New Greenhouse Design

Okay, so, everyone knows I have been saving up for a commercial greenhouse. But I found a better solution for my problem of how to start seeds. It is a PVC Pipe and T-Post Gothic Arch Greenhouse. I finally worked out how to do it. Next is to buy the materials I don't already have and build it. It will have a 32x15 ft footprint and take 2 days to erect and cover. This is almost as big as the ones I was going to buy. Now get this, It will cost me $212 for the hoops, ends, and vents and $126 for a roll of 6 mil poly cover. This is FAR LESS than the $1000 required to buy the commercial greenhouses. Below is a picture of my notes. I hope it is clear enough.

Edited to add: If anyone wants the contact info for those commercial greenhouses, I can provide it. They are off 104 north of Portsmouth OH, there are 2 frames and you need $1k and a truck to get them.

I built a hoop house like that 20 years ago. It worked well.

Mine was round on top (not gothic) and ribs were placed 2 feet apart. I lived in snow country. Gothic may have been a better choice.  Mine had a ridge pipe that ran perpendicular to the ribs. The PVC pipes I used slipped over rebar that was driven into the ground. At the bottom, I stapled the plastic to a 2 x 4 board.

On this design, I would worry about the t-posts ripping the glazing plastic.

Joseph Lofthouse wrote:I built a hoop house like that 20 years ago. It worked well.

Mine was round on top (not gothic) and ribs were placed 2 feet apart. I lived in snow country. Gothic may have been a better choice.  Mine had a ridge pipe that ran perpendicular to the ribs. The PVC pipes I used slipped over rebar that was driven into the ground. At the bottom, I stapled the plastic to a 2 x 4 board.

On this design, I would worry about the t-posts ripping the glazing plastic.

I would wrap the ends in duct tape if I discovered it was sharp. I don't know yet.

My greenhouse frame is about half raised. I can definitely fit a few dwarf citrus in there. I might put in some other stuff like coffee and avocados too.

Your spacing seems broad and your pipe seems to be on the small side, 3/4" maybe?
Are you including a ridge pole?

William Bronson wrote: Your spacing seems broad and your pipe seems to be on the small side, 3/4" maybe?
Are you including a ridge pole?

I haven't got money for a ridgepole at the moment, but I plan to have my stepdad put one up before next winter, just in case it might snow a little bit. (I'm terrified of heights and he regularly gets on top of tall buildings to fix the AC.) It has to be put up after the arches because otherwise the lot of them connected would be too heavy and awkward. The spacing is a bit wide, but I'm not worried. I've seen a nearby hoophouse with 6 ft spacing, and mine are 4. The one with 6 ft spacing has been up for years with no damage according to the owner.

The frame is fully raised, but I have misplaced the camera. I mulched the garden with burlap as the hay bales were not enough. Got lots of little sprouts in my seed trays. It's supposed to be warm tomorrow, going to set the sprouted ones out on the porch table. I have started 50 apple trees from seed along with 25 ea of zucchini, pumpkin, candy roaster squash, butternut squash, acorn squash, cucumber, cantaloupe, and watermelon. I also started in fifteen 72-cell trays: kale, collards, brussels sprouts, green cabbage, savoy cabbage, mustard, broccoli, 5 kinds of peppers, 2 kinds of tomatoes, ramsons, and jewelweed.