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How to Build an Inexpensive Hoop-Style Greenhouse

How to Build an Inexpensive Hoop-Style Greenhouse
One of the most valuable assets in my garden is my greenhouse. It has allowed me to grow plants that I normally would not be able to grow, produce crops that the season is not usually long enough to produce, and protect my plants from frosts, hail, or other severe weather that normally would have destroyed my garden. But I don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on a greenhouse. I just priced out an 8’x12’ greenhouse for $3,500. I would love to have a large, professional greenhouse, but that simply isn’t financially feasible for me. So, instead I’ve found a way to make a large greenhouse that is functional, easy to build, and inexpensive. Required Materials List Note: All wood should be green, treated wood to resist rot. (4) 2×6 – 16’(2) 2×6 – 12’(14) 2×4 – 12’(19) ¾” x 20’white pvc pipe(9) 10mm x 10’ rebar(1) 20’x50’ roll of 6mm plastic(1) Bundle of 50 4’ wood lathe (or optional staples)Zip tiesNails or screwsMetal bandingDoor hinges and handles Step 1 – Laying Out the Frame

10ft Wide Polytunnels - Polytunnels & Greenhouses - Grow Your Own - The Recycle Works Ltd Skip to Navigation | Skip to Content Our Products Product Search Advanced Search General Information Currency Converter BLOG it all in here 10ft Wide Polytunnels @import "/skin1/thickbox/files/thickbox.css"; 10ft Wide Polytunnel Range The most popular of the polytunnels range, including design features which make growing easy and efficient. An all-steel framework – made using LARGER diameter hoops than our competitors for extra strength – including foundation tubes, hoops, corner stabilisers, and ridge. Please note that the back panel with half net comes as standard. Anti Hot Spot Tape Kit This self-adhesive foam tape is a must on any polytunnel – We cannot recommend it highly enough. Dimensions: Overall Height: 6ft 8in Straight Side: 3ft 3in Head Room at 1ft in from Side: 5ft 1in Distance Over Hoop: 19ft 10in Steel Diameter: 28mm Steel Specification: Z35 high tensile galvanised.Length Options (feet): 10 £311 15 £352 20 £396 Related Products Polytex Pro UPVC & Plastic Surface Cleaner 1L £13.90

Walden Effect: Homesteading and Simple Living Blog How to Make a Square Foot Garden | Alberta Home Gardening I’d like to introduce you to a new way of gardening. It’s called square foot gardening. I planted my first square foot garden last year and I’m hooked. Here’s the basic gist: Most gardens are planted in long rows separated by three foot aisles. Using the square foot gardening method, you divide a 4′ x 4′ box into sixteen 1 foot square gardens. #1. It doesn’t matter what kind of soil you have, because you won’t be using it. Peat MossCompostVermiculite Just mix these three ingredients in equal proportions and you have the finest soil you could imagine. #2. Yup, that’s right. #3. Your square foot garden takes up only 20% of the space required by a traditional garden. #4. I just built two square foot gardens this spring and here were my costs: Lumber: Free (I used scrap)Vermiculite: $20Peat Moss: $8Compost: $20 Total: $48 for two – $24 each. Of course with your own lumber and your own compost, you could cut that cost down to $14 each. Required Materials Building the Square Foot Garden

What is thermal mass? - What is thermal mass? Thermal mass is anything in the greenhouse that absorbs solar energy and heat from the sun during the day and releases that heat at night. Using thermal mass can moderate greenhouse temperatures and may reduce energy costs. FAQ Page GardenWeb Home Page | Forums | Forum An Inexpensive, Hail Proof, PVC Pipe Greenhouse | Alberta Home Gardening I’ve finally built my greenhouse for my new garden. It’s a twenty by twelve foot hoop-style greenhouse with wooden ends and is covered with 11 mil woven poly. This greenhouse has some pretty cool features that I really appreciate, and I think you will too. First of all, the poly I used to cover it is fantastic. Secondly, to eliminate wear and tear on the plastic, I covered edges of the wooden ends with copper pipe insulation. Thirdly, it was very inexpensive and easy to build. Being so late I only got a single row of tomatoes down one side, but next year I’ll be bursting at the seams once again! Use wooden ends instead of plastic – and cover the ends with pipe insulation.Use 11 mil woven poly instead of the 6 mil.Put the PVC pipes on the inside of the frame rather than on the outside Other than that, you should be able to follow all the other steps. Enjoy this post? Be Sociable, Share!

