How to Build a Pallet Greenhouse for Your Garden - Looks Good/Functional/Almost FREE!
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- Опубліковано 21 сер 2024
- I've always wanted a greenhouse to pot up plants and start seedlings in the spring and fall, and after catching a video by the Optimistic Garden, Steve Farley, who built one out of wood pallets I knew what I had to do.
The greenhouse is 2 pallets wide by 3 pallets long, or about 8 ft x 12 ft. The pallets are wrapped in 4 mil plastic from Harbor Freight Tools to provide protection from drafts and are capped with 5/4x6 deck boards, which provides a shelf and a place for me to attach the PVC arches. The outer walls were covered in plywood and then I added boards from a neighbor's fence that was torn down as siding.
On the front and rear walls of the greenhouse I used pallet wood applied in a vertical direction because I had a lot of pallets left over (and still do!).
I used PVC electrical conduit for the because they have a built in connector on one end and offer a bit of UV protection that the regular white PVC does not.
The conduit is 10 ft long, so for each arch I need one full piece and one cut to 32 in. A 1-1/8" hole is drilled into the decking and the conduit is inserted within. To secure each pipe I drilled horizontally through the decking and then at an angle from the top.
The plastic is not greenhouse plastic, but rather the same Harbor Freight plastic sheeting used to wrap the pallets. It likely will have to be replaced every few years, but we'll see just how bad it gets. I've used it to wrap my chicken coops in the winter and its quality has degraded very little if at all.
It's also a heckuva lot cheaper to replace if it gets damaged than greenhouse plastic would be. A greenhouse of this size would cost several hundreds dollars to cover in UV protected plastic; a roll of plastic from Harbor Freight costs $26.
I attached the plastic to the end walls using DIY clips made from 3/4 in. thinwall PVC pipe. A small section is cut out of a 4 in. piece, the sides are sanded to prevent ripping of the plastic, and then snapped over the plastic and conduit, holding it firmly in place.
Once the plastic was on, I then built a workbench inside out of pallet boards, and also built a drying table for root crops like garlic, onions, and potatoes out of 1/4 in. hardware cloth. The workbench is 8 ft. long, the drying rack, 6 ft.
Last I built a door out of 2x4s ripped to 2x2. It's covered in screen for the time being, but plastic-wrapped inserts will be constructed for the fall and winter.
This was a longer than expected build, but a relatively easy one, and relatively cheap. All of the pallets were obtained for free, the siding was plywood sheets I already had on hand as well as fencing material from a discarded fence and extra pallet wood. I also had a window that I had found by the roadside.
A few pieces of lumber were necessary, such as the 5/4 in decking and some 2x4s to do framing, as well as the PVC conduit, the plastic, and the screws. While I didn't keep track, I couldn't have spent more than $100, and that's being generous.
The design is not my own, but almost fully lifted from The Optimistic Gardener's build. If you have not found his channel already, follow this link and subscribe. He's got a lot of great gardening content on his channel as well as more pallet project builds.
The Optimistic Gardener
/ @theoptimisticgardener
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That's one of the best greenhouse builds as far as I've seen, well done mate, going to build one on my allotment here in the UK, nice one 😊👍
Thanks! Have at it. They're a fun build. Cheers!
Great build, I'm making a smaller version for my allotment. Love the way you re-purpose materials.
Thanks! It's held up well since too. Other than needing to replace the sheathing cover because the original was ripped to shreds by a hurricane, it's otherwise been a very sturdy structure. Cheers!
This is perfect! Just what I was needing. I've built a hay shed and an animal shelter out of pallets, and now I need a greenhouse.
Who ever thought pallets would look so good awesome job
Heh. So long as you cover them up! lol Thanks for watching.
WOW!!!! WOW!!!! WOW!!!! I love it all and am jealous! Morning shade, afternoon sun, super heated... great for starting seeds and growing peppers!
Happy gardening! Thx for sharing!❤
Thank you! I'm actually going to try it for growing peppers next year precisely for that reason. Those that I've grown in my garden tend to get beat up by sun, wind, and rain. Maybe a climate-controlled environment is what I need for them.
