I can't believe it's really happening!

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Congrats on the ground breaking!
Love the combination of tech and hydraulics in #2.

How many inspections? Thanks.
 
Thanks everyone -- it's nice to be able to share my long-term dream.

Its so exciting Dot! I can't believe you've bit your tongue this long and not spill the beans on this project!!!! Super progress so far!
I wanted to be sure it was really happening before I posted so I wouldn't jinx the project.

Congratulations, Dot! Your plants are gonna grow even better! If that's even possible!
Actually, I've heard that one has to learn how to grow all over again because greenhouse growing is so different from growing inside a home (and outside during summers). Anybody find this to be true???

Xciting !!:drool:
keep us posted with your next episode.
what are you planning to grow in your Greenhouse ?
these must be exciting times for you
happy orchid growing from Northern Thailand
cliokchi;);
Thanks -- I will continue to post as the building progresses.
The greenhouse will be home for my 500+ orchids, a few ferns, maybe my growing collection of Hoyas, and all my potting material.

Congrats on the ground breaking!
Love the combination of tech and hydraulics in #2.

How many inspections? Thanks.
I don't know -- the project is in the hands of our contractor. But I suspect there will be inspections of the building, the electrical, the gas and maybe the water. There was someone out before the project started to check to make sure the site would be to code. Since we are within 500 feet of the river, we had to get a special permit that waived the need for an erosion barrier.
 
SlipperFan said:
Actually, I've heard that one has to learn how to grow all over again because greenhouse growing is so different from growing inside a home (and outside during summers). Anybody find this to be true???

Absolutely, Dot! You'll be testing all your knowledge and putting your skills to good use as you observe your plants in their new home and decide on just the right location, watering and feeding schedule.

Are you installing an automatic-start generator? What about heat....do you have plans for a main heater and a back-up heater? Both an auto-start generator and a second heater are worth their weight in gold when it comes to peace of mind you'd enjoy, knowing that you've built in some redundancy on the most critical systems.

Congratulations, Dot! ENJOY and HAVE FUN!:clap:
 
WOW. That is going to be some greenhouse. Can't wait to see the finished product. Is that all your land? The possibilities are endless.

David
 
Congrats! One of the diff things I see in g/h growers is that plants become numerous and dont receive as much individual care. Good Luck.

Hehehe...she's already giving individual care to over 500 plants! :wink:
 
.....Actually, I've heard that one has to learn how to grow all over again because greenhouse growing is so different from growing inside a home (and outside during summers). Anybody find this to be true???
Hmmm ... I think I have to basically disagree with that statement & John.
Maybe it's the location of my GH, natural shade from the west by deciduous trees?
and maybe it's been too long for my memory to remember windowsill growing!:p
I have east, south & west windows, plants got moved indoors to better locations, no different in a GH.
Outdoor summer growing should be pretty similar.
 
If it's not too late, you should insulate the outside of the foundation before backfilling with styrofoam panels. I did it for mine here in Ohio, and in MI I think it's important to reduce the 'cold sink' effect. My GH is attached and I used triple-wall glazing, insulated the foundation and cover the north wall inside with 'clear' plastic sheeting in the winter. It's 14x 24 and the heating cost has only added about $25 to my monthly gas budget .So, that means I'm only spending $300 to heat it all nine months of winter here in Ohio, set on 55 degree nights, which is far less than I used to spend on the electricuty for growlights! Every little bit you can do to decrease energy comsumption will add up big time in the long run.

As far as growing being different, having just built my GH 3 summers ago, I do think there's a learning curve - and the plants will have an adjustment curve, too. You'll be adjusting light levels and fans and humidity and vents for several years before you think you're satisfied. I expect you may decide to alter your potting mixes/pot types/sizes as well. Some things I found styed much too wet once they had a decent environment, and some things grew so much better they needed different mixes and pots to keep up with their metabolisms.

I'm not so sure having the potting mixes in the GH is a great idea unless they can be hermetically sealed. A friend has had ruined bags of bark and CHC from mold and fungus.

I do store my plastic pots in the GH, but not the clay. The extra couple hundred clay pots I laboriously washed, bleached, set out to dry in the sun, and then stored underbanch in the GH all had mold or fungus on them the following spring when I went to use them and I had to repeat the process.

But you will find things which have not bloomed, things which have performed poorly, and even things which have done fairly well for you, will take off in a year or two and really surprise you!
 
Dot, since you're going to have gas heat, I VERY strongly suggest you look into a separated-combustion heater, as they have several advantages over conventional ones.

A conventional gas heater uses air from inside the greenhouse for combustion, so the exhaust pumps your humid, heated air out of the greenhouse, necessarily drawing the cold, dry outside air in. Most modern heaters also have "positive ventilation" for the exhaust - a fan that comes on before the heat goes on, and stays on for a while after the flame is extinguished - so that makes it even worse.

