Want a greenhouse? Here's the truth about them

[@TheTrtlrvr2]

Ive worked in the plastic industry for 25 years. Poly carb vs glass isnt the issue. It’s the thickness of the poly carb panels. Most homeowner greenhouses are 3-4mm thick. The professional ones are 8-10mm. All green houses require ventilation usually in the form of a fan bringing fresh air in and vents or fans exhausting air out. A single pain glass greenhouse isn’t going to retain heat any better. Also today’s “plastic” has much greater weather ability than 20 years ago. The term plastic is very broad. And all plastics are not equal.

[@conqueringlion420]

@@TheTrtlrvr2 bless you

[@diyoregonnowtexas9202]

Exactly! I have a cheapy Amazon greenhouse and the first thing I saw was how thin the polycarbinate is. Can you please mention the companies you get the thicker stuff from and best prices to, as I'm on a budget, but this thin stuff doesn't work good enough for me.

[@TheTrtlrvr2]

@@diyoregonnowtexas9202 Palram offers a thicker version. Not sure what you r budget is but even their cheapest greenhouse is going to cost several times more than the Amazon one.

[@wyominghome4857]

pane

[@Mom2MrBabyHaikin]

​@@TheTrtlrvr2😢

[@James-ib2kp]

The best part of my greenhouse is when it’s cold and windy outside in the daytime, I can go inside and warm up, and that’s about it.

[@Chahlie]

That's exactly what I bought mine for! Where I live we have wind from April through mid August and it drives me nuts....

[@ollady7968]

@@James-ib2kp that's too bad. You could have spinach, lettuce, broccoli, radish and other cool weather crops growing, even if they freeze,as long as u don't cut them , Once they warm up in the day they're fine and provide a lot.

[@Mom2MrBabyHaikin]

Whst is a low tunnel?

[@juanamador440]

I have a similar set up. A couple additional tips I would mention is to seal all leaks with tape not weather stripping This is in most greenhouse instruction manuals. We use clear packing tape so it’s even unnoticeable. We also came to the same conclusion of thermal mass as a passive way to heat but instead of plain buckets of water we installed stock tanks with fish and created a year round aquaponics garden. This also solves the problem of feeding and watering plans. We now primarily take care of fish and the fish take care of the plants. 🌱

[@highwayroadrunner206]

This summer 2024, I've seen 103-110 temperatures which knocked down the tomato's, cucumbers, etc. growth, it was brutal. Thanks for a very informative video. Greetings from Greenville, NC....

[@Hoomantavakoly]

Install a misting system , that will take care of the heat. I’m in Texas and most of the time , we have temperatures above 80, but since I installed the misting system that problem went away ..

[@janetthornton7909]

I have a Grandio greenhouse similar to yours. I’m a Master Gardener with my county and what I tell my students who want a greenhouse: you won’t own a greenhouse, it will own you!” I have gone through the very same journey of discovery on how to manage the temperature swings. I am tied to it in ways I didn’t anticipate. I’m checking the temps, I’m opening the doors, I’m closing the doors, I’m checking that plants have not dried out, etc.... I live at. 8,000 ft elevation at the foot of 14,000 ft. peaks in Colorado. We have a lot of wind that sweeps down the valley. We put, same as you, a solid timber foundation secured by rebar stakes driven deep into the ground. We used tie down straps to hold it to the foundation. It has withstood 70 mph wind gusts. Like you, we wanted it to be passive solar but learned the black barrels were not enough to warm it this spring. We had 6” of snow a few days ago & our low temps have been in the upper 30’s. So we just got a diesel powered heater that runs off a battery . Looking to hook it up to solar soon. Then our afternoon temps have been in the 90’s. So we got a aluminized shade cloth (like commercial greenhouses use) and that lowered the temps about 10 degrees. We have 3 auto windows in the roof and a louvered window like yours. So, like I said, “the greenhouse owns you!”

[@macktonight9511]

@@janetthornton7909 master Gardner is the most useless title one can get

[@billykarnes6035]

@@macktonight9511 Good luck with starving.

[@wayward-saint]

What about building it into the ground for passive earth temperature regulation?

[@davidvankainen6711]

​​​@@macktonight9511Maybe part of PC police and don't like the word, "Master"? At least the Master admitted to being a slave to the greenhouse structure. Sounds like a healthy grounding to me.

[@christomkins8101]

i'm curious what you did for thermal capture? do you have thermal mass beneath your greenhouse? or maybe water barrels to catch the winter sun but shaded during the summer sun? should help regulate temperatures for you.

[@braukorpshomebrew6039]

Gardener from Maple Hill, NC here. Thank you for this video. I have a cheap, all- plastic greenhouse and I know I will need to upgrade in a few years. The more I hear about these prefab greenhouses, the more I'm convinced to take the time to make one myself. Looks like I can build a more secure one that is larger for the same price of a premade kit.

