ANY IDEAS ON HOMEMADE COMPOST TUMBLER AND/OR GREENHOUSE?

I seem to remember reading you could use a plastic trash can, drilled with holes all around, top to bottom, with tight-fitting lid...Roll on ground as you fill to mix. I wondered if bendable PVC pipe and heavy duty clear plastic would make a good greenhouse (4-5 feet high, 8-10 feet long) Any directions from anyone?

SueGee, I made a fort out of PVC for my kids recently, but it could totally be a greenhouse instead if covered with plastic rather than sheets. I don't know how well things would be kept warm with a structure like this, but it seems to me like it should work.

The one I made was 6x6x6, but you could change the dimensions (my instructions even include how much pipe you should add/subtract when changing the dimensions). I have the plans drawn up in an excel file, and I'd be happy to send them to you--that's why I made them--so others wouldn't have to fret over how exactly to do it! It's so easy!

Here's a picture. Just imagine it with no sheets . . .

That looks pretty dern cool, and like it might work. What do you think that much PVC would cost? I'd have to figure out a door of some sort, mabye with an antechamber to keep the cold outside. Anyone with ideas on how to use a greenhouse, keep it warm, what temperatures I can expect to get, etc....please advise. Just to show you how newby I am, I don't even know what zone I am in ---but its Maryland.

Thanks to all

SueGee

One of this size (6x6x6) calls for 82 feet of pipe. At least around here, you can get it for 15 to 20 cents per foot, depending on where you get it and the thickness. So about $13-$17 for pipe, plus maybe about $10 or less for the elbows and tees to connect it, and $3 for PVC glue. If you have PVC cutters that's helpful, but if not you can surely borrow some from a neighbor, or just use a hack saw.

As for the door: you can see in the picture that there is a 4-foot tall doorway. To make the door closeable, you could put sticky velcro strips on the pipes that make up the door frame. Put the opposite side of the velcro onto a flap of plastic that's designated as the door, and then you can close it pretty tightly, at least for a do-it-yourself greenhouse. I don't know anything abuot antechambers, so I can't help you there.

I have a 'greenhouse tunnel' in my garden. I had spare 1 1/4 pvc pipe, so cut it to 4' lengths. Put a tin can on top and hammer the pipe into the ground about 1'. Do this about every 4' along each side where you want the greenhouse. I currently have my tunnel 4' wide x 16' long x 4' high, but am going to re-do it to 5' across x 16' long x 6' high. Buy flexible PVC and cut to length, put the ends in the pipes on either side of your row going down the row. You can easily hold one end of the flexible pipe in an arch shape to get the measurement for the heighth you want. I think the ones I have now are 9' long for a 4' high arch. You have to use your plastic measurements to determine the size of your tunnel. The short side of the plastic has to be 12" longer than the total of the flexible arch length, so you can bury a few inches under dirt or weigh down somehow. The length of the plastic has to be 6' to 8' longer than the tunnel. When you put the plastic on, at the ends, twist and clip the ends with those big plastic clamps. I leave my frame up all the time, and just put the plastic on in the fall.

I'll try to find better instructions for this online and post the link here.

Robin

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/1973-05-01/Grow-It-Vegetables.aspx

Click on image gallery and it's the 3rd picture.

This is just an idea of what it looks like. You access it from the side. When I make mine taller this fall, I'm going to put doors on both end.



This message was edited Jul 30, 2007 12:54 PM

Now another question from a newbie. What can I expect from such a greenhouse? At what temperatures can I grow veggies in the spring in Maryland? Do you heat the greenhouses somehow (lightbulbs?) or let the sun do all the work -- then what about at night when it is very cold? Surely, it can't hold the heat that well. Inquiring mind needs to know! Thanks

I'm new to this gardening thing, so I'm not sure about much, but I know I've seen greenhouses around here that seem unheated, and they just have thin, opaque plastic for the roof (I assume to hold up the snow) and plastic sheeting for the walls. I don't know for sure if they're unheated, but they look it, as they look rustic. I would bet during the day it's definitely warm enough, but as you say, it's the cold nights that will be your problem. Maybe the greenhouse, with the heat it's collected all day, will be enough, as all you need (I think) is for it to keep off a freeze, which I think most any covering will do. But I'm really not sure about any of this! Hopefully an expert will pop in and answer all of your questions!

