Scuba_Dave

I've started my seedlings for this year
I'm using a small 52" tall greenhouse in my sunroom to start the seeds
I put a 50w bulb at the bottom for heat on a timer
It's working better then I had hoped, everything is sprouting !
Maybe too good, Reg greenhouse is going up close to 70 already, but still dipping down near freezing
So the 1st batch of seedlings might be a little too early, but I've started slow - just some seeds out of different packs

nannerfunboi

way to go scuba dave!! im anxious too.. still to
early to start tomatoes.. end of march for me..
i did buy 3 new "higher end" fluorescent fixtures.. T8 bulbs..
i have set up done.. its a fun time of yr isnt it..

Scuba_Dave

Yeah I decided to start slow this year, just get some seedlings started
Usually the peppers germinate a lot slower then everything else
Even they are coming up already !
Of course now we have a Winter storm that has moved in
I'm not sure when I will plant the next batch of seeds

My little greenhouse is in a corner of the sunroom
So it gets the AM light from the East window, then sun until late afternoon from 2 South facing windows

lkailburn

Great thread, i just finished reading through it all. I'm envious of the outside greenhouse and the solar heaters. How exactly do those work i'm not familiar?

With the lenght of the compost bins, how will you get in there to turn the piles over?

I have to little indoor greenhouses like the one you posted up. I'll have to find a photo, i recently installed a new 4 light 4' flourescent setup in there for sprouting seeds.

-Luke

Scuba_Dave

The solar heaters just have water pumped thru them. The ones for the pool are black PVC & soak up the sun
The ones for the hot tub are Alum & work the same way
You buy a pump that puts a certain gallons per minute thru the pipe
That maximizes the amount of heat transfer

I won't be turning over the compost bins, I'll just let the stuff compost & shovel it out in a few years. We had a large pile of grass near the back fence from the neighbor behind us. Their landscaping company would throw it over the fence -before I cleaned out the area. It was never turned & the stuff was black gold

I just use natural sunlight to start my seeds
There is a 50w bulb in there to keep it warmer partially thru the nite
This year I also used the big greenhouse to start seeds - 1st time
Much easier & more room to spread things out
Plus I planted seeds in single pots instead of a big tray -where I then had to thin out & transplant them to single pots
Saves me a step & LOTS of time

I did buy 4 large tomato plants from HD, moved them to really big pots
I'm going to leave then in the big greenhouse & see if I can get some early tomatoes
Its been 90+ the past 2 days in the greenhouse

Scuba_Dave

So much for going slow, I planted almost all the rest of my seeds in the big greenhouse & I have a ton of seedlings now
I spent 2 hours out there thinning to single pots & transplanting bigger seedlings to bigger pots
Still more to transplant to bigger pots, I may run out
I have well over 100 tomato seedlings & many more to thin/separate to single pots
I have dozens of most of the rest: peppers, zucchini, cukes, summer squash

I've also started a bunch of perennial seeds in the sm indoor greenhouse
One from the neighbors: Cleome - Spider flower
Its supposed to be an annual, but they come back every year -much like my morning glories that I planted around the pool fence - much to the wife's chagrin
I've since weeded out the morning glories & moved them to a fence by the woods, where they continue to come back every year
Makes me wonder what else I can grow that is an annual but will come back every year - from prolific seeds

Scuba_Dave

The big greenhouse hit 101.3 yesterday.....
I had just transplanted some tomato plants to single pots
I put them on an alum tray on the top shelf & filled the tray with water
The temp monitor is on the ground in a white PVC pipe

I figured the seedlings would be toast.....Nope !!
Everything in the greenhouse looks great
Its a cheapo monitor, could be off by a few degrees.....but still
I need to add an automatic vent at some point

Scuba_Dave

I added another 6' shelf & a 4' shelf in the greenhouse
I'm running out of room....I have 300+ tomato seedlings, way more then normal
I have cuke plants that are already flowering, as are the 5 big tomato plants from HD
So hopefully some early veggies this year
We've had 2 nites down near freezing, tonite will be the same
I've lost 2 of the 12 cuke seedlings I planted in the big garden
The 6 tomato seedlings I planted have been unaffected by the cold nites
With sunny days the big greenhouse is going up to 80+

I've ordered a bunch of perennial flower seeds & I'm starting those in the small greenhouse

vincentmolino

I plan on making my greenhouse out of this.....very cheap, strong and light and easy to take down in the spring

Shop Tuftex 96" Clear Corrugated Plastic Roof Panel at Lowes.com

Dean W.