[@Sypherz]

I'm in 4b (summers get up to 90+F and winters get to colder than -20F) and got a Costco Yardistry greenhouse last fall. I planned to start my veggie garden plants in it as I was tired of seed starting taking over my house in the late winter & spring. I had experimented with winter sowing for a couple years and figured that a greenhouse would be like a giant winter sowing container. Worked great. I didn't have heating but was able to start all my tomatoes, almost all my peppers, beans, cabbage, onions, louffa, gigande beans, squash, melons - pretty much everything. I started the cold tolerant plants in late March and kept adding things through to mid May. My seedlings were almost as big as the ones they were selling at the greenhouses in my area by the time I was ready to put them out. I did have issues with it over-heating when it got in the 80s and 90s, but I replaced the gable end panels with screen - and since they are at the top of the greenhouse, they let out the hot air easily. I haven't had any plants die from the heat since I made this modification and it still stays really warm inside. I figured that the amount I saved not buying seedlings should pay for the greenhouse in about 12 years. But the sanity I've gained in my house and the beauty it added to the garden have made it totally worth it.

[@brianrosabeck]

We are like you...... Happy! Not sure what's going on with these other folks, might be they like to just complain?

[@shellyirwin2562]

I do the winter sow jug method with fairly good results. Being that your plants don’t get rained or snowed on do you find that you are watering often? Do you need to harden off your seedlings if grown in a greenhouse?

[@Sypherz]

@@shellyirwin2562 I checked for watering once a day. I only had to water once a day when it was really hot 80/90F. And when it gets that hot, you will either need to leave the door wide open (even with the roof vent), throw a shade cloth over the roof, have a fan going, and/or have some of the panels replaced with screen. Watering needs also depends on what size pots you have things in. I tried to move my plants into bigger pots as soon as possible. I didn't really have to harden off. It cooled down enough at night in the greenhouse that the plants were fine just getting planted out. I did use covers for a bit on some plants once I planted them out. You'll likely want a fan to help the plants build "muscles" against actual wind once planted outside.

[@shellyirwin2562]

@@Sypherz thank you!

[@self-sufficiency7]

I wonder if starting seeds inside of it is key. I put my transplants out there and lost all my peppers. I figured the green house would protect from the chilly nights. Lost everything. I will try and start my seeds in the green house this year instead of inside the house. The heat though is insane. It gets to 160. We need to get a fan still but right now we kept a floor fan in there. So I'm still figuring it out. There is a learning curve. Please comment with any advice. :)

[@ollady7968]

I used a portable garage covered in plastic for a green house. Made a hotbed out of concrete blocks. At the end of the growing season, pull back the soil, throw your debris in the hot bed under your soil. It provides all the heat u need,but tent the bedding plants with another sheet of plastic and increase the capture of heat. All winter, the zone was increased to a 6. Each layer of plastic increases another zone+ level. Amish have been using hotbeds forever. A lot of plants can grow perfectly if the soil temp is increased

[@rebeccazody1278]

I have a 8x8 palram snap and grow. It is two yrs old. I am 70 yrs old and put it together over 2weeks. I did 95% alone. The foundation took the longest as I had no experience with power tools except a driver. That was CRAZY! But I love my greenhouse. Mostly use it for germinating, seed saving, gardening supplies, space to work on other projects etc. I am in Indiana and this is my second year with winter planting. I do that outside under row covers to extend my season. Thank you for the information.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Good stuff

[@brianrosabeck]

We have had a green house for 10 + years. We grow veggies starters. Starters are EXPENSIVE these days. No problem ! No fuss. No frustration.

[@truckywuckyuwu]

My main reason for wanting a greenhouse. My climate here every spring is very hostile to plants. Quite windy and cool. It kills many of them.

[@OnlyOneTruth25]

We bought a one care carport with a steel frame and tarp like covering for $250 on sale from harbor freight. I used it very successfully to keep my bags of soil, pots and supplies in and I had multiple plants in there over the winter. It worked great as a place for seed starters because it was free from wind and rain and frost. The wind is incredible here in zone 8b where we live so this helped a lot but it easily has ripped the side of the house made from tarp. So we bought the clear polycarbonate panels and my husband drilled wood slats in the metal frame and used it to attach the clear panels. This was around $700 for wood and the panels. So for around 1k we have a green house that if nothing more is a nice seed starter, potting shed and wind break for overwintering some of my plants. Just get creative and don’t spend a fortune.

[@fleaniswerkhardt4647]

We cover the top of our 4m x 2.8m greenhouse in 70% shade cloth in summer. Also spent a lot of time on the foundations. They're concrete panels which are insulated on the inside with 100mm foam panels. The floor was excavated down to 300mm and 2 refrigeration panels placed in it. Then 150mm of sand, some geo textile and then a layer of gravel. In the sand layer we've put 20mm Pex pipe for heating. A propane heater with a small flame heats a water tank and a slow flow pump passes the water through the Pex tube. The heat is absorbed by the sand and gently heats the greenhouse day and night in winter. Minimal heat is lost into the ground due to the insulation panels below the sand layer.

