Green house is coming together

[muleman]

I am finally getting back to work on the greenhouse I started last fall. Had my Amish neighbors over helping to set the trusses and sheet the roof. All the windows are recycled and were free for the hauling so we are building around them. The roof sheeting is expensive but we were looking for something to take the snow and not deteriorate like plastic does in a few years. We alternated clear and white to have shade as the sun progresses across the building each day. I am going to run a Pex loop from my wood boiler for heat and already installed a hydrant inside for water. The electric will come from the woodshed which is about 30 feet away. Hope to finish the outside walls with board and batten next week if the weather holds. We had a great day with temps in the 55 degree range this afternoon. I was glad i had the clean stone down on the floor as it got quite muddy around the outside.

 

[Cowboy]

Great looking project , my wifes been after me to make something like this I think . But I know absolutly nothing about this type of thing or how its used or works . I just try to grow stuff in the field & it either gets ate by critters or wiped out by wind or hail . thanks for sharing .

Any other info or pics you can provide would be appreciated at least by me . Are those clear fiberglass panels on the roof ?

 

[REDDOGTWO]

Are there any plans for venting? With all the glass and the clear roof, it is going to get might warm in there during the day and could overheat.

My greenhouse is plastic on the outside and with a power operating louver for an intake and a powerful fan for the exhaust it still became to hot inside during the day. Last year I installed a fifty per cent shade cloth over the top and now it is just barely tolerable for heat.

 

[muleman]

I am planning a 2ft.X3ft. vent on the one end and a attic ventilator on a thermostat on the other end. The heat will have it's own thermostat as well. All the windows open with screens except the one big one on the back side. That is where the wife's potting table will be. I have a whole pile of "road kill" bread trays for the actual plant growing area. I found them spilled on the interstate ramp one day when I was heading to New Jersey in the suburban. Being the scavenger I am I wheeled over and gather up all that I could fit in the truck and brought them home. Just have to buy a few more treated 2X4 for the frame for them to sit on.

 

[REDDOGTWO]

Sounds good for the size of the greenhouse.

 

[muleman]

Time for an update. Got the siding on and the pex installed. It is put down over slab shield foam insulation over a sheet of heavy black plastic. Concrete wire is used to hold the pipe in place with about 350 zip ties. i will cover that with a mix of 1/2 in. stone and screenings about 3-4 in. deep. Tomorrow if the weather holds I will run the underground pipe from the boiler and the electric. Hope to have it heated this weekend.

 

[Cowboy]

Looking good , thanks for the update . I,m really curious now about what you mean by the boiler , I,m assuming its for the hot water for heat , I just aint familiar with them , or for that matter how green houses work . Bob

 

[BigAl]

Can I order one for my place in idaho ??? That looks great !!! All I have so far is the pad cut for mine and 24 patio sliding glass doors for windows . So you must plan to grow right through the winter ???

 

[REDDOGTWO]

Looking good.

 

[muleman]

Update on how things are going. We got the stone installed and covered it with landscape fabric then built shelves for the flats of plants. The pipe was a real wrestling match to get under the corner and up inside. All hooked up and heating. Installed electric and lights, outlets and exhaust fan over the weekend. Have to put relay setup in for thermostat control for heat and will add a radiator for seed starting. Took a pic of the thing at night as it drives the dogs nuts if you leave the light on!If I am in the house it must be gremlins out there!

 

[Melensdad]

What is the flooring material? I've not seen landscape fabric like that before. Is that the fabric they lay under driveways in areas with clay soils?

 

[muleman]

The floor material is similar to geo tex and is a commercial grade of cloth almost as heavy as canvas. It is a nylon weave kind of like feed bag material. All the commercial greenhouses use it and it holds up to foot traffic well. I am going to cut it into strips for between the rows this year as the stuff they sell at box stores rots up after1-2 years. Wife wants a border of this stuff and gravel around the greenhouse. It comes in 6 and 12 ft. wide rolls and a 300X6 ft. roll cost $129. Might try it in the melon patch as well since that seems to not get weeded regular. Just tilled the garden for the first time this year. Got to get ready for planting some early stuff.

