Kevin went shopping again on craigs list (oh my! after the situation here this past year, I worry about using it) So...we went to Columbus to look at it. ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) Used polyhouse ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) Since the size was right and the price was doable, we wrote a check for "what you see" (except the canoe, I didn't need that, I have no time for canoing, now) and a few more things from another house. ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) In the way... ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) Now to put it up...in this spot. ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) Adrian making firewood from the pin oak ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) Oh, how I appreciate this son! He saves me a lot of aching muscles. going up ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) 2x8 treated lumber for the plastic to attach to. ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) parts for the plastic cover. the original house didn't have wirelock, it had nailed on plastic. ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) Double wirelock to hold the plastic to the frame with the top wiggle wire. the bottom one will hold the roll up curtain for ventilation. double wire lock ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) The end walls are finished. waiting on the doors to be put up. ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) greenhouse plastic ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) jumper hose ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) The jumper hose is used to inflate the to layers of plastic all around the house. Not every house has inflated end walls, but we chose to do this just for the insulation value. There is a small electric blower fan mounted inside the house on one of the bows. This will run 24 hours a day, once both ends are attached to the plastic. 1st layer of plastic ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) This is the plastic unrolled and laying on the lawn. ready to unfold and pull over the house. 2nd layer of plastic ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) 2nd layer going on. ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) We finished the plastic by noon. the rest of the materials, the curtain, roll up, the electrical, etc. took the rest of the day. Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the finished house. It is now dark and my computer is not loading the pictures I do have, properly, SO I may not be able to put one up soon, either. But I will ASAP. Hope you all enjoyed seeing the one month project whittled down to a few pictures.
Oh my oh my! What an undertaking. And in winter conditions. I'd be tickled to have a greenhouse one-tenth that size. Guess you'll never be bored and everyone in the area won't go without fresh veggies. Can't wait to see the next set of photos.
Nah, Cheryl, You'll find that 1/10th the size would NEVER suit your. They seem to be a bit like lays potato chips " you can't have just one" . I am planning on growing inside of this one like I do the high tunnel, for a late fall crop. I think it could be more useful to use it like a greenhouse for the spring and a high tunnel for the fall. We'll just have to experiment. This year was incredibly warm and we had sunshine on quite a few winter days, so it would have been much easier this year to keep a crop growing inside than normal.
I am so incredibly jealous! Oh what I would do for such a greenhouse in my yard! I have the space, I just don't have the money...
Carolyn, that is a magnificent poly house, whatever you use it for. I am also glad that you have it, and I don't. With something like that to grow plants in, I'd hurt myself!
I'm NOT jealous. I'm NOT in the least envious. I'm NOT even a little bit disappointed that I don't have the space for a polytunnel the size of your Carolyn. I AM, however, a big, fat liar.
Thanks!. Jane I will be using it for bedding plants this spring. Then in the late summer I hope to use it as a high tunnel for late season farmers market tomatoes and peppers and such. Eileen, think WORK if that helps to alleviate some of the emotions. Netty, Keep an eye on places like craigs list for used ones. It really is not an unreasonable place to find them if you don't mind the work of taking it down and reassembling it. The other place I have seen them new and reasonable is a place called Yoders produce. if you are interested PM me and I'll give you their address or send you their catalog. they are amish and have no phone.
love your greenhouse. I have one but just the fram up. Never got the funds together to do the double plastic. we did use canvas one year but that didn't hold up for long. really love your step by step picts. I grow tomatoes, cucs, zucchini, beans, peas, peppers, etc....
Yes indeedy--I sure did enjoy seeing this project. You guys did an impressive job with that. I'll bet that you can grow even more sellable veg for your market endeavors. I can see that it would take a month to complete this. I reckon that you had to do this as well as other things that were going on at the same time. That inflation bit really looked like a good idea, asdid the double layer of plastic. Chapeau!
Thanks S., A double layer adds a lot of insulation especially at night time. It also makes the structure sturdier. Yes, we did other jobs and projects while working on this. Sometimes it actually was too cold to work out there, but not much of that time was cold related. On the nice days Kevin (actually he has a day job that pays) so he had to go to work and when he got home it was too dark to work out there, so it took a little longer than it should have. But now it is all done and the furnace is in, hooked up and had a trial run already. Hopefully we won't need it though.
The finished greenhouse. the finished greenhouse ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) The second layer of plastic is on and is inflated now and has a few things in it. Today I moved the hanging baskets from the small house to this one. Now the can breathe and grow out and down. ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) Now, here is my Elephant Ear crop....as you can see they still are not growing . They certainly are stubborn this year. waiting, waiting.....waiting. My Elephant ear crop ( photo / image / picture from carolyn keiper's Garden ) Maybe this house has been too cool at night time. I don't know, but it doesn't freeze in here. It may get down to the low 40's though. Any ideas to make them grow faster. They, at least, are not rotting now. but I am frustrated with them this year. What am I doing wrong?
A dream of mine is to one day have a green house, of course at current I don't even have a garden so that dream continues. So happy for you to have found that gem. Looks like you did a great job getting it up and running. Best of luck filling it and using as planned. Keep the pics coming.
Deanna, you would be welcome anytime. If you are ever in the area please let me know. I'll certainly welcome you anytime of the year. tschnath, Thanks! A garden can be really small, no matter where you live there is usually room for at least a pot of something even if it is just herbs... hopefully you will have room for a garden in the back yard someday soon and a greenhouse to go with it.
Oh, Carolyn, that is absolutely super! You did such a good job getting it up and running. Sorry I can't help with the Elephant Ears--they require too much water so we have never grown them. I must ask, is that Jerry's truck? I know he has a tractor for his "portable corn field" but I figured he may have invested in a yellow truck to get his corn to the railhead.