2 of my biggest tips are wire shelving and the 2x4 brace in the roof. Great video! I hope more people jump on this!
The 2x4 really gave the structure added rigidity. I think it's a must! Thanks!
Great job! Just way above my skill and tool level
This is fantastic! Thanks for sharing! I think it will hold up for years!
I really like this design, given me a lot of ideas. Thanks!
This was awesome 👏. Thank you❤
Really like your clamp idea, can think of many applications for that little tip! Thanks! Very nice job, neat and sturdy. Congrats.
Thanks! Even I've been a bit surprised by how durable the greenhouse is. It's gone throw several hurricanes, wind storms, and brutal winter storms and come out basically intact. Only Hurricane Ida last year shredded the plastic cover so I had to replace it (a video on it will be forthcoming), but the basic structure itself has been unharmed. And, yes, those clamps work really well. It's surprising how well they held the plastic on. It's notable that when Ida shredded the plastic it didn't actually rip the plastic off. The clamps held it on. Thanks for watching.
Fantastic. So many ideas. Great job. Def going to give this a go in my allotment in Scotland 🏴❤
I like it I was going to build different, but I don’t like that one. I love it.
Thank you. I’ll be putting new plastic sheeting over mine in a week or two (the existing one got beat up by branches in a storm) but I’ll be switching to 6 mil plastic from 4 mil. The greenhouse plastic has come down a lot in price over the past few years and the thicker size ought to make it more durable
@@HomesteadDIY That is awesome
AMAZING!!!!!! THANKS FOR SHARE, CONGRATULATIONS FROM OREGON.
Thank you! It's worked out well for me and has been really helpful.
Last year i made a deck in my backyard with pallets.
So, obviously I'll be making one of these. Good idea.
A deck seems like quite the undertaking with pallets. A greenhouse should be a breeze in comparison! :)
@@HomesteadDIY
22 pallets in all for the deck.
First i just made the deck and carptwd it. Then my wife says to me, what if she wanted to kean in something to enjoy the veiw? So i added railings around the front portion of the deck. Stained everything. I love it and some family are actually wanting to build one themselves.
What's funny is I'm not a carpenter. Just common sence and a few videos and i was up and running.
All i had to buy was the hardware, exterior carpet, stain and plywood for the flooring. About $ 100 in total. Everything else i found around the house.
Sorry for the long reply. I really enjoyed making the deck.
Wow that is an amazing build and video! Thank you. I can finally have a green house. So simple and cheap! 👌😊
Thanks! It was a fun build. You can do it!
Your wee greenhouse is gorgeous, 🤩
Thank you! It's come in really handy. After 2 years of use the inside is not quite so neat and tidy, but I'm able to sow, harden off, and transplant all my vegetables using it as well as store pots, soil, fertilizer, and more. It's been a great addition to the garden. Cheers!
@@HomesteadDIY I'm glad it's stood the test of time, it's beautiful design, I love my greenhouse, think this would be a great addition to my garden for all sorts of uses, thanks for posting 🍓🍎🌶️🍅🥕🫛🫚🍆🧅🥦🌽🥒
Good job ! Your greenhouse and garden look great . A fantastic sanctuary to escape to.. i might give this a go this year.
Thank you! And FWIW we just had 2 feet of heavy, wet snow dumped on us and it held up perfectly. We had an 8" snowfall a month or so ago, and the clips I had used to hold the plastic on popped off at the rear because they were just slightly too wide. I remade the clips, also Gorilla taped them in place, and it's holding up without a problem. Definitely a project worth tackling.
You did a fabulous job on your greenhouse.I just started working on mine 2 days ago .I'm thrilled to find there's very little difference between the two plans.Mine will be used to grow seedlings in the spring and for growing Rosemary plants year round.I'm hoping an insulated covered cold frame INSIDE the greenhouse will create a micro climate and provide enough protection for my Rosemary plants that none will die this winter.I live in Zone 6a (WV)
Oh that's a neat idea! One Yard Revolution, I believe, uses that same concept to increase his planting zone by as many as 2 zones so that could definitely help. Good luck! These greenhouses are challenging, but fun builds.
