Greenhouses are great ways to protect outdoor plants and potted plants in all kinds of climates, seasons and weather. Whether you have a green thumb or not all you have to do is go to your friendly neighborhood plant store, buy a few small plants, put them in your greenhouse and you are on your way to your own little garden without the costs of landscaping. Plants from your greenhouse can also decorate your house and provide you with homegrown vegetables for salads and fruits for fresh juice every morning. It can also save costs off your food bill. So go ahead and try it. There are all sizes of greenhouses. A small one can be built in one to two hours with your own two hands. That sounds easy! It is easy. Wow!
Tools and materials you need
1/2″ thick PVC Pipe, 4 Sections – 10′ x 25′ each
1/2″ thick Corner Elbow Connectors, 4 with 3 Ports
1/2″ Adaptors, 4 Connectors
Primer and PVC Cement
Scissors
Long Zip Ties
Hack Saw or Pipe Cutter
Small Paint Brush
Plastic Sheeting, 6′ x 6′ and 6 millimeters thick
(Thin plastic will not work)
4 Cement Blocks or Duct Tape or Tent Spikes
Step 1: Assemble PVC Pipe
Find an area that has dry flooring and good air ventilation like a driveway or patio. Using a hack saw or a pipe cutter saw two sections of the PVC pipe in half. Then there will be four sections that are five feet long each.
Step 2: Brush with Primer and PVC Cement
Brush the insides of the pieces of elbows and the ends of the PVC pipe with the purple primer. Do not brush the four adaptors or the four connectors. They are threaded for the elbow connectors.
After primer dries, attach two of the five feet PVC pipes with the elbow connectors by brushing on the PVC cement.
Step 3: Form the basic frames of the greenhouse
Take one of the ten foot pipes and attach it two one of the unthreaded elbows using the PVC cement and firmly push them together. In a few minutes, the cement will dry. Take the slack up of the ten foot pipe and carefully bend it over to the other side of the five foot unthreaded elbow and cement these two other ends together. Control the pipe by finding something to balance on for support to prevent the pipe from slipping while bending it. Leave the threaded elbows open for later attachments.
Repeat Step 3 in order to frame the other side of the greenhouse
Step 4: Arrange the plastic sheeting for the hoop ends
Roll out the plastic sheeting and place an end hoop on the sheet. Using the scissors cut the end piece frame from the sheet leaving six inches for overlap. Make an L shape cut for the two corners of the end frame. Cut thin lines or pleats in the sheet for the bent part of the pipe. Cut the pleats almost half way into the sheet. Do not cut all the way down to the straight pipe at the bottom of the frame.
Repeat Step 4 instructions for the other end frame.
Step 5: Connecting sheeting to each frame
Starting with the straight pipe, tuck the plastic sheet around the pipe. Cut little holes in the plastic sheet and use the long zip ties through the holes to connect the plastic sheet to the pipe. Tighten the ties and cut off any slack or tails. Using the pleats around the bended part of the frame, tighten the long zip ties through the plastic sheet and attaching it to the pipe. Make the ties tight and cut trim slack. Repeat Step 5 for the other end frame too.
Step 6: Attaching remaining PVC pipes
Using the threaded adaptors, screw them into the threaded elbow connectors of each sides of each looped ends. Connect the two other five feet pipes to the adaptors. Brush with cement all cornered elbows, wait a few minutes. The looped ends should be standing now and the squared five foot grounded part of the greenhouse will be complete. The structure will require some form of braces to hold the pipes down from wind and other forms of weather. Cement blocks are ideal for holding down the pipes along the ground. Use four cement blocks or place one in the middle of each pipe. Duct tape or tent spikes for camping can also create a strong foundation but it must be done before covering the greenhouse with the remaining sheet of plastic.
Step 7: Covering the greenhouse
Place the remaining plastic sheet along the entire structure covering the entire length across to both looped ends. Using the scissors fit the sheet to the size of the frame and cut off any remaining sheeting. Connect the plastic to the frame ends using the long zip ties from the top of frame and only half way down. This will allow access or entrance into the greenhouse to place potted plants or work inside. It will also allow for air ventilation to get inside. Any loose ends of plastic sheeting along the sides of the greenhouse can be weighed down with clamps, metal washers or can be tightened with zip ties with a few small holes at the bottom of each side. Open a few small holes in the top of the plastic to prevent puddles from accumulating on rainy days.