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2013 Greenhouse Grow

Hey everyone!
 
Im going to start my grow log here in a new thread because I had some set backs earlier this year mainly with overwatering. Thanks everyone for all your help this site is awesome.

I just put this greenhouse up a few weeks ago and have been working on getting it all dialed in. Temps are still a little high, but Im going to install some bigger exhaust fans next week that will take my exhaust CFM from its current 2200 CFM to 6000 CFM so I should see a further reduction in temps. Its about 95 degrees in there today and some days it gets up around 100 or a bit past so Im hoping the larger fans will bring that down a tad.
 
Anyway ... heres what I have going so far. Here is the greenhouse, I still need to bring some more rock in and surround the outside of it but for now I have to make sure I have a grasp on temps and automation.
 
 
 
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Here on the left is a 7 pot yellow and on the right a better bush tomato
 
 
 
 
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On the left a douglah and on the right the same 7 pot yellow from above:
 
 
 
 
 
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On the left a douglah and the right a TSMB. All of these plants that are in these homer buckets got severe overwatering and sunburn ... they are just now recovering from the damage I did several months ago. Their bouncing back though.
 
 
 
 
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Heres a beefsteak tomato, starting to pump out new growth. It already set several tomatos but I pinched them off in hopes of getting the plant to grow vegetatively:
 
 
 
 
 
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Here is a 25 gallon smart pot all loaded up with soil and ready to go. Now I just gotta figure out what to put in it! lol .. I have a fatalii seedling going that I may stick in there, either that or one of the various other smaller plants that I have going on the sidelines. Eventually I will do 3 of these 25 gallon smart pots right down the center of the greenhouse. One will definately have a fatalii .. Im still in the air on what to put in the other two. Im thinking either a red bhut, red brain strain and maybe a heirloom tomato of some kind. The soil mix consists of approximately 4 gallons rabbit manure, 2 gallons homemade worm castings, 3-4 gallons perilite, and the rest is a mixture of 50% fresh peat moss and 50% recycled soil from previous container grows (contains more perilite, peat and castings that were probably all used up by the previous plants).

I ammended with tomato tone, blood meal, bone meal and a very small amount of lime, gypsum, and powdered oyster shells. PH comes out to about 6.8. I loaded the smart pot all up, then brewed up 5 gallons of ACT (molasses, worm castings, tomato tone, and liquid kelp) then once the brew was all frothy and filled with goodness I poured the whole 5 gallons into the soil mix in this 25 gallon smart pot. Ill let it set there and "cook"  so to speak. The microbes will break down all the manures, castings, and ammendments while Im figuring out what to put in there, once I plant the soil mix should be ready to rock.
 
 
 
 
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Someone bump this please so I can post more pics, the pic limit kinda sucks .....
 
Oh I agree! lol .. but what would be the next option then, I guess just going with a standard gas one and venting it.
 
Sucks because then not only will I have to have a gas line ran, but an electric line too. More $$
 
It'll be sweet though and being able to grow large plants indefinately is something I really want to attempt.
 
.. and yes, its very beautiful here!
 
I really don't know what the options are. I don't think I have ever even been that high of an elevation! Probably the highest I have been (other than that Phish concert) was last year when I was in Jerome, AZ. I am assuming it must have something to do with the air/fuel mixture and the lack of oxygen at that altitude.
 
One thing I looked into before going with natural gas, was aquarium heaters. I was considering just using a 275 gallon pallet tote as a thermal mass and getting a big saltwater aquarium heater to keep it at 80 degrees at night. I don't know how well it would have worked, I quit working out the math when I decided to go a traditional route.
 
Maybe call a local HVAC company and see if they have any tricks to running ventless systems that high up.

Pepper-Guru said:
Im still having AZ withdraws.
 
 
I hear that! It has been a year since the wife and I went to Sedona, we are more than ready to go back!
 
Pepper-Guru said:
Im still having AZ withdraws.
 