[@pablo6305]

I got homemade greenhouse about as big as 2 car garage. It has to have airflow. I. Digging 4 foot down so it stays 50 degrees put 50 gallon barrel of water and paint it black. It holds heat.

[@patriciavia7491]

@@pablo6305 very good advice

[@ollady7968]

@@pablo6305 a hot bed will also increase fall/winter temperatures

[@dubo5]

I have the same. Its purpose for us is to raise seedlings and propagate cutting. I use heating pad for cold nights on a timer. By summer, I empty the gh. Plants do so much in the gh than on my windowsill. No regrets. My floor is also salvaged brick which is nice.

[@Clairedog12]

Thanks for being painfully honest.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Always!

[@dragthis2006]

Why not just use a heater and a humidifier

[@Melissa-gn3dv]

I love my greenhouse, but you can lose all of your seed starts in one night if you don't pay close attention to the temperature. Mossy Bottom says to pick a warm place and light it instead of picking a light place and warming it. It's easier. This is a great video. You covered everything!

[@sandybottomhomestead]

amen

[@rogermatson6159]

we have 3 greenhouses in western iowa. the only time we do not have crops to sell in late Jan-Feb. By planting cold tolerant crops you can grow longer. We have no supplemental heat.

[@MrMichaelLudgate]

Really helpful for a prospective buyer, considered the same item. It's not really bad mouthing, just assessing and managing expectations, they also make the versions with various glass panels. For me it makes more sense to save/wait a season, getting the wrong item could put people off entirely.

[@eedeescottagegarden]

I have this Greenhouse and I have it full of what I winter over. I use a heat lamp at night and its more than enough to keep all My peppers, Geraniums and many other plants alive through the winter. I did get a Shade screen for it and If I could get another one I would in a heartbeat. Thanks for the videos.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

If ran electric to it I would be comfortable growing more in the winter

[@sofeyah8]

Yep, you right😏 I learned this with my first little plastic house. It gets hotter when it’s hot & colder when it’s cold. I find it great to start plants & for space to do so💖

[@sandybottomhomestead]

I love mine in the winter. I need to find a way to decorate it in the summer

[@StoryTimeDIY]

Mine is specifically used for holding seedlings until after the frost date. It means I have to apply supplemental heating at night, but I only have so much room in the house.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

I know the feeling that's why I worked on my footprint inside

[@backwoodscountryboy1600]

I just want to say right off the bat you are a fantastic communicator. You answered every question I have before I make a purchase like this I like the idea that you bad mouth is a little bit but you also included all the positive and that's just to me a straight-up honest review. I'm in zone 8A in South Central Alabama and I'm thinking this might be something I'm interested in because my Winters are just a little bit milder than yours. I'm going to subscribe to your channel cuz I'm interested in the future to see more about your success and failures in your area so that hopefully I don't have to go there. Like I said a great video man you're a fantastic communicator.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Thank you! I think in your area it may do well for you if you have the right expectations

[@tinamajors9786]

I adore my greenhouse! I winter over everything and love that because I don’t have to purchase any in the spring. I have a heater in there for really cold temps.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

That is awesome!

[@Tootnscoot]

In my area we have really mild winters until January or February we always have about a 2 week span of ridiculously cold, hard freezing, snow period. If i get my greenhouse through that fee week's im golden

[@sandybottomhomestead]

thats awesome!

[@danielz4111]

I built a 10x6 where my old well house was. I had water and electricity already run, so it made sense. Solid foundation, and used landscape timbers to reinforce the walls. Was able to build the shelving and a sprinkler timer system. Yes, used a Solar panel to run the fans.

[@baneverything5580]

12v immersion water heaters can be connected to cheap 12v glass solar panels to heat water in barrels during the day.

[@jakepage7383]

i live in the frozen north......i just put greenhouse plastic over top in winter that extra layer makes a diff in -20......at night i but very hot water bottles in there to thro off some heat .....then use it to water the next day =-)

[@lynettehairrell1741]

Thank you for including your zone. Very helpful.

[@mikebertini651]

Great, very informative video. Addressed so many real life pros and cons. Super job!!

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Glad you liked it

[@davidlang4442]

Instead of a green house we just closed in out back porch with walls and lots of windows as the porch was south facing . It warms nicely during the day and our black water storage tanks setting out there keeps the porch and plants in there nice and comfortable, even when the weather gets cold, like freezing at night. Only once did we need additional heat over the past 5 years.

[@nexingtoncaldwell6381]

Just happened to come across this video because I am interested in purchasing a greenhouse. I was excited when I got my first portable greenhouse and that turned out to be a disaster in every way. This video was very informative because in my research I have discovered that greenhouses are very expensive and now I know why. Thanks for sharing your experiences. I am an experimental beginner gardener who would love to have a food forest one day soon, but until then I will not be needing a greenhouse.

