Anyone know a source for inexpensive plastic for greenhouses?

-- hector smith (hector@wabcmail.com), January 24, 2002

Answers

Inexpensive being a relative term....try mellingers.com

-- Sue (sulandherb@aol.com), January 24, 2002.

a freind of mine owns a commercial greenhouse.he replaces the plastic every other summer.if i don't take it it ends up in the landfill at a cost to him.check around any commercial greenhouses near you, giving it away is cheaper than it throwing away. it may have to be cleaned because of the algae type build up caused by the really humid conditions inside.good luck

-- fred in wi (sixuvusmeyers@aol.com), January 24, 2002.

try http://www.igcusa.com/covering.htm#Armin

or just do a web search for greenhouse film.

-- Oscar H. Will III (owill@mail.whittier.edu), January 24, 2002.

I got a 12'x24' hoophouse as an early Christmas present and bought a 24'x 24' sheet of a woven poly from Northern Greenhouse Sales, P. O. Box 42, Neche, ND 58265 (204-327-5540). Since it is woven, it is much stronger and more tear resistant than the film I have used in the past. This sheet cost me just under $140 but $21 was shipping. They will ship COD at no extra charge although your P. O. will charge you the cost of a money order if you pay in cash. This material was recommended by both Joel Salatin in Pastured Poultry Profits and Eliot Coleman in his book on 4 season harvests. The literature sent with the cover mentions its having lasted 7 seasons if removed in the summer as I plan to do. There are good suggestions shipped with the cover for prolonging the useful life of the poly. The cost was competitive with other covers I saw but if I do manage to use it 7 seasons, the amortized yearly cost will be about $20. At a similar cost, the film I have on another house will have to be replaced after 3 years for a much higher annual cost.

One thing I really like about this material is that since it is woven, it diffuses the light very well reducing shadows. It seems to be staying tighter than the other hoophouse with the film. My chickens live in the first hoop house in the winter and make a lovely sheet of compost with leaves and their droppings. The second hoop house is being used to grow cold tolerant vegetables. When I replace the cover for the chicken's hoop house next year, it will be with the woven poly.

-- marilyn (rainbow@ktis.net), January 24, 2002.

nothern greenhouse sales has a double stitch poly thats cross woven. I covered my 40 x 50, 13' high greenhouse for $250. Bob or Margaret Davis at 204 327-5540,Neche, ND

-- raymond l gray (rorlgray@graytv.com), January 24, 2002.

Use Construction Plastic. Very tough. Very thick. Reinforced about every half-inch in a diamond pattern with superstrong threads. Comes in many, many sizes. I bought a roll 16 feet wide x 100 feet long for $79.00 last year. Check your yellow pages under 'building supplies' or better yet - stop at the next construction site you see and ask those guys where they buy their materials. This time of year (winter), they will probably have some right there for you to look at.

-- Sandy in MN (onestonefarm@hotmail.com), January 25, 2002.