 
 
I hear ya ... I really love it here, moved here 2 years ago. Even with the climate challenges. Honestly, the climate is PERFECT in my opinion. 80-90 degrees tops in summer with cool mountain air nights. The winters arent bad, sometimes gets -10 but thats only for an hour in the middle of the night. Usually its 20-30 degrees out with strong sun that warms you up. I see people outside in 35 degree weather in shorts jogging .. during the day, because the suns so strong.
theghostpepperstore said:
I really don't know what the options are. I don't think I have ever even been that high of an elevation! Probably the highest I have been (other than that Phish concert) was last year when I was in Jerome, AZ. I am assuming it must have something to do with the air/fuel mixture and the lack of oxygen at that altitude.
 
One thing I looked into before going with natural gas, was aquarium heaters. I was considering just using a 275 gallon pallet tote as a thermal mass and getting a big saltwater aquarium heater to keep it at 80 degrees at night. I don't know how well it would have worked, I quit working out the math when I decided to go a traditional route.
 
Maybe call a local HVAC company and see if they have any tricks to running ventless systems that high up.

 
 
I hear that! It has been a year since the wife and I went to Sedona, we are more than ready to go back!
 
 
Well if any of you make it out this way look me up!
 
Ya Im planning on calling some HVAC places soon and see what they have to say. The instruction manual on the ventless heater says that "operating above 4500' can cause pilot outages"
 
 
 
Oh I agree! lol .. but what would be the next option then, I guess just going with a standard gas one and venting it.
 
Just a thought, plants are not animals so venting might not be necessary. 
if there is plenty of oxygen, natural gas produces CO2 when burned, not CO. The 420 guys pay a ton of money to pipe CO2 into their grow rooms. THe plants love it. 
 
I think he was talking about venting the exhaust from the gas heater. The lack of oxygen at that altitude won't allow the heater pilot to stay lit (or fully oxidize the gas) and the gas could build up and explode... probably not a great idea.
 
I agree with all of the above.

Jeff ..its true cannabis growers use CO2 to increase yields but they do it in a controlled fashion ...they regulate it within limits so its at a precise...optimum level.

...but...its not a half bad idea... Im just not prepared at this point to tackle Co2 in an outdoor greenhouse
 
Sorry for the delayed update. I had a microbrew fest carnival outdoor movie thing-a-majig last night. Was a blast! Feeling it today though  ...
 
Alright Pepper-Guru ... heres that fatalii seedling.... you really think I should stick this little guy straight in that 25 gallon smarty!??? Say the word and Ill start hardening the little guy off and stick it in there lol
 
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.... and here are the upgraded fans. Good news and bad news. Good news is they move a BUTTLOAD of air ... literally turns the greenhouse into a wind tunnel with the plants swaying here and there from all the air movement. Bad news ... one of them is bad, vibrates the whole damn greenhouse to shit. So Im running only one of them at the moment. Another bit of bad news.. we just so happen to be getting record breaking temps here yesterday, today and tomorrow at the same time Im down a fan. Yesterday it got to 113 degrees in there!!
 
Today the monsoon sesason seems to have started so its overcast and temps have dropped for the moment. Its 86 in there now and the plants seem relieved to be getting a break.
 
 
Anyway, heres the bigger exhaust fans ... the one on the right is broken, the company says they are shipping one out to me this week. You can see the two thermostats here, one kicks the exhaust system on at 85 degrees, the other kicks the heater on at 60 degrees. Ive been monitoring the greenhouse in the morning and at night and they kick on and off perfectly. I just gotta get that other fan in there!
 
 
 
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Heres a new cherry tomato I just put in:
 
 
 
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... and my red brain strain potted up to a 7 gallon container, also a couple aji lemons off to the side:
 
 
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... and here I have a chocolate bhut, yellow 7 pot, and another small chocolate bhut in the solo cup, Im half tempted to stick one of these chocolate bhuts in that big 25 gallon smarty since they are more advanced and ready to go, but Ild really like to have that fatalii in there... its just so damn small and I really need to get something in there this week to take advantage of the next few months growing time before the weather starts cooling off.
 
 
 
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Heres a neopoleon sweet pepper, jalapeno, and aji lemon ... they are putting on some growth the last week or so:
 
 
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I need a bump so I can post more pics  *rolleyes*   :)
 
Thanks again ghost pepper! Ya they work great!
 
