DIY: Portable Greenhouse

Smaller greenhouses are more portable.

In Victorian times the wide range of unusual plants that explorers of the Amazon and the African interior returned with sparked an interest in glass 'conservatory' greenhouses. These early greenhouses were massive and immobile. Today, with scientific advancement in plastics, many gardening enthusiasts can make their own temporary greenhouses using a polyvinyl greenhouse skin over a lightweight frame. These modern greenhouses are far more portable than their early greenhouse counterparts.

Things You'll Need

• 2 pressure-treated 2-by-4 boards, 24 foot long
• Measuring tape
• Pencil
• Saw
• 1/4 inch wood screws
• Drill
• 1/4 inch drill bit
• Phillips head screw driver bit
• 14 conduit wall anchors
• 7 pieces PVC pipe, 12 foot long
• 5 1-by-1 boards, 6 foot long
• Ladder
• 1 sheet polyvinyl greenhouse sheeting, 12-by-12
• Carpenter's staple gun
• Staples

Instructions

1. Measure and mark your 2-by-4 boards at 6-foot intervals.

2. Cut your boards into 6-foot lengths. Create a 6-by-6 wooden square by joining the boards to form abutting angles at the ends with wood screws. The square will be the foundation of your greenhouse.

3. Place a piece of PVC pipe into a corner of the greenhouse. Cover the end of the pipe where it touches the wood foundation with a U-shaped conduit anchor. Attach the conduit to the wood board with wood screws, but do not tighten the screws. Attach a second U-shaped anchor loosely above the first anchor.

4. Flex the pipe into a U-shaped bend and place the end of the pipe into the corner opposite the side where the pipe is already attached. Anchor the end with two more U-shaped conduit anchors and wood screws. Tighten the wood screws holding the conduit anchors over the pipe. Attach the remaining six pipes using this method. Place one pipe every foot along the length of the greenhouse foundation to create a 6-foot-long U-shaped tunnel.

5. Place one of the 1-inch-thick, 6-foot-long pieces of wood over the top of the greenhouse arch using a ladder to make a rafter. Drill a pilot hole through the wood and into the pipe where each pipe touches the wood. Change the drill bit with the screw driver bit. Drive a wood screw through the wood and into the pipe to attach the wood to the frame. The wood will stabilize the frame and keep it from shifting as you move the greenhouse. Attach two more board rafters to each side of the PVC pipe. Space the pipe every 2 feet over the greenhouse.

6. Cover the greenhouse with the 12-by-12 polyvinyl greenhouse plastic. Attach the plastic to the greenhouse with the carpenter's staple gun. Leave one end loose for access and to vent the greenhouse.

References

• Washington State University Extension: Hoop Houses
• Washington State University Extension: Portable Field Hoophouse
• Colorado State University Extension: High Tunnels

Resources

• Umass Extension:High Tunnels - Low Cost Seasonal Growth Space