Help!!! Portable greenhouse brands

[TheMad_Poet]

I have used one now for quite a few years, gone thru 3 covers. Brand no longer exists and cant buy a new cover. Looking at Shelter Logic, 8x6x6.5, to put on the deck. Some reviewers on amazon claim they dont let in enuff lite? And there is a tag in the covers saying not to be used as a green house. What??? Made in China of course. Data sheet says 75% light gets thru. Going to call the company today for answers on this. Is this enuff for tomatoes? The covers are translucent, my old covers were always clear. Also looking at FlowerHouse brand, pop ups, so kinda flimsy frame, but also a covering that is translucent, not clear. Any thoughts guys? Most cheaper portables have cheap covers that may not last even one season. Got any brand names in mind? Still have my old frame and may just get new plastic to clip on. Need to get something in the next few weeks. What makes the perfect portable?

[wxcrawler]

I use one very similar to this every year. I put it up in late-February and take it down in early-May. It takes about 45 minutes to assemble.

https://www.target.com/p/spring-gardene ... roup=84-19

Works great for me. With a small heater inside, I can keep the inside temperature about 20 degrees warmer than outside. I usually have to replace the cover every 4 years or so. The cover takes a beating in our wild spring weather in Oklahoma.

Lee

[TheMad_Poet]

The one I last bought was similar, made by weather guard, but 3 years and the top was totally destroyed, and now days, even if I could get a top, they cost as much as the whole thing. Really think I will get plastic and clips and make my own top. Hard part will be fashioning a door, and the ends. But I can be inventive if I take my time and think it thru. Reading all the reviews it sounds like there is no such thing as one with a durable top, unless you pit up a more permanent one, with big$$ spent. My old one is a rounded top, which is roomier than a pointed top, and i think I can fix all for less that $100 and with 8mil plastic.

[Nanooknorth]

I have used several different ones mentioned. My least favorite was the shelterlogic one. I had a 12 x 12 one. It was anything but air tight, so useless to try to heat on cold nights. The cover was a disaster in a couple of years. I used the flower house pop up greenhouses in many different sizes. They survived many seasons and were left outside through Michigan winters. Once they spring into shape, there is little one can do to refold them for storage. I still have a couple of the A shaped row cover ones that must be at least 15-20 years old. I don’t see that brand available anymore, now that I did a search. The one I am happiest with is the King Canopy one that I have used for years. It is a beast, though. The frame is very heavy and strong. I’ve had the same cover for years. I did modify the bottom of the door with a long strip of heavy duty Velcro to make it more airtight. All of these cover have been opaque. I would be worried about getting very hot inside of a clear one. It gets unbelievably hot on a sunny day in the opaque one.
I should add that I don’t grow throughout the season in mine, just using it until risk of frost is past.

[AKgardener]

I have 3 I bought eagle peak 10x10 last year and it was good for me just leave doors open they do get hot!! I put a fan inside, then my husband got me an 8x 6 same kind diffent brand off of amazon for Christmas,,javent set it up yet !! And then a few day he suprised me with an eagle peak 8x8 pop up greenhouse just because so now my mind it running orotund thinking how to fill all 3 haha stake them down for shure I really liked the eagle peak one I put it up myself it was so easy and I thought it held up I have the crown shades brand in the 8x 6 just checked same set up u just just push it up pretty easy

[Stitchingmom]

I LOVE my Outsunnys. The plastic cover has an imbedded netting pattern. Just enough shading for summer, but still plenty of light. The ties for windows and roll up doors leave a lot to be desired, but I see that is a common problem with temporary greenhouses. I got two yesterday (320 sq ft total) for $400 yesterday from the Aosom website. The same items on Amazon from the same seller would have been $495.

[TheMad_Poet]

Thanx all for the answers. Not sure what I will do yet. Try to put my own plastic on most likely, then buy a new one if that doesn't work. Dont need it for another month yet, so lots of time. I will post pics when i get it done. Can't wait for warm weather!!!

[AKgardener]

It’s been funny for days but so much snow still I’m chomping at the bit to set all 3 up!! Can’t wait for everyone to post pics when there up

[habitat-gardener]

Thanx all for the answers. Not sure what I will do yet. Try to put my own plastic on most likely, then buy a new one if that doesn't work. Dont need it for another month yet, so lots of time. I will post pics when i get it done. Can't wait for warm weather!!!

