Repurposed tent canopy v greenhouse kit

[YYZ Skinhead]

You know those plastic "budget" greenhouses sold on Amazon and eBay for $100 and under? Has anyone successfully grown in one for longer than one season? I am looking at several of them, but I am checking out 10 foot by 20 foot portable tent carports and canopy tents (e.g. party tents) as well.

It is early in the year, but I want to start growing as soon as the rain stops, so I thought I'd ask now.

 

[thegloman]

Don't know about your weather but where I am ice and snow do significant damage to them.
I built a 10x16x24 hoop house out of 1-1/4" pvc conduit and the ice broke the pvc from weight.
as a side note.....the heavy plastic covering never tore.
Summer was great though!

 

[YYZ Skinhead]

Don't know about your weather but where I am ice and snow do significant damage to them.
I built a 10x16x24 hoop house out of 1-1/4" pvc conduit and the ice broke the pvc from weight.
as a side note.....the heavy plastic covering never tore.
Summer was great though!

Props. I am in HeIl aka los angeles. The weather here is completely kooktastic (it was like 80° F last week and today it is cold rain) but late spring and all of summer rivals Arizona.

That must have been some kind of deep snow to break a hoop house! I wish I lived where it snowed. What thickness was the plastic sheeting?

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I got this one last year: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ZGN09W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It was cold and windy where I ended up and my plants were suffering. I decided to try an inexpensive greenhouse. We got terrific winds and I knew that could be a problem, so I made a "foundation" out of 4 x 4 pressure treated lumber and put a heavy duty landscape fabric on the ground. I used 12 2' stakes pounded in the ground and screwed to the foundation 4 x 4s to anchor it--3 on each side. The corners of the framing for the greenhouse have a base that has holes so the greenhouse could be bolted to the 4 x 4s. I had purchased webbed strapping that I planned to use to further secure the greenhouse, but I didn't it. We could get wind gust to 50 or so and we got 3 or so feet of snow over winter. This spring, it looks as good as the day I put it up. I left it when I moved, but only because of time, space, and I plan on building a permanent greenhouse now that we bought a place.

The only drawback that I could see is that there is only 1 window in the back for ventilation. I had to keep the door open most days. I had a 450 cfm vortex fan mounted up high to blow out the back window when it was hot. I had plants in there (with 2 heaters) until the first of November.

Also, it is not semi-clear like it shows in the picture. It is actually a white somewhat opaque covering, which was just fine with me. It let the sunshine through just fine, but you couldn't see what was growing inside.

As a plumber, I can tell you that PVC can get very brittle in the cold and it is very easy for it to shatter--even going to Sch 80 does not alleviate this problem. I hated working with it in the winter. It could be very tough to cut without it cracking and splintering. I really can see how a snow load could cause a structure to collapse. While the cold would not be an issue in LA, if you are looking to buy a ready-made greenhouse, I would recommend metal framing.

 

[YYZ Skinhead]

I got this one last year: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ZGN09W/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It was cold and windy where I ended up and my plants were suffering. I decided to try an inexpensive greenhouse. We got terrific winds and I knew that could be a problem, so I made a "foundation" out of 4 x 4 pressure treated lumber and put a heavy duty landscape fabric on the ground. I used 12 2' stakes pounded in the ground and screwed to the foundation 4 x 4s to anchor it--3 on each side. The corners of the framing for the greenhouse have a base that has holes so the greenhouse could be bolted to the 4 x 4s. I had purchased webbed strapping that I planned to use to further secure the greenhouse, but I didn't it. We could get wind gust to 50 or so and we got 3 or so feet of snow over winter. This spring, it looks as good as the day I put it up. I left it when I moved, but only because of time, space, and I plan on building a permanent greenhouse now that we bought a place.

The only drawback that I could see is that there is only 1 window in the back for ventilation. I had to keep the door open most days. I had a 450 cfm vortex fan mounted up high to blow out the back window when it was hot. I had plants in there (with 2 heaters) until the first of November.

Also, it is not semi-clear like it shows in the picture. It is actually a white somewhat opaque covering, which was just fine with me. It let the sunshine through just fine, but you couldn't see what was growing inside.

As a plumber, I can tell you that PVC can get very brittle in the cold and it is very easy for it to shatter--even going to Sch 80 does not alleviate this problem. I hated working with it in the winter. It could be very tough to cut without it cracking and splintering. I really can see how a snow load could cause a structure to collapse. While the cold would not be an issue in LA, if you are looking to buy a ready-made greenhouse, I would recommend metal framing.

Props. I definitely shall anchor it to a base. I was thinking of adding rebar to reinforce the PVC frame, but it would add up to around the same price (and be a lot easier) to get an all-metal kit. I am eternally grateful that you posted before I ended up at HD schlepping a cart with 60 lbs of rebar and PVC.

 

[The Hemp Goddess]

I looked at a lot of different options before I bought that one. Like you, I also considered building something inexpensively, but when I drew it up and priced materials, building something didn't end up being cheaper and there would be some hurdles if I erected one myself--mainly having to use PVC for the framing, how to secure the plastic to the frame, and making a door and windows. IMHO, if you are using PVC for a greenhouse frame, it should be looked at as a 1 season greenhouse and that is a lot of work and money for only 1 season.

Good luck, I hope this works out for you.

 

[YYZ Skinhead]

I looked at a lot of different options before I bought that one. Like you, I also considered building something inexpensively, but when I drew it up and priced materials, building something didn't end up being cheaper and there would be some hurdles if I erected one myself--mainly having to use PVC for the framing, how to secure the plastic to the frame, and making a door and windows. IMHO, if you are using PVC for a greenhouse frame, it should be looked at as a 1 season greenhouse and that is a lot of work and money for only 1 season.

Good luck, I hope this works out for you.

BIG props. I bought a 10 x 10 party tent off Amazon thinking that it would cost less ($30). By the time I bought like half of the reinforcements and add-ons, I realized that I might as well have bought a metal frame greenhouse which was specifically a greenhouse and which would last longer than one season. "You get what you pay for" seems to apply to greenhouses.

 

[thegloman]

Hi YYZ
The plastic I used was 6mm with UV protection to make it last longer. It was a special purchase from a green house supply

 

[YYZ Skinhead]

Hi YYZ
The plastic I used was 6mm with UV protection to make it last longer. It was a special purchase from a green house supply

OK, 6mm it is. I am browsing various plastics and if I go for sheeting I want something that won't disintegrate. I may end up going with corrugated panels like Solexx, etc.