I use my greenhouse mostly for seed starting, but there are a few things that I over winter inside. Tomorrow I plan on filling up my troughs with dirt and starting some cucumbers and squash

Must be nice to be in CA where you can start cukes and squash in February. Here in the NE, we can only dream.

I got my seeds! The adventure begins! Groundhog says early spring! (Even though it was 40F overnight brrrrrr)

MoonShadows said:Must be nice to be in CA where you can start cukes and squash in February. Here in the NE, we can only dream.

I have a very unconventual way of starting seeds, that involves transplanting three times, so that when they go out they are really robust. I will probably be putting stuff out in two and a half months...

I'm starting some in moss and in paper towels today!

was ask about my hibiscus flowering in the GH , no they just drop leaves and bring on new leaves waiting on the temp to rise and get stable. we will have one more cold snap if all goes like the past. getting all my seeds in a row and other things i need to get all ready for the garden.

UPS delivered 5 bags of Premier Horticulture Organic Pro Seed Starting Mix, 16 Quart yesterday. (Can't get it locally.) I decided to use this brand this year rather than Jiffy because it already has Mycorrhizal Fungi mixed in.

Benefits of Mycorrhizal Fungi:
-Faster seed germination and establishment
-Strengthened root system
-Improved plant survival after planting into gardens and field soil
-Increased resistance to stress and drought
-Increased plant vigor, as well as quantity and quality of flowers and fruits
-Improved uptake of water and nutrients

Hi Jim / MoonShadows,
I've seen your posts & awesome video on your greenhouse's heat source, and I would love to find-out more information concerning the system you built, and exactly how it has been working for you.

I'm on Long Island in Zone 7A, and I am currently building a 16' x 12' Winter Greenhouse.

I insulated the North wall and 3/4 of the East & West walls with 2" EPS rigid insulation over the 3/4" plywood sheathing, in hope of warding off thermal bridging, then 3/4" furring strips covered by vinyl siding.

I'm also going to install the same 2" EPS between the roof rafters.
I'll also be installing/burying 4" x 24" x 48" rigid EPS vertically around the perimeter, AND installing 4" x 48" x 96" rigid EPS insulation horizontally as a Swedish Skirt.

I WAS looking into the water barrels along the North wall, but at 24" in diameter, they're space consuming.
Sooo... Now, I've been leaning towards using clear fiberglass Agricultural Water Tubes with black dye.
They're available in 12" & 18" diameters, and can be made to almost any height.

I'm also considering Solar thermo-evacuated tubes and drain-back systems.

Back-up electric heat is also in the plans.

Being that I've been in the HVAC industry for almost 36 years now, I'm also considering running the heated water from the Agricultural Water Tubes through a zone of PEX tubing under the raised beds that I'll be utilizing inside.
Hoping to have the pump(s) Solar powered.

Here's a few current photos of my build.
The bottom is a bit dirty as we've had a lot of rain lately, but once the siding is up and EPS is buried, I'll be able to finish the surroundings with rocks or the like and a border, to make it look nice.

Again, I'd love to find out more about the system you built, before I finalize my heating system.
Are you available to discuss it over the phone?


I REALLY appreciate your time and efforts!

Ben
"BigBenLongIsland"

Hi Ben,

Well, it just so happens I took the system out of the greenhouse just last week; not because it didn't work, but because I want some more room for this season, and I have decided to stop trying to grow all winter.

As far as more room, my greenhouse is 8x16, and with 4-55 gallon drums lining one wall, the shelving is up too high on that side to grow anything of height. Last year I kept all of my peppers in the greenhouse all season, and they did so much better up off the ground and in the warmer environment. Here in the Pocono Mountains, we have cool nights late into Spring, and even into the beginning of the summer. Then, by late August, the nights start cooling off again. I believe growing the peppers up off the ground in pots in the warm greenhouse made a huge difference. I want to try some other vegetables in the greenhouse this Summer, in addition to peppers, so I need all the room I can get vertically.

