A greenhouse is a building, usually glass-walled and frequently topped with a ventilating cupola, primarily intended for the growing of plants, especially in areas where the amount of sunlight cannot provide the requirements of crops.
Constructing Your Homesteading Greenhouse Plans:
Select a Location
It’s vital to choose the correct location for your greenhouse; making sure that it is level and free from any obstacles such as rocks or grass that could ruin the smooth surface of the glass pane. Other than these two factors it’s up to you where you choose to place your homemade greenhouse, making use of natural sunlight and airflow whenever possible.
Attaching Window Pane
For this step alone you will need some tools, making sure you have plenty of time before dark! Using hinges attach the windowpane securely onto one side of the wooden frame making sure it opens easily without any resistance (for ventilation purposes). The tape measure comes in handy for this step measuring each corner making sure your wooden frame and windowpane are even and in the same area.
Door
This step is pretty self-explanatory making use of hinges for an easy flip open door that secures shut once closed. If you wish to create a double or triple layered door then follow the same method as making a single one, making sure each door is sturdy enough to keep out all intruders! In this instance constructing a windowpane on each door will allow some light to enter from more than one side/s making it more versatile if you have an odd-shaped greenhouse.
Ventilation
Ventilation within a homemade greenhouse can be gained through several methods – either making use of adjustable vents at the top of the greenhouse making use of car sunroof windows (more on making car windows adjustable later) or making use of wire mesh to enable airflow through the wooden frame. It’s up to you which venting system you would prefer making use of; however, make sure that if making use of wire mesh it is small enough not to let any insects in!
Staining/Treatment
For additional protection and lustre utilising a wood treatment product like varnish or stains will keep your homemade greenhouse durable throughout all four seasons. This step is optional but recommended for an added element of protection against the elements! On another note, this step will allow your homemade greenhouse to blend into its surroundings making it more aesthetically pleasing, making it more unique to your tastes making use of colour schemes and/or stencils.
Waterproofing
If making use of reclaimed glass or plastic bottles, making sure they are free from any dirt or grime will save you a lot of water leakage issues further down the track! To protect your homemade greenhouse from rain making use of roofing felt is recommended but to be safe making use of large-sized sheets of plastic that can overlap each other once fixed in place will work just as well.
Runoff Channel
Make sure that all excess water runs off the side away from the door making sure not to block it with pots, planters or anything else that would cause damp conditions within your homemade greenhouse.
Door Handle
This step is optional making use of a door handle for opening and closing your homemade greenhouse making use of a rope and pulley system, making it more rustic and homey! However, making use of hinges will suffice just as well making it easier to open and close making sure you can secure it shut once closed.
Flooring
Making use of reclaimed pallets or other wooden pieces making sure they are clean such as decking boards will protect your plants from standing in any damp conditions within your homemade greenhouse – not only that but adding insulation to the ground area will keep the warmth in around those delicate plants! The flooring can be lined with plastic sheeting or carpet matting making use of rocks, stones, gravel or other decorative objects around the perimeter making it more aesthetically pleasing.
Security
The final step is making sure your homemade greenhouse is secure and safe for both you and your plants making use of items such as padlocks or if making use of hinges then simply making use of a latch system keeping potential thieves at bay while allowing airflow to still come through!
How to build a homesteading greenhouse?
Nowadays, making own greenhouse is becoming popular again. It’s practical because you can control temperature and lighting any time you want unlike when plants are in natural conditions. There are many YouTube video guides for making your homemade greenhouse.
This is a very cheap option when making your own house. This option allows you to grow plants in cold weather without using a heating system. Also, this greenhouse doesn’t occupy much space, so speaking about making your homesteading greenhouse this is probably best out there.
If you are making your greenhouse, there is no better way than making it with something already available in nature. I made my greenhouse from wood pallets, it’s cheap and easy to find. You can also use an old window, with removable glass.
Here are plans for making a DIY homesteading greenhouse:
1. The Pallet Greenhouse
Building a greenhouse out of wood pallets is a low-cost and easy way to get started. It’s also very convenient for making a DIY greenhouse because the materials are readily available at home improvement stores everywhere. Wood pallets can be found in almost any size, making it possible to build almost any size greenhouse.
