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Greenhouses & Garden Structures
bunti_gw

Greenhouse help

bunti
il y a 9 ans
Dernière modification : il y a 9 ans


we are planning to build a house. I have few tropical plants. I thought of having small greenhouse in the backyard. I don't know anything about maintaining greenhouse. I would like to have one 10'X20' and height of 10'. what should I know? I don't have any experience in maintaining them. Do I need to buy big fans, heaters?

I prefer something convertible(during summer I would like to open it and during winter, I want to close it.).

here are few photo of the greenhouses I have liked on the internet. Please advice me more about the greenhouse and maintenances.


Réponse sélectionnée
  • Bill
    il y a 9 ans

    Bunti(7), In my opinion......Greenhouse photo #1 is the most practical overall. Photo #3 is a toy. The other two are far over the head of any beginner. The one thing you don't want to do is sink a bunch of money in something that you may or may not really want to do (grow plants in a greenhouse).

    Suggestion....find someone in your community that has a medium sized hobby, or small commercial greenhouse, and let them know that you are considering purchasing (building) a greenhouse, and you would like to see just what is involved in running one.

    In all my years around greenhouses, I have never known a greenhouse owner who would not welcome the opportunity to talk to someone like you. We (yes, I owned one too) all are proud of the accomplishments we have made with our houses, and the many hours of hard work that was involved in accomplishing what we did with them.

    Greenhouses are expensive, and a constant difficult job to maintain, but a source of much pleasure to those of us who like to grow plants.

    Do your homework carefully, and check it several times before you plunk down bug bucks purchasing something you THINK you would like to have.

    Keep in touch, there are lots of folks here who can offer help and support.

    Bill

    Commentaires (20)

    • fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
      il y a 9 ans
      Dernière modification :il y a 9 ans

      None of those are meant to be uncovered part of the yr. You can't pull off and replace the coverings that easily. It sounds like you need a simple frame covered with 6 mil greenhouse UV resistant poly, plastic to newbies.

      But to advise on a greenhouse we need to know climate, crops, and your objectives: seasonal or yr around, etc. The greenhouse needs to be designed with all those factors in mind.

    • oakhill (zone 9A, Calif.)
      il y a 9 ans

      It sounds like you might need to read a book on greenhouses to get started. I just checked amazon and they have many. One that got good reviews is on the link provided. It mentions that it has information on types of structures, as well as many crops. http://www.amazon.com/Greenhouse-Gardeners-Companion-Revised-Sunspace/dp/1555914500


    • bunti
      Auteur d'origine
      il y a 9 ans

      Thank you for the support Bill. I live in Charlotte, NC. None of my friends or people around us has greenhouse. I don't even have friends who are interested in plants.

      Last 10 years, I have been saving plants keeping them in the breakfast area. for last 5 - 6 years plants are in same size container. I have collected more plants too. I don't have much room in our breakfast area, if I transplant them into bigger containers.

      Another thing I have noticed is few plants(especially Fruit plants) are not doing good during winter even inside the house. They are getting something sticky on the plants. Once I put them outside during summer, they are doing fine.

      Till now I have lost somany plants during winter. I spend money again to buy plants. so I decided to have a small greenhouse with fan, heater and humidified to keep my plants healthy.

      This weekend I will visit one of nurseries to know more about the greenhouse.

      Purpose of the greenhouse is to save my tropical plants during winter and for the seed starters during spring time. I need the greenhouse for seasonal purpose only as of now.

      I have searched for greenhouse kits, I found this. I liked it. Please advice me.

      https://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/garden-grower-package/complete-greenhouse-packages



    • Bill
      il y a 9 ans

      bunti(7), I think I understand what you are trying to do now, Please understand that I am certainly not trying to discourage you with your dream of owning a greenhouse. I think I may be able to offer a few suggestions, but want you to understand that they are strictly my opinions, and certainly are not the only way to do what you want to do.

      I once purchased a greenhouse without knowing the first thing about one, and learned the hard way how to manage it. (Check my profile to see a brief story of the adventures I had with my portable greenhouse.) There is no reason why you can not learn how to manage a greenhouse and have many pleasant hours working with your plants, but please understand there is much, much more to managing a greenhouse than you currently know.

      I will be happy to try to answer some of your questions, and offer suggestions, and help you any way I can, but I will also tell you that I will be perfectly honest with you, as I offer my personal opinions on the matters at hand.

      If I am helpful, that will be wonderful, If we do not agree on something, lets both agree not to get upset about it, because there are many solutions to the problems associated with running a greenhouse, and I can only offer my personal opinions and experiences. and they will not be the only way to do something.

      I hope someone at the nursery you plan to visit this weekend will be helpful to you. Please understand that this is their busiest time of the year, and they may not have a lot of time to answer questions.

      Bill

    • fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
      il y a 9 ans

      bunti:

      That's a good greenhouse for over wintering tropical plants. The plants would need to be removed in summer or more cooling features added.


    • bunti
      Auteur d'origine
      il y a 9 ans

      I want to move my tropicals into the sunny spot during summer months. I want to protect them during winter months.

    • karen__w z7 NC
      il y a 9 ans

      I've not posted in this forum before, but I did plenty of reading here when I was planning my own greenhouse. I'm also in NC and tortured many tropicals in my garage before finally building a greenhouse. Some issues will follow your plants from the breakfast room out into the greenhouse, i.e. pests (including those that result in stickiness), although it will be easier to use chemical controls there if you wish. Even if you don't intend to use it in the summer, you'll need cooling to deal with the variable temperatures we get in spring and fall when it's not consistently warm enough to keep tropicals outside. I've got gas heat and a three stage cooling system with an evaporative cooler, and the third stage has already run this spring on >80 degree afternoons, even though nights are back to ~40 this week so now the heat is coming on. The link you posted includes two stage cooling, whether or not that's sufficient will depend on what temperatures your plants will tolerate until you can move them outside. And you shouldn't need humidification, since we're always relatively humid in central NC. You should also expect your tropical plants to get larger in the greenhouse environment so plan for growth.

