Please check out my new greenhouse

MawkHawk · May 9, 2006

Hi, everyone. Just came over from the "other place" and love it here so far. Please check out my new Weatherguard greenhouse. It's no Earl's greenhouse but I'm really loving it..... Pics were taken in late-April showing tomatoes, hot peppers, eggplants and some herbs. Plants are about 2x this size now.

**Mischka** · May 9, 2006

Nice looking greenhouse!

Where did you order it from? I've been meaning to post a list of greenhouse sources here.

Another thing to add to my "list".

Suze · May 9, 2006

Tell us more

... how large it is, how easy (or difficult) it is to put up, your source, etc.

I want to get a greenhouse, but am kind of leaning toward a popup type as I'd probably only use one as a season extender for a fall crop anyhow. Too hot to use here most of the year, so a permanent structure would just be in the way...

MawkHawk · May 10, 2006

I ordered this from www.northerntool.com, but there are quite a few places that sell them on the web. A guy at the "other place" even got his at a Home Depot in IL. I paid $229 including shipping, which was a good deal because the box weighed about 100 lbs.

Mine is 6'W x 8'L x 6'H. They sell others that are smaller and larger. The cover is woven poly and the frame is galvanised steel tube. It has 3 zippered window vents, a zippered door and 2 vents along the sides at the bottom that hang down or velcro up (open). The frame is made to bolt down to something or you can tie down with ground anchors. The frame is very strong and you can hang hanging baskets and fans from it. I have a 20" window fan hanging from the frame and facing out of the large window for cooling.

I wouldn't really consider this a "permanent" greenhouse as it can be taken down quite easily. It took me about 2 hours to assemble and was pretty easy. The frame is just a bunch of steel tubes that slide into each other loosely. The top cover hangs over the ends of the frame and is racheted down which sort of squeezes the whole thing together. At first it seemed pretty goofy but turned out to be very strong.

The zippers seem to be just so-so quality-wise. I also own a FlowerHouse Starterhouse and the zippers are much stronger on that.

If I were going to buy a permanent greenhouse I'd pay a little more ($80 or so) and get the Harbor Freight 6x8 polycarbonate GH. But I also wanted a portable...

I think that the number of vents on the Weatherguard are a big advantage tho. I can open the window fan vent for exhaust and 1 low vent to pull in cooler air. With an outside temp in the mid-70's F I can hold the inside temp to max around 87F.

A disadvatage is that it isn't really heatable. I can keep the over night temps around 55F with a little space heater but can't get it much warmer.

dokutaaguriin · May 10, 2006

Hi Mawkhawk,
You might want to try getting bigger water containers (water barrels) and put your tomato flats on top of that. In addition, bubble wrap can also help with your insulation so that you can keep the temperature up during the night and those frosty days in spring. You can think of it as an inner greenhouse within the greenhouse. I use this system until I can safely heat the entire greenhouse. I just pull back the inner greenhouse during the day so that the temps don't get to high. Clip-its work well for this task.
Best of luck,
Jeff

MawkHawk · May 10, 2006

Thanks, Jeff. Those are good tips. I've just been collecting 2 liter bottles as I see them and filling them with water. I should prolly just get a big barrel or something. The bubble wrap is a great tip.

May 9, 2006	#1
MawkHawk Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Metro Detroit/Z6 Posts: 168	Please check out my new greenhouse Hi, everyone. Just came over from the "other place" and love it here so far. Please check out my new Weatherguard greenhouse. It's no Earl's greenhouse but I'm really loving it..... Pics were taken in late-April showing tomatoes, hot peppers, eggplants and some herbs. Plants are about 2x this size now. __________________ Mark

May 9, 2006	#2
Mischka Tomatoville® Administrator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: The Bay State Posts: 3,207	Nice looking greenhouse! Where did you order it from? I've been meaning to post a list of greenhouse sources here. Another thing to add to my "list". __________________ Mischka One last word of farewell, Dear Master and Mistress. Whenever you visit my grave, say to yourselves with regret but also with happiness in your hearts at the remembrance of my long happy life with you: "Here lies one who loved us and whom we loved." No matter how deep my sleep I shall hear you, and not all the power of death can keep my spirit from wagging a grateful tail.

May 10, 2006	#4
MawkHawk Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Metro Detroit/Z6 Posts: 168	I ordered this from www.northerntool.com, but there are quite a few places that sell them on the web. A guy at the "other place" even got his at a Home Depot in IL. I paid $229 including shipping, which was a good deal because the box weighed about 100 lbs. Mine is 6'W x 8'L x 6'H. They sell others that are smaller and larger. The cover is woven poly and the frame is galvanised steel tube. It has 3 zippered window vents, a zippered door and 2 vents along the sides at the bottom that hang down or velcro up (open). The frame is made to bolt down to something or you can tie down with ground anchors. The frame is very strong and you can hang hanging baskets and fans from it. I have a 20" window fan hanging from the frame and facing out of the large window for cooling. I wouldn't really consider this a "permanent" greenhouse as it can be taken down quite easily. It took me about 2 hours to assemble and was pretty easy. The frame is just a bunch of steel tubes that slide into each other loosely. The top cover hangs over the ends of the frame and is racheted down which sort of squeezes the whole thing together. At first it seemed pretty goofy but turned out to be very strong. The zippers seem to be just so-so quality-wise. I also own a FlowerHouse Starterhouse and the zippers are much stronger on that. If I were going to buy a permanent greenhouse I'd pay a little more ($80 or so) and get the Harbor Freight 6x8 polycarbonate GH. But I also wanted a portable... I think that the number of vents on the Weatherguard are a big advantage tho. I can open the window fan vent for exhaust and 1 low vent to pull in cooler air. With an outside temp in the mid-70's F I can hold the inside temp to max around 87F. A disadvatage is that it isn't really heatable. I can keep the over night temps around 55F with a little space heater but can't get it much warmer. __________________ Mark

May 10, 2006	#6
MawkHawk Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Metro Detroit/Z6 Posts: 168	Thanks, Jeff. Those are good tips. I've just been collecting 2 liter bottles as I see them and filling them with water. I should prolly just get a big barrel or something. The bubble wrap is a great tip. __________________ Mark

May 9, 2006	#3
Suze Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 3,027	Tell us more ... how large it is, how easy (or difficult) it is to put up, your source, etc. I want to get a greenhouse, but am kind of leaning toward a popup type as I'd probably only use one as a season extender for a fall crop anyhow. Too hot to use here most of the year, so a permanent structure would just be in the way...

May 10, 2006	#5
dokutaaguriin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alberta, Canada Z3a Posts: 905	Hi Mawkhawk, You might want to try getting bigger water containers (water barrels) and put your tomato flats on top of that. In addition, bubble wrap can also help with your insulation so that you can keep the temperature up during the night and those frosty days in spring. You can think of it as an inner greenhouse within the greenhouse. I use this system until I can safely heat the entire greenhouse. I just pull back the inner greenhouse during the day so that the temps don't get to high. Clip-its work well for this task. Best of luck, Jeff