unique greenhouse

I am trying again, I don't work very fast so the site times me out before I can finish a post. This

time I am writing it all in notepad first


I don't know if using the stuff you have on hand as gear rather than using it for it's intended

purposes qualifies this post for this forum or not, but the fact that Mr Fokin took what he had to

make what he needed, made me think I could do this.

I am going to build a greenhouse that I can stand up in, yet narrow enough so it doesn't

interfere with the other requirements for my little corner of the apartment complex. Among the parts

to build it is some 18" rebar stakes, pretty expensive if you ask me, but I only need 10 and I

don't have the equipment to cut it, so, I bought it.
Rebar is regularly used in cement work but I am using it as a type of post anchor for the PVC

pipe to make the hoops of my greenhouse. The pressure of the bend helps it stay in place over the rebar but in order for it to be tall enough I had to use two pvc pipes joined by a connector coupling and glued. I found out quickly though, that you can't bend a jointed 18' of 3/4" PVC into an arc with a base of only 6'. The coupling will not hold, at least not the couplings I have on hand. So instead of being defeated, and giving up I decided to just use one 10' section at each end of the garden I had so far. I'd worry about the rest of it later, along with exactly where to put the greenhouse. I now know I have some modifications to make.

I was in a panic about losing my tender babies I got the idea of skipping the frame I worked on for the greenhouse and just focus on a way to hold plastic off my plants for a day or two so they would survive this cold snap. I could always uncover them during the day. Then it just hit me that I didn't really need the frame anyway not for this short time and I could just use the rebar without it. The frame is just insurance for longevity.

As a tool I first used the rebar to make holes in the ground for marker stakes that I made from lose twigs and branches that wouldn't hold up to pounding into this hard ground. It was the only thing I could think of at the time, now my long screwdriver is coming to mind, oh well too late now. I also used it to make furrows for my radish, bean and Brussels sprout seeds.

Come to think of it PVC isn't meant for hoop-houses any more than rebar was meant to anchor it in place, so I'll take this as a double win for creativity... or just panic mode clear thinking.

Okay let's see if this posts up,













Evelyn

Okay one more time... Pictures of my Mini Hooper.

Okay I give up, Img don't work, I'm not putting pic's in the cloud, and attachment doesn't work either, which I tried the first time and lost everything including all my writing, and again this last time but at least the story is there.

Evelyn

Hey it worked, it didn't show in the preview so I thought it was lost. I have four more to add to this so give me a minute to wake my bum up. I'll be back in a few.

Evelyn

@Evelyn, I set something like that up a couple of winters ago when the temp hit single digits -- and added a lamp for heat, to try to keep the tomatoes alive another week or two...  It got hot enough that the PVC hoops got soft and buckled...  Wish I would have had something that had a built in thermostat to keep it from getting to hot.  Anyway these mini-low-tunnels are great.  Hope yous work well for you.

Thank you Ebo, I had a hard time finding you. My email link took me back to the Gear forum, I didn't realize it was put in greenhouses too.
I was fortunate that I didn't need supplemental heat. My garden is quite a distance from my apartment and I'd have to leave a door or window open to fish an extension cord out to the garden. It's doable, just not practical.
As I research my actual greenhouse build I have found some creative ideas on both heating and cooling the interior of the space. I will try to post as I go.

Here's a zipper product to make a door

It sounds as if your *real* goal is to have a 6 ft wide greenhouse that is something like 5 1/2 to 6 ft tall? I agree that 3/4" PVC pipe (is it Schedule 40?) won't bend that tightly unless you use a mold of some sort and a heat gun. That said, as mentioned by Ebo David, it would risk collapse under some circumstances.
I have made what I call a "mini-hoop" with a 2 ft "knee wall" (ie straight section), followed by a heated curved section with the whole thing ending up just over 4 ft tall. I can't stand up in it, but I can crouch and not have to kneel, and I'm 5' 4". However, it really needed bracing from rib to rib to make it strong enough. The first time I just used aluminium strapping, and the second time I used "cross" fittings just before the bending started with pipes connecting the "ribs", but my structures are only 4 ft wide by 8 ft long.

