Hey Everybody! I just came from visiting my friend's. He has a nice, simple GH. All it is ---is a metal piping structure with thick elegant looking UV GH plastic. The sides roll up to allow a cross flow of air on a hot day. It's been cold in Charlotte the past 2 days, 45 degrees for a high and 20 degrees last night. But Mike's GH was nice and warm inside. It musta been 65 degrees inside. His GH is big! I think it's 30 x 60. He said he keeps the night time temps no lower than 48 degrees.

There was a wonderful sweet smell in the air as these huge fans were blowing air from the back of the GH. It came from several citrus trees.....Meyer Lemons, Lime trees, orange trees, all kinds of citrus! He had a huge Meyer Lime tree that was full of ripe limes. I laughed as I picked a handful of ripe fruit. I gave him a few jars of fig jam. We spent about an hour talking about fruit trees. Then he said something that really made sense. He said, Dennis you need a GH! I looked at him and paused and thought about it. Then I said, you're right. I do need a GH. As many of you know, I have one GH....it's a small 6x8. BUT, I have really out grown it.

As I was driving home, I was thinking if I could build one like Mike's. I went out back and measured. The available space I have is 12' wide by 30' deep or long. Then I came inside the house and started searching for a 12x30 GH and found this 12x24.
Please take a look at this GH. What do you think? Does anyone have this GH?

https://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/grow-it-peak-greenhouse-12-wide/hobby-greenhouse-kits

If I get this one, I'm gonna get 2 auto vents too---one at each end. Now, I need to think about how to heat it in winter.

All comments are welcome.

I have two 12 x24. Mine are the hoop style. I love them. Especially in winter time. They are easy to keep warm 75 degrees and 100% humidity. Makes my plants,grow,all winter long. This house you are showing us here is what i need. Side roll up would help me in the summer. I live in Louisiana. 100 degree summer cooks plants. Have to have both ends open with shop fan blowing out. I really like this GH. LOOKS STURDY TOO. THANKS FOR SHARING. IF YOU BOUGHT THIS GUY HERE WOULD BE REALLY Functional

hey Richard! I fouond the exact same one for $799! See here....

http://www.hayneedle.com/product/growitheavydutywalkthrugreenhouseroundstyle.cfm?redirect=false&source=pla&kwid=GreenhousesandPottingSheds%20High&tid=NA308-1&adtype=pla&kw=&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=NA308-1&gclid=Cj0KEQiAuMOlBRDf6_izz93n-pEBEiQAsJCJWrfH5bqAvuVrXKpeAYnKYtvz0PbuVo4M4RiGsAuxrqMaAqu48P8HAQ#.

And the exact same one at Northern Tool for $699 but shipping is $100. Looks like its gonna be Norther Tool!

It's too small!  If you can't fit 3 or 4 30' x 120' greenhouses on your land you need more land!  :)

HA a Bob! You're funny!

Looks aren't everything.  But that does look like a great greenhouse.  I wonder if I could sneak it past my HOA...

Seriously, as a season extender for a few outstanding varieties it's probably big enough.

I put in a 16.5 x 30' greenhouse and before it was even finished I decided I needed another larger one.  The new one will be 22'x 40'.  

I have two. 12x24. Love them but yalls problem is the weight of snow. I dont have to deal with that. So dont know how it would hold up. Read reviews on mine. Southern peps loved it northern people said it sucks because it fell in with the weight of the snow.

I might open a greenhose park lol. Like a trailer park. I am so funny. !!!

Looks great Dennis. A couple of those oil heaters should do the trick in the winter. Best of luck and thanks for sharing!

I wonder if the sides only roll up about a foot or so as in all the photos.  That's not really enough to cool it in the summer.  You'd have to put a fan up high in the doorway.  Are you going to use it in the Summer or just Fall, Winter and Spring?

One more thing.  How many fig plants will fit in here?  If we assume 18" pots need to be 12" away from the walls and 2' from each other in a row (21" from wall, 42" from fig stem to fig stem), with 3.5' between rows (stem to stem) so you can walk between them to pick figs, that gives you 3 figs per row and 7 rows of figs with some space left over.  That seems like very tight spacing and only 21 plants.  If you spaced them more closely and went to 4x8 rows you get 32 plants at 28.8" between stems in a row and 32" stem to stem between rows.

That means the branches can't get much more than a foot from the stem.  $700 for 21 or 32 plants.  Comments? 