[@Kyle-ch2nk]

Why was it a disaster in every way?! I just got a 6x4 portable one for my birthday, and now I'm thinking I shouldn't even put it up lol. I live where summers frequently are above 110°.

[@danielburns7519]

I have a 6x6 version of this one I like it for seedlings in the spring they grow better than a grow light .I put plastic shelves to hold the trays on 3 sides.the rest of the year it holds my garden tools and things .I use it every day

[@Splash111]

My dad built a frame of wood from 2 x 6's and Placed standard storm windows on top and would use a stick to raise them on hotter days. 2- 3 of these setups --- and he had MORE than enough seedlings that grew beautifully.

[@joefilson5577]

MR. SANDY: I have a greenhouse in Pennsylvania. I appreciate hearing how you do things in your zone. The barrels of water help greatly. I've found using old carpet as weed block is free and more effective than weed guard. It also let's the water through. You can often find old rolls along the street on garbage day. Try it! P.s. Use caution and wear sturdy leather gloves. Old nails and staples. Use a new utility blade to cut to the width you need.

[@DerSiegdesZ]

Ventilation at day. And store Containers of water inside the greenhouse that absorb heat during the day and release it at night. Or big Stones. Even moist soil will hold heat and Release it at night

[@sandybottomhomestead]

That's what we do

[@jasonbuzzard3127]

It's good to use the greenhouse in the summertime to dry herbs, banana , mushrooms..I like to cut up pumpkins and just dry them out. Beans, .. great place to do your starters also..

[@TheTrock121]

Your information is golden. I got a similar greenhouse from a friend for free and am just about build the foundation. I may just set it up for seedlings.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

its worth growing in for sure.

[@CoraDouglas-r5l]

My grandmother had a very large greenhouse and yes...she would open some of the windows in the summer...never had any problems except for snakes..it was as big as her house....she raised rare orchids mostly...but she lived in North Florida

[@sandybottomhomestead]

I would imagine a bigger green house would be easier to maintain

[@erinl5820]

I’ve got the same greenhouse, in full sun it gets to the 170s with 2 panels removed and a solar fan.

[@sandramoricle7485]

I have an 8x10 palram ….. I love it. I also use a passive battery system. I use big pickle barrels as mine. I live in the same zone as you… on the eastern shore of Virginia. We get a lot of wind here, so I’m going to leave a tip in case anyone else has had a problem with panels getting blown out. Shrink wrap!!!! It works well during storms.

[@trailjockeytj6160]

So I saw something on a greenhouse in Alaska, where they had black barrels full of water that would collect heat throughout the day, while the sun is on it, then, at night time, the warmth stored in the water is emitted into the greenhouse. Thus regulating somewhat your temperature.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

That's what I use

[@shannonmacrae]

Thanks for sharing all the deets on this! I appreciate your knowledge and opinions so much 🌱

[@davidvankainen6711]

Glad I'm not alone with the struggle! Life interrupted the final touches of my build, so the greenhouse door remained off. Despite the extra ventilation (also have auto roof vent, lower vent opp of door opening) it still gets super HOT inside in lower MI! Other than early season seed starts inside, so far I've used the shade of its backside (for instance fall/winter seeds started in summer) more than inside of my 'shed'! I'm sure I'll figure out a better use in my conrext perhaps grow flowers that can take the heat for cuttings and the germination use case and collect rain water from the roof. I like your idea of curing alliums in the dry summer conditions hopefully without cooking them! Crazy to think about putting a shade cloth over a greenhouse, but am beginning to understand why.

[@441rider]

I saw a guy that wrapped the lower part in bubble wrap in winter and hay bails on lower section. I just diy'd 2 bay windows into a greenhouse with solar fans etc. City so also a car alarm LOL! citrus and coffee crop. Big tub of water with fan helps. You could get 4x8 sheets of poly and double skin it add shade cloth in summer? Old school xmas lights in winter can go off invertor on timer I use em for citrus.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Yeah I could but that is way to much effort for me lol

[@dopehunterkilo12]

I am in the process of looking for a greenhouse now. I live in Zone 8b and worried it might get too hot in the summer. This video was very helpful and I am reconsidering my choice to buy one. Thank you!

[@pnwtreehugger806]

Thank you. A great deal of useful and helpful information presented here. I've been considering getting a greenhouse and you've answered questions I have and many questions I hadn't even thought of.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Glad it was helpful!