As far as deciding not to try and grow all winter, my barrel system did do a good job of helping to add to the night time warmth, but my greenhouse has a major fault. I built it before I had any real appreciation for insulation. While I have retrofit my greenhouse with insulation on the North and East walls, there just wasn't much I could do to retrofit insulation into the ground without dismantling the greenhouse, digging, installing insulation, and then reconstructing the greenhouse. And, even if I decided to, the area where I constructed it is all shale just a few inches under the top soil and the area cannot be accessed with a back hoe unless I also took down my backyard fencing and moved my fish pond. No way I was going to do all that. As a result, I felt I was spending too much on supplemental heat to justify the growing of salad greens and winter vegetables.

So, at this time, I am turning my attention, this year, to splitting all my vegetables, growing half in the greenhouse and half outside...and comparing them. If my results in the greenhouse are substantial, as I think they may be, I am planning to construct a larger greenhouse next year with much better insulation. I may or may not reinstall my solar water storage system to this new greenhouse. I may also look into installing a GAHT system and a supplemental gas heater..

If I do rebuild, it will be in the field just behind my immediate backyard where I can bring in the needed heavy equipment and have plenty of room.

I'll also be installing/burying 4" x 24" x 48" rigid EPS vertically around the perimeter, AND installing 4" x 48" x 96" rigid EPS insulation horizontally as a Swedish Skirt.

Smart move! I should have done this when I built my greenhouse 4 years ago.

Nice looking greenhouse you are building, and it looks as if you have thought it through...something I didn't do, but hope to do with my next one.

Be glad to speak with you if you think I can be of help. Send me a TreeMail with your number. I will reply with my number and we'll hook up for a conversation.

Jim

Thanks again for the awesome conversation Jim. Looking forward to another discussion.
After more research today, I'm looking more into Non-Pressurized Water Evacuated Tubes, as well as Thermosyphon Tubes.
Hoping to come-up with a closed system solution.
They seem to produce very hot water, in a very short time.
And from what I've seen so far, they don't seem to be outrageously priced.
Worth a look.
MAN, I'm havin' a BLAST!!!
LOL...

Ben,

As a followup to our phone conversation yesterday, here is the information...

Solar pump and panel I used from https://heliatos-solar.myshopi...

Heliatos HS-17 Solar Circulation Pump


25W Photovoltaic Solar Panel with Wire and Mounting Kit


If you decide to go with an outside collection system, there also sell a Freeze Protected Solar Water Heating Kit.


Tubing and fittings I used from https://www.usplastic.com/

1/2" ID x 5/8" OD x .062" Wall Black LLDPE Tubing


1/2" Heavy Duty Polypropylene Tank Fittings 1-7/16" Hole Size


5/8" OD Tube x 1/2" MPT Jaco Polypropylene Male Coupling


5/8" OD Tube x 1/2" FPT Jaco Polypropylene Female Coupling Tube Fitting


5/8" OD Tube Jaco Polypropylene Union Tube Fitting


1/2" FNPT Series 350 3-Way PVC Ball Valve with Buna-N Seals
I installed this so when/if I wanted to empty the drums, I had another line that could easily be directed outside the greenhouse by a turn of the valve.


Tubing from reflectors in at top of first drum, out to next drum at the bottom.


Switches: Solar and AC.
One source from solar panel (left red wire). Other source from AC adapter (right). This way I could toggle between heat source (sun vs electric barrel strap heater depending on cloud coverage).


Insulation: Reflectix (https://www.lowes.com/search?s...). Double reflective, double bubble insulation. Added advantage of intensifying and evenly distributing light throughout the greenhouse. I put it on the north and east walls. I also had it going 1/2 way up the north facing sloped roof section. Where I didn't have it on the roof, the snow would melt right away. Where I didn't have it on the roof, the snow would not melt until temperatures outside rose above freezing, so it definitely did it's job of reflecting the warmth back into the greenhouse.