SueGee, I don't know your zone and GardeningMommy, you are the same zone as I am.

I use the tunnel more to protect tomatoes in the fall from freeze and frost, but also to protect transplants that I put out 2 or 3 weeks before my last frost date in the spring. I filled empty milk jugs (spray painted black) with water and set near each plant. You have to open the plastic ends on sunny days and sometimes fold up the side on warm days. I kept a large tarp handy to throw over the top if it was suppose to get really cold at night. It's nothing fancy, but it only costs about $25.

Somebody posted some info about more of a greenhouse that was big enough to walk in. I'll try to find it for you.

Robin

This would probably be the easiest way to build a greenhouse and cheap, too. You could make a 8' x 8' x 6' high freestanding GH for about $60. Or a lean-to GH probably 12' x 8' x 6' high for the same price. If you could put the lean-to on a south side wall that had a window, you could open the window and get free heat in the winter.

I couldn't find the thread where a gal built a lean-to GH with PVC and plastic over her patio. I do remember she said she heated it with a halogen light (about $6-$8).I'm sure the cement patio stored a lot of heat to release at night, but you could also use black buckets of water.

This link has a lot of good info...you'd just have to use it as a guide to work up your own ideas.

http://www.middlecity.com/backyard/hoophouse.shtml

Robin

P.S. I was looking for info to help you all out, and found the answer for my own idea I was struggling with!

What a great link, Robin!
What words did you use when you did your search? I'd love to see more links like this one!
Thanks,
Ping

Hi, Ping, I found it searching "backyard nursery growers", then saw it later posted in the greenhouse forum. So, it's been around the block at Dave's. The concept was also in an old Mother Earth News Issue. From the greenhouse forum, everybody that has them say they hold up well in the wind. They also posted lots of pictures.

I might have told you this before, but we lived in the Mooresville area last year for about 9 months. Nice area! There's another DG member in Lincolnton.

Robin

Greenhouse made with PVC pipe

http://www.i4at.org/surv/green.htm

After further reading on that thread, the person did not finish it. Put up the cattle panel greenhouse, instead.

This message was edited Jul 31, 2007 8:12 PM

Sue,

You should be able to grow something all winter-- it's just identifying what the 'something' will be for you. We grow lettuces, Oriental vegetables, scallions, Daikon radishes, kale, Nero Toscana, and spinach all winter. We're in zone 7a-- we get some snow that melts the next day, about 50 freeze/thaw cycles a winter, temps down to about 10 degrees. Lots of wind. The cattle panel hoophouse survived the big ice storm AND the big wind storm that took down several 'real' greenhouses and our PVC hoophouse. If you have a choice, use metal ribs or do the cattle panel house and buy a big broom for wacking the ice off the poly.

My computer has been down after we had a lightening strike -- I get back on and see all these great replies! Thank you so much, Vtbeachldy and robin and mommy....I will refer to these resources when I am close to contructing a greenhouse.

Hey, I don't know if anyone has followed up with this thread in a while. But I've been doing some research on solar greenhouses. There's a bit of information about them and they are created to keep temperatures less extreme from morning to night. If you look up up info on a solar greenhouses it may give you some pointers on how to make any greenhouse more efficient. I hope to take what I have learned and apply it as I build my greenhouse over the next few weeks. I may not be able to accomplish every part of a true solar greenhouse but the two most important points I will try to accomplish is heat storage and a south facing roofline. good gardening :)

I had a 10 foot by 14 foot wooden and plastic greenhouse about 16 years ago. there was a connector kit (green plastic pieces) that would go together with 2x2 lumber to build a simple frame. Used some more 2x2's to build in the ends and the doors. Covered the thing over with plastic stapled to the wood, and had a dandy little greenhouse. heated it overnight with a kerosene heater. just enough to keep things from freezing. The heat of the day was more of a concern than freeze overnight. Of course, the day that the new plastic had to go on the greenhouse, there was ALWAYS gale force winds, lol

I used it from the beginning of April to end of June. A glorified cold frame....

