Who has a Greenhouse?

[Fatman LOU]

I just retired at an early age ( so i like to think ) and want to buy a greenhouse. I live where i have to consider the snow load if i don't want any surprises waiting for me . I'm looking at an all polycarbonate ( 6-10 mm ) greenhouse. The sizes i narrowed it down to are a 14x10x20. I plan on heating it with wood ( outdoor boiler) . I want to grow Vegetables and build a Hydroponic system. I also have a 12x14 shed i can convert over to a greenhouse if i need more space.
So if any of you have a greenhouse I would like to hear your thoughts.......

 

[Crystallas]

Good luck to you, a truly rewarding project.


I had the greenhouse for 6 years, then in 2012ish had softball sized hail and I already wanted to shift gears anyways at that point. Now part of it is converted into a tool shed and the other became reclaimed yard/garden. But I moved away from the greenhouse to a compost method. Being retired, you'll have the time to care for a greenhouse (which is mainly a commitment up front, not in the long run. Because I wanted to avoid venting from any plastics, my greenhouse was iron glass(so a true greenhouse) and cinder block base/raised victorian style. Also was likely overly ambitious, because it became too much work to maximize natural materials. If you go PC/PVC , they are so much less maintenance from what I understand.

The compost method will allow you to raise the soil temps enough to keep zone-8 multiannuals in a zone 5. It's no replacement for a greenhouse, but if you do build that greenhouse you can combine both practices. Don't ignore compost, otherwise you'll basically be growing veg that are no better that what you can buy at the grocery store, full of industrial *cides and coming from artificially nourished soils.

 

[Fatman LOU]

Good luck to you, a truly rewarding project.


I had the greenhouse for 6 years, then in 2012ish had softball sized hail and I already wanted to shift gears anyways at that point. Now part of it is converted into a tool shed and the other became reclaimed yard/garden. But I moved away from the greenhouse to a compost method. Being retired, you'll have the time to care for a greenhouse (which is mainly a commitment up front, not in the long run. Because I wanted to avoid venting from any plastics, my greenhouse was iron glass(so a true greenhouse) and cinder block base/raised victorian style. Also was likely overly ambitious, because it became too much work to maximize natural materials. If you go PC/PVC , they are so much less maintenance from what I understand.

The compost method will allow you to raise the soil temps enough to keep zone-8 multiannuals in a zone 5. It's no replacement for a greenhouse, but if you do build that greenhouse you can combine both practices. Don't ignore compost, otherwise you'll basically be growing veg that are no better that what you can buy at the grocery store, full of industrial *cides and coming from artificially nourished soils.

Thanks Crystallas. My soil here is all sand, nothing the wife and I tried to grow last year did well. this fall when i put up my greenhouse i will have cow manure trucked in ( a lot cheaper than black dirt) 3 inch lift and rotortilled in the soil. I can get cow manure cheap and free if i hauled and load it, and i'll probably stock pile alot of it . The compost would also be a good idea in keeping some warmth in the greenhouse , if i want to go that route. I seen greenhouses like the one you said you had, they are truly beautiful. I am interested in a Riga Greenhouse, German made and engineered . A greenhouse would be more effective in keeping out the deer , bear ,red squirels and wild turkeys we have here . I cant wait to get started.

 

[Crystallas]

Thanks Crystallas. My soil here is all sand, nothing the wife and I tried to grow last year did well. this fall when i put up my greenhouse i will have cow manure trucked in ( a lot cheaper than black dirt) 3 inch lift and rotortilled in the soil. I can get cow manure cheap and free if i hauled and load it, and i'll probably stock pile alot of it . The compost would also be a good idea in keeping some warmth in the greenhouse , if i want to go that route. I seen greenhouses like the one you said you had, they are truly beautiful. I am interested in a Riga Greenhouse, German made and engineered . A greenhouse would be more effective in keeping out the deer , bear ,red squirels and wild turkeys we have here . I cant wait to get started.

Good luck.

By the way, what do you grow now? I know you can still grow a lot in sand. Some choice plants grow better in sandy soils. Pineapple weed(which is a tasty cousin of chamomile) is a personal favorite of mine that loves to spread in gritty earth.

 

[Burque]

Not to derail this thread, but also probably not worth another entire thread.


Can we dig into soil preservation a bit?

I built a raised box this year and am doing another next year, and I am curios the basics of soil regeneration versus fertilization.

I am ignorant to all the macros micros etc so if we could lay this out in laymans terms so my dumbass can understand it I would greatly appreciate. Or better yet if there is a simple guide that is easy to follow and gives good advice on the internet a link would be greatly appreciated.

I am not a botanist, but I love growing food plants and want to start growing and canning more making myself and family less reliant on the grocer.

 

[Crystallas]

The easy way to understand it:

Plant needs nutrients. Cultivator needs to provide those nutrients. How, there is no ONE answer, like anything in nature. You just provide the best experience possible within whatever you have access to. The more local the solution, the better. Soils share microbial traits that work like a network of sorts. Communication and compatibility with not only climate, but mimics the existing local materials best. Your job as the cultivator is simply to correct issues in the soil, not just provide massive amounts of nutrients and hope things work out.

