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Fergy · Post by **Fergy** » Mar 29, 2005 5:14 am

Just joined this forum, and I had to share a pic of my greenhouse. I am so excited, and alot overwhelmed.
Rich.

Rebekah · Post by **Rebekah** » Mar 29, 2005 5:19 am

Welcome to the site Fergy

Fergy · Post by **Fergy** » Mar 29, 2005 5:33 am

It doesn't look like attaching the pictures worked. Maybe they were too big. I have resized one. I will try to edit my post. Thankyou for your welcome.

Fergy · Post by **Fergy** » Mar 29, 2005 5:44 am

Rebeckah,
I noticed you are in N.Z.
My wife brought me back some KaKa Beak seeds when she visited there. Only one of them germinated. Do you have any advise ?
Rich.

newtohosta-no more · Post by **newtohosta-no more** » Mar 29, 2005 8:27 am

Great looking greenhouse, Fergy! And welcome to the forum!

kHT · Post by **kHT** » Mar 29, 2005 10:30 am

Sweet, what are you growing in there? Do tell us more.

Fergy · Post by **Fergy** » Mar 29, 2005 6:42 pm

Nothing really out of the ordinary.
Per. (Astilbe, Balloon Flower, Baptisa, Bellflower, Black Eyed Susan, Canterbury Bells, Carnation, Coreopsis, Delphinium, Dragon Head, English Daisy, Foxglove, Helenium, Hibiscus, Hollyhock, Jacobs Ladder, Lavender, Leopards Bane, Liatris, Daylily, Monarda, Purple Coneflower, Pyrethrum, Shasta's.)
An. (Ageratum, Brachycome, Browallia, Cleome, Dahila, Four O Clocks, Marigolds, Petunia, Scabiosa, Straw Flower, Zinnia.)
Heirloom Tomato ( Box Car Willie, Black Krim, Brandywine, Cherokee Purple, Giant Belgium)
And some Hot peppers.
And before you ask, is there room for all that ! The answer is no ! Got carried away

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Mar 30, 2005 1:39 am

Hi and welcome to Hallson's, Fergy!!

Pretty nice greenhouse you have there!! Thanks for sharing the picture.

Fergy · Post by **Fergy** » Mar 30, 2005 4:49 am

This is a picture of my propagation chamber, homemade.
It's just a wooden box, insulated on the inside, with some sand and a thermostatic controlled heating cable. This is the first year for it, and it seems to have worked really well.
It is about 4' X 8'.
Rich.

LucyGoose · Post by **LucyGoose** » Mar 30, 2005 8:17 am

kHT · Post by **kHT** » Mar 30, 2005 10:47 am

You are just geting started?!? Stand back as you will be building another one shortly! I love the temp. ones that can be made and taken down so that there is more room!

rosemarie · Post by **rosemarie** » Mar 30, 2005 11:39 am

Wow! New Zealand!! We are expanding! I have been thinking about one of those heatpads i mky green house. Right now I am using two heat lamps. They are okay, but I would like to try the pads. My cousin up the road has a box of sand with a heat element in it. Not sure how that works, if it is better or not.

wishiwere · Post by **wishiwere** » Mar 31, 2005 12:55 pm

How cool! Welcome Fergy! So, is this a hand made, or kit greenhouse! It's awesome, but yes, you planted enough for all of us!

Not bad, you'll just make lots of freinds when you share your green thumb!

More pictures are definitely needed, this is fun to see others' set up!

Fergy · Post by **Fergy** » Apr 01, 2005 4:46 am

It was originally a kit from "Garden Supply". At that time I was starting plants in a corner of my bedroom by 3 south and 3 east facing windows. By the 3rd year I was doing about 20 flats, and my wife decided It was too much. She bought me the 12' X 24' hoop house kit, I think for 500 and some dolllars. Even after purchasing the two by Fours for the frame (not included) and the acrylic paint, the total was still around 700 bucks. That is pretty darn cheap for that much space. It didn't have benches then, mostly saw horses and old plywood. I used it for three years for a Giant tomato contest. I grew four varieties of large tomatoes and everyone started with the same number of each variety. One year it was dedicated to my daughters girls scout troop. They grew mostly mostly native flowers and planted them at a local nature preserve. I think I got one more year out of it and then it was destroyed by some local vandals. I didn't remove it, it just lay there for two years, flat to the ground. I finally got over it this last fall and rebuilt it from the ground up. I used a heavier pvc pipe, a better greenhouse plastic, stainless steel plates at the joints, and built-in benches. I also added the propagation chamber. I have a mist system I purchased for it for starting cuttings. I haven't installed that yet, a "must do" by May. So far I love it, I just need to practice a little self control, and be a little more selective on what I use it for. The main problem is I haven't found my nich yet. I just seem to like all plants. I describe every plant in my garden as "this is my favorite".
There are a couple more pictures I was planning on posting.
Rich.

Fergy · Post by **Fergy** » Apr 01, 2005 5:01 am

This is a picture of the heating cable before it was installed. I used "gutter" heat trace, more watts per foot, and hardware cloth ( 1/2" X 1/2" wire mesh ). You just have to figure out how many watts per square foot you want, and how far apart the loops have to be to get it. I used wire ties to secure the heat trace to the wire mesh.

Fergy · Post by **Fergy** » Apr 01, 2005 5:12 am

This may be a stupid thing to post, but it has helped me alot, in keeping down the mess.
This is a picture of two of my "washing machine" pans. I got them from Menards. They are about 3' X 3' and are perfect for potting up stuff and bottom watering. They cost about 10 bucks a piece. I need more !

wishiwere · Post by **wishiwere** » Apr 01, 2005 7:41 am

All great pics and good lessons to learn. The utility pans are great also for containing those little pellets the kitties drag out of the litter pans!

I have one under them, and what a help that was!

So do you have the hole punched on those with a drain in them for emptying the water from them? Nice set up

wishiwere · Post by **wishiwere** » Apr 01, 2005 10:22 am

Fergy? I have questions about your construction if you wouldn't mind me asking?

What thickness of pvc did you use on the hoop house you built? What thickness of plastic did you use?

I'm sure they'll be other questions, but your pictures have dh and I thinking about doing a small 10'X 10' for this year possibly to extend our short growing season?

Any suggestions, or things you learned to avoid, save money and so forth would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Hapygdnr · Post by **Hapygdnr** » Apr 01, 2005 4:20 pm

Fergy
Thanks for sharing all the pictures and information about your set up. Like you, I would have trouble controling myself if I was so lucky to have a green house like yours.

I would like to ask about the heating cable. You said that you used "gutter" heat trace, I know what you mean by that. What an excellent idea. Could you explain about how to figure the watts per foot? If I remember correctly the 60-70 degree range is good for starting quite a few seeds. I have never looked at or checked the specs on gutter tape so I don't know what the range is. Any advice or guidelines you might be able to share would be appreciated.

Thanks. Jeanne

toomanyanimals · Post by **toomanyanimals** » Apr 02, 2005 5:55 am

Great Greenhouse!

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