First time greenhouse builder looking for advice

This spring, once the ground thaws, I am going to be building a greenhouse and hopefully turn it into a home based business for myself. I am thinking of starting out with PVC pipe and plastic (starting affordable for me) then once I see how it goes and as money comes in then I want to upgrade to a metal or wood frame with glass. Any tips on building with PVC? Also, with our winters I am wondering about the best way for heating the greenhouse? I've been told to use a crockpot for heating but I don't know if that would work.

Thanks,
Delayne

A crockpot? Seriously? I'd have a very difficult time buying in to that as a source of heat in a GH. :)

Type of heating will depend on GH size, insulation value (for example with poly are you using double layer with air inflation between layers or just single layer), what sources are available to you (electricity, propane, natural gas, wood burning stove, etc.), what type of plants you will be growing (different plants need different amounts of heat), and how much you want to spend.

The most common heat source used in a GH is propane heat. Propane heaters are what come with most GH kits. Propane prices can be quite high but vary greatly so price it in your area.

If this is to be a year round operation then climate control - heating, cooling, humidity control - will be your biggest overhead expense by far and those costs can break a small operation. So I would suggest starting out small and be sure to explore those costs carefully and be prepared to deal with them.

PVC structures tend to be temporary and often have problems dealing with wind and/or snow loads. Poorly constructed can cost you all your plants and equipment in one night so most experienced owners would encourage you to at least consider medal conduit as an alternative if you can't afford to go for steel, aluminum, or wood.

And when it comes time to upgrade, rather than glass, look into the modern polycarbonate options of twin and triple wall - easier construction, more durable, less expensive to build and cheaper to heat and cool, and many less problems for the plants than glass.

There is a great deal of information available on the web of course but explore it all with an eye toward hidden costs and avoiding what appear to be "bargains" as they almost always disappoint the owner. And there is already a great deal of information available here in the many past discussions to read through.

Hope this helps get you started some.

Dave

if you have a lot of wind and you build with pvc, pour concrete or sand or something inside it. My granddaughter's playhouse took off in a thunderstorm. got half a block away before we caught it, but it was cute and cheap to build. learned to remove tarp before rain.

Thank you for this very informative information! I will be doing some research.

Delayne,

What you are thinking of building is more of a cold frame than a greenhouse. That means it will be seasonal - extending your summer a little on both ends.

You might be better off if you move your project into your house - there the insulation and heat are taken care of. You will have to figure out a lighting system that duplicates, as nearly as possible, outside light conditions.

Do a little research; Marijuana growers do it all the time. Look for CFL bulbs with a K value of at least 5000 (6500 is great). CFL's use less electricity. The K (Kalvin) is the color temperature. The bigger the K value, the bluer the light and the more like natural daylight it is.

http://www.planetbulb.com/pages/What-is-Kelvin-Color-Temperature%3F.html

Good luck!

Daisy

Just wondering if you have made any progress with your greenhouse project.
I'm in zone 9a and have a hoop house made from PVC and plastic. In my area this works well as we have little wind and very moderate weather. All of the above advice is sound and if I were you I'd keep an eye on Craig's list for greenhouse supplies, I purchased an old glass and redwood greenhouse from an ad in the local paper years ago, you might get lucky and find someone getting rid of one. Being that you are in such a cold winter zone I agree that growing indoors might be the ticket, at least until you can save up for the real thing.