[Food] Production - Greenhouses

Pops

Crap kp!

It is too cold to do anything useful so here are a couple pics of our circa 1920 garage-cum-greenhouse

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Below is the power set-up. The idea was to bring all the power for the farm into here so at some future time PV and the associated equpment, backup generator, transfer switches, batteries and such would all be in one place.

The pilot light switch is for power to the actual greenhouse section and the GFI as well. The pilot light has saved my seedlings a couple times when the gfi tripped from either stray line voltage or a passing short. You can get an extension cord with a gfi as well...

If you look hard you can also see that I have started building out the wall the equipment is hung on - that is the North wall and that little speck of wall has about R-40 insulation behind it.

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This is the north half of the building looking west. When we were in CA, I did a lot of ornamental, small fruit and tree rooting and our greenhouse was as big as this whole building. At some point I'd like to replace the entire south roof with polycarbonate double ply and take that up again - but for now I just need a little space to start seedlings.

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So this is the actual greenhouse portion. Only a 2-3ft path with the foil side of the rigid insulation facing south. there are 4 lamp sockets for general heat controlled by a line voltage t-stat in the old breaker box.

After the seeds get started and it warms some, I'll take the poly of the seed cabinet and fill all those racks.

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And the seed cabinet, there is a heat mat under that pvc layer. I have a grid drawn on the pvc numbered and lettered A-E an 1-19. Each grid section fits one group of 20 - 3/4"soil blocks. The heat mat can fit 95 groups or 1,900 seeds in a 2x5ft area or some such. I can't fit (or use) that many 6-packs after they come out.

The full rows you can see are 3 x 5 x 20 seedlings each = 300 starts, plus the ones to the bottom left beside the 3 orange 6-pacs - the remainder of the tomatoes and peppers that were washed out. They have true leaves so I'll transplant them to 6-pacs next week after the big freeze that is coming tomorrow

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kpeavey · Expert Joined: Oct 04, 2004 Posts: 1244

I think we are both graduates of the same schools of organization and carpentry.
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If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--for ever."
-George Orwell, 1984

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Accept the Facts.

Pops

I subscribe to the Ludi School of Open Concealment:
Look like you have nothing of value so you won't be a target. (Besides, Aaron says our house looks like The Bates Motel)

As well, the Chaos Theory of Organization:
Distribute partially completed projects, tools and supplies everywhere so wherever you are there is something to do.

In fact I just junked up a workbench for the greenhouse - a key component of the Chaos theory, since one of its main axioms is:
Every horizontal surface should immediately be filled to capacity with stuff.

And refer to Joe Garrison...
v
v
v
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Make a plan and work it:

Ludi

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kpeavey · Expert Joined: Oct 04, 2004 Posts: 1244

Chaos Theory of Carpentry:
If it jams, force it, if it breaks, it needed replacing anyway.

A key component of Chaos Carpentry is The Hammer is King Axiom:
If it's not working the way it should, get a bigger hammer.

More is Better Postulation:
If it's close enough but still loose, just add another nail.

Occam's Carpentry Edification:
If it looks good to someone driving by at 30 miles per hour, its good enough.

It's all in the Stud Manual. Look it up.
I'll see what I can do to get some pics up this week.
_________________
If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--for ever."
-George Orwell, 1984

______________
Accept the Facts.

Pops

All very good references KP

I would add as well the Ozarks Plumbing Code which states, in it's entirety:
Anything less than three (or four) drips a minute is not a leak.

As well the other much respected truism of Chaos Carpentry:
If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
_________________
Make a plan and work it:

plainjane6476 · Coal Joined: Jul 20, 2008 Posts: 12

If it's been posted before, my apologies. There is a good book by Eliot Coleman called Four-Season Harvest. He uses cold frames and poly tunnels and is able to harvest some hardier varieties in mid-winter in Maine. He uses a low-tech, low labor approach. No artificial heat required, just uses plants suited to colder temperatures. You can start with the cold frames only but if you want more varieties, you can double-insulate with a cold frame within a poly tunnel.
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..and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.- Gandalf