A friend gave me some metal hoops (unfortunately only 4 and I haven't managed to source more) again 4 ft wide and about as high. They just aren't high enough for tomatoes, so I hammered in 1/2" rebar that was about 6 ft tall and used hose clamps to hold the bent tubes off the edge of the raised bed by about a foot. I covered the bed with remay side to side with just a bit of coverage at the front and back as I intended this only for season extension and so I wanted decent airflow.

Alternatively, you could consider something more like a gothic arch roof shape which goes up to a bit of a point at the top. You'd use a piece of pipe for each side and make up a bracket to bolt them together at the top to make a point. I know I read somewhere that this is supposed to be a stronger shape, but I'm still not sure you could make it strong enough with 3/4" PVC without doing some sort of cross bracing, and you might still have to use a heat gun, or at least a *really hot sunny day* to help you assemble it.

The big advantage of a larger space over something like just a cold frame is that it is easier to control temperature extremes in a bigger space. I can remember from reading a greenhouse book years ago, that the author recommended nothing smaller than 10' x 12' for that specific reason.

I'll add a picture I took off the web:

The knee board sounds like a good idea. I thought of something similar. To cut one 8' PVC section in half and put it on either side, glue the fittings to the 10' center arch and leave them 24 hours to cure before I assemble the hoop. I also planned a cross bar that goes from the front door frame of my green house to the back door frame so it keeps the hoops separated and supported near the top. Yes it is sch 40, but I should have gotten the kind used in electrical work because it has UV protection on it. I also plan to run a rail down the sides at just about 4' that ties into the front and back walls. I am using walls so I can put in vents, fans, windows and doors, so hopefully I can have the structure last until I want to move it or take it down. I got my general idea from "Retired at 40" youTube channel his build a greenhouse in a day for under 150.00. His is a 10' by 10' greenhouse. I wanted a slimmer footprint because of where I live. If I do the knee board as you describe but just make it a little taller I might be able to go that route too. I'm researching options now. The hoops in my garden are about 4 to 4 and a half feet tall. If I keep the 6' distance and just make walls I'd only need about 2 1/2' to 3' walls that I can cover separately or maybe cover with screens and just use plastic in the Fall and Winter. Lot's of ideas forming, just one person here though. I'd love to try them all.

I'm going to try to post the other 3 pictures, I said 4 in my other post but I just noticed that one was a duplicate.

Evelyn Mitchel wrote:

Yes it is sch 40, but I should have gotten the kind used in electrical work because it has UV protection on it.

I've heard of some people painting their pipe to protect it. A single layer of plastic over the pipe seems to cause it to degrade faster than the pipe alone. I'd wondered about wrapping it in old Takeout Chinese dinner pans or pie plates if you can scrounge a bunch of them, or even cut up t-shirt material? Duck tape will disintegrate in the sun also, so even though it would be easy, I wouldn't do it.

Keep us posted as your project evolves!

Jay Angler wrote:Evelyn Mitchel wrote:

Yes it is sch 40, but I should have gotten the kind used in electrical work because it has UV protection on it.

I've heard of some people painting their pipe to protect it. A single layer of plastic over the pipe seems to cause it to degrade faster than the pipe alone. I'd wondered about wrapping it in old Takeout Chinese dinner pans or pie plates if you can scrounge a bunch of them, or even cut up t-shirt material? Duck tape will disintegrate in the sun also, so even though it would be easy, I wouldn't do it.

Keep us posted as your project evolves!

No good at this quote thing... I'll have to figure out how to take sections.

I don't do take out Chinese food or any take out food, but I am comfortable with paint. There is also greenhouse tape for the PVC to keep it from reacting with the plastic.

I will post more.

I'd suggest adding some jugs of water as a heat sink: keeps your babies warmer at night. Best of luck.