Building My Greenhouse (pic heavy)
 

Allow me to start a new thread about building my shrine to growing tomatoes.....THE GREENHOUSE!
The wooden grates sat in my garage for quite sometime while I waited for a building permit.
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v309/dokutaaguriin/greenhouse/1cratedwoodenboxes.jpg[/img]

preparing the site
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v309/dokutaaguriin/greenhouse/2preparingtheland.jpg[/img]

moving the dirt around
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v309/dokutaaguriin/greenhouse/6thebaseisin.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v309/dokutaaguriin/greenhouse/7diggingouttheclaysoil.jpg[/img]

the base is set
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v309/dokutaaguriin/greenhouse/10goodsoilclose.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v309/dokutaaguriin/greenhouse/11basesoilrockpathisin.jpg[/img]

framing the door end
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v309/dokutaaguriin/greenhouse/12framingdoor.jpg[/img]

screwing the frame down
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v309/dokutaaguriin/greenhouse/16moreframescrewdown.jpg[/img]

putting up the truss
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v309/dokutaaguriin/greenhouse/17puttingupthetruss.jpg[/img]

it is done
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v309/dokutaaguriin/greenhouse/19gettingreadytoplant.jpg[/img]
(My son and the neighbour's kid are playing)

my first planting
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v309/dokutaaguriin/greenhouse/21whatogeswhere.jpg[/img]
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v309/dokutaaguriin/greenhouse/22whatgoeswhere2.jpg[/img]
Jeff

I recognize that fine 18V Mastercraft cordless drill. I hope you got it on sale. I paid 59 bucks for mine, and it came with two batteries.

Hi dokutaaguriin,

You have a great greenhouse. Thanks for sharing your pictures.

I do not know very much about greenhouses? How warm to they stay? Is a supplemental heat and/or light source needed? I am in Zone 9 (Roseville, Calif). Will a greenhous similar to the one that is pictured get too hot for plants in Roseville?

Thanks for sharing your information.

Cheers,

Angelique

Hi Angelique,
i just have a few questions....
What are you lowest temps in winter? I think you could easily grow throughout the year in your zone. With a little supplemental heat in the winter there should not be a problem.
Summer time cooling may be a bigger problem in my opinion- shade cloth will help, misters or evaporative cooler can be used to lower the temps.
What is your growing season (outdoors) for tomatoes- seeding dates etc.? Perhaps based on this info I can give you a better idea about using a greenhouse.
Sincerely,
Jeff

Hi Clay,
Nothing like a good Mastercraft product, eh! I had to buy that at CT one day for some sort of project at home. Luckily it was on sale and of course paid cash for Canadian Tire bucks. :lol:

Jeff

uhmmmmm - dokutaaguriin ?
You really have a great set-up!
I loved the time line -
Everything looks perfect!
I'm sure many a tomato will
follow ~

Good job ~ Tom

[quote=dokutaaguriin]Hi Angelique,
i just have a few questions....
What are you lowest temps in winter? I think you could easily grow throughout the year in your zone. With a little supplemental heat in the winter there should not be a problem. [/quote]

Hi Jeff,

My winter low is in the mid-30's. Some years the temp only drops to the low 40's.

[quote=dokutaaguriin]Summer time cooling may be a bigger problem in my opinion- shade cloth will help, misters or evaporative cooler can be used to lower the temps. What is your growing season (outdoors) for tomatoes- seeding dates etc.?[/quote]

Sacramento summers reach well over 100F for several days. It's a very dry heat. I don't think that I would even consider using a greenhouse in Spring or late summer.

Our last frost date is around March 15th. My tomato and basil plants don't usually die off until mid-late November.

At my current house, I really do not have room for a greenhouse (I do but it would cut into my gardening space).

I am most interested in being able to have tomatoes, basil and peppers in the winter. Another member suggested that I invest in a cold fram for the time being.

Thank you for your advice.

Kindest Regards,

Angelique

awesome greenhouse Jeff - how long did it take to build this one?

Very neat garden too!

When do you transplant seedlings into the GH?

Thanks Tania,
Depending on the weather but I aim for three weeks before our last frost date. However this year, I think I will try a few in KosyKoats and push for the end of April. I had help from a student of mine so we were able to assemble it in a weekend and then another day for caulking. The digging out the beds, and building the base and leveling it took the greatest amount of time- a couple of weekends.

Angelique,
Cold frames are usually quite low so I am not sure you would beable to grow your standard tomato. You could easily fit in some dwarf det. (Red Robin comes to mind) as well as some peppers and Basil.
If you insulated the cold frame and even put in a standard light bulb or heating cables you should be able to keep anything growing because your low temps aren't that low.(relatively speaking).
You could grow your plants against your house and just cover them with lots of blankets (remay fabric). It will keep them alive but the taste of your tomies will suffer.
I you really want to keep things growing invest in some KosyKoats as these will keep things alive to -12 C (10F). These would work well for basil.
Jeff

amaizing! Good luck with your April planting Jeff :)

WHat's your last frost date?

Jeff, great looking work there! What do you plan to grow in the GH besides tomatoes?

Jeff,
Where did you find the greenhouse? I am someday going to get one too, after we get the garden in first of course.
thanks, Clay

Hi Earl,
This greenhouse is dedicated to tomatoes in the summer. I am going to try and sneak in a few quick growing leafy vegies before I transplant my tomatoes. The other greenhouse will have Japanese peppers and eggplants and a few more tomatoes growing in pots. I think I may try to grow other vegies (leafy greens? or some extra pepper plants depending on the amount of sunlight that may penetrate through all the tomatoes) on the Ikea wood shelving unit along the north wall (above some rain barrels that I will be purchasing shortly). since I have the shelving unit I will use it instead of purchasing metal shelving unit etc.
Looking forward to seeing your finished shelving unit as I will be probably try to build something like it in the future.
Hi Clay,
I purchased it from a local greenhouse company. However, the greenhouse is actually a BC Greenhouse model. I really like their video to exploain how to set up the greenhouse as opposed to the IKEA like instructions that came with my other English model.
Once you get a greenhouse it opens up so many possibilities...you will ownder how you gardened without.

Jeff

Thanks Jeff, I will look BC Greenhouse up.

There is something I do not understand, if you follow the directions then how will you end up with all the extra parts for the extra greenhouse?

Hi Clay,
My first greenhouse is a 8x10 is a Magnum.
The second is a 12x16 Crosscountry series. Check out the following link:

[url]http://www.crosscountrygreenhouses.com/[/url]

BC greenhouses is at:
[url]http://www.bcgreenhouses.com/[/url]
Jeff