PaulInMi
Silver Member
Looks very nice Tony.
Paul
Paul
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Greenhouse
- Thread starter TonyC
- Start date
- Views: 4590
>>I am a FIRM believer that plants do much better with rainwater than tap water. That is why I collect it and use it for watering. I'll take some photos of this and post them next week.
Just noticed this quote in your description on your greenhouse. Am I correct when I assume that your "tap" water is from the public water source and is thus it contains chlorine and flouride (and who knows what else) and that is why you prefer rain water? I can't imagine that rainwater has an advantage over a private well water for plants, but then again I learn something everyday...
Just noticed this quote in your description on your greenhouse. Am I correct when I assume that your "tap" water is from the public water source and is thus it contains chlorine and flouride (and who knows what else) and that is why you prefer rain water? I can't imagine that rainwater has an advantage over a private well water for plants, but then again I learn something everyday...
Knight9
Veteran Member
Though I am certainly no "green thumb"...I was always under the impression that well water was fine for plant only if you let it sit for a while to come to a warmer temperature. Rain water is already at a decent temp, but well water can be very cold and shock the plants.
Kevin
Kevin
I am very tempted to build a greenhouse, after seeing the nice job you did on yours...but a question:
Is it really possible to grow fresh vegetables etc year-round in a greenhouse? This will probably be the deciding factor for me. I could see shelling out the bucks if it meant I could have a contionuous supply of fresh fruits and vegetables year round. I previously had assumed that the greenhouse would only be used to get a head-start in the spring (i.e. start the seeds and move them out).
BTW: We live in New England so the winters are long and cold.
Is it really possible to grow fresh vegetables etc year-round in a greenhouse? This will probably be the deciding factor for me. I could see shelling out the bucks if it meant I could have a contionuous supply of fresh fruits and vegetables year round. I previously had assumed that the greenhouse would only be used to get a head-start in the spring (i.e. start the seeds and move them out).
BTW: We live in New England so the winters are long and cold.
The answer is yes, you can have fresh vegetables year round. However, it does require effort, commitment and expense. At present, I only grow tomatoes year round. For starters, growing vegetables indoors requires a reasonable amount of space which is a premium in a greenhouse. You need in-ground beds. I have two, each 3' X 5'. I dug them out as deep as I could and filled them with quality soil. Before doing that I lined the holes with inexpensive Styrofoam insulation to keep the cold out. You can also add soil heating cables. You will also need alternate lighting. The days are too short for proper going. I stayed away from the very expensive growing lights and do well with cheap florescent fixtures. The need for light can be exacerbated by how much or how little sun your area gets even in the day time in winter. You can get a good idea of this by going to http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/online/ccd/avgsun.html and looking up your area. From what I see, MA. isn't bad with over 50% most of the time. Over 50% is desirable.
The ought part can be heat, especially in Ma. Proper greenhouse heaters are not cheap and the gas that runs them is even worse. Depending on what you are growing, you need to keep things fairly warm. I keep mine at 50 to 50 degrees. When it's 10 outside, you'll need a big heater and lots of fuel. There are alternate ways to heat that are less convenient but equally effective. Some folks use wood stoves. It's hard to control the temperature and you have to be ever vigilant keeping it stoked. On the plus side, it's very cheap and you can really generate some heat.
Lastly, you'll need to grow certain varieties. the ones you grow in the summer typically are not fond of greenhouse growing. The seeds are a bit more expensive but it's no big deal.
I highly recommend http://www.greenhousegarden.com/. It is an excellent site and full of great info. They have a great forum there also...not as active as this one but a good one none the less. The book that is sold there (and on Amazon) is first rate and if you are seriously thinking about this, it will tell you all you need to know.
That's the briefest answer I could come up with. If you have any more questions, I would be happy to answer them. Good luck!
The ought part can be heat, especially in Ma. Proper greenhouse heaters are not cheap and the gas that runs them is even worse. Depending on what you are growing, you need to keep things fairly warm. I keep mine at 50 to 50 degrees. When it's 10 outside, you'll need a big heater and lots of fuel. There are alternate ways to heat that are less convenient but equally effective. Some folks use wood stoves. It's hard to control the temperature and you have to be ever vigilant keeping it stoked. On the plus side, it's very cheap and you can really generate some heat.
Lastly, you'll need to grow certain varieties. the ones you grow in the summer typically are not fond of greenhouse growing. The seeds are a bit more expensive but it's no big deal.
I highly recommend http://www.greenhousegarden.com/. It is an excellent site and full of great info. They have a great forum there also...not as active as this one but a good one none the less. The book that is sold there (and on Amazon) is first rate and if you are seriously thinking about this, it will tell you all you need to know.
That's the briefest answer I could come up with. If you have any more questions, I would be happy to answer them. Good luck!
Thanks for the very helpful reply. I was afraid the propane may in fact end up being the biggest expense...I am going to investigate wood-heat alternatives. Wood is something I got plenty of around here, if I could just come up with a way of keeping a nice steady heat without monitoring it all day....
TerryinMD
Veteran Member
You may want to consider one of the "outside" woodstoves that has a boiler. You would have hot water heat into the greenhouse to supply radiant heat from baseboards or buried lines.
Terry
Terry
Anonymous Poster
Epic Contributor
- Joined
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RE:CHEAP GREENHOUSE
For any of you looking for a small "house" to grow a few items, I've noticed a few people in my area using old aircraft cargo containers, the plastic type that the airlines use to load up and then put on the airline, they are kind of a rounded triangle shape, and seem to pass the sun and heat through. Might be something to consider if you are near an airport, I've also seen some airlines going to an aluminum or steel type which of course won't work but make excellent backyard storage units.
With the possible upcoming shrinkage in the airline industry there may be some available..
In Washington here, some people have designs on the greenhouses where you can easily take off the clear plastic, and also add a dark fabric for winter?
del
For any of you looking for a small "house" to grow a few items, I've noticed a few people in my area using old aircraft cargo containers, the plastic type that the airlines use to load up and then put on the airline, they are kind of a rounded triangle shape, and seem to pass the sun and heat through. Might be something to consider if you are near an airport, I've also seen some airlines going to an aluminum or steel type which of course won't work but make excellent backyard storage units.
With the possible upcoming shrinkage in the airline industry there may be some available..
In Washington here, some people have designs on the greenhouses where you can easily take off the clear plastic, and also add a dark fabric for winter?
del
Yep, that's the problem. On sunny or even partially sunny days, you won't need much heat. If it's real sunny here and 20 degrees outside, it is 70 in the house. It's those overcast days and those loooonnng cold nights that are murder. One thing I forgot to mention is that you have to pollinate the plants yourself. Not real difficult but it does require some research.