New on our farm this year

RomeGrower · #1 03/06/15, 03:04 PM

Here's a little bit of what we've been doing with our family over the last few weeks.

Wendy · #2 03/06/15, 03:06 PM

I'm not seeing anything. ?????

RomeGrower · #3 03/06/15, 03:09 PM

Trying to post pics

RomeGrower · #4 03/06/15, 03:26 PM

A few more pics. The raised beds are for a mix of flowers and herbs. The bed adjacent to the hoop house is to help beautify it and focus on herbs.

stef · #5 03/06/15, 04:00 PM

You can't imagine how lovely your pictures are to my ('overblessed' with snow and ice) eyes. Very, very nice!!!

dfr1973 · #6 03/06/15, 04:05 PM

Household Seven is wondering about materials used and dimensions: pvc pipe - 3/4in? Did you use landscape timbers along the bottom edges?

RomeGrower · #7 03/06/15, 04:12 PM

Household Seven (looks like you gained one) I used pressure treated 2x4s that have rebar nearly 2 ft. down in multiple spots. The PVC is 3/4' because the next size up did not want to bend so well. We needed to support it inside briefly when 5" of snow fell upon us last week. The size is 11' x 20'.

Thanks Stef. Wait until the roses cover the fence later this year and into next year. It was 23 this morning so still not really Spring in our corner of Georgia yet.

RomeGrower · #8 03/06/15, 04:19 PM

Inside the greenhouse we have the lights hooked up now. There will be power to the building by mid week. Here's a more finished look of the raised beds too. We are so blessed to have all these rocks on our land. I carried most of them in buckets. It's very good exercise.

dfr1973 · #9 03/06/15, 04:26 PM

H7 is now asking about dimensions on the doorframe. (I am H6, hubby is H7 ... it's an army joke.) He's also asking if you used PVC glue on the joints, and what you used to secure the pvc frame to the base lumber.

RomeGrower · #10 03/06/15, 04:36 PM

Yes there is liberal pvc glue on the roof joints going over the top. I used c clamps to attach to 2x4s. I also attached the pvc to the benches and the end walls. The door is a cheap screen door from Lowe's ($25) 32 inch I think. The plastic is 6 ml. in 100' for about $94 at Lowes. With the wood benches we may have spent $600 on the greenhouse itself. My wife could tell you better about that.

jwal10 · #11 03/06/15, 05:07 PM

Did you get your fence at Lowes. We use a lot of the cedar split rail here. All I have seen are in 8' lengths, 2 or 3 rail posts. I build my door frames and bend 1' electrical conduit to the bows to that, we put the bows closer together. I have seen the PVC but it gets brittle after 2-3 years and shatters. I have seen and built a few smaller hoops for raised beds with grey PVC electrical conduit and it has lasted 6 years so far. Very pretty, nice job. Enjoyed the pictures....James

Texasdirtdigger · #12 03/06/15, 05:28 PM

Hokie smokes, Bullwinkle!!! WOWZERS!!
I am so happy for you!......and maybe a little envious!!
Nice, Nice,Nice!

billinwv · #13 03/06/15, 05:45 PM

Terrific! I like to see beautiful and homesteading. I get made fun of for being a neat-nick and spend a lot of time on "looks". Top ratings to you!

BlueRose · #14 03/07/15, 09:32 AM

Niiicccceeee!

Rustaholic · #15 03/08/15, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RomeGrower

Yes there is liberal pvc glue on the roof joints going over the top. I used c clamps to attach to 2x4s. I also attached the pvc to the benches and the end walls. The door is a cheap screen door from Lowe's ($25) 32 inch I think. The plastic is 6 ml. in 100' for about $94 at Lowes. With the wood benches we may have spent $600 on the greenhouse itself. My wife could tell you better about that.

Yes Like James said I would either paint that PVC or use the electrical conduit.
And a lot more hoops.
I am up here in heavy snow country though.
Very exciting today to see your pictures with all of this snow around us and it was 45 F a while ago on my thermometer.
In time this snow will all melt and we can get started.
Right now I need to go downstairs and cut up a few more pallets to feed them into our old wood stove.

fordy · #16 03/08/15, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RomeGrower

Yes there is liberal pvc glue on the roof joints going over the top. I used c clamps to attach to 2x4s. I also attached the pvc to the benches and the end walls. The door is a cheap screen door from Lowe's ($25) 32 inch I think. The plastic is 6 ml. in 100' for about $94 at Lowes. With the wood benches we may have spent $600 on the greenhouse itself. My wife could tell you better about that.

..............You know you can use 3/4" plain steel rod in 20 foot lengths , weld them together and they'll be a whole lot stronger and last a lot longer than PVC ! I'm not sure what the cost differential would be but probably not that much .
..............If that structure gets hit by the 'Big' Wind I don't think it will last long . I do hope your structure gives you many years of use . , fordy

nosedirt · #17 03/09/15, 12:45 AM

I hope you don't mind but I think I will copy your building. Even though jwal10 is correct about damage from UV, for no more than it costs, it can easily be replaced every few years. I like it. Looks like you had a good crew to help build it. How much did they charge?

I shouldn't be reading this at 10 pm. Time to go to sleep but now I'm all fired up to build a greenhouse.

Love the pics. Good luck with it.

ND

bcollier18 · #18 03/09/15, 11:49 AM

Looking Great. Keep us updated on your progresses

Westvalleyfarm · #19 03/09/15, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nosedirt

I hope you don't mind but I think I will copy your building. Even though jwal10 is correct about damage from UV, for no more than it costs, it can easily be replaced every few years. I like it. Looks like you had a good crew to help build it. How much did they charge?

I shouldn't be reading this at 10 pm. Time to go to sleep but now I'm all fired up to build a greenhouse.

Love the pics. Good luck with it.

ND

If he doesn't put a shade cloth over the plastic cover, I'd say it will just last a year. He could have had a 4 year greenhouse cover for around 220 dollars.

It might sound like a savings but the added labor of having to replace it more often and seed lose potential, doesn't make it much of savings, IMO

Good work on it. I built my hoop house myself too. Fun little project.

RomeGrower · #20 03/10/15, 07:29 AM

Sorry I haven't been back for few days. I quit taking my statin medication last week and it hit me kind of hard. I feel better again now though.

I realize that this kind of structure will need to be replaced. However it is so affordable that it allowed us to have a greenhouse THIS year instead of some year. My son is already thinking of ways we can improve on it in the future. There are so many start up costs to our little farm this year that we could not go quite all out in every area.

Thank you for the kind words everyone. We love to mix beauty with practicality. My wife planted 5 or 6 more roses along the newest fence bed yesterday. Speaking of fencing, we do get that at Lowe's too. The long split rails are 10'

I'll keep you up to date on how long things last. I have a Mr. Heater propane heater to get the temp where we want it. We got all our seeds planted yesterday (been doing that over a couple week period) and can't wait to see signs of life.