The more we learn about microbiology and mycology, the more we see what is processed by larger animals and what is processed by tiny organisms is very close, with different species providing different benefits. So really, if you want to get into the big 3, and worry about specific 'fertilizers' for specific conditions and plants, just focus on 1) pH 2) drain 3) Nitrogen conversion. Once you match the tolerances to the plant, you can focus on nutrients. Mainly creating a cycle that replenishes nutrients and auto-corrects soil conditions.

Earth is complex. You can get into toxicity(selenium is a big one in your neck of the woods IIRC, if not, my mistake). Pest control, companion growing, shade, vegetative state preservation(bolt prevention), and a bunch more that would take an already long response and turn it into an ebook.

 

[Fatman LOU]

Good luck.

By the way, what do you grow now? I know you can still grow a lot in sand. Some choice plants grow better in sandy soils. Pineapple weed(which is a tasty cousin of chamomile) is a personal favorite of mine that loves to spread in gritty earth.

This year im not growing anything. I want to get the greenhouse up, get the cow manure in and look to elevate my food plot to control my varmit problem. I have to ask the wife about Pineapple weed im sure shes familiar with it . As far as growing in sandy conditions i'll try Watermelon and definitely asparagus and maybe collard greens. But i'll still add some manure to the equation . Searching Pineapple weed i see they make a pineapple weed tea? Interesting..

 

[Crystallas]

That's a good plan. It's almost July, so yeah, an ambitious plan like that will require this season to get going for the next spring. Thus you should better establish your crop cycles. I like when people build stuff to grow and cultivate. Not just a lot of grass and pavement. And a green house is a great fundamental measure to maximize crop output.

 

[BestBearsFan]

I work for a large wholesale greenhouse(28 acres of greenhouse space) but I don't think that's what you had in mind.

 

[Fatman LOU]

That's a good plan. It's almost July, so yeah, an ambitious plan like that will require this season to get going for the next spring. Thus you should better establish your crop cycles. I like when people build stuff to grow and cultivate. Not just a lot of grass and pavement. And a green house is a great fundamental measure to maximize crop output.

Just today i took down another tree ( red cedar ) where i want to open the yard to get more sun and put the greenhouse. I have about 6-7 more trees ( pines, spruces and a maple i want down to maximize sun exposure. I also have well pump and electric out away from the house where i might put the greenhouse right over the top of. Im lucky in the fact my well is shallow and the water is so good. Now i just wish i can get the wife to stop buying bottled water.

 

[Fatman LOU]

I work for a large wholesale greenhouse(28 acres of greenhouse space) but I don't think that's what you had in mind.

I was talked down from a 20x30 to where im at now. 28 acre greenhouse wow. Do they heat it in the winter?

 

[Crystallas]

Not that it's any of my business what someone does on their property, but just something to think about.

There is a huge growing tick problem, and a number of people, including myself believe this is due in part to the over-harvesting of different cedar trees. I understand land management, sun/shade and just the general lifecycle of trees that get in the way through problematic root systems. But if you are getting rid of so many trees, consider replanting some. Cedar especially, and also be aware that so many people have planted Japanese red maples, that the native sugar maple population in the US specifically(not an issue really in NE Canada) has actually taken a hit. Especially with the beetle invasions.

Again, not to tell you what to do with your land, but I hope you consider planting another red cedar somewhere. Eastern red is among the best pest regulators in forests and near homes.

 

[Xuder O'Clam]

Sorry for being pedantic, but the eastern red cedar is not really a cedar. It's juniper. And actually, what we normally call cedars are not cedars, they are cypress. That goes for western red cedars and eastern white cedars.

 

[Crystallas]

Sorry for being pedantic, but the eastern red cedar is not really a cedar. It's juniper. And actually, what we normally call cedars are not cedars, they are cypress. That goes for western red cedars and eastern white cedars.

Yeah, but running around calling it virginia juniper really confuses everyone. LOL... Softwoods are the bane of the forester, thats for sure. At least in Illinois(there are 200x more hardwoods here than softwoods in the reserves). Really sucks for bolete hunting. Here everyone calls everything a pine(semi-accurate) and they're done with it.

 

[Xuder O'Clam]

Yeah, but running around calling it virginia juniper really confuses everyone. LOL... Softwoods are the bane of the forester, thats for sure. At least in Illinois(there are 200x more hardwoods here than softwoods in the reserves). Really sucks for bolete hunting.

I said I was sorry for being pedantic, lol.

I had an Aussie working for me this year, and he couldn't understand why we all call cypress cedar here. I had to fire him.

 

[Crystallas]

I said I was sorry for being pedantic, lol.

I had an Aussie working for me this year, and he couldn't understand why we all call cypress cedar here. I had to fire him.

Did he at least know jackrabbits are not kangarros that mated with white tail?

