I bought a cute little greenhouse

daniella3d

Carnivorous Plant Addict
I just thought I share this, for those who don't have that many sarracenias and want to protect them from the strong wind and rain. I just order this beautiful little greenhouse, 48'' x 48'' x 59'' high. there is a draining system at the bottom of the tray and I will put a 20 gallons aquarium underneath with a pump to have the water circulating constantly. I just need to glue a 3'' pipe in the drain so the water level will be 3'' and that's it. Water level is going to remain at 3'' and there will be 20 gallons backup. The circulating water is going to stay clear and fresh.

At the highest point, it's 37'' from the bottom of the tray, at the lowest, around 24'' maybe. I will receive it in about a week so I will measure it properly.

I will not leave it outside in winter, and disassemble it when I take my plants inside the garage for the winter.

https://www.costco.ca/Palram-Plant-Inn-Elevated-Garden-Bed.product.10364133.html

What do you think?










 

WillyCKH

CPSC Moderator
Staff member
It looks great! Actually it might be a pretty good terrarium display if you put it in a center of a room. Not sure how clear the panels will remain overtime though.
 

daniella3d

Carnivorous Plant Addict
I saw a review from a guy who has been using it in Florida for 4 years and he was still happy about it. The plastic is supposedly thin, like plastic packaging but resistant, I have not seen it yet. It's surely expensive though, ended up 493$.
 

WillyCKH

CPSC Moderator
Staff member
Yes, the price is a bit high. Keep in mind that Florida's winter is milder than Montreal's.
 

daniella3d

Carnivorous Plant Addict
I will not leave it outside in winter. no point doing this. I will disassemble it and store it inside. Plastic does not do well under extreme cold and wind.
 

daniella3d

Carnivorous Plant Addict
At Walmart it is 519$! that's nearly 600$ with taxes, that's 90$ more than Costco and homedepot.ca 429$
 

daniella3d

Carnivorous Plant Addict
this is from the manufacturer web site: https://palramapplications.com/product/plant-inn-clear/

Polycarbonate Panels

• Virtually unbreakable, high-impact resistant and flexible
• Crystal-clear Polycarbonate provide over 90% light transmission
• Complete UV blockage and 100% UV protected, the panels do not discolor, fracture or shatter
• Maintain their integrity and withstand extreme weather conditions for many years of use
 

daniella3d

Carnivorous Plant Addict
yes it seems like it's a good resistant material. I asked the community at Amazon.com if it remain clear over time and this is what I got:

I asked:
"Does the panels remain clear over a long time period? Like are they still clear after a year or two?"

John H. King answered:
"Ours have remained clear over 4 plus years."
 

daniella3d

Carnivorous Plant Addict
So the greenhouse is installed in my backyard. I was afraid to buy this at first because of so many reviewers saying it was difficult to assemble, but that's got to be one of the easiest kit I ever did, the instructions are really well illustrated, so it's easy and fun to build! I did it alone in less than 3 hours and I took my time to read and study the diagrams before proceeding.

With that greenhouse, I plan on having the tray filled with 1'' to 2'' of water which will be circulating with a magnum pump, to the sump underneath the greenhouse. That way the water will always be fresh and clear, no stagnant water there. I could not use their overflow kit as it was not water tight, so I used some little overflow that I had at home and they work great, no leak. I have to be really careful for leak as if there is any, the water will drain and there will be no more for the plants. So, I will put my sarracenias in pots in the water and will just fill the sump with osmosed water every week or so. This will protect my sarracenias from the strong winds and heavy rain fall.

It's too hot today to even partially close the doors, so I leave it fully open. There are hangers to hold the door at the top of the greenhouse. The temperature inside can get really high, I did some test yesterday without plants and it was 33C in my backyard but 42C in the greenhouse with a 5'' opening on both side., So I will have to maybe install a fan or just leave the door fully open when it's freaking hot. When it's 30C outside, it is 34C to 35C in my backyard because of all the brick and patio. I will probably replace one of the panel with a plexiglass panel with a fan in the center of it, for the hot summer months.

Here are some photos of the greenhouse:

Fully open:



With 6'' opening both sides :



Half open :



And fully closed :

 

daniella3d

Carnivorous Plant Addict
One of the things that I don't like about this greenhouse is the trays are made so they lean toward the center of the drain, for drainage of course. That's great for those who want to grow lettuce and plant directly in the tray, but it was annoying to see my pots leaning so I made some brackets underneath the tray to support the weight of the water so the sarracenia pots will remain leveled and straight. That worked great.
 

daniella3d

Carnivorous Plant Addict
I don't know, they are not very deep, maybe 3'' max, so I would need to find a tray that would fit and would be deeper. But I think it's going to be convenient that way, as I want to put all my plants in pots because I bring them inside my garage for the winter. I don't think a bog garden would survive in the greenhouse in winter, as it is a raised bed. For people living in a warmer zone, that could be an option.
 

daniella3d

Carnivorous Plant Addict
Next spring I will build a wooden base with wheels (with brakes) to be able to move it around. The weight with water, plant and the greenhouse is around 200 lbs.
 

daniella3d

Carnivorous Plant Addict
Here is my setup with the running water. There is a container underneath with a pump and the water drain down the tubes to the container. Water arrive from the 4 corners and remain cool even in a hot day.

 

EP31

Plant
I really like this! I have to put my Sarracenia in a cage to protect them from the animals lol this setup is so much prettier and way more sophisticated.
 

daniella3d

Carnivorous Plant Addict
I like it a lot so far. Now the days are suddenly becoming a lot colder and my plants are going to appreciate the little extra heat they can get as they are just starting to grow those beautiful fall pitchers. So far they seem to be growing well inside the greenhouse. They are producing lots of new growth.

S. Leucophylla Alba ‘White Back’ Baldwin Co, AL, from Mike Wang :

 
Top