Do you actually use your greenhouse?

I am considering buying a greenhouse and want to see if those who have one actually use and enjoy them.
I live in Idaho and it gets pretty windy here at times. Hot and dry in the summer, cold- some snow in the winter. I have seen some unused and algae green ones around and am concerned that this might be an item that doesn't get used as much as I think it would.
I love to start and grow both flowers and veggies but I do it under grow lights in the house. I am running out of room for my bigger plants that need more light.
I also want to overwinter some plants and propagate new ones from cuttings.
I would appreciate your feedback. Would you get one again?

We have lots of tropicals that have to be protected during the winter. We don't actually have a green house so we had to improvise. We used commercial grade clear shower curtains to cover the swingset frame and our gazebo that is also a "hut". It protects the plumerias, tropical hibiscus, house type plants, and other tropicals.

hut / makeshift greenhouse

This might be the wrong forum to ask that question--I think anyone who follows this forum is probably using theirs so you won't hear from the people who bought one and aren't using it anymore. The thing to think about is how long you've been doing gardening indoors under lights and what the chances are that you're going to continue--if it's something you've been doing for a long time and every year you have a few more plants then I think chances are good you'll continue to use it, but if you've just started with it and you're not sure you'll keep at it then maybe give yourself a year or two before you invest in a GH.

I suspect in at least some cases the algae covered unused ones you see around are ones where a gardener used to live there and used it, but then sold the house and left the GH behind, but the new owners aren't into gardening, or at least not the sort of gardening the requires a GH so they don't use it.

Thank you, I did find that thread and thought it was very inventive and money smart. Our winds would shred it in a short time though.
Greenhouses can cost quite alot and I guess I am trying to weigh the cost vs use. Do greenhouses get used enough to warrant buying one? Do they last? Are they one of those items that get bought and used initially and then not so much?
I appreciate your inputTexasgal77. Thank you for taking the time to help!

Thank you also ecrane3 for your help,

I actually hoped for input from those who own them. Who better to ask? But you make a good point. I have gardened inside for over 20 years ( and other than taking over every room for months until things can go outside) I have done fine.
Things don't propagate well here though. It is so dry and I just can't keep up with the watering. And over wintering can get humorous.
So...being the newbie that I am, do greenhouses get alot of algae? Are they hard to clean? Do they raise heating and cooling costs much?

This will be the 3rd winter I've had my small 6 X 8 Harbor Freight greenhouse. I use it mainly for my orchids. We are remodeling the inside of the house, mainly the kitchen now, and I lost my window spot for them. I use bubble wrap insulation and a small space heater to warm it. Not sure about the cost to run the heater. You would probably need something more reliable in Idaho than a space heater. This year I will have to use caulk or something as there are more air leaks, since it has settled due to drought this summer. The bubble wrap will need to be replaced, probably next year.
I've not had any algae problems. My worst pest is white flies. I've ordered pure neem to take care of them, I hope. I also had scale on the orchids, but the greenlight neem took care of those OK.
Watering is fairly easy, I just hose them until the water in the hose is too cold, then I use a watering can. I have a gravel floor and let the water drip down. Helps keep the humidity up, as orchids like it humid. People with larger setups have automatic misting systems.
I also use the greenhouse to start my veggie and annual flower seeds. I started over 80 tomato plants, about 60 pepper plants and 2 flats of annuals under lights in the greenhouse this past winter/spring. I used fluorescent shop lights on a timer for that. Worked well.
I will say that without DH's help with construction and putting in the electric, I probably wouldn't have the GH.

I grow for a living, so I use my grhouses alot. I also have alot of tropicals and palms that have to come in for the winter, and I have to keep those inside the house. I wish that I had the room for another grhouse ( I may still make room somewhere) so I didn't have to keep them inside as it can be a pain to move them inside, and water them. I have to either haul water around to water or I have been known to take the hose off the deck and drag it into the house to water on occasion. I put a skylight (4x4') in a room that I wasn't using for all the palms and tropicals and I use a large entrance way/hallway that has two skylights and french doors that get a lot of sun ( these are both near the deck-hence the hose dragging in lol), but nothing beats a grhouse for the ease of watering and the sunlight that the plants get. Growlights are no substitution for direct sun in a grhouse, imo.

The only consideration, once you get past the cost of the grhouse is the cost to heat it-which will depend on what you want to grow, and how long of the winter/spring you need to heat it. You sound like you love to grow-so the cost could go to wellness of mind (what keeps you happy also helps to keep you physically healthy)-a good investment, imo!
Most people quickly outgrow the size of their original grhouse, so if you can, should you decide to get one, try to get one that you could expand on, if necessary.

