The Ultimate Guide to DIY Greenhouse

Every home gardener dreams about having a backyard greenhouse where they can plant seeds and grow flowers or vegetables. However, traditional greenhouses are expensive and too large for an average backyard. Thankfully, there's a solution: build a DIY greenhouse from scratch. If you want to make a greenhouse, it is crucial to invest in the right essentials and a power source.

Generally speaking, a greenhouse setup consumes anywhere between 50W and 120W, which can go up to 150W. If you want to save the cost of powering heating and lighting systems in the greenhouse, consider Jackery Solar Generators. The larger Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus and Jackery Solar Generator 3000 Pro can not only power the lighting and heating systems but also charge the tools required to build a solar-powered greenhouse.

Why Do People Choose to DIY Greenhouses?

Greenhouses are gaining popularity, especially among people who love to grow flowers and vegetables. With a DIY greenhouse, you can protect the plants from harsh weather conditions. Here are a few benefits of building a DIY greenhouse in the backyard:

• Planting trees inside the greenhouse protects them against problems like rough weather and infestations of seasonal pests, such as caterpillars and spider mites.
• A greenhouse secures a reasonable amount of water vapors and heat to ensure an appropriate level of humidity and warmth is maintained.
• Building a DIY greenhouse offers fuss-free customization. You can easily design the placement of plants, position of storage area, number of doors, size, etc.

If you plan to build a DIY greenhouse, you'll need a portable solar generator. Jackery Solar Generators feature large-capacity batteries to power multiple appliances in the greenhouse, including lights, heating systems, and water pumps. It can charge outdoor working tools like electric drills, circular saws, electric chainsaws, etc., to build a small or large greenhouse.

DIY Greenhouse Essentials & Tools

Now that you've decided to build a DIY greenhouse, selecting the right gardening tools and equipment is of utmost importance. Here are some of the most essential tools and equipment:

Building Materials: First, you must choose a material to build the greenhouse frame. You'll need to pick a sturdy and robust material that can withstand the challenges of the local climate. For example, aluminum frames are relatively more sturdy and can hold up well against precipitation and rust.

Cutting Tools: A miter saw comes in handy and can cut wood in desired dimensions, and scissors are helpful to cut plastic sheeting. You can even pick hacksaws for a fine cut.

Accessories: You'll also need some extra accessories like sealant, glue, or measuring tape to build the greenhouse. If you choose to lay the foundation of gravel instead of poured concrete, you may also need some gravel.

Greenhouse Coverings: You'll need some material to cover the greenhouse and trap heat. Some common greenhouse coverings include polycarbonate panels, glass, and polyethylene sheeting.

Here's a table revealing most essentials and tools you'll need:

Jackery Solar Generators can charge most electrical tools, such as hacksaws, spare blades, adjustable wrenches, drill bits, and drills. These large generators have a foldable handle and suitcase design, making them easy to move outdoors and start charging appliances anywhere.

How to DIY a Greenhouse?

There are many types of greenhouses available, like cold frames, freestanding greenhouses, and attached greenhouses. Let's explain them briefly:

Cold Frame: Cold frames are the simplest and smallest greenhouses, built as small boxes with hinged lids. They are cheap to make and do not require a heat source.

Attached: As the name suggests, attached greenhouses are built against a sturdy wall (typically the house wall) to anchor the structure. They can either be as small as a window box or as large as the building size they're attached to.

Freestanding: They are complete buildings standing on their own. Freestanding greenhouses are usually large enough for gardeners to enter and are more complex.

Once you've decided on the right type of DIY greenhouse, it's time to start building the greenhouse:

Find a Greenhouse Plan: Before you start, make sure you have the greenhouse plan ready. It could be anything from mini greenhouses to barn greenhouses and A-frames.

Choose a Location: The spot for the greenhouse building should get maximum sun exposure. Make sure the longer sides of the structure face east and west to soak more sunlight and keep plants healthy. Additionally, the location should be level for proper drainage.

Measure Space: Determine how much space you would need for the greenhouse with the help of a tape measure. Double-check to ensure you've enough space to execute the design of the greenhouse plan you've chosen.

One important thing to remember is that building a greenhouse on your structure requires permission from the local municipality. The construction of the greenhouse should be up to code and should follow local ordinances.

Determine the Foundation: If the space is uneven, lay the foundation to stabilize the structure and give it proper drainage. If you want to do cold-climate gardening, it's wise to place the foundation beneath the frost line.

Build Greenhouse Frame: Follow the directions included in the plan and the selected materials to build a greenhouse frame. With the help of outdoor electrical tools, cut the wood pieces or plastic tubes to the desired lengths and then assemble them using adhesives, connectors, and hardware.

Additionally, cover the frame with plastic sheeting, fiberglass, or glass. Remember, you will need a power source to charge electric tools outdoors. For this reason, you'll need to invest in a portable power solution like Jackery Solar Generators. They are light in weight and can be easily carried anywhere to charge electric tools.

Include Ventilation: Your greenhouse should have an atmosphere ideal for natural plant growth with enough circulation and ventilation. Circulation systems and roof vents should also be installed to keep the greenhouse properly aerated.

Jackery Solar Generators for DIY Greenhouse

Most electrical outdoor tools to build a DIY greenhouse require high wattage. The choice of solar generator should be based on the wattage of appliances you plan to use simultaneously. Here's a table revealing the starting and running wattage of the electrical tools required to build the greenhouse:

Jackery is the global leader in manufacturing highly efficient and portable solar generators, power stations, and solar panels. The Jackery Solar Generators combine Jackery Explorer Portable Power Stations and Jackery SolarSaga Solar Panels to convert sunlight into electricity.