For example, you can recycle old wooden shipping crates into your own large greenhouses quickly and inexpensively by disassembling them and then reassembling them with new material.
2. The Emergency Cold Frame
The cold frame design has been around for decades and they’re well known in gardening circles as an easy way to extend growing seasons and provide protection winter weather when plants can be grown right in the ground.
One of the best features of making a cold frame is that it can be built out of recycled materials, making it very inexpensive as well as quick and easy to build.
3. The Hoop Greenhouse
This option looks like an unassuming curved greenhouse made from PVC piping and plastic sheeting, but what makes this greenhouse so efficient is how well it utilizes passive solar energy to keep plants inside warm and growing even on cold winter days.
With this design, you just need to cover the greenhouse with clear plastic sheeting during bright sunny days when plants are actively growing for the best results. For cloudy days or at night time, make sure to remove the plastic covering so plants don’t cook themselves under too much heat.
4. The Cold Frame
This cold frame is built from scratch by making a wooden box-like structure that serves as the base to hold up a transparent cover made from traditional greenhouse clear plastic sheeting material. In addition, this project makes use of old storm window materials for making the outer frame and glazing cover.
5. The Solar-Powered Cold Frame
Like the cold frame option above, this design also utilizes passive solar energy to keep plants warm inside during chilly winter days or freezing nights. However, unlike the design above, this cold frame is completely powered by solar energy making it very energy efficient.
The roof glazing is insulated to keep the heat inside at night and during cloudy days plus a built-in ventilation fan helps circulate warm air throughout the greenhouse making plants warmer even on cool winter days.
6. The Cold Frame Made From Old Windows
If you have old windows that are no longer used, consider making them into a cold frame for your greenhouse. This works especially well if you can find large old windows with intact glass panes. However, even small pieces of window glass cut to size can work as long as they’re all secured together using weatherproof caulk or silicone sealant.
If you happen to have an old storm door on hand, it’s possible to make a cold frame out of this too making it easy to keep plants warm during the winter months thanks to passive solar heating.
7. The Stylish Geico Dome Greenhouse
This dome greenhouse model is also made from recycled materials making it very inexpensive to build. In addition, this project can be built as tall as desired making it possible to grow both vines and tall plants inside. For the covering material, you can recycle old billboard vinyl or plastic sheeting found at your local home improvement store making this a pretty cheap greenhouse to construct.
8. The PVC Pipe Cold Frame
This cold frame option takes things up another notch by using long lengths of PVC tubing that serve as the ‘skeleton’ for making a durable and sturdy greenhouse structure that’s easy to move around too. This design uses smaller diameter PVC piping making it possible to purchase everything needed for making this greenhouse kit at your local home improvement store.
9. The Super-Simple Cold Frame
This cold frame is the simplest design making it perfect for those who enjoy making DIY projects using recycled materials. In addition, this project requires no cutting or building skills making it easy to assemble too. As shown in the picture, all you need are two wooden posts, a few recycled windows and some other common hardware items found at your local home improvement store making this an inexpensive greenhouse option is made with recycled materials.
FAQ
How do you build a homestead greenhouse?
You can save a lot of money by making your own greenhouse from wood pallets. It’s easy to make and an inexpensive project for this spring. Pallets are usually free, so you won’t even have to spend a penny!
What is the cheapest way to build a greenhouse?
There are several ways to build a greenhouse, depending on how much money you have, what construction skills you have, and if you want your greenhouse portable or fixed so it is built for the long term. The cheapest way to build a greenhouse is almost always making one out of recycled materials such as used plastic bottles. However, this might not be something that meets all your needs or fits your plans of making a sustainable living on your homestead.
Is a greenhouse a good investment?
Perhaps so. A greenhouse is an excellent addition to any home homesteading setup. Not only does it allow you to grow fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers all year round, but it also acts as a place for your family to sit back and relax in the shade on those hot summer days.
A greenhouse can be used for many things besides growing plants – making space for indoor pets such as cats and dogs, or even making a makeshift storage room by enclosing items like bikes and mowers