Hello everyone,

I just saw this greenhouse kit at Amazon, anyone have any experience or have one of this ?

Thanks,

Hi JavaMom --

This seems to be the greenhouse you're looking at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007HKF1XW/

A few years back I bought 2 smaller ones (7x15') on EBay -- it turned out that their covers weren't UV protected and deteriorated after just one season, which was the only drawback. However, the ones that I bought didn't claim to be UV protected, while the Quictent one does; I'm not sure how long the UV protected cover would last but I would think several years, at least. I did need to put a couple of support poles inside for the winter, but I'm assuming you shouldn't need to worry about that. Do be sure to anchor it down securely using "ground anchors," and close the doors when the weather is really windy (so the wind just blows over it and pushes it down, rather than trying to turn it into a sail). I personally think these things are a fantastic bargain!

This is a photo of mine after the cover deteriorated and I added some wooden framing and a plastic covering:

Hi Sandy,

Thank you so much for your help, I am just checking out some inexpensive greenhouse to protect some of my plant for the fierce Texas Summer..

You're certainly welcome -- but in that case (protection from the summer heat) I'm not sure the greenhouse is your best option; even with all the windows and doors open, the interior will be hotter than outdoors. Maybe just a canopy of some sort would work for you?

Weedwhacker said:Maybe just a canopy of some sort would work for you?

A canopy, light colored, is a great idea, and something to keep the air moving.

Yes, a Texas greenhouse is way too hot unless you could add AC! Mine gets about 103 with everything open. I try to get a lot of things outside under a pergola roof covered with shadecloth. See what you can rig up. That greenhouse will be much better used during the other seasons.

There are no plants in my Texas Greenhouse in the summer. It can get upwards o 105 degrees inside with a fan running. I use mine mainly for winter protection. There are several plant shade out there including the pretty triangular sail-like tethered covers to shade large areas as well as individual umbrella type shades.

I have my plants inside my NM one, but it was 105 today. I'm keeping it as open as I can, fans running, and lots of water. So far things are ok, but they are much happier at lower temps.

My daughter in TX has planted a lot of new outdoor plants. She found these cute little plant shade dots and is ordering more. I guess they are working well. Our area would be too windy for them.
http://www.shadeforplants.com/

I agree! The greenhouse offers NO relief from the blazing summer heat. If your greenhouse could have the sides rolled up and shade cloth draped over it instead that would help somewhat.

I think a shade cloth or shade sail would be the answer. You can buy it with different UV ratings which from research I would look for about 60% or higher in a lighter color to reflect the heat. When it is open on all four sides, the ventilation will help keep the plants cooler.


hopefully....

I've mentioned before, in summer I use my greenhouse for clotheslines. On a good day, I can dry four loads of clothes in it. Very efficient.

pod said:
I've mentioned before, in summer I use my greenhouse for clotheslines. On a good day, I can dry four loads of clothes in it. Very efficient.

I wanted to elaborate that if the greenhouse heat dries clothes that quickly, just imagine what it would do to plants in the greenhouse.

You couldn't keep them hydrated. They would be toast.

Thanks for the reminder to go outside and water my greenhouse plants. They are on a drip, but it hasn't been adjusted since the winter.

Thank you all.
@weedwhacker, @McCannon, @Shadygreenthumb, @plantmanager and @pod, I am trying to figure out the best way to provide shade needed for my succulents, unfortunately I have very little shade on my garden. beside a very hot Summer we also get some very strong winds.
Thank you so much for your help and have a great evening...

Is there any way you could have someone build a wooden pergola and have it covered with shade cloth? We had plants in AZ that were sun burning in summer, and freezing in winter. Once we got the pergola they have grown really well under the shadecloth and they don't freeze in winter either.

I agree Karen. I had trees removed around the house last summer without thinking of my plants. When it came time to move them out, there was only sunny areas.

I formed a 'cheesy' looking shade house and covered it with shade cloth for the tender plants. They really perked up when put in the shade.

JavaMom ~ look in the garden center at Walmart or Lowes or Home Depot. They have bolts of shade cloth that aren't priced too crazy. Perhaps you can fashion some improvised shade for the plants.

This was a favorite link I had saved https://garden.org/ideas/view/... You may get some ideas from it. I hope to have one of these on my patio before next summer for the plants.

Please let us know what you decide to do and how it works? Good luck!

Hi everyone,

Thank you again, I have a couple of those sails, I put up one against the fence and it help shade part of my succulent bed, when we have so much rains I have to put plastic sheets under the sail to somewhat protect the newly planted succulents, which help if we did not have over a week of rains continuously like a couple week ago that still managed to kill some of my sempervivums .
Since I am not very creative person, I love to see what other great gardeners ideas about how they protect their plants.
We had a stamped concrete patio made this Spring, the original plan is for covered patio, but you would not believe the hassles to have it done (HOA, permits etc) so we did not proceed with the cover and bought the cantilever umbrella from Costco that we had to close it every time the strong winds started to swing that around....the fact that the ground underneath us is made of rocks instead of soil doesn't help me either...
Thank you again and if I come up with some great thing for this I will definitely will share with you all..