[@UrbanHomesteadArtist]

I’m in Melbourne Australia and have one almost identical except the panels are like your roof panels all over. We spent a lot on a secure base so no strap bracing and added the automatic window hinge too. I found it got way too hot as well. We have ours close and tucked in near the house which reduces the light and heat one side and I have intentionally grown climbing plants like beans on the other side for summer shade. I use shade cloth on half also. I’ve decided to put beds in as well instead of the seedling shelving we have and grow summer tropical vegetables like okra, rosella, chilies etc. it was good to keep my tropicals in over the cool months. I have considered painting it with whatever they use on hoop houses on farms or making it more a shade house permanently. Trying the summer plants first. Kayleen

[@KittenBowl1]

Btw, to counter the huge increase or decrease in temperatures, it pays to put up weather proofing sheet inside the green house. That’s what they do in a professional greenhouse. The sheet comes in certain filtering of UV rays or to counter the cold and hot temperatures. It basically helps to insulate your greenhouse without sacrificing light. It goes from 15% light filtering all the way down to 75% light filtering clothes. It comes in two colors (that I have come across), black one and white one. You would often see in a professional grower greenhouse, black tarp/net structure hanging inside the greenhouse. High number of light filtering clothes are used for tropical plants that prefer semi-shade but needs warmth to thrive. You should look it up. It helps to insulate your greenhouse from extreme temperature gap. Then put up AC or heat for summer and winter. It helps to make the greenhouse larger as well to prevent it from getting very hot or very cold. Hope this helps.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

I've weighed out my options. So far the greenhouse works well for what we want to grow during the winter. The next greenhouse we may add a system like that

[@jom6320]

Loved my little greenhouse 6x8 had it 3 years til a hard Missouri wind destroyed it, I need one made from scratch

[@sandybottomhomestead]

I will attempt to build my next one

[@TwistedPixie69]

I have a small walk- in greenhouse. The wind is my issue. I'm in North Central Indiana. Great video....Thank you for all the pros and cons.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Have you tried putting wind breaks around it?

[@TwistedPixie69]

There really isn't a way that I can. I live in a mobile home park. There's only so much space....I tried placing it in different places but the wind gets it...I'm on my 3rd one. Was afraid to put it up last year....Hopefully this spring.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Try those Hurricane straps they really do help and they are cheap

[@RealBradMiller]

@@TwistedPixie69 Our worst winds come from the west here in Ohio, so I'm planning on keeping my greenhouse on the east side. I had a polytunnel greenhouse in NC for six years... Went through multiple high winds, near tornadoes, jail, ice, snow, and hurricanes.... Here in Ohio... The wind blows so hard and gusts up, and up, and then switches directions so much that it tears stuff away and trashes anything not tied down tight enough. Watched a for rent sign fly off the neighbors house and sliced off the top of some fancy grasses. 🤭😂🦗

[@ImFieldy]

I pondered getting a G house for a couple of years, didnt do it and u just confirmed my decision - thanks. I did buy some 4' fence palings and made simple square, stackable frames. Initially they were for compost bins but turned into manageable size raised beds. Anyway ... recently I bought some of the half height, polycarb, shower doors from the recycle dump shop and lay them over said frames. Poor mans seed starting G houses :)

[@orionsbelt3332]

Thanks for the video! You brought up some issues that I had not considered! Thanks for the heads up....

[@nickkk420]

I've literally only found it useful to extend the season a little bit on either side, start early, go a little later, obviously, only working for several types of plants you'll ultimately end up growing

[@michaelfields4166]

im in Georgia and have clear polycarbonate panels that are 20 years old, it still gets warm in the green house and the panels are getting cloudy.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

You got good life out of them for sure

[@bunyanjo]

Thanks for sharing this good information. We moved here 2 years ago, last year I built a wooden greenhouse for bringing from seed and it was pretty successful for a beginner. Ran out of space now and apart from the 8 external beds I'v built, now been thinking of buying one of these exact items. Thanks for the tips, if I go ahead, I now think I'll need to run power in for heating in the winter. I am in Scotland where we get a lot of rain and mild frosts in winter.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

If you end up getting it I hope it works out for you.

[@smb-zf9bd]

Our home is very modern, long and partially buried into a hillside.The bottom floor leads out to the pool and has a "wall" of glass 18 feet long. I've wanted a greenhouse for years until my neighbor had one built. The structure and the costs were astounding (tv, running water, kitchenette, etc) I finally decided against it and last year my seedlings did far better than his. It's as much about soil, water and light as it is a particular place. Good luck on the temp problems.

[@markm8188]

TV? What plants watch TV?

[@Not2daysatan]

I hope you are safe up there

[@sandybottomhomestead]

we are all good here. thank you

[@FrederickBowdler]

Size of greenhouse is so important small ones fluctuate temperature so it's best to get the largest you can afford.

[@kathytoler9792]

Thank you for sharing. We have been looking at a similar greenhouse. Lots of things to consider....

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jaspercaelan4998]

Great info and some clever tricks. I'll definitely be trying the black water bucket one next year. I used synthetic wood recycled plastic for the base of mine. I think it might last longer than wood, even if it's treated.

[@atfundramccoy8999]

Helpful hints... I now have a good idea what to purchase 😊

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Glad it was helpful!