I never have trouble with algae growing in mine, but its easy to get rid of with bleach. Cooling is very important, and sometimes overlooked in a small grhouse, but you will need to find a way to move the hot air out of the grhouse when the sun is out during the middle of the day. Even in the winter, when its cold out, if the sun is out, the fans come on around 9:30 or 10 in the am.

I have plants in my 20 x 23 GH all year round. This year we had oranges, limes, 3 kinds of guavas, jaboticabas, dozens of passionfruit, and some dragonfruit. I have also used it for cuttings, although I really didn't take any cuttings last year to speak of. This will be the fourth winter.

Algae pops up sometimes, but a blast from the hose is all that is needed to clean things up.

There is no reason you shouldn't be able to do cuttings with a simple mist system. You don't water, you just put the mister on a timer.

Thank you everyone! I truly appreciate the feedback and these are just what I needed to help me realize that I will use it and it is worth it.

I love to grow things for the simple joy of growing. And I am soooo wanting to propagate more successfully .

The DH is trying to surprise me with one for my birthday (Tricky me figured it out) so... now how to pick one out for him to surprise me with????

I have a 16' Rion GH. I used to overwinter perennials in there, but not this year. It will be empty until March.

I'm chiming in a bit late but I sure love my greenhouse. I put it in almost 10yrs ago and I find
its just what I need to get through the cold winter months. I start bazillions of seeds in there and
even bought a set up for the house to start seeds there too. I definitely get algae. I clean the
greenhouse thoroughly in late fall - wash the glass roof with a mop and ladder. It takes me a
day or two of work. But then its a wonderful place to spend time in the rest of the winter. I actually
go in there and just clean when there's nothing else to do there. I have trouble with it over heating
even in the winter so strongly advise you to consider proper venting & perhaps an evaportive cooler.

I have water & electrical outlets in the greenhouse, I tiled the floor and have a drain in the middle.

if you've been starting seeds in the house for 20yrs, I bet you'll enjoy a gh. I started seeds indoors
for about 15 yrs before I got a greenhouse.

Thank you Tammy and pastime,

You sound alot lke me with th bazillion seeds. It is just so enjoyable to plant and watch them grow and develop. I bet I would spend alot of time in the winter playing and toying around. I do have an old swamp cooler that I could try putting in to help with heat. I would not have thought about that. It gets really hot here in the summer.
I started over 100 pepper plants this last winter and they were everywhere. Gave most away and enjoyed the feedback from people and their peppers. I didn't mean to gow so many but I couldn't decide on the variety and still worry about germination (some were old seed)
Yep I am gonna get a greenhouse
Thank you all for your help

i use my homemade one from spring till it gets just to darn cold for overnight growing
In the middle of winter it can get up to mid 70s and be in the 30s outside

here it is this spring with my grand babies(my helpers)

oh and this winter shot-artichoke still growing!!!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=1165645


This message was edited Oct 25, 2008 9:27 PM

I too have a 6 x 8 Harbor Freight.. I use it as a season extender.. I absolutely love it, and wish it was bigger and I could leave all my plants out there all winter..

I did cover it with another layer of plastic.. It still amazes me how warm it can get on a sunny day.. no matter how cold it is outside.. I made my Hubby stick his head in just to see how warm it was today.. He didn't stay in there long..

The coleus are loving it! In the Spring I will germinate seeds like crazy!

I live on top of a very windy hill.. If you have lots of wind then I would suggest a very sturdily built greenhouse.. I'm sure you have already thought of that.

Gosh notmartha that is a big greenhouse. I would never go in my house if I could play out there. You are very fortunate. Happy growing.

KathyJo, I will look and find a good sturdy one thank you. I was thinking that I would outgrow a 6x8 quickly. I definetly get compulsive when plants are involved. My mind is spinning already with visions of bay trees, scented geraniums, coleus, vinca and the list goes on and on...

Does this look used ?
This was April 2008.
I am putting up my 5th house this fall. It will give me a total of 8380 Sq FT. Mostly going to grow vegetables in them now. We quit the bedding plant business since fuel oil became so expensive. A 30 x 96 house has 320 tomato plants growing in the ground. Others will have various vegetables to extend our season at Farmers Market.
Bernie

What a beautiful sight CountryGardens, simply beautiful

Wow! That is fabulous!