Greenhouse kit from Costco.

lol, well I was a brunette. I guess when I started turning gray, the brain cells went south.

LOL...I haven't been able to collect calibrochoas seeds. I started a bunch of petunias from seed last year. Here's a thread with pictures of my back yard, with a ton of petunias.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/841310/#post_5394559

That's beautiful, really. I saw your calibrochoas. It looks like you have Terra Cotta. I hope to have that look around the deck we build next spring. My acre is too big to try it all over. You can be proud. You've done a good job, me lady.

Did you just not see any seeds? I may have to go the stem cutting route. But that doesn't get Sheryl any calibrochoas.

I didn't notice any seeds, but I never really looked for them. They probably froze before they had time to set seeds. The blooms lasted right thru until a hard frost in Oct.

I hope to have the backyard project done early next spring. The seed catalogs are starting to arrive and I have already made a ridiculously expensive and long list AND I haven't even looked at the vegetable seeds yet. I will have lots of time to trim the wish list. I start a few things indoors in Feb, but most in March.

I have already gotten some seeds. I need to plant my blue bonnets now. I just haven't had the time. I love zinnias too. I have plenty of those. We always have projects don't we? It's a good thing we have cold winters. I need that much time to fine tune my plans.

LOL! I never thought of it that way.

Just a time when my nails would stay clean for more than 10 minutes!

thanks again!!

Joanna, still like your greenhouse?

Love it. I have an English cucumber, tomatoes and a whole bunch of basil in there now. We had a whacky spring for cold temps, so it was wonderful to have a heated GH

Thank you for replying. I have read so much different information on the greenhouse, so this helps alot. Hopefully Costco will put them back on sale, I sure would like to hae one.

Joanna,

There has been negative customer feedback about some of the Greenhouses offered for sale by Costco. Here is the starting link:

http://www.costco.com/Common/Category.aspx?whse=BC&N=4035352&in_dim_search=1&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&lang=en-US&search=greenhouse&topnav=

Here are the brands which are referenced in the above link:

Exaco
http://www.costco.com/Common/Category.aspx?whse=BC&Ne=5000001&N=4035352+4294905465&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&lang=en-US&search=greenhouse&topnav=

Rion
http://www.costco.com/Common/Category.aspx?whse=BC&Ne=5000001&N=4035352+4294964523&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&lang=en-US&search=greenhouse&topnav=

Sunglo
http://www.costco.com/Common/Category.aspx?whse=BC&Ne=5000001&N=4035352+4294964860&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&lang=en-US&search=greenhouse&topnav=

Systems Trading
http://www.costco.com/Common/Category.aspx?whse=BC&Ne=5000001&N=4035352+4294967059&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&lang=en-US&search=greenhouse&topnav=

There has been some very mixed feedback about the “System Trading” brand which includes your 6X8 and 8X12 Greenhouses:

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11468253&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=&lang=en-US

What is very strange is that the 6X10 Greenhouse is selling for $150 less than the 6X8 Greenhouse:
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11308631&whse=BC&Ne=5000001+4000000&N=40353524294967059&Mo=3&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&No=3&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&lang=en-US&Sp=C&search=greenhouse&topnav=

Here is your new 8X12 Greenhouse:
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11282942&whse=BC&Ne=5000001+4000000&N=40353524294967059&Mo=3&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&No=2&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&lang=en-US&Sp=C&search=greenhouse&topnav=

The main complaint is that the polycarbonate panels pop out of their frames? What has been your experience?

What did you do about the flooring in the Greenhouse? One of the big complaints is that if the Greenhouse is not even, panels will pop, which may be the problem with the 6X10 unit. How did your Greenhouse do during the Canadian winter? Are there any problems with the aluminum frames rotting near the ground?

Mike

I love it & no problems. If you have a level base & the rubber seal installed, the panels will not pop out. It is important to put the rubber seal in....which is the hardest job. Last March we had an extreme cold spell -30C, which is -22F. Lined the inside with bubble wrap, propane heater and it was good

Sounds like a good deal. Glad to hear first hand information.