 

[muleman]

The woman is going crazy with the friggin plants! Shelves filled up fast then had to hang grates for more. Have pipes all over the ceiling for hanging pots and just added a second row for 15 more hangers with strawberries. I brought out the old mini greenhouse from the house and she is starting seeds in it by the radiator. Everything sprouts in there even geraniums. Brought out a house plant and it decided to bloom out. The strawberries are blooming already and we should have berries in about 4 weeks. Amish neighbor has 2500 hanging pots with strawberries growing in his big greenhouse. He has a lot invested for an unheated and unvented BIG greenhouse. We have tomatoes that are 14 inches tall already. I am building hoops to put some stuff outside under plastic tomorrow. Out of room already!!

 

[tommu56]

I hope with this cold spell it is staying warm for you it was snowing like a banshee saturday at my cabin wasn't laying but to cold to work out side../

tom

 

[muleman]

Yep! We had snow over the weekend also. Stays about 68-75 inside with temp below freezing outside. Had the exhaust fan running a few times already during the day as it easily gets up to 85 inside when the sun is bright. Am real excited for the strawberries to fill out.

 

[Lia]

It sure looks like a lot of work and effort has gone into it muleman; it's hard work, but the benefits are worth it, and propogation will make a turnover as cheap as chips. Beautiful pics.

 

[muleman]

Got the first berry today!! Should have some to pick before Memorial day. Tomatoes are going crazy in the tropical environment. Been setting them out on nice days to get them ready to go under the hoops I made. Hope to cover them with plastic today and get some stuff out of the greenhouse to make room.

 

[pirate_girl]

Very nice!

 

[muleman]

Little update on the greenhouse. Most of the veggies have been planted and replanted after the bunnies ate them. Put a fence around the back3/4 of the garden to keep them out. Down to mostly flowers and strawberries inside and got most of the hanging baskets out and put up. Need a to find some of my other plant hangers in my building and paint them.

 

[Cowboy]

Everything looks great Bill , thanks for the update . Curious as to what type of material is in the outside garden around the plants , Allmost looks like roofing felt ?

 

[Big Dog]

Nice muley ............ you got the garage syndrome everyone tells me about ....... not big enough ............ like I haven't heard that enough throughout my life ................

 

[muleman]

Everything looks great Bill , thanks for the update . Curious as to what type of material is in the outside garden around the plants , Allmost looks like roofing felt ?

That is actually a black landscape fabric made with flat nylon threads same as feed bags are made of. Holds up well to foot traffic. Most all the greenhouses use it around here. With the liquid fertilizer system you would have a ton of weeds and plants growing on the floor if you did not have it down.

 

[muleman]

Nice muley ............ you got the garage syndrome everyone tells me about ....... not big enough ............ like I haven't heard that enough throughout my life ................

Well mine is 40 X 80 and it still gets filled up. Have to fight to get the backhoe inside since we got the camper. Gave away the rabbit pens to some Amish kids so I now have a permanent spot by the round bale racks to park my RTV. Working on some other re arranging to fit the boat and little tractor better. Started storing all the implements under the barnyard overhang this past winter. Had to set them out when the steers got here.

 

[XeVfTEUtaAqJHTqq]

Took a pic of the thing at night as it drives the dogs nuts if you leave the light on!If I am in the house it must be gremlins out there!

Those are some scary looking Gremlins you have there!

 

[BigAl]

Very Nice Bill ! I have the pad cut for one in Idaho that the wife wants but thats as far as I got so far ....

 

[muleman]

Well get off your butt and get building it! Don't forget the pex heat thermostatically controlled as well as a ventilator fan and lights. Add a liquid fretilizer system also.

 

[norscaner]

Sweet operation Muleman.
I am going to make sure my wife does not see this as she will be wanting one right pronto