2011 greenhouse help

[Syke]

hey guys,
sux about that crash.....
anyways last season i grew outside,
i would like to convert my grow area to a greenhouse.
i just have a couple of questions first.
what are the pros and cons of a greenhouse?
my temps here and california for summer is up there
i want to be out there early this year, thats the main reason.
any help for greenhouses will help me
thanx

 

[meds4me]

Well, Texas was doing an green house thread....Boils down to needing a/c due to outdoor temps then its just not advisable. My part of the country def sees triple digits....prob gonna have get me a split system for flowering. Additional lighting of course (i'm gonna use t-5's) and venting for humidity sake as well as fresh air.....hows that for a start ?

 

[meds4me]

Here's my 10' wide x 10 ' tall at peak / 8' wall 24' long carport frame i scored for $50. The metal came from a garage tear down (free). Got 220v wired outside and water along side ( well 3' anyways...) Havent fiqured out what i want for the roof / cieling sect. , prob some type of light diffuser material. Ventilation is going to be a roof / attic type fan with back draft dampers. Prob temp/humidity switched as well.

 

[meds4me]

Shade cloth....hxxp://www.catalogclearance.com/products/shadecloth50__knittedshadecloth.html

anyone got any comments on this ? Kinda like the pricing....

 

[Syke]

hey meds
thanx for all the help so far.
i have a question about shade covering the greenhouse.
my area for my grow only get constant sun
in roughly 8' wide x 15-20' long
but i want it to be roughly 20'x20'
or 15'x15'.
will the shaded area on the greenhouse disrupt
or mess up the grow cycle?
or is that what greenhouses are for....
(maximizing lumen exposure, and temp control)
if u need a picture to better explain i can do that.....

 

[meds4me]

hey meds
thanx for all the help so far.
i have a question about shade covering the greenhouse.
my area for my grow only get constant sun
in roughly 8' wide x 15-20' long
but i want it to be roughly 20'x20'
or 15'x15'.
will the shaded area on the greenhouse disrupt
or mess up the grow cycle?
or is that what greenhouses are for....
(maximizing lumen exposure, and temp control)
if u need a picture to better explain i can do that.....

Okay lets take this line by line.......

Shade cloth comes in various "Shades" of sun blocking ( 30% to 70%) so sun light is available , just less over all heat / light amounts.

Ive never had a green house, That being said. AS I understand its to be able to grow year round. Thus the lighting / ventilation, etc needs to mimic youre indoor ares...

As far as the size or how you construct / use the green house....well its personal preference.

Me, I plan to start some of my vegs for the reg garden and have a protected are for my o.d. grow this year......Had a tiny bobber eyeballing me last year, thus the security !

I plan to use shade cloth ( 40% ) for apart of the roof section and upper wall sect. if that makes sense.... (Metal to 8' then shade cloth to the metal roofing.....
I have a used heatpump for summer a/c now (SCORE !) so I just need some attic fans and back draft dampers....


Hope this long winded answer helps... Meds ~" Peace

 

[TexasMonster]

Lets dont even get into my greenhouse covering. I've recieved it twice only to get the wrong one each time, but this thread is not about me, its about your greenhouse. You are going to have to vent when it gets hot. You need a good fan for this. I have been viewing the shadecloth for a while now but am hesitant to try it because grass relies on light so much. I want all the light I can get to my plants to get to them. There are a few coverings out there that claim to diffuse light. Some claim to do it so well that they eliminate shadows in the greenhouse. As soon as (if ever) I get my covering I will be doing a greenhouse build here on MP

 

[FUM]

Venting a must. I built a 30x20x15. Had 2box fan in an out plus 8 fans on ground. 4ft skirts around the whole thing for more draft, and she would sometimes get to hot for the gals. Thats on so. coast of Oregon. Work your shade cloth and start looking for fans. Good luck.

 

[Syke]

thnx for the input texas and fum
those light diffuse products
i need to know more information on those
i want to have my whole greenhouse lit up for maximum amount of time
i have great morning and afternoon exposure of sunlight
but very poor exposure after say 2pm

maybe the light diffusing product around the outside
and shade cloth on top to help for venting??

 

[redjet]

what are the pros and cons of a greenhouse?

Pros: lower electricity use than in indoor grow,
more stealth than growing outdoors exposed,
protection from weather,
protection from bugs,
easy to control climate,
nice warm nights,
low water use (as long as the plants can handle the humidity - I keep the humidity up during veg but not during flowering).

Cons: less stealth than an indoor grow,
heat can increase incredibly fast (I watched mine go from 34 to 42C (93 to 108F) in less than ten minutes),
if you do get a bug or disease in there, it will spread faster than you can imagine,
the heat will increase the smell. Loooooong before you flower it will reek in there!

my temps here and california for summer is up there

Unless you use A/C, your greenhouse will be much hotter than regular air temps.
While the GH is in the sun and vented or overnight, mine is at least 10 to 15 degrees hotter. In the sun with no vents and I'm pretty sure I'd have a walk-in oven.

My summer has been mild for Australian standards so far with extreme sun but temps in the low 30s (low 90sF) and I haven't had trouble with venting. I leave the back and front windows open all day and the front door half open if it's really hot. I haven't needed to use a fan but I did orient my GH to catch to breeze.

In the tiny GH I started in, I used a white sheet hung inside to cool it down a bit and stop the young plants from getting burnt, but that GH was clear. My new one is white polyethelene, seems to let plenty of the right kind of light in, doesn't get quite as hot and is much stealthier.

 

[ColoradoLady]

I am a greenhouse grower now as well. Last year was my first and was definately an education. A couple of days ago it was 8 below 0 and sunny and 97 in the greenhouse. So heat is a big problem. I run at least 2 large fans, one at front doors and one at the back, and 4 roof vents and 4 wall vents. Get rear doors also if you can. Cost me extra and for sure saved my crop when it was 112degrees. And the bugs love the greenhouse. Need to watch your humidity carefully. But... Ahhhhh, things can go out early and stay later in the fall.
Hope you enjoy your new growing area.