Cheap PVC Green House

tqn626 · October 17, 2014

Anyone got any tutorials on PVC green house? I just need to make a temporary one for my tropical plants if the winter get too bad.

troad · October 17, 2014

have a web site for parts but they are holding back on the plans:

http://www.dpsbargainbasement.com/

troad · October 18, 2014

See "Raised bed mini hoop house" in the Undercover Gardening" here at Tomatoville for a video.

Cole_Robbie · October 18, 2014

Chain link top rail is much sturdier than pvc and lasts decades instead of years.

1 3/8" top rail will fit inside 1 1/2" metal conduit elbows. Use one 90 for the top, and chop another 90 in half to make two 45s. Each 45 will sit into a chain link top rail ground post. Then you have an a-frame rafter in whatever dimensions you want. I am building a 4,000 sq ft structure after the first of the year using this plan.

Cutting the metal pipe and conduit goes a lot faster if you have a reciprocating saw. The conduit elbows need to be clamped to a table when being cut.

You can also bend top rail by hand with a bender, which costs about $100. I spent more money building the table to mount it to than the bender. Here's a pic of the last high tunnel I built: http://i.imgur.com/vkpzF0r.jpg It's 18 1/2' by 48'. Total cost was less than $2,000 for everything, which is 1/3 what a kit would have cost. To be fair, it did get smashed by a foot of snow in the following winter, but fixing it cost me about $40. I am hoping the A-frame structure will shed snow better.

tqn626 · October 18, 2014

I mainly want PVC so i can dismantled it during the summer months. My Space will be around 8 feet in width and 10 feet in length.

Salsacharley · October 18, 2014

Greenhouse Megastore has a selection of kits.

http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/p...se/cold-frames

mecktom · October 18, 2014

Aaron's Creek Farms has good selection of kits.....they do have one line with PVC ...ck. their website and you will find it among others.

tqn626 · October 19, 2014

Thanks for all the links, I will check it out.

Cole_Robbie · October 20, 2014

If you use the metal conduit elbows as connectors for top rail, a tek screw holds them together. Take out the screw and it all comes apart.

How were you going to take it apart? Were you going to plumb in unions, or just not glue the pvc fittings?

If you are dead-set against top rail, I like the gray electrical conduit better than white pvc pipe. It has much better UV resistance and will last longer.

easttx_hippie · October 22, 2014

I made one with 3/4" PVC that I've used 2-1/2 years. I had a bunch of 4' pieces and buckets of tees, crosses, and 45s. I just started putting pieces and fittings together until it started looking like a greenhouse. I ran 1/2" EMT (metal conduit) inside the PVC pipe at the corners and then drove it into the ground. It kept it anchored and added some strength. I covered it with plastic sheeting using 2x4s to hold the plastic on the ground.

Mac

BigVanVader · October 22, 2014

This is still the best video I have seen for cheap and easy greenhouse building, even now the rebar version would be less than 200$

He (Elliot Coleman) shows the easy/cheap greenhouse ideas starting around 11 1/2 minutes into the vid. Oh and the rebar is also easily taken down and moved if needed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovR-OZlul3w

Worth1 · October 28, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigVanVader

This is still the best video I have seen for cheap and easy greenhouse building, even now the rebar version would be less than 200$

He (Elliot Coleman) shows the easy/cheap greenhouse ideas starting around 11 1/2 minutes into the vid. Oh and the rebar is also easily taken down and moved if needed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovR-OZlul3w

I like where he showed how easy it was to make the Gothic arch which I think is much more useful and pleasing to the eye.

Worth

BigVanVader · November 13, 2014

I agree, I hope to build one in the next week or two at our new home. Whenever I get around to it I will try to take some pics and post em. I have been wanting to try to build a walipini greenhouse but the clay here is so gosh darnoodley hard I'd need a backhoe....still like to do it eventually though.

NathanP · November 24, 2014

Anyone know plans to build one (relatively cheaply) that is hard plastic, not a hoop house type covered with flexible plastic?