@@HomesteadDIY Thank you! I made one very similar however mine is only 6 x 8.By the way growing cuttings is one option you have because they need filtered sun and seedlings only require bright light! Be proud because you did a fabulous job!
The light levels are going to be awful but you have a fantastic little potting shed there. I may have a bash at a much smaller one to use for potting.
love the fencing paneled siding...great job
Thanks! It's really held up well so far. I did need to replace the plastic cover last year because one of the hurricanes we got last year literally shredded it (I have a video in the works on the process) and Winter Storm Izzy just blew through with 50+ mph winds but it's did great. A single 1" hole, probably from a twig. Thanks again.
Several really helpful and clever ideas! Looks amazing! Really really good job!
Thanks!
God Bless you 🙏 this is so much cheaper than what I started with
It really is cost effective if you have access to the materials. Thanks for watching.
Yes pallets I can get them free
Interesting design, I am thinking about adding a tunnel to my new greenhouse next year.
It was a rather easy project to complete, just a little time consuming doing all the pallets. But it's working out great!
I'm so excited to build!
Do it! It's definitely been worth the time and effort.
Don't know how winter is where you are but I'd use a couple of those black water drums in there. The drums will heat up and the water will radiate a bit after nightfall
I thought about that because during the day the greenhouse does get quite warm even when the outside air is in the 30s, but during the dead of winter we routinely get 0-20F temps for stretches at a time and I wonder whether it would be effective.
I've also considered building a compost bin in there and filling it with horse bedding, but I decided I didn't want to smell THAT all the time I was in there :) Besides, I do zero gardening during the winter so I decided to just let it be
That’s lovely!!!
YES!!!! A+++++++++++ JOB!!! I am going to use this video as the template for my own greenhouse! Thank you so much for making this!!! One more happy sub! :)
Cool! It's definitely a doable project. Good luck. I hope you post of video of your greenhouse at the end. Cheers!
@@HomesteadDIY I will! I just bought my first and forever home on a 1.3 acre lot and it is a beautifully lush and green blank canvas for my dream garden! I just started learning to build raised beds from pallets and I am IN LOVE with your greenhouse and can't wait to start the plans for my own! This is so inspiring! Hoping to start a channel of my own as well :)
Brilliant!😊
Hello there... Can you make a video of this greenhouse during the winter time to see how it behaves on cold weather? Thanks
Ask and ye shall receive...ua-cam.com/video/XtMLI-I9P-0/v-deo.html
You did an amazing job !
Thanks!
Well if it don't grow crops you can use it as a smoke room😊
You have a beautiful garden
Thank you!
I love the set up and I will be building one and I'll do a video I let them know I learned from the thank you.
Great! And thanks! It's a fun, relatively easy build. I look forward to seeing your take on it. Cheers!
You're a genius! Thank you so much!!
That's what I keep telling people, but no one wants to listen. :) Thanks, and I hope you got some good ideas out of it.
Looks great! Nice relaxing yard also looks great.
Thank you. IO wish I had more time to relax in it, but I'm constantly finding new projects to do. Cheers!
Fabulous. Helped me resolve some issues
Great! Glad it helped!
Friggin awesome
Thanks! We just had Winter Storm Izzy blow through with 50+ mph winds. Started off as snow then turned into a typhoon. Held up great. Had a single 1" tear, probably where some twig fell. It's a really sturdy design.
Cool project.
Thanks!
Nice work 👍
Thanks!
Great job. wish you lived nearby to help me build mine in the spring.
Ha! It's a fun project. You'll enjoy it.
Love the idea. Hopefully, I can do it myself. Thanks!
Definitely a doable project, and it's held up really well so far. Winter is coming, though, so we'll see how it fares then, but I suspect it will be just fine. Cheers!