Alberta Home Gardening How to build a PVC greenhouse How to Make a Single-Bucket Self-Water Regulated Vegatable Planter by Jake Robinson I originally made my own two-bucket self watering, self feeding vegetable planter. They work quiet well, however, after some thought I have designed a single bucket system without sacrificing the watering feature that a two bucket system offers. In a two bucket system the bottom bucket is where the water is stored for the plant. The top bucket contains the soil and allows the water to wick up through holes that are drilled in the top bucket's bottom. I have redesigned this system to allow the use of a single bucket which then saves time, labor and material. Here are some of the advantages of this type of system. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Bell Peppers: Planting, Growing and Harvesting Bell Pepper Plants Botanical name: Capsicum annuum Plant type: Vegetable USDA Hardiness Zones: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 Sun exposure: Full Sun Soil type: Loamy Soil pH: Neutral Peppers are a tender, warm-season crop. Planting Start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before last spring frost date. Care Soil should be well-drained, but maintain adequate moisture either with mulch or plastic covering. Pests Harvest/Storage Harvest as soon as peppers reach desired size. Recommended Varieties Look for varieties that ripen to their full color quickly; fully mature peppers are the most nutritious—and tastier, too! Green to Red: ‘Lady Bell’, 'Gypsy,' ‘Bell Boy,’ 'Lipstick' Yellow: 'Golden California Wonder' Recipes Wit & Wisdom The popular green and red bell peppers that we see in supermarkets are actually the same thing; the red peppers have just been allowed to mature on the plant longer, changing color and also gaining a higher content of Vitamin C.

We Need to Talk About Tomato Hornworm First things first: I don’t have tomato hornworms (Manduca quinquemaculata) in my own garden. What you see above is a photo that I took a few weekends ago of a Tobacco Hornworm (Manduca sexta) fatting itself up on my tomatoes. The caterpillars of these two distinct species of moth look very much alike and are easily confused. For reference, the tomato hornworm has v-shaped markings down its sides and a dark black/brown “horn” protruding out the back, while the tobacco hornworm [seen above] has diagonal strikes down its sides and a bright red “horn.” Despite this distinction I decided to post under the name tomato hornworm because it is the most commonly known of the two. Needless to say, they are both gigantic caterpillars that devour tomato plants and just about anything in the Solanaceae family (tomato family such as peppers, eggplant, nicotiana, etc) so it really doesn’t matter either way. Aren’t the markings incredible? The Damage They Do Control: Further Reading:

The do-it-yourself RRSP portfolio Robin Glover wanted to expand his investment portfolio beyond the funds offered by his financial adviser. So after hours of online research and numerous trips to the bookstore, the 39-year-old Vancouver real estate developer sat down in front of his computer and opened a self-directed RRSP account with Toronto-based Questrade Inc. “Our financial adviser is excellent, but she represents a limited number of funds,” says Mr. Designed as trust accounts that can hold a variety of investments – including mutual funds, guaranteed investment certificates, bonds and exchange-traded funds – self-directed RRSPs have become a popular retirement savings vehicle for many Canadians. “Anecdotally, we’re seeing a move toward self-directed RRSPs,” Mr. Another advantage to do-it-yourself RRSPs? To ensure this increase in control translates to a healthy RRSP portfolio, it’s important for investors to be well prepared, says Rowena Chan, vice-president at TD Waterhouse. Special to The Globe and Mail

Starting Seeds Indoors | My Square Foot Garden Starting seeds indoors can be a fun way to garden while the weather is still cold and dreary. If you are a beginner, skip this step and just buy your plants! Supplies: Your garden planPotsPotting soilScissorsBucketSeedsPencilLabels and permanent markerStorage containers with lidsGrow lightsHeat lampTimer that turns lights on and off Be sure your pots and potting soil are sterilized so you don’t spread disease to your new plants. Refer to your garden plan to determine how many plants I you need to start. Put some potting soil in the bucket and add water until it is moist, but not sopping wet. Poke a hole in the middle of each pot with your pencil, and drop in 2-3 seeds. Place your pots in a storage container and cover with the lid. After the seeds germinate, remove the lid keep them 1 or 2 inches under the grow lights. Direct a soft fan at the plants to simulate wind and provide resistance.

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