Ten years ago, we built another 10 by 14 greenhouse, this one of dimension lumber and recycled windows and doors and the proper 'greenhouse roof panels' corrogated clear plastic sheets. It's 14 feet long, 10 feet wide with a simple roof. 10' tall in front, and sloped to 8' tall in the back. A couple of storm windows mounted on hinges provide the ventilation. A rope and simplified pully system enabled the windows to be closed/opened and held in that position.

Last year, I splurged and installed automatic window openers, and this year, I'm going to heat with a oil filled electric heater......

This pic is not the best, shows a front view.

It's big enough to start all the seeds I want!

pea gravel floor, hydro

Neat!

Frank

14 x 45

inside with cover on

it is more functional for seasonal growing than the cattle panels as far as i am concerned

built with 1 inch pvc pipe

You just cant get the hight and width out of panels to grow like this unless you keep the width down to seven feet or so then you have to plant in the center. I realize the cattle panels will suffice for some things and will suit some of you. Ernie

This message was edited Feb 20, 2008 7:00 AM

SueGee, kinda inelegant, but to compost loose hay I've often used an old nylon tarp maybe 12' x 16' in size. Laid the tarp out and piled the material toward one end. Wetted the material and covered with the tarp. Waited a few days then laid the tarp flat. Lifting and pulling the corners and center of the tarp on the end where the material was, rolled the materials to the other end of the tarp. Wetted the material, covered, and waited again. Repeated until it was composted as much as desired.

Frank

(edited for typo)

This message was edited Feb 20, 2008 7:54 AM

Frank sounds pretty good to me beats paying 350 bucks or so for one of those big compost drums.

Gingham when I was building my warm heated gh I read some place the roof should be at an 18 degree angle and the side wall should be 72 degrees off vertical. I didn't do this and should have. The 72 degree angle allows the sun to penatrate the side wall better in the winter when the sun is low in the sky. What I got was a very good warm gh that flowere starts love but the light is so diffused I can't grow good tomatoe starts and other veggie starts without using supplemental lighting.Ernie

You all realise I'm now making my husband do this for me right? LOL!!!

Good since hes in the compliance mode have in put in some in floor heat wish I had LOL wishes wouldofs couldofs shouldofs. Ernie

hehe, he does'nt KNOW he's putting in a greenhouse yet, :-O.

Haven't followed up this thread in a while. Thanks for the info Eweed. I did end up building a very simple lean to style frame greenhouse out of 2x2's, 1x2's and what I think is galvanized trellis left here by the former owner's. I'll have to take a picture. I spent about $55-$60 and I used some 9x12 rolls of 3 mil plastic sheeting to cover. The frame is 4x8 and 8 ft tall sloping to 4 ft. I was trying to optimize my wood. And it's light enough that I can move it around and stake in place. Since it will definitely have to find another home, I'm currently only getting sun from noon on. I figure this is a great inexpensive start and I hope to build something more like what Driven has built in the future.

eweed,

Please explain the angles -- how do you measure them to know whether it is correct or not and how to get it correct? Can you tell I'm was not a math major? LOL.

Karen

Karen you don't have to be a math major. If you are even five degrees off it wont harm a thing. You can lay out those angles with a bevel square and a protractor. Any carpenter or high school boy you know that has had shop should be able to show you how in 30 seconds or less. I wish I was clever and could draw on this thing but I am not a geek major lol.

A right angle is 90 degrees and all you have to do is make a joint where the side wall meets the roof and equals 90 degrees off straight verticle.

