When the word “greenhouse” is mentioned, most people think of that sophisticated house with glass windows used to grow plants in any season. However, these people failed to realize that a greenhouse can likewise be built in a backyard without spending too much. Green-thumb enthusiasts can easily build their own mini-backyard greenhouses without requiring too much costs, effort and time. All one needs is a little space or area in one’s backyard and a simple greenhouse design. Moreover, greenhouse kits are now available at retail stores for a low cost.
There are a couple of simple materials needed for DIY backyard greenhouse construction. These supplies and equipment are widely accessible in home depots or hardware stores. In DIY backyard greenhouse, one needs the following:
- 4 pieces 10-foot sections of ½” PVC pipe
- 4 pieces ½” corner elbow connectors with 3 ports
- 4 pieces ½” adapters
- Primer and PVC Cement
- Scissors or Box Cutter
- Long Zip Ties
- Clamps or Large Binder Clips
- Hack Saw or Pipe Cutter
- 1 box of 10-by-25, 6mm plastic sheeting
Steps on How to Build DIY Backyard Greenhouse
In building a mini greenhouse, there are some simple steps to follow. These steps are very easy that one can do it alone and do not necessitate hiring a pro. The procedures in constructing a greenhouse are as follows:
- Grab 2 10-foot sections of the PVC pipe and cut them into halves, making 4 5-foot sections. Brush the primer onto the inner part of the elbow pieces as well as onto the ends of the four PVC pipe sections. Allow time for them to dry.
- Once the primer has dried, brush PVC cement onto the elbows and ends of the 5-foot sections of the pipe and attach these elbows tightly. Allow the cement to dry. Grab one end of a 10-foot section of the PVC pipe and attach it to an unthreaded end of an elbow by brushing the structures with PVC cement and pushing them together tightly. Allow the cement to dry. Repeat the same procedure with the other 10-foot section.
- Cautiously fold the 10-foot sections of the PVC pipe to fit into the other unthreaded end of the 5-foot sections after brushing them with PVC cement. These two end piece serve as the greenhouse frame.
- Use the plastic sheeting to cover the greenhouse. Cut 2 pieces of plastic sheeting into 6-foot by 6-foot sections. Fold the plastic around the frame and clamp in several places. Repeat it with the other end piece. Secure the plastic sheeting to the pipe by removing and cutting small slits in the plastic close to the pipe. Moreover, to insert the zip ties, pull them tight, and clip off the long ends of the ties. Afterwards, remove all the clamps.
- Fasten the threaded adapters to the elbow ends. Then, connect the other 5-foot sections of the PVC pipe to the adapters by connecting the two end pieces.
- Measure the frame and cut the plastic sheeting according to the frame size. After that, clamp these plastic sheeting onto the pipe in several locations. Fasten these plastic sheeting onto the PVC pipes on the end pieces with zip ties, securing the zip ties to the middle of the greenhouse frame. Thus, the unsecured side allows access to the plants. These sides can also be clamped when complete closing is required.
- Place completed mini-greenhouse in desired location and secure it with tent spikes attached to metal fence posts on the other end.
For bigger greenhouses, bigger and longer PVC pipes and more support sections, such as end pieces, are used. One can also opt to use a wood frame instead of a PVC pipe. DIY backyard greenhouses are perfect cost-effective dwelling places for plants to thrive, even during winter season.