Maybe you could use velcro to hold the sides onto the frame? And then velcro the top part to the sides. And make a door frame from wood or irrigation tubing, and velcro that to the rest.
We made a fig enclosure so that we could eat the figs instead of feeding the backyard squirrels and birds. We got some window screening and sewed it together on one edge, then used clothes pins to attach a top, with folded-over edges. The frame was pvc tubing. With the screening stapled to overlapping 1x4s for the "door," it was easy to open by unhooking a top and a side.

[TheMad_Poet]

I have used several different ones mentioned. My least favorite was the shelterlogic one. I had a 12 x 12 one. It was anything but air tight, so useless to try to heat on cold nights. The cover was a disaster in a couple of years. I used the flower house pop up greenhouses in many different sizes. They survived many seasons and were left outside through Michigan winters. Once they spring into shape, there is little one can do to refold them for storage. I still have a couple of the A shaped row cover ones that must be at least 15-20 years old. I don’t see that brand available anymore, now that I did a search. The one I am happiest with is the King Canopy one that I have used for years. It is a beast, though. The frame is very heavy and strong. I’ve had the same cover for years. I did modify the bottom of the door with a long strip of heavy duty Velcro to make it more airtight. All of these cover have been opaque. I would be worried about getting very hot inside of a clear one. It gets unbelievably hot on a sunny day in the opaque one.
I should add that I don’t grow throughout the season in mine, just using it until risk of frost is past.

Interested to know how many years ago you had the shelter logic? Sometimes quality can change over time, but usually for the worse. Interesting about the flower house brand. I only found 1 place selling them, B&T garden supply? Flowerhouse is out of Clio MI, not far from me. I have a phone # so may call and see if they are still in business. It is concerning that only 1 place carries them, And I have never heard of or used B&T before. King canopy can still be found, although they don't have the size I am looking for. 6x8. They do have a 7x12. Heavy duty frame. Looking at the pics, one of shelter logics models is built just like the 7x12, but on a lighter frame. I have a pop up hunting blind/photography, and I finally learned how to fold it back up, not an easy task til u figure it out. Had that for years, and still works well, though not used that much.

[Nanooknorth]

I only had the shelterlogic greenhouse for 3 years. The cover is in 2 pieces and they don’t fit tight together, hence the air leaks. The frame was still in good shape. The cover deteriorated quickly. I am sorry to see the flower house ones not available. Actually, the mother of the importer of these had a cottage near me and we exchanged butterfly garden plants. I hadn’t noticed that you live in Holly, neighbor. I did find the one I used for many years at this site, https://www.educationalscience.com/butt ... 2in-gh-301.

[TheMad_Poet]

Well , I have my frame up, and and end/door made out of pvc pipe. I have the clips that will hold the plastic in place, and a high quality plastic purchased. Will prolly put the plastic on this next week. Have onion seedlings under lights I need to get hardened to UV, and tom and pepper plants started. Toms and peppers will be another week or so til pot up time. Onions I started just after Xmas and they are doing great. Excited for the weather to get nice. Tired of cabin fever!!!

[TheMad_Poet]

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Picture time. Green house up and covered. Bought greenhouse plastic from Farm Plastics, and clips from AMZN. Turned out pretty good, spent a bit over $150 (which includes a door built from PVC), but now that I know exactly what I need, should be able to do it for $60 or so. Bought too much plastic, had some waste, but have enuff to make one more cover if needed. Should be reuseable for several years. I bought a couple different clips, and settled on the 1" clips, my frame is 1 1/8 OD steel. Cut up squares of rubber I had on hand, and squares out of some old plastic pots, to fill out the clips and make them good and tight. The rubber really grips, and the plastic pot pieces allowed the clip to slip over the rubber easily. Originally had smaller clips that were tight, but I noticed they damaged the covering. Using the rubber and plastic, no damage to greenhouse cover. Looks like it should withstand some pretty good winds. Took about a day total to put up the frame, and add the plastic.

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[TheMad_Poet]

The dark black piece is stiff plastic from a small pot. The lighter black piece is the rubber. Ended up cutting the stiff plastic smaller so only the soft rubber was in contact with the greenhouse cover, to avoid damage. So stretch the cover over the pipe, cover with the soft rubber, then the stiff plastic, then the clip. Holds in place solid!!! I cut some clips into smaller pieces to use where the pipe was curved. Thats my tomatoes, peppers and onions. 145 tomato plants, 30 plus varieties, 3 types of onions, about 300 seedlings, and 8 pepper varieties, about 40 plants. Will give away a lot. Hope to grow about half of what is started.

[JRinPA]

LOL that's pretty nice inside. But my first thought was, are you going with mules or oxen for that getup?

[JRinPA]

Pictures of the door would be great. And is there any vent/window, or does it just not get that hot there in April and May?