A separated combustion heater, on the other hand, draws outside air into the sealed combustion chamber, and exhausts it out again without any impact on the greenhouse atmosphere - including the "positive ventilation". In the case of my heater (I suspect they're all like this), the intake air flue surrounds the exhaust flue, so the intake air is preheated for greater efficiency, and the electronic controller circuitry is also in that sealed chamber, isolated from the moisture of the greenhouse, extending its lifespan.

After switching from a standard Modine (vertical heat exchanger, conventional design) model to the Reznor UDAS (horizontal exchanger - like a Modine Hot Dawg - and separated combustion), my gas consumption dropped 40%, and I stopped struggling to maintain decent humidity.

One might also argue that the separated combustion chamber also provides greater isolation of the plants from the potential of ethylene gas caused by incomplete combustion of the fuel.
 
WOW. That is going to be some greenhouse. Can't wait to see the finished product. Is that all your land? The possibilities are endless.
David
We have about 2 1/3 acres. It's our little piece of paradise!

If it's not too late, you should insulate the outside of the foundation before backfilling with styrofoam panels. I did it for mine here in Ohio, and in MI I think it's important to reduce the 'cold sink' effect. My GH is attached and I used triple-wall glazing, insulated the foundation and cover the north wall inside with 'clear' plastic sheeting in the winter. It's 14x 24 and the heating cost has only added about $25 to my monthly gas budget .So, that means I'm only spending $300 to heat it all nine months of winter here in Ohio, set on 55 degree nights, which is far less than I used to spend on the electricuty for growlights! Every little bit you can do to decrease energy comsumption will add up big time in the long run.
We are actually going to insulate the inside as well as the outside, plus add insulation to the holes in the cement blocks, including the knee-wall blocks.

As far as growing being different, having just built my GH 3 summers ago, I do think there's a learning curve - and the plants will have an adjustment curve, too. You'll be adjusting light levels and fans and humidity and vents for several years before you think you're satisfied. I expect you may decide to alter your potting mixes/pot types/sizes as well. Some things I found styed much too wet once they had a decent environment, and some things grew so much better they needed different mixes and pots to keep up with their metabolisms.
I'm expecting to need to watch things carefully.

I'm not so sure having the potting mixes in the GH is a great idea unless they can be hermetically sealed. A friend has had ruined bags of bark and CHC from mold and fungus.

I do store my plastic pots in the GH, but not the clay. The extra couple hundred clay pots I laboriously washed, bleached, set out to dry in the sun, and then stored underbanch in the GH all had mold or fungus on them the following spring when I went to use them and I had to repeat the process.
Hmmm, interesting. I hadn't considered that possibility. Thanks for that observation. The garage is only a few steps away, maybe I'll have to store media there.

But you will find things which have not bloomed, things which have performed poorly, and even things which have done fairly well for you, will take off in a year or two and really surprise you!
I'm certainly hoping so!

Dot, since you're going to have gas heat, I VERY strongly suggest you look into a separated-combustion heater, as they have several advantages over conventional ones.

A conventional gas heater uses air from inside the greenhouse for combustion, so the exhaust pumps your humid, heated air out of the greenhouse, necessarily drawing the cold, dry outside air in. Most modern heaters also have "positive ventilation" for the exhaust - a fan that comes on before the heat goes on, and stays on for a while after the flame is extinguished - so that makes it even worse.

A separated combustion heater, on the other hand, draws outside air into the sealed combustion chamber, and exhausts it out again without any impact on the greenhouse atmosphere - including the "positive ventilation". In the case of my heater (I suspect they're all like this), the intake air flue surrounds the exhaust flue, so the intake air is preheated for greater efficiency, and the electronic controller circuitry is also in that sealed chamber, isolated from the moisture of the greenhouse, extending its lifespan.

After switching from a standard Modine (vertical heat exchanger, conventional design) model to the Reznor UDAS (horizontal exchanger - like a Modine Hot Dawg - and separated combustion), my gas consumption dropped 40%, and I stopped struggling to maintain decent humidity.

One might also argue that the separated combustion chamber also provides greater isolation of the plants from the potential of ethylene gas caused by incomplete combustion of the fuel.
Thanks, Ray. I'm planning to use the Empire heater: http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/accessory/heaters2.shtml
What I don't want is a heater that will blow directly on plants. I've seen too many buds blast and other problems with that type of heater. Isn't that what the Modine does???
 
Phase 2:
This is what happened today:

Placing insulation. We decided to place two layers of foam on the outside instead of one also on the inside. We thought the greenhouse's interior warmth would penetrate into the blocks, thus keeping the floor warmer. I got this idea from Ramón.
G-Placing-Insulation.jpg


Then the excavator filled in around the foundation:
G-Filling-outside-foundation.jpg


They used 1" stone in the bottom 2' for drainage:
G-Filling-Interior.jpg


Our contractor came up with a unique way to drain water from the sink - they created a drainfield under the flooring. The soil in the location is sandy loam, so things should drain very well. Here they are covering up the drainfield with the 1" stone:
G-Filling-Drainfield.jpg


Tomorrow will bring a peastone layer, then landscape fabric, then sand. Finally later will come pavers to finish the floor. Tomorrow also, they'll start building the kneewall.
 

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