Gateway: Greenhouses

3 DIY Greenhouses on the cheap.

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

heated greenhouse—- even when it is -30? and with bubbles??

check this out!

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Here is a nice greenhouse manual

Perhaps in the future… maybe I would combine the big drums of water and the wicking system to provide the water for the plants as well as the heating strategy for the greenhouse and it would double (or is that triple) as a bench for the plants

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

I found this information re: best temperatures. The rest of the information on the site is very interesting as well.

• “Photosynthesis is the name given to the process that converts light into energy (or into sugar in the case of plants). In order for photosynthesis to occur the following requirements must be provided: light, a temperature that is optimally between 32°F (0°C) and 100°F (37.7°C), carbon dioxide (CO2) and water. The key to greenhouse gardening is to keep all of these factors in optimum balance, and by doing so it is possible to maximize plant growth. The glazing that you choose to cover your greenhouse can greatly affect the photosynthesis process. Studies have shown that plants grow better under glass or plastic that is not clear. Glazings that have smoky appearance to them; that you cannot see through clearly, are advantageous as they scatter the light that enters a greenhouse. This gives a more even distribution of light and thus gives more total light to plants. When light goes through clear glass shadows are created in a greenhouse, which causes some plants to get more light than others.”

Source: http://www.howitworks.net/how-a-greenhouse-works.html

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

this site has a nice little planting calendar on it, (for utilizing a greenhouse)

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

This article has good tips re: considerations when buying a greenhouse

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

this is a nice simple (?) greenhouse

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

tips from a LumberJock:

• go for volume of 10 square meters minimum and make the sides two meters high (the bigger the better – to control the heat and humidity in the greenhouse and not burn the plants)
• you need a window for every meter in each side that you can open depending on where the wind comes from
  divide the house in two areas with a glass wall so you can have two different temperatures for 2 different plant requirements (ex. cooler for tomatoes and hotter for cucumbers)

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

more tips for planning a greenhouse

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

The wordpress link shows what I would love to do here, .... IF I got permission

-- jroot ....... Southern Ontario .......... grow zone 5A ...................."Gardening is an exercise in optimism." ....... . . Author Unknown

Here’s a “greener” polytunnel / greenhouse, using bamboo: LINK

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

what about an underground greenhouse? LINK

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

Now that underground greenhouse just makes sense, MsDebbieP. ....if only I had more land ....

-- jroot ....... Southern Ontario .......... grow zone 5A ...................."Gardening is an exercise in optimism." ....... . . Author Unknown

totally agree!

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)

I can recommend an excellent book for anyone who is interested in building a pit/earth sheltered greenhouse. The Earth-Sheltered Solar Greenhouse Book, written by Mike Ohler, describes his methods and experiences gained when building and using earth-sheltered/pit greenhouses. These greenhouse use the earth to insulate and the roof and southern wall to capture solar energy in order to have greenhouses in cold climates which do not freeze all winter.

Here is a video about one of his greenhouses. It isn’t the best quality video but it will definitely give you an idea what one looks like.

-- "To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves." M. Gandhi

very interesting, isn’t it

-- - Debbie, SW Ontario Canada (USDA Hardiness Zone: 5a)