Should We buy this greenhouse?

[Mackay]

What do you think about this 30 x 30 green house for sale for $800. I don't think it comes with a cover. Apparently my husband wants a bigger green house than I was thinking of.

Does it look like a good value?

Is there a downside to one this big?

 

[Wifezilla]

Looks good but it is math time. Calculate the cost of new cover material for that size building and then compare it to the cost of a new one. I had a catalog at one time and they sold greenhouse cover material. I had no idea I would ever need it so of course, now I can't find it.

 

[PamsPride]

That looks like a pretty sweet deal to me!!

 

[FarmerChick]

What do you think about this 30 x 30 green house for sale for $800. I don't think it comes with a cover. Apparently my husband wants a bigger green house than I was thinking of.

Does it look like a good value?

Is there a downside to one this big?

http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/uploads/414_13325525.jpg

not a great deal here, but location means alot too. In my area, they are literally giving this type of structure almost away.

but you must do the research. get the cost of a top, then cost of a new one, then check the papers for cost of one with a top and what that would be.

if you haven't researched, then you just don't know.



nice item to have though definitely! greenhouse sure can be a positive!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

I would estimate $200-$300 to cover it with greenhouse plastic that will last 2-4 years.

I don't think there is a downside to that big of a greenhouse, unless of course you are choosing to heat it over the winter, in that case smaller would probably be more energy efficient. If it will be a passive solar greenhouse, then larger is probably in your favor.

 

[sylvie]

There are outfits that sell these frames. Search and contact for price for your area for a comparison. I had one offered to me for free but I couldn't transport it, so that's a consideration.

Here they heat those with a small $200 woodstove and a fan, buying up all the available firewood by January. I have seen double plastic sheathing for tender plants in winter, so the one layer may/may not be sufficient for your zone.

I'd love to have one. BTW.

 

[punkin]

If I lived near you, you wouldn't have the chance to ask. Where are you, BTW? :bun

I just built a 12x36 this year and the hoops and framing were $1,000 themselves. Mine is just semi-circle. Yours is a nice gothic style, even pricier.

The plastic was not that much, under $200, I think.

The only downside would be heating. We use kerosene heaters only when it is supposed to be 40 or below. You could partition half off as a germination house in order to keep it warmer. More mature plants would be on the other side. Then, as the weather warmed, you could take the partition down for air circulation.

 

[patandchickens]

The plastic isn't a whole lot to buy ONCE, but when you are buying it every couple years, it really starts to add up. (There are more-durable versions you can price out too, but it doesn't change the yearly costs a huge amount since the more durable ones are also pricier).

If the proposed site is inclined to get nasty hailstorms or really gusty storm winds, that is another thing to consider, as either of those can trash a cover right then and there.

What everyone else said re: what zone you're in. It won't do you much good versus Real Winter unless you have one HECK of a supply of firewood and sort of camp out there to nurse the fire over cold nights; but if you just need a mild amount of protection to extend the season in an area that doesnt get super cold, it could be worthwhile.

As some have said, you can get those frames for near-free around here too -- but that presumably varies regionally.

Personally I'd lean towards something smaller, though, unless you seriously intend to grow and use that much produce. A smaller structure is much cheaper in yearly costs, primarily with respect to the replacement of the cover material.

Good luck, ahve fun,

Pat

 

[Beekissed]

Oh, Yeah! GOOD deal!

 

[hollybird]

that is a good price for around here. i have a greenhouse that is 12x16 and filled it up quickly. you can find a heavier plastic that has a 10 yr guarantee. it was called t100 i think. we use oregon valley greenhouses here.