2019 - Volume #43, Issue #4, Page #29
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Portable Greenhouse Built On Wagon Running Frame
“We use it to grow plants that we start in our house and then move out when they get too big. Later on, we transplant them to our gardens. Our total cost was only about $100,” says Dave.
He started with a flatbed wagon with a pressure-treated wood floor. He bought four 20-ft. lengths of 1/2-in. rerod and cut them in half. He bent five 10-ft. long pieces into a hoop shape, by marking the middle and then bending the rods over a barrel. He then drilled five 5/8-in. dia. holes on each side of the wagon floor and pushed the hoops into place.
Capen left the other three rods straight and zip-tied them lengthwise to the underside of the hoops, placing one rod on top of the hoops and the other two about halfway down the sides. He then cut out two pieces of scrap plywood and attached them to the upper half of the frame at both ends. The ends of the rods run through holes drilled into the plywood, which helps hold the plywood in place. Cross wires help stabilize the frame.
Once the frame was finished, he bought a roll of 6-mil. plastic for $30 and cut it into thirds. One piece is attached permanently to the top of the hoops. The other two pieces form the sides and are attached to the top piece between pairs of slat boards. The bottom of each side is covered by duct tape to help keep the plastic from ripping, and grommets run through the taped plastic. Bungee cords that run through the grommets attach to the wagon frame.
“By removing the bungee cords, we can flip the sides up for easy access to the plants inside,” says Capen. “We use the same idea on the front and back sides of the frame.”
The portable greenhouse contains 60 square feet of usable space. “Since we don’t need room to walk through, we can use the entire floor of the wagon to grow plants,” says Capen. “If it gets too cold or windy, we just push the greenhouse into our barn. We can also move the greenhouse to a shady or sunny area, depending on the conditions. I use a thermometer to keep track of the temperature inside the greenhouse.”
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Liz Capen, 588 Shaftsbury Hollow Rd. N., Bennington, Vt. 05257 (ph 802-447-4993; lizcapen101@outlook.com).
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