rectangular area.

6. Dig deep holes along the path of the string with a post-hole digger. Make holes a few feet apart on the long sides of the rectangle.

7. Put metal rebar into each of the holes and hammer it deeply into the ground. Fill up the holes with soil around the rebar and pack it down firmly with your feet.

8. Put glue on the inside of each connector.

9. Slide PVC pipes over the rebar so that each one is now fully inserted into the PVC pipes. Select two PVC pipe-covered rebar, one on each side directly opposite each other, and bend the top of the PVC pipe-covered rebar towards the center of the rectangle. Insert the ends of each PVC pipe into either end of a straight connector to create an upside down "U" shape. Do this for all of the rebar to create the frame of your greenhouse.

10. Cover the entire frame with plastic sheeting and fasten it to each of the PVC pipes with clamps. Fasten the end pieces of plastic together at the two short sides of the greenhouse with clamps as well.

11. Line the bottom edge of the greenhouse with 2 x 4 pieces of lumber on top of the plastic. Staple the plastic sheet to each sheet of wood. The wood will help to keep the plastic in place during heavy winds.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep the plastic sheet relatively loose at the point of the clamp to prevent the plastic from tearing on a windy day.

• Do not build a greenhouse on a windy day.

References

• PVC Greenhouse
• West Side Gardener