In all fairness, after all these years I still mix up a few trees. Basswood and certain birches always throw me. Especially chaga hunting and you see this hardened mass growing on the side of a basswood. We don't get chaga like you guys do up north and I have only spotted it once in a few decades of hiking.

 

[Xuder O'Clam]

A lot of people here mistake chaga for black knot.

I have no idea if this Aussie ever saw a jack rabbit. About the 10th time I heard him say "It's a fucking cupressus" in that twang, I didn't care what he thought of Canada anymore.

 

[AussieBear]

I bought a small cheap ass chinese greenhouse. it didnt last a year, but while it was in operation, it was nice. i live in a colder climate in oz... i be had veg producing way before my neighbors.. me tomatoes came in 6 weeks before them..

the greenhouse failed because the joints connections were pvc slide ins.. the uv up here ate them up in less than a year..they became brittle... with the high winds we get and me anchors keeping da shit in place.. 80% of the joints eventually snapped apart. the next pre built greenhouse i get, if i get one, will be with screw/bolt joints.. the uv even ate at the film covering the structure.. so panels would be more cost effective imo.

i was hoping to get two years with the prebuilt unit.....well until i built my own larger permanent structue using polycarbonate panels, glass and reclaimed untreated wood.

i used sunken raised beds inside and surrounding it.. they went down about 18in and came up about 6-8in .... mostly cow manure and compost.. then had some shelving with potted plants.. heres the only photo i still have after putting it up.. the shelving wasnt in it.. but i used a step thang i created out of reclaimed metal mesh.. 4 levels..

the permanent is going to start where that greenhouse flap is open and run all the way back behind the old tin shed in the background behind itz... and it will be wider than the beds on the outside of the current ones i be made... i used the wire mesh and grew green beans on the side of da shed... some purple running beans.. good shit... .. the lady before me had used it to grow grapes.

 

[Fatman LOU]

Not that it's any of my business what someone does on their property, but just something to think about.

There is a huge growing tick problem, and a number of people, including myself believe this is due in part to the over-harvesting of different cedar trees. I understand land management, sun/shade and just the general lifecycle of trees that get in the way through problematic root systems. But if you are getting rid of so many trees, consider replanting some. Cedar especially, and also be aware that so many people have planted Japanese red maples, that the native sugar maple population in the US specifically(not an issue really in NE Canada) has actually taken a hit. Especially with the beetle invasions.

Again, not to tell you what to do with your land, but I hope you consider planting another red cedar somewhere. Eastern red is among the best pest regulators in forests and near homes.

Yes i wish i had a chipper to mulch the cedar and put it by the house. Crystallis i have thick woods all around me, i need to clear a spot not only for my greenhouse and sun exposure but to open a viewing area to spot black bear that come on my property. My land sits on 20 acres and the previous owner never done any land clearing so there are alot of what i call scrub trees. Black bear here will walk on the edge line of where i cut the grass. I have young children that want to play outside. Back in November of 2016 i had a Boerboel dog shipped to me from Virginia. I wanted a dog that has the instinct and courage to get between the children and bear should that happen. I never let the kids go close to the woods, i NEVER let the kids go out alone. Me or the wife and dog will be there when they do . Three weeks ago the kids and I were out in the back yard, my Boerboel darted to the woods. I looked to see where he was going and he was going straight for a bear. The bear went up a tree, i got the dog back and watched the bear come down from the tree and take off. I will clear another 100 feet to my east ( back yard ) . I wont be cutting any tree of mature and large diameter. Just scrubs and to clear it out. I dont need to cut wood to run a wood boiler , there is enough just in down oaks that will last for a long long time. Thanks for your concern Crystallas.

 

[Fatman LOU]

I bought a small cheap ass chinese greenhouse. it didnt last a year, but while it was in operation, it was nice. i live in a colder climate in oz... i be had veg producing way before my neighbors.. me tomatoes came in 6 weeks before them..

the greenhouse failed because the joints connections were pvc slide ins.. the uv up here ate them up in less than a year..they became brittle... with the high winds we get and me anchors keeping da shit in place.. 80% of the joints eventually snapped apart. the next pre built greenhouse i get, if i get one, will be with screw/bolt joints.. the uv even ate at the film covering the structure.. so panels would be more cost effective imo.

i was hoping to get two years with the prebuilt unit.....well until i built my own larger permanent structue using polycarbonate panels, glass and reclaimed untreated wood.

i used sunken raised beds inside and surrounding it.. they went down about 18in and came up about 6-8in .... mostly cow manure and compost.. then had some shelving with potted plants.. heres the only photo i still have after putting it up.. the shelving wasnt in it.. but i used a step thang i created out of reclaimed metal mesh.. 4 levels..

the permanent is going to start where that greenhouse flap is open and run all the way back behind the old tin shed in the background behind itz... and it will be wider than the beds on the outside of the current ones i be made... i used the wire mesh and grew green beans on the side of da shed... some purple running beans.. good shit... .. the lady before me had used it to grow grapes.

Nice job Aussie. Yes the sun can be hard on PVC . I bet you were happy as hell having vegetables before your neighbors. I hope you shared some with them.