David Manser threads a PVC pipe onto a rebar rod staked into the ground.
Materials you will need
This will build a 10- by 20-foot greenhouse.
* 12 (4-foot) rebar rods
* 6 (20-foot) 11/4-inch PVC pipes
* 3 (20-foot) 1-inch PVC pipes
* Zip ties
* Greenhouse plastic (4-6 millimeters thick)
* 2-by-4s for building simple frame door
Chilly temperatures are a sign it’s too soon to think about spring planting, but a greenhouse can give you a jump on the season.
Although many designs run into thousands of dollars, you can build your own greenhouse for about $300, said David Manser, owner of Plants & Ponds in Dayton, Tenn.
This fourth-generation horticulturist said building a greenhouse, using plastic and PVC framing, can be a simple project that takes only an hour or so to construct, but it will prolong your growing season.
“Build it on a sunny day,” Mr. Manser advised. “That way, the plastic stretches. Then, on cooler days, the plastic will shrink and tighten to give it longer life.
He advises using greenhouse plastic, which is more durable than standard plastic. It’s a little more expensive, he said, but it will last several years.
Here’s how to build your greenhouse in five easy steps.
1 Using a tape measure, pound six rebar rods into the ground, spacing each rod 4 feet apart. Do the same with the remaining six rods, spacing them parallel, but 10 feet from the first six. This will give you a 10- by 20-foot rectangle.
2 Take one of the 11/4-inch diameter PVC pipes and thread it onto a rebar rod. Thread the opposite end into the opposite rod. Do this with the remaining PVC pipes to create a barrel-shaped roofline.
3 Run a 1-inch diameter PVC pipe north and south across the underside of the roofline and attach it to the 11/4-inch PVC pipes with zip ties. Do the same with the remaining 1-inch diameter PVC pipes on each interior side. This will help stabilize your greenhouse.
4 Place the greenhouse plastic across the top and sides of the greenhouse frame, and bring it down to ground level with enough excess plastic to either bury it in a trench or secure it with sandbags.
5 Build a simple frame door from 2-by-4s on one end of your greenhouse, and staple the plastic to the door frame.