You probably dont give a shit but if you're bored like me during the covid times then you can watch all the new movies on kaldrostream. Have been watching with my gf for the last couple of days :)
@Santiago Jacoby Definitely, have been watching on Instaflixxer for months myself =)
Great video i plan on doing one similar but with shade cloth
Thanks! I've got a natural canopy of shade from the trees. Not the ideal location for my greenhouse but it's worked out great and held up well to the elements. In fact, I enjoy being inside it during rain and snow. Just provides a cozy feel. Good luck with your build!
@Homestead DIY im on half an acre we dont have to worry about snow here where we live in Australia. I have a few spots i am thinking of putting it
Nice job!
Lori Silva thank you!
I used mulch as a floor too. It had worked very well. My greenhouse videos show some other ideas.
That's a helluva view you have from atop your greenhouse! I wish I knew how to use arduinos. There are so many projects I could use them for, but I need hand-holding when it comes to things like that. lol Thanks for watching!
@@HomesteadDIY , thanks! And yes, Arduino is great! Keep me in mind if you want to monitor your greenhouse's temp and humidity / pressure. I'm making a design that should only be $10 and sends graphs to your phone over wifi. I'd love to send you one at my cost. It's neat seeing how the greenhouse smooths out the temperatures when you put water inside.
@@TheRainHarvester That's really cool, thanks! Let me know when one is available, I'll definitely take one.
Beautiful trrees around You. ! Wondering how old they are !
Just to verify, you used 3/4" thin wall pvc clamped over 3/4" conduit? I tried that with the thinnest pvc I could get (200 psi) and it slips snugly over the conduit but I cannot get it over the conduit with the plastic in place without tearing the plastic. I seen someplace elsewhere whereas they used a size larger (1" over 3/4") and was wondering what you thought about that.
New subber! Nice build we’re fixing to build one kinda like it.
Great! A challenging but fun build
Really great video thank you. I would be grateful if you could tell me how you secured the PVC around the pallets after they were wrapped in it? Also, how did you actually put on the PVC. did you start at one end and pull it tight? Finally how did you secure the sides of the PVC down to the pallets? Many thanks Tania (UK)
Hi Tania. If by PVC you mean the plastic sheeting, that was just stapled in place. As for putting it on over the top, yes, I basically started on one side, secured it, and pulled it taut when I did the other side. Last year Hurricane Ida ripped the plastic to shreds. Actually, it blew tree branches through the plastic and the wind ended up tearing it the rest of the way. In this video, I give more of a step-by-step instruction of how I resheathed the top. Cheers! ua-cam.com/video/_elvWdK2Tqk/v-deo.html
@@HomesteadDIY Hi, thank you so much for the link. We have recently been hit badly by storms in the UK so very grateful for your updated video. May I also ask you how you wrapped the plastic around the pallets? Did you do each one individually or did you start at the bottom on one side of the pallet wall, pull it over the top and secure at the bottom on the other side? Wasn't sure if you wrapped underneath them? Thanks again 🙏🙂
@@Pipalopee I had the pallet sides already joined when I wrapped them in plastic, but to be honest I don't remember if I covered the bottom as well. I don't *think* I did, but doing it either way would be fine I'm sure. We're not building airtight homes, after all, more of just stopping drafts through the walls. The plastic isn't very insulating on its own anyway, so I wouldn't sweat it too much either way. Cheers!
@@HomesteadDIY great thanks so much. Learning on my own so really appreciate your advice and support. Have a lovely day/evening, no idea the time difference lol 🤣
@Debz Thank you and good luck with your own. It was worth the time and even the maintenance on it. Amazing how there is a global community here, too. Cheers!
I wish you had shown how to attach the pallets together and how they are standing up on the ground.
You're absolutely right, I should have. There are hints though! At 0:48 in the video, there's a shot of the end wall of the greenhouse pallets. Where the two pallets meet, you can see there are three short pieces of pallet wood at the top, middle, and bottom. I just screwed them into the two pallets and that joined them together (you can also just make out similar small pieces joining the pallets on the right-hand side).