That hayneedle.com link now says 699 with free shipping. 

Consider this - you could probably put 4 of them in your space.  They're not as sturdy, but you probably don't need them any sturdier.  And your total sq' would be 336 for only $420

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-GREENHOUSE-12-X-7-X-7-LARGE-HOT-GARDEN-HOUSE-/180764600662

I have two of them just bigger. 24x12x10 750.00 for both

Where did you get yours?

Dennis why dont you ask Hershell to give you his feedback?
he builds them for a living... he should be able to point you to the right one as far as value for money goes

Dennis,

If your somewhat handy, you should read this thread. Building a hightunnel / Greenhouse is very easy to do and you will have a better greenhouse than just about any kit as you can customize it to your liking. By far my best gardening investment to date was building one, just wish I made it bigger!

http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/high-tunnel-advantages-6278588?pid=1277475747#post1277475747


Mike

Thanks for all the comments.

I will reachn out to Hershell. Hershell, if you're reading this, you can expect a PM from me. :)

Bob, I completely understand what you're saying. That eBay GH isn't sturdy enough. I had one of those about 5 yrs ago. My current GH is not used in late Spring and Summer. Why? It's just too hot. I have shade cloth but have not used it yet. The link I posted of that 12x24 is set in my mind b/c my friend has the similar setup. His has the sides and in summer, he raises up the side and open doors on both end.

I really like the high tunnels and they really are the cheapest way to go, but I would have to have it be built with prestine professional skill. I live in a subdivision and my neighbors would have a fit if it did not have that professional touch. This is why I opted for those for $599. I am handy with tools. I have an engineering background and an automotive background and can fix just about anything. Got 4 rental homes that I bought for pennies and became the general contractor for all 4 over the past 15 yrs in all their upgrades and renovations.

Whatever I get, I want to roll up the sides and add 2 fans to keep it cool.

I visited Rabbit Ridge Nursery recently and the owner told me that his current greenhouses which are all around 12x30 or so are much better at keeping a constant temp than the much larger ones he used to have. Great nursery by the way.

Hey Brian, I'm planning on visiting that guy at Rabbit Ridge this Spring. He wants to buy some of my fig trees. A 12 x 30 would be awesome! What is his GH like? Does the side roll up? About 10yrs ago, I was going to build one using these EZ-Up Fast Builder kits:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_572_572?cm_mmc=Google-pla-_-Tarps%2C%20Canopies%20%2B%20Shelters-_-Utility%20Sheds-_-18343&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=18343&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=18343&gclid=CjwKEAiA28ilBRCy5cXrgtfTxTISJABgX7E2esrxNtAKUXWMqu-ZRLa0XEw7fJ9iNDJxpDK6A0xw_RoC7Cfw_wcB

I got one kit now and if I go this route, I will get 3 more. The stats on these kits says 3 kits will give you a 10x 22. But i'd change it to a 12 x 28. At least the extra size would make Bob happy :)

If I go this route, I'd pay my handman to just frame it and put the roof on. He can have it built in about 2 hours....he's that good! Then, I'll get the thick zipper GH UV plastic that my friend has for the sides. That way, I can vent it from the top and bottom.

Hi Snaglpus,
The first product (post #1) - ain't it dark inside ?
Does your friend use artificial lighting ?
The GH, I see, use clear plastic to let natural light in .

Snaglpus,
I really enjoyed my visit to Rabbit Ridge. He took me on a tour of his entire property and showed me and my son his koi pond, muscadine trellis, espaliered plums, tayberries, and more! He has maybe six or seven of the greenhouses which had metal framing and a plastic outer sheeting which were all professional grade. They all had fans and heaters and he has an entire greenhouse of nothing but citrus. He gave my young son a meyer lemon and a few limes and threw in a free homemade muscadine jelly with my purchase of two muscadine vines and an owari satsuma which I plan to trial outside. He mentioned a man from Charlotte that had over 130 varieties and I had a guess about who he was talking about but I didn't say anything. I had come for his Battaglia green but he told me he was sold out until spring. I will try to find a pic for his type of greenhouse and post here.

I love muscadine grapes!!!  It was one of the things I learned about since moving to NC.  I can't wait to plant my own.  Sounds like a nursery I need to go visit.  Dennis I want to see what you end up with.  I'm going to have the gas and electric folks out to look at my property to see if we can run lines over the creek for my greenhouse.  Hershell maybe you'll be able to stop by and check out my site after Dennis. Hehe