October 17, 2014	#1
tqn626 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: San Gabriel, CA Posts: 145	Cheap PVC Green House Anyone got any tutorials on PVC green house? I just need to make a temporary one for my tropical plants if the winter get too bad.

October 17, 2014	#2
troad Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Des Moines, WA. Posts: 358	have a web site for parts but they are holding back on the plans: http://www.dpsbargainbasement.com/ __________________ There's a fine line between gardening and madness. Last edited by troad; October 17, 2014 at 11:51 PM. Reason: clarify

October 18, 2014	#3
troad Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Des Moines, WA. Posts: 358	See "Raised bed mini hoop house" in the Undercover Gardening" here at Tomatoville for a video. __________________ There's a fine line between gardening and madness.

October 18, 2014	#4
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Chain link top rail is much sturdier than pvc and lasts decades instead of years. 1 3/8" top rail will fit inside 1 1/2" metal conduit elbows. Use one 90 for the top, and chop another 90 in half to make two 45s. Each 45 will sit into a chain link top rail ground post. Then you have an a-frame rafter in whatever dimensions you want. I am building a 4,000 sq ft structure after the first of the year using this plan. Cutting the metal pipe and conduit goes a lot faster if you have a reciprocating saw. The conduit elbows need to be clamped to a table when being cut. You can also bend top rail by hand with a bender, which costs about $100. I spent more money building the table to mount it to than the bender. Here's a pic of the last high tunnel I built: http://i.imgur.com/vkpzF0r.jpg It's 18 1/2' by 48'. Total cost was less than $2,000 for everything, which is 1/3 what a kit would have cost. To be fair, it did get smashed by a foot of snow in the following winter, but fixing it cost me about $40. I am hoping the A-frame structure will shed snow better. Last edited by Cole_Robbie; October 18, 2014 at 12:45 AM.

October 22, 2014	#11
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	This is still the best video I have seen for cheap and easy greenhouse building, even now the rebar version would be less than 200$ He (Elliot Coleman) shows the easy/cheap greenhouse ideas starting around 11 1/2 minutes into the vid. Oh and the rebar is also easily taken down and moved if needed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovR-OZlul3w Last edited by BigVanVader; October 22, 2014 at 11:23 AM. Reason: forgot something

October 18, 2014	#6
Salsacharley Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: New Mexico Posts: 2,052	Greenhouse Megastore has a selection of kits. http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/p...se/cold-frames

October 18, 2014	#7
mecktom Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Southern Virginia Posts: 342	Aaron's Creek Farms has good selection of kits.....they do have one line with PVC ...ck. their website and you will find it among others.

October 19, 2014	#8
tqn626 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: San Gabriel, CA Posts: 145	Thanks for all the links, I will check it out.

October 20, 2014	#9
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	If you use the metal conduit elbows as connectors for top rail, a tek screw holds them together. Take out the screw and it all comes apart. How were you going to take it apart? Were you going to plumb in unions, or just not glue the pvc fittings? If you are dead-set against top rail, I like the gray electrical conduit better than white pvc pipe. It has much better UV resistance and will last longer.

October 22, 2014	#10
easttx_hippie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Piney Wood Hills Posts: 423	I made one with 3/4" PVC that I've used 2-1/2 years. I had a bunch of 4' pieces and buckets of tees, crosses, and 45s. I just started putting pieces and fittings together until it started looking like a greenhouse. I ran 1/2" EMT (metal conduit) inside the PVC pipe at the corners and then drove it into the ground. It kept it anchored and added some strength. I covered it with plastic sheeting using 2x4s to hold the plastic on the ground. Mac

November 13, 2014	#13
BigVanVader Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Greenville, South Carolina Posts: 3,099	I agree, I hope to build one in the next week or two at our new home. Whenever I get around to it I will try to take some pics and post em. I have been wanting to try to build a walipini greenhouse but the clay here is so gosh darnoodley hard I'd need a backhoe....still like to do it eventually though.

November 24, 2014	#14
NathanP Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: RI Posts: 183	Anyone know plans to build one (relatively cheaply) that is hard plastic, not a hoop house type covered with flexible plastic?