greenhouse New Project.....11-08-08...portable greenhouse

[jbeery]

Howdy AJ- Just wondering how your rig worked out as far as extending the season for you. In your opinion does the tarp let enough light in?
jim

 

[AlabamaJack]

Howdy AJ- Just wondering how your rig worked out as far as extending the season for you. In your opinion does the tarp let enough light in?
jim

Its still standing, but I didn't try much to extend my season...first freeze caught me off guard...I've got about 25 plants in there cut back and will just have to see if they come back or not...

I think it lets plenty of light in....I will tell you this, if it is 50 outside and sunny...I break a sweat inside working...

It will be used for hardening off plants in about 2 months or so...

 

[jbeery]

Thanks for the reply AJ I am looking to wrap the southeast corner of our porch with a tarp the looks very much like yours. 14 mil type ripstop. Our temps are all over the place until May then it goes from hot to too hot. The upside is I am just looking to take some advantage of all the sunshine we do have in the colder part of the year.

jim

 

[McGoo]

Good work AJ, how have you gone for heating? Seeing as how you are going to be soil growing, have you thought of heating it with a compost pile? You get the heat from the compost, and the results go on your soil, leading to happier chillies all round. It would need to be a large pile, probably 2 cubic metres/yards or more, but would be worth it.

 

[Pam]

Good work AJ, how have you gone for heating? Seeing as how you are going to be soil growing, have you thought of heating it with a compost pile? You get the heat from the compost, and the results go on your soil, leading to happier chillies all round. It would need to be a large pile, probably 2 cubic metres/yards or more, but would be worth it.

I used to bury fresh manure about a foot down inside a cold frame and grow greens all winter in it. A couple of times the tips of plants that were touching the glass lid got nipped, but mostly it worked like a charm.

 

[Pam]

Its still standing, but I didn't try much to extend my season...first freeze caught me off guard...I've got about 25 plants in there cut back and will just have to see if they come back or not...

I put up the hoop house back up this fall, but we had the coldest November in about 30 years. Caught me by surprise, too. I didn't get my black buckets and bottles set up as heat sinks, so I would have had to put some sort of space heater in to keep the plants alive, and that gets very expensive very fast.

I think it lets plenty of light in....I will tell you this, if it is 50 outside and sunny...I break a sweat inside working...

It will be used for hardening off plants in about 2 months or so...

Watch the heat with plants still in smallish pots. As you have noticed, it heats up nicely on sunny days. Great place to set loose a pod of ladybugs, though.

 

[AlabamaJack]

I just went back and reviewed this thread...

the water problem I had with the top sagging was fixed using 4 8'pieces of 1 1/4" PVC across the top under the cover...drilled holes in both ends and it is secured to the frame with cord....no more sagging now...

Thanks for the reply AJ I am looking to wrap the southeast corner of our porch with a tarp the looks very much like yours. 14 mil type ripstop. Our temps are all over the place until May then it goes from hot to too hot. The upside is I am just looking to take some advantage of all the sunshine we do have in the colder part of the year.jim

you're welcome Jim...If you look around, you can probably find the material hemmed with grommets already sewn in place...

Good work AJ, how have you gone for heating? Seeing as how you are going to be soil growing, have you thought of heating it with a compost pile? You get the heat from the compost, and the results go on your soil, leading to happier chillies all round. It would need to be a large pile, probably 2 cubic metres/yards or more, but would be worth it.

I bought a 25 foot 12 gauge extension cord with outlets every 5 feet and will use 150 watt halogen floodlights at each outlet for heat...I shouldn't need much when I start to harden plants off...

I put up the hoop house back up this fall, but we had the coldest November in about 30 years. Caught me by surprise, too. I didn't get my black buckets and bottles set up as heat sinks, so I would have had to put some sort of space heater in to keep the plants alive, and that gets very expensive very fast.

Watch the heat with plants still in smallish pots. As you have noticed, it heats up nicely on sunny days. Great place to set loose a pod of ladybugs, though.

I was wondering about your hoop house Pam...our winter has been fairly mild here so far...I am looking forward to hardening off...I should have plenty of area and can plant in containers and in the other end of this raised area first then take the sides/top off the structure and just leave it where it is...sometime around June, I will get some shade cloth to put on the structure and see if it will help during the hot July/August we have here...will probably put up misters inside too...