 
 
......... and heres the plants recovering from my abuse early on. First to last: TSMB, Douglah, 7 pot, douglah, better bush tomato, and volcano pepper:
 
 
 
 
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... Then the beefmast tomato ... throwing out new growth over this last week!
 
 
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Another bump please   :)
 
Awesome... thanks Millworkman!
 
 
... and a few more plants I have going inside... these also could be candidates for the big 25 gallon smart pot: Back left to right: caribean red, Golden treasure, golden treasure. Front right: peach habanero. Front Left: Red Bhut Jolokia
 
 
 
 
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Heres a couple more, another chocolate bhut and a yellow bhut - had thought about putting the yellow bhut in the 25 gallon smarty. I keep going back and forth. One of my chocolate bhuts is furthest along so would take off much quicker, but I wouldnt mind a red or yellow bhut in there. Most of all Ild like that fatalii in it but like I said it just seems so far behind the others as of now.
 
 
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.... and heres some of my outdoor projects. Just a bed tilled with horse manure, and mulched on top. With a heritage rasberry, jostaberry, two honey berry plants and a goji berry plant. Also I have a black monukka grape vine and another goji berry plant that needs planted (not shown):
 
 
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GOJI Berry!!!
 
 
 
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Honeyberries:
 
 
 
 
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Heritage rasberry and jostaberry:
 
 
 
 
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Thats everything for this update. So what do you all say? Who goes into the 25 gallon smart pot!???
 
The little itty bitty fatalii?
 
....... maybe the red bhut?

......... the chocolate bhut - since its furthest along??
 
Well... I went ahead and stuck that itty bitty tiny weiny fatalii seedling in the big 25 gallon smart pot. I took pics but my pc took a dump so ill have to fix it and get them posted.

I also repotted everything...the chocolate bhut, red bhut, yellow bhut and yellow 7 pot all got new 5 gallon containers with fresh soil mix. Also the peach hab got a new 3 gallon container ...it will stay inside permanently under T5's to see how it does.

Finally, I put an extra chocolate bhut and an extra aji lemon in the ground for experimental purposes to see how they do compared to the sheltered greenhouse plants.

So everything is now in their permanent homes ....let the games begin!

ill get pics up as soon as I can. You all gotta see this two leaf set fatalii seedling swimming in a sea of soil lol
 
OZZZ!
 
Way cool setup!
 
My Mom lives in deadwood Dolan Springs, but I've vacationed in Sedona, and driven through Flagstaff, simply beautiful country!
 
I can see by reading here that you most definitely need to have a greenhouse to make things work.
 
Now not know anything about what you're doing and having a wonder why....why are the sunshades on the inside? My brain says (and that don't mean nada) the UV would be lessened if they were on the outside...here's my thinking...for what it's worth (probably nothing!) If on the outside the heat stays there, when on the inside they block UV, but the heats already between the panel and the sunshade; and then it can invade the greenhouse space...
 
I'm only asking this because in Tejas all the greenhouses have the shade on the outside.
 
I would love to have a greenhouse here for one reason, hauling way too many plants in and out when temps get below 50. But there's the cooling issues...cuz the day time temps go through the roof...so if you have time perhaps you could detail about the thermostats ect. so a lamer beginner greenhouse wanna be like me can learn some more.
 
So let me close by saying...whoaaa dude cool grow! I'm gonna have to watch what you do!
 
Hey! The shade cloth came with the greenhouse ...it does drop temps about ten degrees inside but I agree with you it couldn't work s good as an external one.

Thanks though ...I'm still fighting daytime temps but with the bigger exhaust fans running today I seemed to be about 5 degrees over ambient temps which isn't bad.

I have one thermostat come on at 85 degrees for the exhaust system and another that kicks on at 60 for the heater.
 
Nice setup OZZZ!
I really envy your climate! I love mountains, clear skies and cold nights :)
 
Good luck!
 
Datil
 
Oops sorry Jeff, wasn't paying attention to the convo...thanks GPS! Dude, Ozzz you have an awesome setup! Hope you're ready for a forever change in your cultivation with that bad ass green house. That fatalii is gonna reward you in about two months.
 
Thanks everyone ...let the games begin! Ill try to get my pc fixed today and get those pics posted
 
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