I used to have a greenhouse made out of that stuff. I believe they even sale the foam to insulate the ends.

__________________

Scuba_Dave

1st cocktail tomato is the size of a marble -from store bought plant
That's pretty good considering its been cold & rainy for a week now
Next week we are expecting more rain, but we need it
I need to get some fertilizer into the bigger plants

The clear panels are nice, but why build something you need to take down every year ?

vincentmolino

for everyone that lives south of Virgina. In new Orleans I would only need it up Jan and feb. Any greenhouse imo is ugly and prevents you from enjoying the stuff you have inside. I would also think you would fry stuff in there in July and Aug no matter how many vents/windows you have.

My greenhouse wont have to be taken totally apart panel, by panel but i think in 4 or 6 pieces.

Scuba_Dave

I'd hardly consider "any" greenhouse ugly
The main use for my greenhouse is germination & grow out
Then they are transplanted to other gardens
All the windows in my greenhouse are jalousie windows & they open
In addition all 3 roof panels can slide open & I leave the door open
I've yet to have anything fry in my greenhouse
Proper temp monitoring & adjustment will prevent that in most greenhouses

I just don't have the time to take things apart & put them back together every year
Nor would I want to even if I had the time

Scuba_Dave

Finally added a dual grow light over the small indoor greenhouse
Once it gets to May the angle of the sun changes & plants get less sun
So I've added the grow light until weather changes & I can plant stuff outdoors

Scuba_Dave

I'm actually going to use this stuff over the bar "roof" that extends off the pool cabana
I won't have to buy roof sheathing, tar paper or roofing shingles
Its going to save me about $400 & will be much faster, let light thru etc
I'm going with 12' panels, they are translucent - light blue color
Plus I won't have to paint the ceiling either...win win

Scuba_Dave

We've had some rainy weather, still need to turn over part of the main garden
The small inside greenhouse is no longer in use
Once the sun gets higher in the sky the corner where I had it located does not get enough sun
I planted the rest of the flower seedlings from there out to the gardens

At least 3 of the 5 big tomato plants in the big greenhouse have tomatoes growing
And some of the cucumber plants have cukes growing, so far so good

Now the bad.....a woodchuck I thought I chased off last year has returned & is chewing on plants
So his days are numbered, I have 2 traps out so its only a matter of time
After that I'm going to continue trapping squirrels -they chewed up all of my pumpkins last year
I killed 3 squirrels last year, but still a few around

Scuba_Dave

With starting the tomatoes in the greenhouse I'm getting some ripe ones a month ahead of time
I used to grow them in the greenhouse, then transplant them out in the bigger gardens
This year I bought 5 larger plants to grow in the greenhouse, and let some other tomato plants continue to grow in the greenhouse as well
I have cuke & tomato plants growing all over -all bearing, just a matter of time now
Last year it was around July 18th when I started to pick a lot of cukes

I'm still "behind" on the gardens - due to the ground hog -now dead
Yesterday I saw another ground hog, he seemed to be running thru the yard....especially after he saw me
Traps are still out, so if he gets caught he will join his friend - swimmin wid da fishes

Scuba_Dave

Haven't been on in a while
I started some seeds early this year - 3 weeks ahead of last year
I added a 45w heat matt to the indoor greenhouse
Hoping to get some plants larger sooner, 33 Tomato plants, 8 pepper plants
I've turned the heat matt off for the next 3 weeks to let cooler weather force the tomato plant stems to thicken up
Last day of Feb has been the last day the large greenhouse dips below freezing in past years

I'm building a solar heater on the back of the house 6x8'
Plan is to use it to heat the hot tub & heat the greenhouse
Anything to get an earlier start

saturn

LOL, I'm sure it's more than a few more squirrels around.

What bait did you use in the traps?

Scuba_Dave

I actually did not wind up trapping any, found lead is a much better way to get rid of them