Best roof covering for outdoor orchid structure.

[Pandamom]

Hi all! This is my first post as I am relatively new to the orchid world. I live in central Florida, USA and have all my orchids outside in a 10’ x 12’ open structure constructed out of galvanized pipe with the sides open and the roof covered in 70% shade cloth over wire mesh. With the massive rains we have been experiencing, I covered everything in visqueen which almost destroyed the roof because the rain did not run off and was massively heavy. I need to convert to a solid roof system. So here is my question. I plan to use corrugated polycarbonate roofing panels. They block over 99% UV but that doesn’t necessarily mean it blocks heat. I was going to use the clear and try to also use the shade cloth but they have a “translucent smoked” version. Is anyone familiar with this product? Since Mother’s Day I went from 4 to over 40 orchids and I don’t want to cook them to death now. Thanks for the help!!

[fishmom]

Regardless of the material, you woiuld do best to build in a slight slant to the roof to encourage runoff.

[Ray]

If you want heat control, go with clear polycarbonate (tinted may cut out too much light and/or shift the spectrum the plants see) and an Aluminet shade cloth (gothicarchgreenhouses.com will make exactly what you need and at the best price).

[fooferdoggie]

since you don't get snow you don't need a heavy duty frame. the clear for water protection and she shade cloth for light control.

[Orchid Whisperer]

Originally Posted by fishmom

Regardless of the material, you woiuld do best to build in a slight slant to the roof to encourage runoff.

I agree. The photo looks like that roof is nearly horizontal/ no slope. If so, I would expect a roof collapse as water ponds on top of it after a rain (or is it already at an angle, not apparent in the photo?). I would want a 6 / 12 pitch for drainage.

[DirtyCoconuts]

1) welcome

2) you should add some pitch to the roof as others have said

3) my solution was to buy the clear hurricane panels and i lay them across the roof of the lath house in extreme cold.

4) reconsider the way you are potting the orchids so that they can handle our rains. This is not possible if you do not have the time and energy to water them when you have to but i have LOTS of orchids that simply COULD not be over watered because of the media i use and the mounts, etc.

5) i respect the rate at which you are growing your hobby...

---------- Post added at 09:43 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:38 AM ----------

this is one of my growing areas (where i would use the panels if needed) from last week in the middle of the endless rain.

you can see that while some of the back plants are under the eave, most are just getting soaked...as long as they get adequate air as well AND IT IS NOT COLD (that is a huge caveat i rarely have to consider) they like a lot of water


Bulbophyllum Medusea by J Solo, on Flickr

[Keysguy]

I have a basic 10x20 galvanized pipe frame shadehouse covered in a mix of 60 and 80% shadecloth.
Question.......why don't you want the rain getting to the plants? I want mine getting whatever mother nature wants to give them (short of a tropical storm) during the heat of summer not to mention it flushes out all the accumulated fertilizer salts.
Understand where you are may require you to have some sort of quickly removable full cover to retain some warmth for those occasional nights into the 40's or even 30's. A heavy plastic would even make it feasible to put an emergency space heater in there if you had to. Maybe with sides that can roll up for the daytime during those cold spells? For that you would need some amount of pitch to that roof as others have said although winter is usually pretty dry here in FL.

[DirtyCoconuts]

i meant to come back here with these images and i forgot- sorry

this is the type of panel that i have and use (for hurricanes on my front door) and the top of my lath house

Untitled by J Solo, on Flickr




and this is another option that would also work but i like the ridges as they let me over lap and secure them with nothing more than gravity

Untitled by J Solo, on Flickr

[Dusty Ol' Man]

@DirtyCoconuts
I would be interested in seeing how you use the material on your front door.

---------- Post added at 11:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:41 AM ----------

Originally Posted by Orchid Whisperer

I agree. The photo looks like that roof is nearly horizontal/ no slope. If so, I would expect a roof collapse as water ponds on top of it after a rain (or is it already at an angle, not apparent in the photo?). I would want a 6 / 12 pitch for drainage.

6/12 pitch is a bit overkill for a greenhouse. If a corrugated material is used and oriented along the pitch, half that would be sufficient. It would save on materials cost that could be applied to orchid purchases.

[DirtyCoconuts]

It is for hurricanes. There are set screws in the masonry and I use wing nuts and nuts to secure a bottom track and then bolt the material right onto the house.

I am not going to put it up as that sucks and takes hours but I’ll find a pic for you

---------- Post added at 02:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:07 PM ----------

Like this but without the top track