Greenhouse Sneak Peak

Where have I been and what have I been working on?  This lovely vision.....

Hoopin' it up in the greenhouse - where every day is a plant party!

Check it out. Remember that building a hoop house greenhouse was on my agenda and I can now (mostly) check it right off my list as done!

The best news is that even with our strong winds last nite the greenhouse did not end up all over the yard - it stands proudly as a monument to my victory. Or something. Ha!

In the next couple days I'll do a more detailed step by step guide of "how to." But for now here are some quick facts.

The basis for the design - cattle panels secured to a wood "box." Easy peasy.

First the design was based on the turkey hoop houses that my pal, Bourbon Red, built for his farm. However the dimensions are 12 feet long by 8 feet wide. This allowed for a higher ceiling and more useable space.

Next, I built the entire thing alone. It would have been easier to have a helper but thru determination and some foolishness I got it worked out. Why didn't I have help? Because my hubby works during the day and I was too excited to wait for his day off. But the headline is - if I can do it, so can you.

Then, my cost of goods was amazingly low, as in less than $150, plus materials on hand. My biggest expense was the three 16 foot cattle panels which were about $23 each. I happened to have some heavy duty 6ml plastic on hand which helped keep my costs low. However, I want to get the actual greenhouse plastic.

Someone smarter than me will have to explain how real greenhouse plastic is better because it will hold up to UV rays and all that. But for now, this worked. It will be another $60 or so for actual greenhouse plastic. But if what I have will work for a season then that will be fine with me.  As with all my projects I purchase the materials a little at a time.

I need to work on building out the workspace.

What's next? I need to build out the inside a bit. I have some sawhorse tables to move into it, some slapped together benches, and other work surfaces. I'm also going to move some containers in and start some salad greens. Then I will also need to work on mud control and the actual growing area. My plan is to use the green house for seed starting then plant butternut squash on one side, remove the plastic cover, and let the squash grow up over the hoops as a kind of trellis.

So far I'm thrilled with this project. In fact... if I ran an extension cord out there I think I might be able to live out there.

Stay tuned for more details but for now happy Thursday everyone! Are you living in your greenhouse?