I finally built my greenhouse. 8' x 8' x 8' = 884,736 cubic inches. I still have to make the shelves, but that will be easy. I moved about 100 newly potted rootings in today. It was cloudy and 62F today, but about 15-20 degrees warmer inside. And nice and humid. Still need to add a shade cloth for the sunny days, and probably some venting. This was long, long overdue. I hope to be able to squeeze in about 400 plants.

2 x 3 minimal wall framing with doublewall "corrugated" polyethylene covering.

Great job Jon,
Let me tell you that Venting is a must, otherwise it will be over a hundred degree. When I first built my greenhouse, it didn't have venting the first year, I killed many trees, the temperatures where in the 120's .

Was it a kit or did you design/build yourself


If it was a do it yourself, I'd be interested in what it cost overall.  I've got raised beds 4x8x8 and I've considered building a greenhouse around one of them to serve as a season-extender/greenhouse for autumn/winter.

jon...one more thing....when will this year's rootings be added to the available plant list (I'm considering ordering once I'm sure that two of the varieties I am not having success rooting have fully failed and one of them, although somewhat common, is not listed among your current plant list.

~Chilsl

Fellows:

Before you embark on any ambitious do-it-yourself greenhouse-building projects look at what is available on the web. 

I looked around last week and was amazed.  Eight by Ten aluminum framed polycarbonate delivered for less than $800. !!!!!Edit:  Scratch that; I went back and looked to find the one I saw and the cheapest was $629 for a six by eight---could not find the eight by ten at $795 that I remembered.--- Israeli made, one day erection time.   An ad on Craigslist here not long ago offered a ten by twelve for  $400 in the box.  This one was PVC frame and plastic film.

Less expensive ones too. 

I wanted a greenhouse several years back and was put off when I got a quote of over $4,000 for a six by eight delivered and installed.  I just wish that I had the energy and know how to build my own.  If you buy the kits you still have to build a foundation or base of some kind.
Ox

The double-wall plastic was the expensive part, at about $500 ( a bit more expensive now, with the price of oil increasing - I bought mine last year) from  http://www.greenhouses-etc.net/glazing/twinwall_roll.htm

The wood, screws, hardware, etc were around $200. 2 x 3s are cheap, and it has not floor. I used Trex to line the bottom where it sits on the soil. It is 4 wall modules and a roof module, and I can probably disassemble it in 30 minutes or so, when I get ready to move it (if that days comes). Took about 12 hours to design, pickup materials and assemble. Next one will one will be faster and easier. It was about being cheap and functional. Since I modularized it, I can make two more wall modules, and another roof module, and pop out the one end, and double its size real easily. 

I looked at several prefab ones, including the one from Harbor Freight (also cheap) but opted for doing this instead. I didn't want clear panels, rather the diffuse light of the translucent panels, which is not a look that most kits strive for. If you by a "kit" such as the Harbor Freight one, there are good websites by people who have been there and done that, that have good assembly tips and instructions, and things to avoid. Google is your friend, here.

Interestingsly, the covering is the expensive part, but ultimately not that energy efficient, with an R value of 3-4. It I use it in the winter, will need a small heat source, probably, and might add some bubble wrap for additional insulation value.

Chills,

I expect to have this year's new plants added toward the end of summer, probably around Labor Day. I have about 200 outside, already, a 100 in the greenhouse, a 1000 more in cups, and quite a few in the frig, yet. I still have plenty to keep me busy,

One thousand in cups??!!

50 storage boxes with 20 cups each. Here some of them.

Sweeeet!

From a hobby to a joby... but still sweet most of the time (literally).

My dream of a Sunroom on top of garage to extend the ripening season was shot down by the contractor who came to give me an estimate but instead informed me that the city bylaw restricts the window area toward the neighbour side (the south side) which will not make it a real Sunroom with good southern exposure. So back to thinking of 2x4s and plastic sheets for temporary enclosures.