[@earninmyhardt1]

i have a heater with a thermometer for the winter and have fans for the summer. I use mind all year round.

[@patsyden6276]

Just wondering what grow zone you are in. I am in a zone 4b. Wondering if this green house is worth it. Thanks again

[@toniferguson6465]

Thank you. 😊 I appreciate your help.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Happy to help!

[@Rose50Reno]

Thank you.

[@kevinsmith6042]

Great video, I used aquarium heater in 20gal water pot. Put tarp over during winter cold nights. Shade cloth might help as well. In 8a.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

shade cloth doesnt help and we dont use electricity in our greenhouse.

[@hazeysgarden]

I have a 6x8 slab in my back yard that I guess the previous owners had a shed there. It even has plumbing and electricity. Idk if it still works, but it’s there. I can’t decide if I want to put a greenhouse on the slab or not. What I really want it for is starting seeds in so I don’t have to use lights or harden off much.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

My summer seeds don't start early enough in my greenhouse

[@hazeysgarden]

@@sandybottomhomestead I’m in zone 9 so it’s practically always hot

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Hope fully it works for you especially if you can raise the temp little bit

[@TXDHC]

I start seedlings in Texas 8b in my current greenhouse which is an old wooden frame type with polycarbonate panels…it doesn’t hold in heat or water! But I use heat lamps and heat mats in Jan/Feb to start seeds. It works marvelously for that but nothing else except storage.

[@jmo2104]

Thank you very much for this great information

[@mikemiller209]

Great vid ! I'm in my second year of using my hoop house and learning how to run it is half the art of growing in it.. they're a solar powered heat generator and you have to learn how to tame all that power... about shade cloths they seem to work better if they're not touching the surface of the plastic suspend it with a rope somehow over the top... thanks.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Yeah I know that but it is way to much work to suspend it. I just work with what I got.

[@daverees9344]

I am in the Uk and my greenhouse is almost identical to yours except I have glass instead of plastic. Mine is made by a company called Halls. I tend to not grow anything in winter as it is too cold and not justified in cost to heat it. Can get seeds started earlier in propogaters and grow more tender crops in summer.

[@MrMrFlyPuppy]

Sorry if its old news but if you do another one, look at geothermal (digging below into the ground and placing air pipes and then by circulating the air from the greenhouse through the buried pipes, will cool in summer and warm in winter with thermistor based automation of the air circulation of course). Also, thermal mass, by placing water barrels inside, the warmth of sun in winter will warm them and then radiate the heat over night...in your area, this may mean you could use the GH 10 or more months of the year even without any supplemental heat.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

I looked at it but decided it was to much work lol. If i redo the greenhouse at all i may add it in now. thank you though!

[@Jobotta]

Great tips. We just bought one of these and this was very helpful.

[@changingworldllc1157]

thank you for the great video! very helpful, well done sir!

[@mrspleasants8529]

I have been from a fancy heated greenhouse, several poly tunnels of multiple sizes and just bought a polycarbonate greenhouse. I lived in the UK for a very long time and it is impossible to grow from seed without a way to get an early start to the season. I use straw bales inside as staging and as they decomposes they put off heat. I have never had a freeze inside. I am hopeful the polycarbonate greenhouse will allow me to get an early start to the season here too. I hope to use it all winter, spring and autum. I am in the Ozarks and don't plan to use it in the summertime; everything would burn up.

[@mrspleasants8529]

A greenhouse is a tool...you don't use every tool every day...but it is a great tool when needed.

[@TheC0rpsezilla]

Thanks for the informative video! Learned a lot.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ncgolli]

I was mainly wanting a smaller greenhouse just to start plants so they get the light they need and wind doesn't damage them. I start them indoors in March, but they get too big and I have to take them outside during the day and bring them in at night which is a pain. Some get wind damaged. It's not safe to plant outside till June 1st in Ontario Canada. We can get frost in May and covering plants up and watching for frost warning is a pain. So I wanted a small greenhouse on my deck so the plants are protected from wind and cool nights, but can get enough light and don't have to be moved twice a day. I was thinking of making a base out of one or two skids on the bottom and making a frame attached to the base. Heavy plastic or clear corrugated sheets would let in light. I water them daily as some soils dry out and don't hold the moisture.