When the sun's rays fall on the solar cells of the panels, the solar energy gets converted to DC electricity. The pure sine wave inverter then converts the DC into usable AC electricity to charge appliances. Here are the best portable battery backups for greenhouses:

Jackery Solar Generator 3000 Pro 

The Jackery Solar Generator 3000 Pro has an NMC battery of 3024Wh to charge 99% of outdoor appliances. It's the smart power master that covers the electricity needs with 3000W power output and a 6000W surge peak.

The Jackery Explorer 3000 Pro Portable Power Station can be recharged via 6*Jackery SolarSaga 200W Solar Panels in only 3.5 hours. It can also be recharged via a car charger and an AC wall outlet. It can be integrated into the home circuits via the Jackery Manual Transfer Switch to power devices in the blink of an eye.

Customer Review

"I was looking to add electricity to my tuff shed, and instead of having the whole shed wired from the house, I ran a couple of outlets for lights and power by using my new Jackery generator. It's quiet and charges up quickly from house power, and the two included solar panels. The generator has wheels to move it easily. I fully recommend this generator for anyone looking for a reliable backup power source."—Allen Lewis.

Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus

The Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus has a LiFePO4 battery of 2042.8Wh and can be expanded to 24kWh with the additional Jackery Battery Pack 2000 Plus. The LiFePO4 battery offers efficient and safe operation to the electrical appliances, ensuring you've enough power for outdoor work.

With the 6*Jackery SolarSaga 200W Solar Panels, the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus Portable Power Station can be recharged in only 2 hours. The leaping performance of the solar battery backup ensures you can power heavy-duty devices up to 6000W.

Customer Review

"Absolutely thrilled with my new Jackery. I have a cabin in the woods, many miles from the nearest power source. I am truly amazed and happy now that I can have peace and quiet while still enjoying the finer things like the power that is capable of running all of my equipment." — J.

DIY Greenhouse Ideas

Whether you're looking for a simple greenhouse DIY idea to protect plants or wish to create more space for young seedlings, here are some DIY greenhouse ideas to check out:

Hardware Fencing Hoop House

If you want to create a sturdy greenhouse, you may create a hoop house tunnel using hardware wire mesh. The livestock panels used are made of heavy-gauge galvanized welded wire fencing material. The DIY greenhouse has a removable plastic cover to help gourds and beans grow in the summer!

Plastic-Paneled Barn Greenhouse

The paneled barn greenhouse is a sturdy structure built with robust material to withstand whatever the weather throws. It's typically set on concrete blocks with plastic windows and wooden frames. If you want a large greenhouse DIY idea that offers more space, this plastic paneled barn greenhouse could be smart.

Raised Bed Greenhouse

Raised bed greenhouses are an excellent greenhouse DIY idea, but they require some planning. For example, you will need to consider plant position, frame materials, timing, etc., for the greenhouse. It's best suited for growing eggplants, melons, tomatoes, peppers, and other crops that need to be planted after the danger of frost and usually mature late in the season.

Hanging Plants Greenhouse

A greenhouse with hanging plants is more decorative and functional. Using a genuine hanging plant technique would be time-consuming, but fortunately, these techniques can save space! To construct the greenhouse, all you need to do is build a standard greenhouse frame and then use hanging pots and wires to give free rein to your creative talents.

Glass Greenhouse

Looking for a traditional greenhouse DIY idea? Give a glass greenhouse a try! This idea requires unbreakable glass, a basic wooden frame, and pots to hold the plants in place. You can plant flowers and vegetables vertically or horizontally to save space and build a beautiful greenhouse.

DIY Greenhouse FAQs

What size of solar generator do I need for building a greenhouse?

The size of the solar generator required to build a DIY greenhouse will depend on what you need to power and for how long. Outdoor tools generally consume a lot of energy, so you'll need a large solar generator with a high battery capacity.

Here's the mathematical formula:

Suppose you want to charge a couple of electric tools that draw 1500W of electricity with a Jackery Solar Generator 3000 Pro.

Working Time = Battery Capacity * 0.85 / Wattage Consumption of Appliances = 3024Wh * 0.85 / 15000W = 1.7H.

We have multiplied by 0.85 as there will be some power loss when charging the appliances.

Is it cheaper to build or buy a greenhouse?

Building a DIY greenhouse is much more cost-effective than buying one. The cost of building a greenhouse usually ranges between $2500 and $25,000, with an average of $15,000.

What is the best material to build a greenhouse?

Some of the best materials that can build a greenhouse include glass, multiwall polycarbonate, fiberglass, and plastic sheeting. Out of all these, glass is a good choice for permanent greenhouse structures, but it can be broken and expensive. Fiberglass is less costly but gets yellow over time. Plastic sheeting is a more popular choice with UV protection and infrared inhibitors.

Should a greenhouse be in full sun?  

Yes, a greenhouse should be placed in full sun to ensure all the plants receive maximum exposure. However, it may vary depending on what you want to grow and what temperature should be kept.

Final Thoughts

A greenhouse is one of the valuable structures that offer a stable growing environment to plants. It's an enclosure with transparent walls that let sunlight in to grow plants in a controlled environment. Many greenhouses come with many additions like heating pads, air circulation, water pumps, and sun lumps.

The Jackery Solar Generators can help you keep everything powered up even if there's no electrical outlet available nearby. If you plan to build a DIY greenhouse, portable solar generators from Jackery can supply adequate electricity to outdoor tools like hacksaws, spare blades, drills, and more.