Hi my name is Chip,

I made this page to tell you about how I was able to build my homemade greenhouse to protect my flowers and vegetables. I’m not exactly a building professional but building a homemade greenhouse was actually easy and most importantly cheap compared to contracting. Now that I’ve got it up all my neighbors are inquiring as to what I did and even relatives from out of town! I thought it would be easier to share my story on this page and show people how I saved money building my own greenhouse. Learn how I did it.

Just this past April I was in the middle of preparations for the growing season. I had starting planting some in the end of March and was well under way with germination. I had some good sprouts and the Sun had been out warming everything without a touch of cold for weeks. I woke up the morning of April 3 and I will never forget. The frost covering the ground looked like hell had frozen over. It pretty much was like that for my little seedlings. I had lost everything I had planted thanks to this snap frost Mr. Weatherman didn’t anticipate. The ground had been a great temperature for the seedlings until this point.

I was devastated. I had some close calls before and lost a bit but this time was the last straw. I was NOT happy at all. I was sick of not having more control over my grow season. The weather here can be a bit tricky but I hadn’t been wiped out before. I immediately started looking for a greenhouse to take care of this once and for all.

I Used This Guide To Build My Homemade Greenhouse

I found lots of places offering snap together kits but they were all pretty bland looking once I had done some research. Not to mention, they were about 5 times the cost of the materials. A $1000 greenhouse I could buy from Home Depot I could have a homemade greenhouse for $250. My mind was made up as to what to do.

At this point I had a vision of what I wanted and where I wanted to put it but found I needed to know more. I was no expert on greenhouse ventilation or heating. I wanted to know what it would take to grow year round. Long story short I wasted time with designs that didn’t have any other information with them as to how to ventilate them or how much heating they would need. I found a really perfect site called Greenhouse Plans that gave me all the info I needed.

After I bought the guide I had the plans I needed plus I had all the planting tips for greenhouses that are important to getting the most of it. My neighbor Sam came over as soon as I was finished to “borrow” the guide to get started on his own project. And let me tell you, having twice as many plants in previous years is so wonderful. My wife Karen really appreciates that I can grow her nice flowers all the time too. I’d still be gambling with the temperate climate around here if I hadn’t taken matters into my own hands with my homemade greenhouse. That’s why I wrote this page.

You can get more information about the specifics at: http://www.buildingagreenhouseplans.com/

Click here to visit this website and learn more

This site will explain all you need to know better than I ever could so take a look.

I hope this helps you! (it sure helped me)
- Chip Jones

A homemade greenhouse is really in the reach of experienced and new gardeners. The trick is that growing outside is intuitive and we know what to do but inside a greenhouse things work a bit differently. Don’t build until you know what it takes and have a plan in front of you. Protect your plants and build a homemade greenhouse today.

The first and most important thing to the long term success of your greenhouse is the location. Getting maximum sunlight during the short winter days is critical. The south or southeast face of the greenhouse needs to be unobstructed by trees or your home or a fence. Trees can shadow just like the height of your home. The last part about location is to be sure that the build site is not prone to flooding and drains well.

There are a variety of different types of homemade greenhouses you can build on a budget. They all have their own plans and techniques to grow the best plants. You can save a little bit more if you have it attached to your home or a shed perhaps. That saves you from having to build that last wall.

For attached greenhouses you have these versions:

Window Mounted – attached to the side of your house, usually small
Even-span – attached to the end of your house, large and can be expanded
Lean-to – attached the to side of your house, usually large

Free standing greenhouses usually are erected in the middle of the garden away from trees and other sunlight obstructions. These can vary in shape, size, and building materials. Electricity and water source are the two main things to think about on a free standing greenhouse.

It is very important to have a good frame for your homemade greenhouse. Wood, steel, and aluminum and PVC pipe all can work for a greenhouse. There are many different frame designs that you will have to choose from. Pick one you like but be aware since you are building it yourself that a more complicated design will take longer to cut and build.

The easiest covering to go with is plastic film. Very cheap and easy to install because it comes in big rolls. Glass is always an option but is the most expensive and of course can break. Fiberglass is another option and can sometimes be found inexpensively.

Each town has a specific climate and that means the sun is higher or lower relatively and therefore the Winter is shorter or longer, respectively. Heating and ventilation needs can be calculated based on the size of your greenhouse and your climate. Not all gardeners will have the same needs as well. You might only need a heater for the short freezes. Some will need heaters for much longer periods of time. That can also mean bigger heater or multiple depending on how the climate is. There is also room for addons like a water delivery system like sprinklers or hydroponics and lights.

Homemade greenhouses are a small project that can reward you with beautiful vegetables, fruits and flowers for years to come.