[@craigdawson7632]

Bigger solar fan and shade cloth may help. Drippers or blumat work well and can be gravity feed

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Shade cloth doesnt help much which surprised me

[@thinkathena2]

Awesome information. Thanks for sharing. You covered every question and concern I had about a greenhouse. I'm also in NC 8a (being near Louisburg, I still question if we're really 7b). You now have another subscriber 😊.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

So nice of you

[@PaulSmithm]

Love this, great information. From an almost neighbor

[@blairebas2101]

SO helpful! Thank you for sharing all your knowledge :)

[@deemushroomguy]

To be honest, I feel like greenhouses are best for an individual who has been through a greenhouse management class. It's very easy for it to become a bug haven. Have a great day! ✌️

[@sandybottomhomestead]

It's not as bad as you would think. Pest management is important everything gardening

[@deemushroomguy]

@@sandybottomhomestead Smaller greenhouses are way more manageable, too. I went to college and took a class geared towards management of greenhouses that may have been acres in size. We're talking about having a painter's suit that you step into in a separate, air curtained mud room and step into sanitary washes between structures. The greenhouses themselves had 3 different colored cards (essentially, colored sticky traps) for keeping track of the bug load (and to ID what kinds of bugs). Besides that, it was calculating the amount of fertilizer for large tanks (they were using flood tables) and basic maintenance on the crop (poinsettia). Clearly, I learned plenty just from the one class. Took many others in horticulture, though.

[@beachday4439]

Very informative thank you 😊 I was thinking of getting one just for pest control. But watching this i think if there's something just like your greenhouse but with screens, like a screened in porch instead of clear panels. Pest control but won't overheat.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

that would work great

[@uncle_creepy2743]

I grow my cannabis in a 8x16 hpop house, from cattle panels all summer. Can start early with ends shut then summer ends open up and 2 foot roll up on 1 side with 2 fans and even though it gets over 100 on occasion plants can handle more than you might think. It also keeps the major wind and rain at bay ❤

[@sandybottomhomestead]

cannabis grows alot different than veggies. It does pretty good in the heat until it flowers.

[@uncle_creepy2743]

@@sandybottomhomestead yes sir and by then the temps are dropping.. :) great channel

[@kenjohnson5498]

A friend of mine had a similar smaller greenhouse with the same problems of getting to hot, so he removed a couple panels and replaced them with thin white plant cloth in a frame that set in place of the vinyl panels in the summer. It let it breath and would be a couple of degrees warmer than outside temps. In the winter he just replaced the original panels to hold the heat in. He also put small mirrors around the base in winter to heat it up even more.

[@TSeaPusher]

Ben that's a cool set-up! Looks like you've got it dialed in very well..

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Thanks man. It took some time to dial it in.

[@KittenBowl1]

Hi, thank you for the video. I just watched another video about a green house. That one was twice as big and with cedar frame and much thicker polycarbonate with the top that opens. That one was $1450 or around that price. You have to of course build it yourself like this one but this was $6-7000?! I think it’s an outrageous price. I can get twice as big as the one shown here or even three times for $7000. Wow…it really pays off to shop around I think. I liked your idea of putting a fan to suck out the hot air powered by solar. If you get a good solar panel with battery you can recharge, you can store electricity and operate your greenhouse even at night to suck out the air or even put AC on or electric operated fan.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Yeah I could do that but I'm happy knowing my limitations and growing with in the parameters.

[@pamalaflorentin4934]

Hurricane straps? Great idea. I live in Kansas, where the wind always blows.

[@craigd7738]

Good info and video 👍👍

[@joshuahoyer1279]

This is our first year with the Palram greenhouse, and I'm liking it too! We got it out in late winter, so I have yet to experience actual winter growing in there, but I have some ideas I'm going to try. First off is a hotbed heating system. There are a few far north growers on YT that make hotbeds from manure with wood chips and/or straw, and are able to grow even when it's below 0°F outside. And then they have compost they can spread out during the warm season. Looks promising to me. But this summer, I plugged in some cantaloupe, honeydew and bush beans, and man is it a jungle in there right now! With the thick layer of compost I used as the floor, I've barely had to water in there, and we have highs of 85° - 105 pretty much all summer (which means often triple digits in the greenhouse if I didn't have shade cloth up). We've harvested several cantaloupes already, and the honeydew are not far off now! It has gotten a bit TOO wild, though, so I really need to make sure to prune back some of the side shoots before it gets out of control next year. (Zone 8b near Salem, Oregon)

[@dhazell]

Great video. Thank you so much!

[@sandybottomhomestead]

You're very welcome!

[@TonyMcCartney]

What a great video!

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@baneverything5580]

My first year on my lot I planted a bunch of fall mustard, turnips, rutabagas, radishes, lettuce, bok choy, etc and here in zone 8a in Louisiana we got down to ZERO with below zero wind chill and it was below freezing for a week. Lost everything. Then it was way too cold in spring for starting normal things we usually grow. I was using my heater until May. Then by June a heat emergency and drought arrived and lasted until October. My greatest success this year was getting my baby 5 inch fig tree to survive and grow several branches. I did manage to grow okra, get one quart of Purple Hull Peas, get mint started from seed, and harvested some cucumbers and a few dozen cherry tomatoes. Various pole bean types did very little...not enough to harvest. Yard Long Asparagus pole beans showed promise though. Armenian Cucumbers did nothing. Bush green beans did nothing. I let a rabbit have them. Red Ripper Peas were a joke and I will never waste my time on those again. I may plant them in a ditch but never in my garden. Nothing will grow where they grew now. Amaranth made no seeds.

