Greenhouse

[Opsa]

Hey-o! Anyone got any experience with greenhouses?

I've used the little temporary kind (two wire shelves with the plastic outer wrapping) but now I have a chance to play with the large, glass kind.

A lady I tend a website for has one on the back of a building she owns. It's an old house, but she's made it into an office building. Anyway, she's moving out of town and asked me to tend the greenhouse, where she has some plants. At first I was reluctant, as she has no intention of paying me for this service, but she said I could use it for my own plants  as well. I started thinking that it might be a neat thing to do.

It has Frankenstein-like metal wheels that open and close the upper windows. It does not have screening to keep out too much light in summer. Really, it's kind of a mess and if I use it, I will have to tidy it up. I wouldn't mind having a place to nurture my little sprouties before they go in the ground. (The building is walking distance from my house.)

[Aggie]

No experience, but much desire to have/play with one.

I'd check what she's using for pest control as the bad buggies can breed up pretty fast in an enclosed space.  You may not want to take the job on if it requires spraying lots of toxins about.

[Opsa]

You're right about that. I won't touch toxins with a ten foot nozzle these days.

I don't think she really has a clue as to what to do with the place, and from what I recall she doesn't have anything very remarkable growing in there, just the usual houseplant varieties. I think she just wants someone close by to look in every now and then so it doesn't all fall to ruin.

[beagle]

I'm not sure what the climate is like where you live Opsanus.

If it's hot in summer you really need thermostatic opening windows and/or shading.   The first doesn't have to be electrical, you can get piston operated lever type thermostatic window openers.
For shading it similarly doesn't need to be expensive blinds. You can put stuff like this on the outside in spring and rub it off in autumn.

Heating in winter can cost a bomb. You can always make a smaller enclosure inside the main one with bubble wrap or similar and only heat that part though.

[Aggie]

If it's just houseplants in there, you might get away with just some Safer's Soap or the like.  I've been battling buggies (spider mites, aphids, whiteflies) for a while now.  I think they ride the updrafts to the balcony in summer, and make their way indoors.  The soap and some aggressive pruning of heavily infested plants (for spider mites) keeps them knocked back to a reasonable level.

The first doesn't have to be electrical, you can get piston operated lever type thermostatic window openers.

They have some of those in the....    um, nevermind...  get any unsolicited mail from Canada yet, Ops?

[Opsa]

Not yet, but i've been looking. The mail seems to be running a bit more slowly, lately. probably because they're about to raise the postage rates again! 

Oh yes, I forgot about soap. Good idea!  That's about the only thing I'll use any more.

It does get quite hot here in the sumer, but since it is not my own greenhouse, I would be reluctant to put much money into shading. I wonder if I could create a sort of small parasol fixture over some of the plants? Like an awning?

[beagle]

Don't see why not, if the issue is light. But it's more likely to be the temperature will soar, and it's too late once it's inside the greenhouse.
The coolglass stuff would only be about $10 a year (assuming it's available and at similar prices in the U.S.).  But you'd need access to the outside roof.

[Black Bart]

I put a greenhouse up last year.  I love it but it wasn't a very good year for tomatoes.  I managed to grow some Capsicums and some chillies as well.   Hope to do better this year so perhaps we can swap advice on this thread.

I've just planted some tomato seeds and stuff on a windowsill in a propagator.

[Bruder Cuzzen]

My chum from college days has a nursery / landscaping business , we built a greenhouse from discarded materials . We controlled bugs with a homemade organic mixture ( might be available on a master gardeners website ) . I forget the formula , but urine is on the list . Also predatory bugs were captured by the younglings and placed in the enclosure .That is/was my favoured means of pest control as well as marigolds and other plants pests don't like .

[Opsa]

You guys are awesome. I hope to make it over there on Friday to look around and clean up . Maybe I'll snap some photos to post here.

I'm chomping at the bit to start my windowsill seeds, but I have to wait until April or they'll get too leggy before hardening off/planting out time.

I'm gonna start a seed thread in here before I go too off topic.

[Aggie]

Please do - My seedlings are already getting too leggy, but I couldn't wait!

It's tough to know when I can plant them out - the balcony is very warm during the day, and quite protected from the wind, and we don't really get frost up there (too high up in the air and too dry), but there is always the chance of a major cold snap before summer.

[Opsa]

Here ya go: http://toadfishmonastery.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=32&topic=1213.msg57897#msg57897

Where do you plant your seedlings? Do you have a community garden?

[Black Bart]

Seedlings of tomatoes and one Squash sprouting on top of fridge.  The weather outside has turned nasty however.  I chucked some home made compost on me rasied beds but that's as far as I've got.  Carrots are a pain as they don't like fresh compost...is it best just to heap up some sandy garden soil?

[Opsa]

On top of fridge? Normally I have thinbgs sprouting in my fridge. 

That's a pretty good idea, Bart. The warmth probably helps. Do you put a grow light up there, too?

[Aggie]

Bottom heat helps for some seeds, especially tropical types.  I've sprouted various pits in a bag of potting mix on my modem.

Ops:  Just balcony space, no community garden.   I think there's space available at U of C but I am realistic about my chances of visiting offsite garden space on a regular basis.