Cheap Greenhouses - Looking to Build a Greenhouse on a Smaller Budget?

Cheap Greenhouses do not necessarily equal low quality greenhouses, or at least they don't have to.

Cheap is relative to the size of the greenhouse that is wanting to be built.

And a cheap greenhouse can pay for itself many times over just by the greenhouse vegetables that it will produce.

So for this reason they can be broken down into two groups:

• Large - Walk in

• Small - Cold Frame or Cloche (can be made using a clean used milk jug, or by using an innovative building method with 2L pop bottles)

In building cheap greenhouses, and expecting to build one of quality, you may have to put a little ingenuity and elbow grease into it. Chances are that if you find an inexpensive kit at a store, the materials that the company used to make it more than likely are cheap. I personally have fell victim to this a number of times.

Although I did purchase a very inexpensive small greenhouse that I use to start seeds indoors. It has done a great job for me, and it was cheap. It fits my growing light and it creates a great little environment for my indoor plants, and to start seeds, but that is a different story in itself.

Cheap Greenhouses:

So back to it, if you want a greenhouse that is not going to break the budget chances are you are going to need to build it yourself. This can be done quite easily with the right plans or idea. And if well thought out, planned and executed, can be quite simple and rewarding.

There are a number of different greenhouse materials that can be used to make a cheap and simple greenhouse. Keep in mind that it is the cost of these materials that will determine the final price of your Greenhouse.

It is through some savvy shopping practices that will determine the size of the greenhouse that can be made. The less you spend the more you can buy or acquire. And the more you acquire the bigger the build.

Quality of Materials:

The quality of the greenhouse materials that are used will determine the lifespan of the project. For example, if the decision is made to build a greenhouse using 2x4's and poly film or plastic, all of which can be purchased at your local hardware store, there is a difference in the quality and therefore the longevity of each product.

Here is an example of the quality, in a greenhouse made using 2x4's and poly film:

1) 2x4's: There are a few choices that can be selected from-

• Natural (least expensive) - this is the most in-expensive option. However, it is also the option that will not last. The warm moist climate of a greenhouse is the perfect environment for wood to rot, so untreated or natural wood will likely deteriorate quickly.

• Pressure Treated (mid price range) - this wood will likely last a long time, however, if looking to grow vegetables organically it is probably not the best choice as this wood is usually treated chemically.

• Cedar (most expensive) - this is a natural wood and is likely the most expensive. Cedar is a natural beautiful wood that withstands rot without any treatment. This why so many beautiful greenhouses are made from Cedar.

You can find some more information here for Wood Greenhouses.

2) Poly Plastic: There are also a couple of choices available for this as well-

• Poly Plastic (Hardware store) - this is in-expensive, however, will yellow and become brittle in the sun and will usually not last longer than a season.

• Poly Plastic (Greenhouse Grade) - this poly has been UV Treated and is usually guaranteed for 4 years, but often lasts longer.

Please keep in mind that there are many different ways to build a greenhouse.

There are a lot of Greenhouse Plans available on the internet, to give both inspiration or just a step by step do it yourself build.

Also, if the goal is to keep the cost down, and to build cheap greenhouses, start with recycling and work your way out from there. See what items you can get for free, or look at the local classifieds and see what kind of deals are out there.

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