Do we think this would be sufficient for a pretty solid canopy? How much would I yield if I were to run photos vs autos? It would just be fed worm castings, fish emulsion and compost tea as needed.
This will be my first greenhouse run so any tips or advice on genetics, etc is appreciated!
yes it is, upon further inspection i can get a 6x6…
or just throw some pallets and 2x4s together to make a 6x6x6 enclosure. still a beginner so i wanna do smaller runs first in order to dial in properly with my environment.
Anything stopping you from getting a tent and staying indoors?
If a tent isn’t an option, at that scale, some PVC and poly film would do the trick.
The family I live with. From what I’m seeing, 6x6x6 hoop houses are like $100 so thats worth it to me. ive only ever done outdoor runs and i want to experiment with greenhouse, and get good at that before going indoors.
The Harbor Freight greenhouse kits are pretty crappy, if that is what you are looking at. They tend to blow away. It’s much better to design and build your own. I use chain link fence posts and top rail. Metal conduit elbows can serve as 90 & 45 degree connections. Buy greenhouse poly instead of construction plastic or else the sun makes it fall apart.
The hardest part with any greenhouse is keeping it ventilated and not letting it become a solar cooker.
UV resistant poly film, 6 mil minimum. 12mil if you plan to use it multiple seasons. Might want to consider a black out tarp as well. You can run a double layer hoop with an air gap, and use an inflation blower between the layers to help insulate (assuming you have access to power). If you don’t have access to power, you can still do an air gap with spacer blocks.
If you use PVC you’ll also want some kind of spacer/protective layer so it’s not in direct contact with the poly film (the PVC will release hydrochloric acid when exposed to UV radiation, and destroy the UV stabilizers in the poly).
They make exhaust fans for greenhouses with dampers, or you can just mount an appropriately rated fan and cut slits in your poly to act as shutters.
Manually rolling up vents and pulling black out tarp sucks, so I’d suggest automating your process as much as possible.
Get the woven greenhouse wrap or " polyweave " it’ll last a decade.
What he said! that extra layer of plastic with the air gap makes a huge difference and really extends your growing season and helps plants from getting roasted.. if you go pvc try to find 20fters . I used 3ft sections of rebar hammered into the ground at measured and squared placements and slid the pvc on them making the arches and ran a few down the middle for spines. worked great! most expensive part was the plastic.
I see a lot of white pvc structures. I think the gray pvc conduit would age better in the sun. It comes with one belled end, which they also make in white pvc but it can be harder to find. Belled end connections are stronger than using a fitting glued in two places.
Doubling the plastic also stops the cooling effect of atmospheric radiation. In the right weather on a clear and cold night, a single layer plastic structure can drop up to 7 degrees F below the outside temperature. I would not have believed that had I not had it happen to me and also had read the research from Cornell documenting it.
Gray generally has better UV resistance.
In either case
The PVC itself will hold up for years, but the film will look like you cut a slit in it anywhere it’s in direct contact with the PVC for extended time.
You can also use white acrylic latex paint to extend the life of the PVC and create a sufficient barrier for the poly to rest on.
I’ve seen this happen with the PVC wearing out the plastic
Use the weave it’ll last forever.
