Re: Greenhouse

I'm planning on building a "lean-to" style greenhouse attached to the south side of our garage, to hopefully allow us to grow vegetables year-round. Anyone every done this?

I'm thinking of using some insulated fiberglass panels, which have a solar transmission of 84% and U-factor of 0.48 (R-value of just over 2), which would then likely require insulated window quilts to be pulled down at night. I'd put black-painted water tubes at the back wall to absorb sunlight during the day, and radiate heat at night. I'd put the walls on a poured cement foundation that would go below the frost line, and make a floor with 1" of rigid foam insulation so the ground won't freeze - then put on a tile floor, and the plants would go in raised planting beds.

How's that sound?

Oh - I'm also plannig on putting sliding glass doors at the east and west ends, to allow good ventilation in the summer to keep it from overheating.

Mike it might work, don't know if I can be of any help or not because our climate here in TX is exact opposite of yours. I have a small green house, and in winter on cold winter nights I have to use some heat to keep it above 55.

Summer is my challenge keeping it cool and humidified. Fortunately the RH around here is 40% or less so a simple swamp cooler works nicely. But I don't have to use it much in the summer b/c most everything moves out in the garden except for the cool season stuff like the lettuce.

Hey do you like chili peppers? I have a bumper crop this year.

dereckbc

 

Hey do you like chili peppers? I have a bumper crop this year.

No  salmonella?

As for a south facing 3 wall greenhouse, I've been planning one for years and am looking forward to you choice of materials and design. Our greenhouse will have a segment for water heating designed to offset our natural gas heat for the pool. Heating 40,000 gallons 'open to the air' in spring makes me similar to Al Gore ... without buying the carbon offsets.

My early design didn't have a finished floor or curtains to insulate at night ... but then I wasn't really planning to grow all that much in the middle of winter. (more of a spring head start greenhouse ... but you've got me thinking)

This is the book you want to read Mike;

http://www.heartlanddigsandfinds.com/store/store_product_detail.cfm?Product_ID=3287

It's a bit outdated concerning new materials, but the basics never change and it's the bible for solar greenhouse basics.

 

 

Rich

dereckbc

 

Hey do you like chili peppers? I have a bumper crop this year.

No  salmonella?

As for a south facing 3 wall greenhouse, I've been planning one for years and am looking forward to you choice of materials and design. Our greenhouse will have a segment for water heating designed to offset our natural gas heat for the pool. Heating 40,000 gallons 'open to the air' in spring makes me similar to Al Gore ... without buying the carbon offsets.

You can buy/build solar hot water heaters specifically intended for heating a pool (called, shockingly, "solar pool heaters"). I'm putting a solar hot water heater (Skyline System 5) in on the roof of the garage (south facing) in a few weeks.

My early design didn't have a finished floor or curtains to insulate at night ... but then I wasn't really planning to grow all that much in the middle of winter. (more of a spring head start greenhouse ... but you've got me thinking)

We were initially just thinking of doing a garden shed for holding tools and getting an early start - but then I figured I could probably build a lean-to style greenhouse for a similar price, that might let us do year-round growing.

Rich

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No  salmonella?

soypwrd

This is the book you want to read Mike;

http://www.heartlanddigsandfinds.com/store/store_product_detail.cfm?Product_ID=3287

It's a bit outdated concerning new materials, but the basics never change and it's the bible for solar greenhouse basics.

 

 

Thanks Ron!

dereckbc

 

Nope I live in horse poop country of North Texas and make my own well rotted compost. When you guys are paying the big bucks for tasteless mators, I am enjoying the best heirloom varieties to the point I have to give them away to the retirement homes in the area.

Besides My Jalapenos, New Mex, Ceyenne. Chocolate Habs, Serreno, and others are so hot no filthy germ could live.

Summer time in Ohio is "home grown" tomato (and sweet corn) country -- none of those grocery store "tasteless mators" for me. Hot peppers on the other hand are almost always better from your neck of the woods IMHO. We had some mixed variety sweet corn from Amish country at my Mom's on Sunday afternoon that was the best I ever had. Small tender kernels that just popped when you put them to your lips. Mmm ... I want some more!

And I just mentioned this above!

Rich

Hot peppers on the other hand are almost always better from your neck of the woods IMHO. We had some mixed variety sweet corn from Amish country at my Mom's on Sunday afternoon that was the best I ever had. Small tender kernels that just popped when you put them to your lips. Mmm ... I want some more!

The Mexican peppers do very well here because of the heat and low humidity. Tropical varieties only do fair to mediocre, and is why what few I grow are in the greenhouse to keep the humidity up.

I hear you on the sweet corn, I love it, wished I had more garden space to grow it as it does well down here. Unfortunately the sweet corn season down here has come and gone already. Bright side is I put up and froze a lot of corn a variety called Honey-N-Cream. It is a bi-color almost too sweet.

It is unfortunate how one single farm can shut down a whole crop as happened with the Jap peppers. Samething happened ealier this year with Tomatoes here in TX. For about a month you could not even steal a tomato, there were none to be had unless you had a garden.

dereckbc

  The Mexican peppers do very well here because of the heat and low humidity. Tropical varieties only do fair to mediocre

Depending on the plant, the sun's quality is more important than the quantity.

What I mean is that why are the worlds largest pumpkins grown in RI and PA and WI and not Mexico or even Ecuador? Cuz of the quality of the sun. Im not saying that I can do better in wisconsin with all plants but I promise you that I can make a run on the most delicious

dereckbc

  sweet corn, I love it,

. Yea genetics plays an important role but the quality of our soil and our sun in the summer ... I promise that I have a sweet corn source that is 2nd to none.