I then explain later in the video (at 4:05) that I used a simple block of wood that I screwed into each side to hold them together. And last, just before that point in the video, I explain how the 1x6 decking I use on top of the pallets further ties all the sides together. I hope that helps clear that up. Cheers, and thanks for watching.
Thank you@@HomesteadDIY I made my comment before I finished the video so I did notice the hints but your reply still helps. Thank you, this looks great!
Awesome
Thanks!
Great work buddy. How's it holding up?
Surprisingly well! I've had to recover the top a few times because hurricanes ripped the plastic to shreds but otherwise it's provided an excellent place to start seeds
Great build! Any follow-up? Is it still functional? THANKS!! 🙏
Still up and running! I use it to start seedlings in the spring, get plants up and running in the summer and fall, and dry out potatoes, onions, and garlic after harvest. The biggest issue has been the plastic cover. Hurricane season in the fall has sent more than a few tree branches flying through the plastic. We actually don't get the brunt of any hurricanes here (usually), but the wind they generate does wreak havoc on the trees. It wasn't the best location for the greenhouse, but it was the only spot I had, so I make do, and recovering it with new plastic, while annoying, is not so bad. Most of the time I'm able to repair the plastic from small holes and tears with Gorilla packing tape on the inside and out. That holds up incredibly well.
Nice job thanks for the video. Very informative thumbs up 👍🏼 how has it been holding up . Is it warm in the winter .
It's been holding up way better than I anticipated. I've had the odd twig or stick from the trees above fall and pierce the plastic occasionally, but I patch them up with the Gorilla packing tape inside and out and it's good to go afterwards. We've had some wicked windstorms and the entire structure remains buttoned up and secure. It's actually a nice place to go into when its raining or snowing outside.
I wouldn't say the greenhouse is "warm," at least not when it's in the teens and 20s. It tends to be a degree or two above the outside temps at those times. However, when it gets into the 30s and 40s, then the greenhouse runs anywhere from 5 degrees to 20 degrees warmer inside, and I actually leave the door open during the day because I don't want the plants I'm storing to think it's spring yet. So far the plants seem to be doing good inside, but I guess the real test will be when spring does arrive and I see whether they survived.
So your plastic cover is in 3 pieces (front, back, and top). How did you keep the front and back in place until you were able to cover the top and place the pvc clamps in place?
Clamped the ends down but left the inside edges run long. Put the top on and secured it side to side. Then I took one clamp off at a time. With my wife inside pulling on the edges I let run long I pulled the top taut and reclamped.
Now if your by yourself as I was when I had to resheath it after a hurricane, I just used extra clamps that way when I pulled one up the play didn’t move
Do the pallet walls stay upright just by being secured to one another at the corners? Or are there posts in their interior spaces holding them in place?
Surprisingly, just by securing them to each other they remain upright. I did add small wooden braces in each corner though I'm not sure if it was necessary. Also, the top plate that I laid across them helps to tie it all together too.
Stumbling across this 3 years later... how'd this build hold up? If you were to do it all over again, would you do anything differently?
It's held up quite well in fact. I use it every day. The biggest thing I'd do differently is site it in a different spot in my yard. Under the tree canopy as I pointed out at the time was less than optimal and falling tree limbs has been the biggest bane of my existence. With that sane, they haven't fallen and pierced the plastic really nearly as much as I thought they would have and most holes have been about the size of a quarter that I've been able to cover with Gorilla packing tape. I also would have added more shelving. Amazing how much stuff you can find to put in a greenhouse that you suddenly don't have room for. I ended up putting a second shelf under the potting bench side and I put removable slats over the drying rack to use as a hard surface until needed. Another shelf under there would have been ideal. Other than that it's served its purpose well.
I want to see the footing, need to know how to start it! Thanks..Did u dig a slight trench first!?
I did not! I did level out the left hand side of the ground because my yard slopes left to right -- that entailed just using a hoe to move the dirt out of the way -- the greenhouse otherwise just sits on top of the ground (I may have used an odd brick or two under the pallets to make it perfectly level).
