If you've been dreaming of a ‘green' Christmas but don't quite know how to make it happen, look no further than a simple bamboo greenhouse that you can build yourself in your own backyard.
In addition to keeping your garden greener in the midst of the coldest part of the year and ensuring a greener plate at mealtimes, you can keep more green in your wallet by being able to grow your own vegetables rather than purchasing them at the grocery store.
And since bamboo is arguably the greenest building material available due to its rapid regrowth and overall sustainability, you know you are doing your part for the planet as well.
So before you dismantle your raised bed garden when the temperature drops, here's how you can build your own inexpensive greenhouse and ensure happy season's ‘greenings' all winter long!
DIY Bamboo Garden Greenhouse
The basic building blocks of this backyard greenhouse frame are bamboo and plastic sheeting. And these two simple materials can mean the difference between starting your flower seeds earlier in the spring and enjoying your existing raised bed garden growth longer in the winter.
To build your own 6-foot-by-8-foot rectangular bamboo greenhouse, gather the following materials:
- Bamboo Poles measuring 2 ½ inches or 5 inches around and of varying lengths:
- 2 poles measuring 5″ x 8′
- 2 poles measuring 5″ x 6′
- 4 poles measuring 2 ½” x 8′
- 2 poles measuring 2 ½” x 6′
- 2 poles measuring 2 ½” x 6 and 1/3-foot
- Roll of Heavy Grade Clear Plastic Sheeting
- Cement
- Stakes and Twine
- Heavy Duty Velcro Strips (make sure they adhere to plastic)
You'll also need the following tools:
- Post Digger
- Hacksaw
- Drill with ½” drill bit
- ½” nuts and bolts
- Staple Gun
1. Layout your greenhouse footprint and use the post digger to dig a hole 2 feet deep at each corner.
2. Mix the cement and fill the holes.
3. Place the two 5″ x 8′ poles on one of the 8-foot-long sides and place the two 5″ x 6′ poles on the opposite 8-foot-long side. By having one side two feet lower than the other, you can create that nice slanted greenhouse roof that allows water to run off.
4. Secure the poles in a perfectly vertical position with the stakes and twine (check with a level) while the cement dries.
5. Begin framing the bottom of the greenhouse by placing one 2 ½” x 8′ pole at the base of both 8′ sides. Secure the horizontal 2 ½” poles to the vertical 5″ poles at their intersecting points by drilling a ½” hole and securing them with a ½” nut and bolt. Repeat for all 4 corners.
6. Repeat the securing process for all 4 corners with the 2 ½” x 6′ poles on both 6′ sides.
7. Attach the remaining two poles measuring 2 ½” x 8′ at the top of the vertical poles on the 8′ sides using the nuts and bolts and drill.
8. Attach the final two poles measuring 2 ½” x 6 and 1/3-foot at the top of the greenhouse on the shorter sides (connecting the 8 foot and 6 foot heights).
9. Now that your frame is complete, wrap the entire structure with plastic sheeting and make sure that it is pulled taut before attaching throughout the interior with the staple gun, leaving one corner available for the entry/exit point.
10. When you reach the last corner that you would like to serve as your ‘door,' staple the sheeting at the top as you did the other 3 sides but leave the bottom corner unattached. Line up the sides and bottom corner and follow the directions on your heavy-duty Velcro package to attach the strips to both edges (the loose corner should line up with the attached edge).
11. From here, whenever you need to tend to your plants, simply peel the corner back at the Velcro connections and reattach them when you are finished to ensure the greenhouse stays closed.
What are you going to grow in your brand new greener greenhouse?
A Home Depot store associate from the Chicago suburbs for over 12+ years, Chris Long has lots of experience with DIY projects. He often shares his tips on a plethora of landscaping topics such as: “what are the best types of flower seeds to use indoors,” to “how to build a raised bed garden” and even “how to build a greenhouse.”
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