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Greenhouse Gardening Article
How To Build A Greenhouse
from: Lawn and Garden MagicBefore starting your greenhouse project, thorough planning and preparation is essential. Setting up a greenhouse doesn't have to be time-consuming or expensive. Your greenhouse design will very much depend on your home's architecture, space and plants that you plan to grow, the cost and available location. Make sure your greenhouse provides the most suitable environment for your the types of plants you plan to grow.
Location
Build your greenhouse on a site where it will get full and concentrated sunlight.
Your best option is the "southeast side" of your house or shade of trees. All day sunlight is best, although you might consider the morning sunlight coming from the east side as well because this should be adequate for most plants, as it permits food production to start early and progress to it's maximum level.
An east location will also capture most of the November to February sunshine.
Deciduous trees, such as oak and maple, can effectively shade the greenhouse from the strong late afternoon sun during the summer but they must not shade or cover your greenhouse during the morning. These trees also permit the maximum sun exposure during the winter because they shed their foliage during the autumn.
It's important that your greenhouse isn't located next to trees that retain their leaves all year, because they will block the winter sun. Try to maximize greenhouse exposure to winter sun, especially if you plan to use it year-round.
Where you locate your greenhouse is also importat for good drainage. Cnstruct your greenhouse higher than the ground so irrigation and rainwater will easily drain away.
Lighting required by certain types of plants, plus water, electricity, heat and protection from strong wind are additional factors you should consider.
Also, you need to set up a workplace and an area for storage of your supplies in your greenhouse.
Here is a simple and easy to construct greenhouse:
Materials:
5 pieces of 20 foot each "of 5/8 inch" rebar, cut into 1/3's - 6 foot in length.
7 pieces of 20 foot schedule" 40 PVC" drilled with a hole size 3/16 to inch "dead center" at 10 feet.
84 feet that is "cut into 4 foot lengths" of "1/2 schedule 40 PVC"
80 pieces size 2X4 wood (treated).
4 pieces fence posts, 8 foot in length (treated).
Size "40X24 fee" UV "polyethylene", stabilized
60 pieces 2 1/2 inches fence staples
1. Begin by extending a thin rope or string where the "two long sides" of your greenhouse should be. Then pound the 6 foot rebar in, each with a distance of 4 feet away from each other, in a "straight line" and allowing 48 inches to protrude from the soil or ground.
2. Nail the 2 X 6 runner on to the "rebar stakes". This will provide you with something so as to nail on the polyethylene later. You may use a "60 2 inch fence staples".
3. Slide in the PVC pieces (20 inch) over the "rebar stakes", making certain that no sharp points are exposed, such as rebar, wire ends, rough pipes, etc.
4. Put the PVC pieces (20 foot) on the "rebar stakes". You need to have somebody do "one side" as you also do the "other side" carefully and slightly at each time. Make sure that you drilled holes "parallel to the ground".
5. Slide the wire all through the PVC holes and through the 8 PVC (4foot) pieces "along the roof".
6. So as the "ribs" will not shift horizontally, you need to wire together the 4 foot PVC pipe lengths with either baling or copper wire. Make certain that the wire is wrapped so that the PVC pipe is forced inward.
7. Construct now the "two end walls" and the doors. Use vertical posts (4 X 4) 10 foot length and buried 3 or 4 feet for the doorway frame. Make certain that the end walls are not floppy and must stay vertically so that the PVC will not separate. Your door must be very tight so that the wind will not be able to inflate the greenhouse.
8. Drive some nails into the post's base horizontally of the posts and submerge them to the ground.
9. With somebody's help, and each person on each side holding the plastic, slide it over the rib cage and then attach the ends by wrapping the plastic's end around lath pieces then "nail the lath" to the "end walls" and also along the foundation.
10. Be creative and add a few of your personal touches.
All done! Have lots of fun in your greenhouse!
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