@@HomesteadDIY thank u!
Great!! how many inches is the pipe? Greeting from Argentina!!
Greetings! I explain just after the 7:00 mark: 10 ft sections of 3/4" electrical conduit plus a 32" section to complete the arch. Cheers!
Great job! Whats the inside height?
Probably about 7 ft or so. I'm 6 ft, the door opening is somewhat above that and the PVC arches sit atop that. Surprisingly I never measured it. However, you could always adjust the height to suit your needs. If you make the cut piece of conduit longer than the 32" I made mine it could increase the height. Mine is that height so the conduit gets support from the ridge beam.
I've also contemplated a different roof design. Instead of angling the conduit from the top of the pallet wall, actually extend it straight up 2-3 ft, then using 45-degree fittings angle it towards the peak. That would raise the side walls up and give even more headroom.
If my greenhouse was situated elsewhere (such as in the sun where I could grow plants in it), I would likely do something like that. The conduit would need more bracing support but would provide more interior options including shelving inside. Another time perhaps. :)
Two woman who have NEVER done this before and we sure want to try. We have NO tools! Any suggestions on how to do this by hand without the PVC Piping? Can we just make a ceiling out of 2 by 4's? Help! We know nothing and have never built Any thing in our lives!!!
You're really setting up a challenge for yourself, aren't you? Certainly it can be built with a hammer, nails, and a hand saw, but man, you're going to be sore! :) My suggestion would be to build the two end walls first, making them in an arch-ish shape, then instead of 2x4s for the "arches," I'd use 2x2s. Instead of running them in the direction of the PVC pipes, I'd run the 2x2s straight front to back. Just nail them in from the end wall. 2 or 3 on each side of the "arch" should be sufficient (some pieces in between each row for support is recommended). That will limit your length to about 8 ft. long unless you put another wood arch-ish shape in the middle then you could make one up to 16 ft long. It's definitely a much more complicated -- and expensive -- alternative. Wood still ain't cheap these days. I won't lie, it's not going to be easy. Again, doable, but using only the most basic tools and limiting yourself to all wood, it's a much more difficult task you've set for yourself. I never want to discourage someone from trying something new and challenging, though, because you often learn best by actually doing, just go into it with eyes wide open. Cheers and good luck!
Nice job! I was wondering if you had to have this build permitted by your town or village? Thank you!
I operate on the principle it is better to do and ask for forgiveness than to seek permission and be denied. :)
@@HomesteadDIY thanks sir!
@@HomesteadDIY I like your thinking. Also, great greenhouse.
@@mr.mister4071 Thanks!
There are projects on how to do this on the Woodprix website.
How has your greenhouse held up?
Great! I posted a follow up video showing how it handled a heavy snow load, and then the affect effects of Hurricane Irma, that did require me resheathing the plastic cover. Other than that (and the odd twig that will fall from the trees above and puncture the plastic) it is doing great and is a perfect spot for potting up plants and even growing them.
Total cost?
While I didn't keep track, other than the plastic, the PVC conduit, and the handful of 2x4's it was otherwise free materials or stuff I had on hand. The plastic was $26 I think at Harbor Freight Tools (and it's held up really well over the past year), the PVC was $15 maybe, probably less, and the 2x4's were probably about $20 (with the price of lumber these days it might be considerably more :/ ). The plywood I had on hand, the cladding was salvaged from my neighbor's fence, and the main structure was free pallets. Add in a box of screws and it's probably $75 total, and I think that's a stretch.
You explain but you show nothing doing it, rather strange and not helpful for me !
What is the reason if you have one ?
Welp, I guess you’ll need to keep looking for a better video then
Migiver lol
Lol! You work with what you have on hand. Thanks for watching. Cheers!
How can you live with all that noise......yuk
uah listen fowl flag on the play you can't call a puddle a pond duh really? 👀😁🤷♀️🤷♂️😎✌🤢😒🤞✔😆🙄😴😴😴😴
Did you suffer a stroke writing this? I have no idea what you’re saying