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greenhouse Greenhouse, anyone using one similar to this?

Harbor Freight has a good reputation among lots of people. They also tend to run sales from time to time - there is a lot of talk about them in the Greenhouse section of the I-village garden forum.

More than likely, its best use from mid-spring to mid-fall in SW Florida would be to put a big tub of water in it and use it as a steam bath or add a few large rocks instead and turn it into a sauna.

I'm in Cincinnati and it got up to about 80 degrees today - my GH was 97. If the vents are not automatic and you are not available to open them at any time, understand it can go from 55-95 in 90 minutes or less - even in Cincy.

Nevertheless, it would allow you to grow plants the entire year, especially if you don't have a sun drought from mid-December to mid-February. And if you are capable of applying bubble to the polycarb, even on your coldest nights you should need more than about a 1200 watt heater to keep it in the low-50s (thinking your coldest nights will be about 30 degrees or so).

Mike
 
Thanks for the input Mike, I figured it would get too hot down here , the auto vent openers are optional for an extra $21 each. It looked like a good deal and it got me tempted to get one and use it for the 3 months that it gets the coldest and or for segregating some varieties for seed, right now the plants I separate for seed are done so by keeping them indoors in my hydro buckets, but I thought maybe I could move some hydro outside and save on the lighting costs. I already have hydro on my back porch but its screened and doesnt get a whole lot of sun.
 
WM,

All I can tell you that is if your can afford the GH, go for it! I'm sure if you were doing this for a living it would get old and become a job, but there is no doubt about this - the joy of walking into a heated room, with bunches of green plants growing, in the middle of winter, was worth every dime I used to build it and the work I put into raising the plants.

Mike
 
You can always throw some shade cloth on it during the hottest weather. That's what I have to do here in Thailand. I don't have any pictures yet, but may in a day or two. That house looks good and you can always open the doors; just cover with netting if insects are a problem. A fan could be an option as well.
 
I had a very similar greenhouse and it lasted about 4-5 years before the wind finally destroyed it. Personally I think you'd have best results if you can avoid growing during the coldest, darkest months and the hottest months. Even here in Canada with blowers and shade cloth, my greenhouses get way to hot during the summer for practical use and way to cold to heat in the winter:(
 
Cool thanks for all the info guys, I think I'm gonna hold off on the idea, its tempting but after weighing the pro and cons I dont think it will be practical with the extreme heat and all, thanlks for helping out.
Maybe I will move further north so I can get one .... nah ;)

-Rich
 
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