Here are the elevated raised beds (i.e. elevated cold frames) I had on the north wall...greenhouse within a greenhouse. Set up 16 inches off the floor on cinder blocks.


Hope some of this info is helpful as you decide which direction is best for you as you complete your greenhouse. Let me know what you decide, and remember, we love pictures here!

Jim

MoonShadows said:Ben,

As a followup to our phone conversation yesterday, here is the information.........

Hope some of this info is helpful as you decide which direction is best for you as you complete your greenhouse. Let me know what you decide, and remember, we love pictures here!

Jim

Thanks Jim, for such a detailed follow-up on the equipment you went with.

As we said, there's so many different heating options out there, it can be mind boggling.
LOL...
I'm hoping to sort through a bunch of their options over the next few days, to narrow the choices down a bit.
LOL...
Really leaning towards Solar Radiant Heat buried under the raises beds.
Trying work in one ir two of those Non-Pressurized Copper Coil Evacuated Tube units with it, either with those agricultural water tubes and/or a water heater or indirect to be used as a storage tank, to feed the radiant loop(s).

I'm havin' a BLAST!!! LOL...

I'll be in touch.
Ben

I have peppers, cucumber, onions, cantaloupe, tomatoes and random flowers in the greenhouse, they were started in a grow tent with LED grow lights. Just planted seeds of 23 different vegetables. South Mississippi here.


Does anyone else here use grow tents? I LOVE mine! more then my kitty cats🤪

Hi @Dalorean,

Nice. I can only dream now since I won't even be able to start seeds for at least another month. I have never used grow tents.

Jim

@Dalorean Your seedlings look great! You will have a good jump on the growing season for sure.

Moonshadows yes I see you are way up in PA?? I would freeze to death if I lived up there! I bet the 4 seasons is really gorgeous up that way though, I've never been up that far north before, maybe someday for a visit.. how do you all tag your names like that? So it talking directly to other members here? i just looked at your moonshadows farm that is so awesome! I'm going to have to get some of your product! Hey pod you get around here pretty good! Lol

Dalorean said:Moonshadows yes I see you are way up in PA?? I would freeze to death if I lived up there! I bet the 4 seasons is really gorgeous up that way though, I've never been up that far north before, maybe someday for a visit.. how do you all tag your names like that? So it talking directly to other members here? i just looked at your moonshadows farm that is so awesome! I'm going to have to get some of your product! Hey pod you get around here pretty good! Lol

Three of the seasons are beautiful, but I could do without Winter!

To tag a name just put the @ sign in front of the user name. It will show up as a link to the person's profile, and the person will be notified that they were mentioned in a post when they come to the site.

Thanks for the kind words about MoonShadows Farm.

Dalorean said: Hey pod you get around here pretty good! Lol

Yep... around here we practice being enablers. Look out!

Well looks like this thread stopped rather abruptly before I even started

Hope your houses are so full you have no time for update posts

My greenhouse is a small hobby house I don't heat over winter
It has been up ? well I have forgotten how many years
I use it to fill winter sown jugs in early February


then I start seeds and hold them till planting time

my cats think it is a great warm holiday on a cold spring day





In April I use to pot up a couple hundred perennials for the local annual garden fare

Welcome to the thread @gardengus

Your cat has the right idea. I love going into my greenhouse on colder days just to feel the sun and the warmth inside. Are those seedlings current or from last year?

I plan on starting my seeds this weekend. I have been spending time getting an area ready for my 2nd greenhouse. I had a lot of prep work to do to level off the area and make a small retaining wall. I'll get a picture and post it soon.

I did plant a few rows of a variety of lettuce and spinach in a small raised garden in my greenhouse a few days ago in case the store runs out of fresh produce under the present circumstances. The lettuce is already sprouting. I love my salads. I figure I will be able to pick baby leaves after a few weeks.