My greenhouse is coming!

[ERClover]

So after 3 1/2 weeks I now have four walls standing on their own! About half that time was in involved in digging foundation trenches, installing 4”x4” base and getting them leveled and squared, and installing tie down anchors. And hauling in about a ton of gravel was also a part of that along with a couple dozen cement pavers. The actual construction hasn’t been all that bad, just driving in a bunch of screws. The instructions are very good and every piece of lumber is numbered and keyed to each step. Now that the walls are up and connected it’s time to move on to the roof. Unfortunately we are about to get several days of wet weather so I figure I‘ll just move into the garage to prebuild the variois sub-sections and prepare all the polycarbonate window material. I’m hoping to have it all done but the shelving in about another week. Here are some photos.

I located it behind my wife’s pottery shed since it already has electricity that I can tap into. Plus I won’t have that far to carry the bonsai pots she makes me.

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The greenhouse is 8’ tall at the peak and 6’ on the sides so plenty of overhead room.

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I have another dozen pavers to make this 3 wide and 8 deep. The pea gravel should give good drainage.

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Final interior dimensions are 7’3”x9’3” and the “glass” is 6mm thick double layer polycarbonate to give better insulation. The lower 32” walls are 1 1/2” thick Eastern white cedar so should also provide pretty good r value compared to glass.

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That’s what I call vertical integration. Onsite pot creation shed.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Really nice man ! What kind heat are you thinking ?

Some type of electric, either a milk house style heater or one of the oil filled units similar to what Nigel Saunders uses in his greenhouse in Ontario. I found a website with a calculator that takes into account the volume, type of glass, and local cost for electricity, etc. and then calculates the cost to heat the greenhouse. My estimates were about $50 a year. That may sound low but remember that I am not trying to grow tomatoes in it, just keep the temps in the 35-40 degree range for only 3-4 months.

 

[vp999]

I've been using the split unit system for the last couple years for my tropicals, keeping it around 50-60 from November to March and it's costing me around $40 each month. I will definitely go the gas route for my next greenhouse.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Nice job. A couple things one might think about based upon experience with our greenhouses.

1. Lower ventilation to intake air for the upper vents. Thermostatically controlled louvers are best.
2. Insulated Hose bib - hate carrying water
3. Fans, not one, to circulation when buttoned up.
4. Thermostatically controlled heater with fan and sufficient out put to maintain temperatures at 35F.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Dabbler]

I'm gonna say I'm jealous!

 

[ForrestW]

Looks great! I hope one day to build a nice cold frame one day!

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Nice job. A couple things one might think about based upon experience with our greenhouses.

1. Lower ventilation to intake air for the upper vents. Thermostatically controlled louvers are best.
2. Insulated Hose bib - hate carrying water
3. Fans, not one, to circulation when buttoned up.
4. Thermostatically controlled heater with fan and sufficient out put to maintain temperatures at 35F.

Cheers
DSD sends

1. It does have an intake vent near ground level but is not thermostatically controlled, wide open all the time. I may install an automatic system but at the least will need a flap over it on winter.
2. I have a large rain barrel on the pottery shed and already have a hose run out there to water plants in the lower yard.
3. Yep, a fan ir twi is on the list.
4. Yep, gotta keep those BTUs up there and something to push air out.

I’ve been reviewing yours and Judy’s previous posts on this topic for tips. Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

Ok, time for an update. This thing is built well and survived the 70 MPH winds Hurrican Helene threw at it on Sept 27, no damage at all! I now have it ready for winter which should hit in a few days when temps are expected to drop to 20 F over the weekend. I put in a 5120 BTU heater with a temp control cube that cycles on at 35 and off at 45. I now have about 50 trees packed in there with another 20 that will stay outside this winter as they are things like larches, spruce, local hawthorns, etc. I also moved my big wisteria into the garage which stays about 42 degrees. Here are a few photos.

 

[bwaynef]

It looks great. If that temp controller allows for a lower high-temperature, I'd lower it. 45ºF is pretty high for trees that require dormancy.

 

[WNC Bonsai]

It looks great. If that temp controller allows for a lower high-temperature, I'd lower it. 45ºF is pretty high for trees that require dormancy.

Yes, I worried over that and scanned dozens of listings on Amazon but that 35/45 was the lowest I could find. Plus it came recommended by Deep Sea Diver here on bnut, he uses them in his greenhouses. I figure if Nigel can get away with using the built in heater thermostat for his greenhouse in Canada this should work.