[@TofuInc]

The high tunnel kits from Vevor or Outsunny are an incredible value. You can catch them for just over $100 for a 10x20 and 200 sqft is a fair amount of space to grow in. But like you said anyone expecting to grow in it all year long right out of the box will be very disappointing. Summertime ventilation and shade cloth are necessary. I use 40% shade cloth from June through September and I have an 18" shutter exhaust fan on a thermostat that kicks on at 85°F. As far as water goes this is where the greenhouse can really excel. We get very inconsistent rain, long periods no hot dry weather and then part of the year we can have down pours that last for days. The greenhouse shields the plants from heavy rain and wind. Then having a misting system setup on a timer provides consistent water and humidity. This is especially helpful for plants sensitive to water. For insistence I grow several varieties of tomatoes and when we get weeks with heavy rain after the fruit has set the tomatoes will split, attract pest and I end up loosing a lot of them. This doesn't happen in the greenhouse because I can carefully control the water. Winter time is very tricky we can get down to below 0°F in January - February so nighttime temps in the greenhouse without heating will equal the outdoor temps. But daytime temps can reach 100°F even in the middle of winter. So you really have to run heating and ventilation in the winter. Heating a poly tunnel can be cost prohibitive even just keeping the nighttime temps just above freezing.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Sounds like you have a really good system for making it work year round.

[@christyallen7848]

I visited with a commercial Gardner,grows trees. Asked him about sun lamps which is best,,,he said if he could get good sun lamps he would be in a real building,nothing replaces the sun so he is stuck with green houses. In Missouri he still uses sun lamps even in green houses.i do like green houses to start plants early once the frost is over they go out the door to the garden,that is a lot more forgiving than in a green house with mistakes😩

[@daverees9344]

Glass makes it much more rigid during storms.

[@susanmarshall9118]

Think im in the wrong place for greenhouse tips, i'm in Wales where its cold, windy and rainy 90% of the time, love the accent and surroundings so much though ended up watching throughout haha

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Yeah totally different here lol. Glad you liked it though🤙🤙

[@susanmarshall9118]

@@sandybottomhomestead ye love me a bit of sunshine even if it's via youtube

[@voiletwhitehorse]

Devon here ,same

[@allisonandrews4719]

Even Americans like this gentle Mid-Atlantic/Southern accent. I lived in Chicago 25+ years. Not a gentle accent. My accent (I’m told) veers between upper Midwest (flat as can be) and a bit of twang (blame by Southern father). Best of luck in Wales. I tell myself I’ll make it there someday. Watched a lot of country walks on YT on Wales, Scotland and England during pandemic. Sigh. I pretended I was walking all day and then drinking a bit of beer. Feels like a long time ago.

[@charlesmerfeld2988]

I'm thinking the 10 x 12 h vac tape at top seems and screws in panels to braces. And not have a base but dig down about a foot. Just to get my plants out about 40 to 50 days early before planting. As well I'll just buy some plastic shelves also I could run a heater and fan from an outlet on a timer.

[@cosmoscosmos2855]

Bonjour! Je dirais qu’il y a un point hyper important avant de se procurer une serre en polycarbonate. Vérifiez la qualité de la structure. Ensuite, bien l’ancrer sur un bon cadre de bois et ajouter du silicone autour de tous les panneaux et avec un peu de calfeutrant autour de la porte (genre de petit balai). La porte coulissante est malheureusement fragile, surtout au Québec. Ensuite, il sera toujours temps de modifier certains éléments comme ajouter une ou deux tiges de métal pour solidifier le toit à cause de la neige. Les panneaux seront inévitablement à changer dans 5 ou … 10 ans, tout dépendra de l’épaisseur, de l’installation et de l’emplacement de votre serre (soleil) . Mais l’épaisseur des panneaux et la structure font augmenter le prix mais ça faut la peine, surtout pour la structure! Et dernier conseil, dès que vous voyez un petit problème, il ne faut pas attendre et réparer!

[@brittanyp5478]

I’m in western mass…I am super excited about this greenhouse but very grateful for your tips and advice and now a tad weary but I bought it so I gotta do it haha wish me luck! I need those hurricane straps tho!

[@sandybottomhomestead]

I lived in eastern mass for a while a gardened there. You can extend the season quite a bit if you plan right

[@brittanyp5478]

@@sandybottomhomestead yaaaa thats the hope! Up here in the Berkshires though the weather is something else. we always get frosts into june now and im sure will even get another snow fall. so i got this greenhouse to start my seeds in as I have no diret sunlight in the cabin or space for lights...my hope was it would be warmer in there than outside but from your video i believe that not to be the case anymore. I guess itll be a trail to see how this goes haha

[@tdok]

@@brittanyp5478 I'm in the same bed (Springfield area). I just bought one (haven't arrived) and now I'm doubting the purchase LOL

[@JessicaSalasS]

thank u