If you want to build a greenhouse, you might wonder how you can do it cheaply. You can build a cheap greenhouse by building a cattle panel greenhouse. Cattle panels are inexpensive and sturdy, plus they can double as plant trellises. We’ll talk about the benefits and drawbacks of using cattle panels to build a greenhouse, and how to build one.
What are cattle panels?
You might be familiar with cattle panels already. If you aren’t, here’s what they’re all about. They’re also called livestock panels, and they’re used for fencing on farms. If you live in a rural area, a farmer might have extra panels to give you. You can also buy them at hardware or farming supply stores.
Cattle Panel Greenhouse Benefits
Cattle panel greenhouses provide many benefits:
They’re inexpensive.
If you live or work on a farm, you might already have extra cattle panels, so you wouldn’t have to buy them. A neighbor living in a rural area may have extra cattle panels to give you. Other than that, cattle panels are inexpensive, especially compared to other building materials.
Sturdy building material.
Since they’re meant to fence in livestock, they’re strong. Also, they’re durable and last a long time, which is good because you don’t want to replace greenhouses often. Cattle panels need little assembly, especially for how much structure they provide. You don’t have to build a huge structure with many connected pieces. You just need to attach it to a foundation, and you can connect multiple panels together. Comparatively, it’s easier to build a greenhouse with cattle panels than with other materials.
Cattle panels double as plant trellises.
Cattle panels act as trellises for plants because of their structure. Fruits and vegetables that grow well on trellises include tomatoes, cucumbers, squashes, melons, peas, and beans. Plants will thrive on the walls of your cattle panels, and you can also plant more produce in the ground.
Cattle panels are large and easy to work with.
Finally, they are large. You can shape them into an 8-foot-tall arch. If you use multiple panels, you can make your greenhouse any length. Gardeners who want to grow a lot of produce use cattle panels because they are easy to use and cost-effective. They’re best for people who live in rural areas or have a lot of land to build their greenhouses on. For those who plan to sell or give produce away and have some for themselves and their families, this is a great option. A greenhouse of this size can grow a lot of food.
Cattle panels for greenhouses: Drawbacks
The biggest cattle panel drawback is that they don’t stand by themselves during inclement weather. If you have very cold weather where you live, cattle panels may not be a good option. You can pick a strong covering for your cattle panels, and you should have great results. It just increases the cost. If you live somewhere with year-round warm weather, you could use a less sturdy, and therefore less expensive, covering. You might not even need it for much of the year.
Also, the size is a problem. It’s a good option for people with a lot of land. If you don’t want to plant much and don’t need much space in your greenhouse, there are other materials you can choose from that would be better for you in the long run.
Building Your Cattle Panel Greenhouse
By now, you’re probably sold on building a cattle panel greenhouse, or at least interested in how the process works. Here’s a basic look at the assembly process.
- Plan your greenhouse space and prepare the soil. You won’t need to prepare the ground if you have a large, flat area with good soil. If you don’t have good soil, use raised beds or potted plants in the greenhouse.
- Buy or find as many cattle panels as you need. Cattle panels form an 8-foot arch. The number of cattle panels you use will determine the length.
- Decide how to build your foundation and gather the materials. In addition to attaching the cattle panels to something, the foundation can provide structure for the plants you’ll plant in the ground. Gardeners often use pallets for the foundation, which is an inexpensive option – they’re often free. Or they build the foundation with pieces of wood they attach.
- If you’ll be covering your cattle panels, buy weather-proof material. Greenhouse plastic is the most popular material, but the weather you experience will determine which material to use.
- Get stakes. You’ll use the stakes to stabilize the foundation and attach your cattle panels to it. You can use zip ties or hay bale ties to attach them.
- Round up some helpers if you can. You can do this alone, but since you’ll be working with large materials and this is a significant project, it will be quicker, easier, and more enjoyable with help.
- Start by laying the foundation and driving the stakes in. The number of stakes varies, but it’s better to have more than less for your greenhouse’s structural integrity.
- Attach your cattle panels to the stakes.
- Cover them with material if you choose to. If you do experience inclement weather but you’re starting this project when you have nicer weather, you can delay this step until the weather starts changing.
Related questions
Do they work well in the snow?
Because they are meant to be outdoors, snow won’t wear them down physically. However, because of their structure, they won’t protect plants from snow or frost. Covering them with greenhouse plastic can help, but in extreme conditions, consider extra protection.
That’s what you need to know about building a cattle panel greenhouse. Before you build one, make sure you map out the space for it and prepare the soil, and decide how many cattle panels you’ll need. Once you have everything planned, you’ll be able to put the cattle panel greenhouse together easily.