is this a good greenhouse???

I was browsing for greenhouses and come across this...Now keep in mind, i am just looking one that i can have for a couple years till i can get a permanant one. So i think this one would be nice.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=2216329

Char

What are you planning to do with the greenhouse? Ones like that with the thin plastic covering aren't insulated very well and I don't think you can heat them very effectively. If you're just trying to get a head start on the season starting seeds, or you're trying to overwinter things that are almost but not quite hardy in your zone then it should work fine. But if you're trying to grow tropicals that want to be in zone 10, then it may not work.

ecrane,

I just wanna put some of my houseplant in them....I have SOOO many of them and they are like taking over my house and i just can't seem to get rid of any of them. However i was hoping to put some in there for the winter, like Philo's, begonia's, creeping charlie etc...plants like that. But i don't think they will over winter in there, do you? I just wanna get my dining room back.

Char

Hopefully someone from closer to your zone who has actual experience with these will chime in, I'm not sure how much of a temperature bump you can expect to get from something like this and I also don't know what your typical coldest temperatures are. If you regularly get down into the teens I think you'll have a hard time, but if you only occasionally get that cold and you're willing to waste a lot of energy trying to keep some heat in there on the coldest nights, then you might be able to keep things alive. I don't think you'll be able to keep them as happy as they are in your house though--I've noticed a huge difference in the happiness of my plants since I got my GH and can keep them at 55-60 degrees overnight vs my old makeshift setup where things were closer to 40 most nights.

red princess, I like that gh from WM; it's alot bigger than the one I've bought and just a little more in price. Its true what ecrane says about whether it would tolerate your zone. Im in a much warmer area and our winters a literally a joke so something like that will be ok for me to over winter plants. Hope u do find an appropriate one for your needs

Just thought of something else too...do you get snow or ice in the winter? Greenhouses like that aren't meant to stand up to any kind of snow load, so if you do get snow it could make it collapse. Same thing if you get one of those ice storms where the ice builds up real thick on everything. Only time in my life I've ever been to North Carolina was at the tail end of an ice storm but I'm not sure how frequently you get weather like that!

I have not seen this type of plastic covering
does anyone know what they are describing ?
it sounds like it may offer serious insulating properties !

"Reinforced cover construction: 3 layers with two 6-mm opaque outer layers bonded over a center polyethelene mesh for added strength "

I see others offer it for the same or higher prices
http://www.aah-canopies.com/greencan.html
http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/king-canopy-10-x-10-greenhouse
http://www.shoppingnexus.com/pr-king-canopy-10-x-10-greenhouse.html
http://galshopper.com/SolitaryView.asp?id=4675431

I think the 6mm is meant to be 6 microns...if you do the abbreviation for microns, it is μm, but the Greek letter mu (μ) translates in English to the letter m, so if someone's software didn't understand the Greek letter I could see where the mixup came about.

I have this green house. I live in zone 8. It works for me the majority of the time. The only time I get really worried is during temps like last night. It got down to 27 usually the heater I use will only keep it just above freezing in the greenhouse.Philos have not made it in my environment. I have begonias and they go into stasis during the winter months. They basicly stop growing and some will loose all of their leaves. But when spring gets here they start gowing again.

I was just on the Harbor Freight website and saw that they've got their 6x8 greenhouse on sale for $299, you might want to look into it. It doesn't cost a lot more than the one you're looking at, but since it's got the twinwall PVC construction rather than thin plastic it's a "real" greenhouse and could last you a lot longer. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47712 If you want more room, they also have a 10x12 for $599.

Got this greenhouse a couple of weeks ago. The plastic is relatively thick - sturdier than I expected. It is two layers of plastic sandwiched around some kind of reinforcment. The frame is lightweight but sturdy enough and very easy to assemble. The zippers on the doors don't appear as sturdy.

I will be using it to start seedlings soon. Right now my chickens are enjoying the extra protection and heat.

-dm

Red-Princess: I'm not sure where in NC you are but I'm just north of Charlotte (also 7b) and I wouldn't trust that greenhouse with my house plants. With the occasional snow and ice that we get, just once would probably do it in. Take ecrane's advice and check out the ones from Harbor Freight.

I thank you all for you opinions. I am not gonna trust that greenhouse from walmart for my houseplants... i have to much time,effort and money..not to mention heart and soul when i am nursing a youngin back from the brink of death. This morning it is 19* and that told me that it is to cold down here. I will figure something out...or wait till spring to put them back out on the porch.

Char

I really think that is a great decision. It was in the 20s here in Dallas last night and I am afraid to go out to the greenhouse to assess the damage. It is dark when I get home from work and it is dark leave in the morning.

I purchased a greenhouse similar to this 2 years ago while I was renting an apartment with a porch as a temporary solution for growing space. At that time I was living in upstate NY, zone 4b. The type that I had was a 6x6 lean to "flowerhouse" that I put on my 2nd story porch. It was made of the same woven poly material. I lined the Interior with greenhouse insulating bubble wrap (the kind with the big bubbles) and also insulated the the floor with styrofoam insulating panels covered in discounted ceramic tile. All of the seams were sealed with clear polyethylene mending tape. I put in a circulation fan that I mounted on the house wall and set the greenhouse up against a window so it could be accessed by opening the window and crawling in, that way I never had to open it to the cold outside air. I heated it with a small 1500 watt electric radiator plugged into a portable thermostat. I was able to keep the temperature from ever falling below 50 and never had a bill more than 100$ in spite of temps that dropped below -20 outside. Warm enough to grow my orchids and other tropicals. I now have the same greenhouse in my new backyard without the insulation or the shared wall with the house, it is the same temperature in the greenhouse as it is outdoors, basically only good for keeping the rain off of things. I have to say that as far as concerns about these being sturdy, the one staked down in my back yard regularly endures 50mph+ winds here on the oregon coast. The year before it did just fine in the snow and ice, but keep your plants a little away from the sides to keep the wind from tipping your benches. In short, these are a good option for a temporary fix but need some modifications to really stay warm. A grow light indoors is easier if you have space for it!

This message was edited Jan 5, 2008 10:10 PM

From Z7a, I have had this one for approx 5 years. I don't use it year round, but I do start in February. I use a charmglo propane heater on the lowest setting and it has no issues keeping it warm. On the lowest setting, if its 30 outside, it will be 60 inside. The cover is one piece, so its fairly airtight. I have to open the door a little to keep in oxygen sensor going. Its been sturdy through a few inches of snow and ice as well as 70mph winds. I have included a closeup of the actual material.

I think that "greenhouse" might make a useful "coldframe" in your clime, red_princess, but would be a disaster for over-wintering tropical house plants! Don't do it---you'll be disappointed at best...devastated at worst!