Hope this helps you if not I can draw it for you and mail it to you,Ernie

Glendalekid, you'd make the long side of the GH lie on an east-west line then slant the the south wall "into" the body of the GH and "droop" the roof, high on the north, low on the south. The objective is to make the low-in-the-sky winter sunlight strike the southern side of the GH close to perpindicular.

Frank

Ernie, Frank,

Okay. So, what you are saying is that it shouldn't be the same on both sides? That the south side needs to be slanted inward at 73 degrees rather than straight up at 90 degrees. Then the north side would be straight up at 90 degrees. Looking at it, it would be sort of lopsided. Then how does the 18 degrees for the roof work?


Thanks,

Karen

Sunlight directly strikes the north side only in summer (here in the northern hemisphere, anyway), and there's no heating advantage to slanting it. The roof is like a shed roof. One reason to slant it is to insure the plastic doesn't pool water when it rains.

Frank

Frank slanting of the side wall has nothing to to with alterating the heating qualities. Slanting of the side wall is to allow the light to penatrate better in the winter when the sun is low in the sky. At my lattitude summer sun is still to the south a bit. Yes the roof angle on top sheds water and snow that angle is what is left over from making the side angle optium for light penatration from the low light qualities of the winter. The reason those huge commerical green houses don't bother with that is their side walls are so high they dont have a shortage like you will get with a low gh.Ernie

"Frank slanting of the side wall has nothing to to with alterating the heating qualities. Slanting of the side wall is to allow the light to penatrate better in the winter when the sun is low in the sky. "

eweed, you might check out discussions of solar heating at various websites on that subject. The reason for the slanting is to increase sunloading, hence heat build-up inside.

'Nuff said.

Frank

Frank not enuff said l am not talking about heat. I am talking about how to get the best light value into a gh. Now I didnt make up this little theory. Do me a favor please stick to the topic and add to it dont just ramble and start arguing thanks. And by the way since you choose to make me out to be a rookie who needs correcting you are wrong about the sun striking the north side in summer in the northern hemisphere maybe in your part of the world thats true but in my part the summer sun never strikes the north side period Smile. Ernie

Karen thats inside a home made gh of poly pipe.

This is our friend Maria a dg member visiting from MA picking from a steel arch gh both it and the pvc one grow better than my straight sided gh which I no longer grow anything in but flowers. Ernie

This message was edited Mar 11, 2008 7:18 PM

eweed,

That is very much like what I am wanting to put up over my raised beds for winter veggie growing. I can run it either north/south or east/west or does it matter. I had thought I could put rebar into the ground, use the rebar to form the arches with PVC, and then cover with greenhouse plastic.

Would that work without worrying about the 73 degree thing? I'm afraid you guys lost me really quickly in that discussion.

Were those tomatoes grown during the winter inside that greenhouse? Do you leave it up all year or take it down in good weather?


Thanks,

Karen

Karen these things have been built in many different configurations. There are designs that claim they are good for 80 mph winds. Mine is not but with a little modifacation I really believe it could stand 80 mph winds. I dont try growing in the winter because I am grown out by november and ready to do other things. It is to cold and to gray most of the winter to grow much here without lights and heat. I suppose I could grow lettuce and over wintering brocilli, cauliflower and cabbage or even onions inside. But I use mine for tomatoes and they are still going strong in the fall when the other stuff needs planting. I guess the answer is another one lol.

Most say and I believe this mostly true to aim the ends toward the prevailing breeze to help cool it in summer. Mine is 14 x 50 and vents without a fan just fine but I know you are much hotter there .

You do not have to worry about the degree thing with an arch or round top shape.

I built mine by putting 4x4 treated post 3 feet into the ground and attaching 2x6 to them at ground leval and another 2 feet up to give me more head room and allowed me to make it 14 feet wide with 9 1/2 foot head room and use one pc of pvc to make the arch with. Ernie

Karen if you make one of these put the ridge purlin on top the arches except put it under each end arch. I didnt do it and when it rains real hard puddles form on top.Ernie