The Abba Greenhouse APGH1020W
The Abba Greenhouse, APGH1020W, is a very roomy greenhouse at 20 feet long by 10 feet wide greenhouse, with 200 square feet of growing space.
It is 9.4 feet high at the peak and 6.6 feet high on the vertical sides…which means even SASQUATCH can comfortably roam around in it!
A strong and durable, heavy duty, powder coated, steel frame plus a UV treated and waterproof transparent polyethylene cover, with an inner layer of polyethylene mesh, complement each other…making this a very attractive and functional addition to your gardening experience.
The frame’s coating will resist chipping, peeling, rust, and corrosion.
The cover attaches to the frame through eyelets with a simple bungee cord ball strap configuration.
There are 6 roll-up windows, lined with mosquito netting…3 on each side. A zippered, very wide, 6.6 feet high, oversized door graces one end of the enclosure. When the netting gets ripped, it’s easy to replace with this mosquito netting.
Large foot plates with pegs provide additional solidity to the structure.
Things To Think About…
To start with…the assembly instructions are basically just one sheet of paper showing an exploded view…making it difficult at best to efficiently erect the greenhouse without a whole lot of head scratching!
Get a helper or two when you put it together…in CALM weather…the less wind…the better. And, take the time to lay out all the parts and become familiar with them before proceeding with the build. Try to think “a step ahead” and many “whoopsies” can be avoided.
TIPS AND TRICKS
As I have said about other greenhouses that use screws and nuts to connect the frame sections, do NOT completely tighten the wing nuts on this frame until the construction is complete and the cover is attached. Leave the wing nuts loose enough to give a bit of wiggle room…but, far screwed on enough to ensure that they won’t fall of. After everything is assembled, THEN systematically and slowly tighten the wing nuts a little bit at a time…until everything is firmed up and stable.
Unzip one or both doors when installing the cover. It will make your life a heckuva lot easier! And, keep the zippers as clean as possible. Dirty zippers will break more quickly.
Some folks say that this cover lasted 5 years before it began to deteriorate. And, some say it only lasted them about 18 months. Either way, I know of no replacement covers for greenhouses currently available from Abba Patio.
For this reason, it is practical to take steps to preserve and lengthen the life of the APGH1020W cover. And, there are some products readily available to help in that attempt.
TIPS AND TRICKS
Help your greenhouse cover last a few years longer by wrapping the frame with pipe wrap insulation to protect it and lengthen its life. The pipe wrap will also keep a heated frame from baking and destroying the plastic cover.
Periodically, use a disinfectant that is specially designed as a fungicide, virucide, and algaecide for cleaning greenhouses such as Physan 20. Physan 20 is also used to clean and disinfect outdoor fountains, bird baths, and pools.
After using Physan 20, and making sure that the cover is clean and dry, apply a coating of 303 (30306) Marine UV Protectant. The 303 will rejuvenate the UV protection…making the cover look brighter and newer…giving it much needed extra protection. IMPORTANT: Follow the directions on the label.
But, eventually, there will be a need to either repair or replace the cover with good quality 6-mil polyethylene plastic sheeting.
TIP
Instead of completely replacing the cover, just add the sheeting as another layer to the cover, hold it in place with snap clamps, and cut out holes for the rear window and front door. It also wouldn’t hurt to have a roll or two of polyethylene repair tape to take care of small rips and tears in the plastic. And, what would make your greenhouse really cozy on a cold winter’s night is a top-of-the-line infrared heater.
The large foot plates provided are not sufficient to firmly keep this greenhouse in the same spot. At a minimum, lay some long boards on the extended flaps and put some cement blocks on top of them. This will give it stability in mild wind.
TIP
Add an extra measure of immovability by using long tent stakes or, better yet, metal T-posts or U-posts. This will increase the structure’s resistance to moderate winds…and maybe some high winds.
Even with the not-so-positive aspects of the Abba Greenhouse APGH1020W, a goodly number of buyers have recommended this plant-growing hot house to their friends, relatives, and neighbors.
That speaks to the overall quality…that is at least on par with other similar greenhouses.
Take a look for yourself. See what others are saying. And, make the choice that best suits your needs. Leave me a comment or an email, jim@perfect-vegetable-garden.com, and let me know if you have made your mind up about it!
Jim, the Life Long Gardener
Never thought to wrap the frame with insulation. That’s a really good idea! We used to use metal screw into the ground dog tie outs, to keep our greenhouse from blowing away. Of course we never had one as big as this. The last greenhouse we had was actually green, and we didn’t really like it. There didn’t seem to be enough light. Is this one green or a lighter color?
Thanks, for your comment!
I got the idea to wrap my greenhouse frame with pipe wrap insulation from Jed, my “retired farmer” neighbor…and, it has proven to be extremely successful in helping to protect my polyethylene cover! Jed if full of great advice, stories about his farming days, and witticisms that always seem to apply to the problems of the moment. A search for Jed on my website will offer more insight into his nature and character.
There are several reasons that some greenhouses have a green covering.
For some unexplained reason, the green coverings are stronger than clear ones.
The green color reflects green light, which the plants don’t need (They are already reflecting green off their green leaves.) This allows the plants to more completely absorb other colors of the spectrum…blue…and red.
And, it is worth knowing that the overall percentage of light transmission through the greenhouse cover isn’t significantly affected by whether it is green or clear.
Those were great observations! I really appreciate the opportunity to discuss it!
Jim