      My greenhouse is from Jaderloon, in South Carolina. It's a package that they sell to high schools, and I was able to find one at a school in Raleigh that I could go look at before buying. That was a huge help in developing my specs.

      bunti a remercié karen__w z7 NC
    • bunti
      Auteur d'origine
      il y a 9 ans

      I am thinking of having Greenhouse with 10' height, just in case my plants grow big. I am planning to keep my plants 6'-7'. None of my my plants are now more than 6'.

      anyone know any greenhouse supply places around Charlotte?

    • karen__w z7 NC
      il y a 9 ans

      Jaderloon is about an hour and a half south of Charlotte.

    • Bill
      il y a 9 ans

      Karen, Thank you......This has to be one of the best kept secrets in SC. They are less than 20 miles from me and I knew nothing about them.

      I know lots of folks who want/need greenhouses & parts and equipment, and it was always a struggle finding sources.

      Bill

    • karen__w z7 NC
      il y a 9 ans

      Bill, they were recommended to me by staff at Duke Gardens and by friends who've worked in commercial greenhouses. In particular, I was told that their Carolina Cooler was the only evaporative cooler I should consider. One of their reps did a site visit to advise me during the planning stage and the company support as we were building was great. Mine turned out so well that my dad built one for his orchid collection when he moved up here from Florida. To be honest, it was my husband who did all the building.

    • Bill
      il y a 9 ans

      Many many years ago I worked for a local greenhouse company that sold Lord & Burnham Greenhouses (the Cadillacs of their time) on the side. We had a local builder who would construct the houses if the customer wanted, but could get no support from L&B once the sale was finalized......These people obviously are doing it right, and what a pleasure it is to find someone in the greenhouse business with a business head on their shoulders, and who also knows the value of ...... CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!

      Thaks again,

      Bill

    • karen__w z7 NC
      il y a 9 ans


    • Bill
      il y a 9 ans

      Karen, I m p r e s s I v e !!! and Wow! A well thought out location, and all the room anyone could wish for. And it looks like you have it well on the way to being full with a well rounded mix of plants. (I would have had it packed full of orchids, but that's me ☺)

      Bunti, take notice.....lots and lots of good information contained in these three photos. The house is on a lot with hardwood trees (most smaller and not close enough to drop limbs on the house) ...that means free shade in spring, summer, fall, and sunshine in winter when you really need it.

      A large house which means lots of captured air, which makes climate control much more efficient. A large volume of air, once brought to the desired temp. will hold that temp. longer than a smaller volume. this equals saved money in heating and cooling costs.

      A well engineered house: reinforcements where needed, but the ceiling and walls are not cluttered with a bunch of framing to get in the way of tall growing plants. The climate control systems (fans, coolers, and heaters) appear to be simple well placed, and probably connected to a simple to operate and reliable control system.

      A serious growers dreamhouse.

      Bill

    • fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
      il y a 9 ans
      Dernière modification :il y a 9 ans

      My greenhouse is similar to Karen's but in a much sunnier climate and no shade trees. Thus I need a more robust evaporative cooling system. My wet wall is 4ft tall by 28ft wide, brown pads on far end, for a 1725 sqft greenhouse. Evaporative coolers work best in a dry climate like mine. But as Karen's experience shows it's still the best system in a more humid climate. There are three 36 inch exhaust fans that pull outside air thru the wet wall and exhaust the hottest air out the end opposite the wet wall. That allows cooler inside than out in a dry climate.

      Mine is full of fruit trees, vines, and bushes.

    • bunti
      Auteur d'origine
      il y a 9 ans
      Dernière modification :il y a 9 ans

      Our lot is wooded lot. Gets shade during summer months. Wow.. these greenhouses looks amazing. I am eagerly waiting for my own greenhouse. I need to research more on growing fruit plants in containers.

      do we need growing lights in the greenhouse? the light in the greenhouse is enough for the plants?

      Thank you for the info guys.

    • fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
      il y a 9 ans
      Dernière modification :il y a 9 ans

      Light is enough in mine but like I say different conditions. The greenhouse covering has a large influence. Mine is actually only about 50% transmission to cut down on summer heat load and reduce winter heating.

      Grow lights are very expensive to operate compared to natural light. Even in winter here it would cost $100 per day to reproduce natural light level.

      See the white covering on my greenhouse floor? That's to save water but mostly to reflect light back into plant canopy. Maximize natural light before thinking artificial.

    • PRO
      Sturdi-Built Greenhouse Mfg. Co.
      il y a 9 ans

      Bunti - I just prepared the shipping documents for a 10x14' Greenhouse Kit we are sending to Pinehurst, NC. We are a small family business building all clear heart redwood greenhouses for over 50 years. We are always ready to answer questions, educate, and help our customers design the greenhouse that meets their particular growing needs. We'd love to have you visit our website at www.sturdi-built.com, see what we do, and read the testimonials from our customers.

      These are a couple of our greenhouses similar in size to the one you are thinking about.


      And this is a 16' x 33'.


    • bunti
      Auteur d'origine
      il y a 8 ans

      These Greenhouses looks great. Right now my budget is tight. I don't think I can spend 10k on greenhouse. But I really need one Greenhouse. Is it going to be less expensive, if i buy all the material and build it or its better to buy the greehouse kit?

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