Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
How to Build an Alaskan Greenhouse
How to Build an Alaskan Greenhouse. Alaska has a very short growing season, averaging from about the first week of June until the last week in August. A greenhouse is a good way to extend the growing season into the late fall months. There are several different designs you can look into depending on space, location and weather factors.
Alaska has a very short growing season, averaging from about the first week of June until the last week in August. A greenhouse is a good way to extend the growing season into the late fall months. There are several different designs you can look into depending on space, location and weather factors.
Things You'll Need
Timber for base and frame
UV-resistant polythene plastic for covering
Galvanized nails
Nail plates
Sheet of treated plywood
Door hinges
Planning
Decide where you want to build your greenhouse. Choose a location that will provide your greenhouse with a lot of sunlight. Attaching your greenhouse to your house is the best choice if you have limited backyard space, and also makes for easy accessibility and convenient for connecting water and power.
Think about the climate in the area when choosing a design. If there is heavy snowfall, make sure to choose a slanted roof instead of a flat roof. An insulated greenhouse, as well as a heating and ventilation system, is also appropriate for the cold Alaskan climate.
Choose the materials you want to use. Use glass or fiberglass covering, rather than plastic, to allow for more humidity and warmth in your greenhouse. For the roof, you can use waterproof and lightweight aluminum or steel, or a weather-resistant wood.
Building
To build the greenhouse base, use timber to layout a square or rectangle and secure the edges with galvanized nails and nail plates. A recommended dimension is eight feet by ten feet. Use a level to make sure all the sides are even, and a square is constructed when the diagonals are equal. Secure the base by hammering the perimeter with pegs.
Make the framing with timber, with the recommended dimensions ten feet by four and a half feet. Secure the side walls to the bottom frame using galvanized nails.
For the roof frame, cut five rafters at the recommended length of six feet, five rafters at four feet and five uprights with a length of one foot, all with angled-cut ends. Cut five triangular gussets from treated plywood, each side one and a half feet in length. Layout the roof frame on the ground and secure it with nails and nail plates, setting the short rafters against the long rafters and using the triangle gussets to cover the area where the rafters intersect. Lift the roof frame on top of the side frames and secure with nails and plates.
Use timber to build the end walls, using four and a half foot angled-cut timber to support the ends of the roof frame and a door with dimensions of six feet by two and a half feet. Hinges should be put on the door to allow it to open and close. Cover the greenhouse with UV-resistant plastic polythene and secure tightly by nailing the stretched plastic into the rafters.