Johanna,

You have convinced me, I just ordered the EasyGrow 8'x8' Greenhouse which is now on sale for $(US)999.99:
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11269989

I was tempted to order the same 8’x12’ Greenhouse you have but I have size issues and the 8’x8’ Greenhouse fits nicely into the available space with an excellent southern exposure.

After reading your commentary and the Costco provided owners manual (http://www.costco.com/images/content/misc/pdf/276717.pdf) I have a better understanding of what the potential problems are. The Costco customer reviews fall into two categories: love it or hate it! The key mistake in the product description is this line: “No base necessary, anchoring stakes provided, build wooden base if you wish”. I will follow your plan for the building the base which is simple and inexpensive but very critical to a successful construction.

How were you able to stabilize the temperature with the Mr. Heater Buddy? It doesn’t appear to have a thermostat and there are reports of the flam going out. Did you use batteries or an external power source? Interesting observations you made about the low oxygen safety features. Extra CO2 is good for plants but un-combusted propane is a “bit” of an explosive hazard.

Did you consider any other heaters?

Mike

Mike,

The instructions are very easy to follow and if you do everything in the proper order you will have no problems. I bought a heavy duty auger anchor kit from Princess Auto. Those anchors are made for the tent style garage etc and there is no way that they will come out. The kit was about $20. I bolted the greenhouse to the pressure treated wood base frame and used a metal band around the wood frame & anchored it in place.

Heaters:

The Mr. Heater works well. It has a standing pilot and 2 temperature selections 4000 BTU & 9000 BTU. Yes, you need to provide fresh air or have a fan to circulate the air. I found an electric heater with a thermostat control which I use in combination with the propane heater. The smaller greenhouse had a fresh air pipe, but the larger GH had the electric fan/heater & propane heater.

I had no power, so that's why I went with the propane heater at 1st. Last spring I ran an extension cord for the fan/heater. True North Caframo which can handle a splash of water. The thing with electric heaters is 1st you need a good extension cord (no less than 12 gauge or 10 gauge - the smaller the #, the bigger the wire). Also the cord shouldn't be any longer than it needs to be. All of this will add resistance and the heater will not have the power to perform.
This heater has 1500 watts with a 12.8 amp draw on high. The high setting ( 5000 BTU)is not intended to be run full time and if you only have it off a 15 amp breaker, shared with some other plug, you risk the breaker overloading. 900 watts gives about 3000 BTU, not enough to heat that space in the middle of the night in March & April. the propane & electric combo works well together.

Within the next month I will be running 20 amps to the greenhouse. Need to dig the trench and have the electrician run the power. I will still use the propane in combination.

We had an unusual cold snap last March where it went down to -30ºC or -22ºF. Even with both heaters ice had formed on the inside of the GH. I bought a roll of 1" bubble wrap and lined the the inside of the GH. I also found that I could keep the GH 10ºC or 32ºF warmer by putting a bed comforter on the roof for the night.

I don't put anything in the GH until March 1st. Most years I would not have to go thru the extremes, but Spring of 09 was really whacky for weather.

For future projects, you might find it helpful to sort and label all the parts before starting assembly. This can make the process smoother, especially with limited instructions. Also, consider setting up a temporary shelter to keep the area dry if you expect rain or snow. It's great to hear your plants survived the first night at -5°C!

I recently read an article about designing and operating energy-efficient greenhouses that had some useful tips. For instance, using double-glazed windows can help maintain a stable temperature inside, reducing the need for additional heating. Also, incorporating thermal mass, like water barrels painted black, can absorb heat during the day and release it at night, helping to keep temperatures more consistent. These ideas could help you create an even more efficient and productive greenhouse environment. If you're interested, you can check out more tips in the article here: https://www.mklibrary.com/7-tips-for-designing-and-operating-energy-efficient-greenhouses/

This message was edited Jul 15, 2024 5:45 PM