Help with lean-to greenhouse purchase

[DirtyCoconuts]

mmmm pickles!!

[estación seca]

It's getting harder to find pickles in half gallon / 2 liter glass jars rather than plastic. I like pickled peppers (hot and mild), cukes, kimchi, Mexican hot mixed pickles (cauliflower, carrots, cukes, VERY hot peppers.) One of my favorite pickled vegetables is okra.

[Ray]

When I built my 14'x14' greenhouse in SC, my "benches" consisted of plastic bread flats sitting atop 16 steel 55-gallon drums filled with water and antifreeze (to prevent rust) that had been painted flat black.

After a few weeks of absorption (winters down here tend to be clear and sunny), they provided enough energy that my electric heater was unused.

Open air tanks are not nearly as effective, as the energy is absorbed by evaporation.

That structure used a double layer of 6-mil PE. Contrary to ES' comments, in such a structure, a fan is used to blow air in-between the layers to inflate it only, tensioning the film and providing a "dead air" layer of insulation, and is not circulated, as that would mostly defeat it's purpose. In fact, quite often that is outside air blown in, as it tends to have less moisture in it than air from the interior, and drier air conducts heat less quickly.

As far as coverings and hail, polycarbonate might get dents in it, but it is, by far, the best covering for resisting complete failure.

[WaterWitchin]

Okay, closed containers for greenhouse, check. I'm sourcing for either the dark blue plastic barrels that have a lid, or also thinking about the plastic square containers that come in a wire cage. Can't remember what they're called. Edit: IBC water totes.

A question... my old greenhouse had no top ventilation. It was used to get an early start on the growing/selling season, but everything was outside by the time it really heated up. No heat, no AC, no shade cloth. Not needed with most water garden plants.

I've been planning on a couple of roof vents. But how is that gonna work if I have shade cloth? Will they still ventilate well in hot weather? Or am I better off to just have the side exhaust fan and side incoming vents? It seems like spending more effort to have vents toward bottom of east side and big exhaust fan toward top at west side would work just as well without the added expense of vents on roof. Thoughts folks?

[Dollythehun]

It's too stinkin' hot to think but, you're in the right track. Pulling cooler air from a lower position is good. The intake has to be screened! Otherwise you pull in all manner of fauna.

You can vent through the sides, yes, and also have a ceiling fan or a set of fans on each side to circulate. Otherwise mold becomes an issue.

[WaterWitchin]

So Carol, you're saying the vents on top aren't "necessary" as long as I have the other stuff going on, right?

It just doesn't make sense to have top vents, then put shad cloth under them.

[Dollythehun]

The air will move through it if the shade cloth is underneath the vents. Many greenhouses use roll-up sides with screens and they pull-in air through the sides. But what's your concern about is getting the air circulating and down from the ceiling. In the summer you're worried about getting it up out of the greenhouse, and in the winter you're worried about getting it down from the peak.

[estación seca]

In the summer the hot air will rise out of the top vents, faster if bottom vents are open. In winter, with vents closed, an electric fan aimed along a long axis will circulate the air adequately. Mine sits near the ground and points up at the far ceiling-wall joint.

Almost all greenhouses need some kind of shading during warmer weather. Some use shadecloth; others whitewash. A frame standing a foot / 30cm just over the greenhouse roof makes it easier to manage.

My trash barrels used for water storage are lidded. If I were building under-bench water storage for temperature regulation, I would find rectangular storage containers that fit together better than cylinders. However, my barrels are $15 each with lids.

An organic fertilizing technique allows water to sit in light-permeable plastic tanks until a dense algae growth occurs. Then the tank is emptied to water crops. This is being used in my state. Some people say water stored in dark tanks may grow harmful organisms, and should not be used for watering plants. So far I have not had any problems.

[WaterWitchin]

Well, I checked the price of the water totes. Rather pricey ($70/320 gallon size). But that's also a heck of a lot of convenient water in a steel cage container. I'll have to maybe start getting one or two at a time until I can get this show on the road. Having super difficulty getting a quote from the guy I asked, as he's booked until September. Sure wish I could get him to at minimum give me a quote so I know whether this is affordable or not.

The idea of the frame a foot higher than roof for the shade cloth is very intriguing to me. I like the idea a lot. It would sure be easy to put on and take off with a bit of rope and some pulleys (kinda Roman Shade style). Here in Kansas my issue would be insuring it could withstand some of the hellacious south west winds we get in summer months. Gonna work on that idea.

[DirtyCoconuts]

if you have a heavy swage (crimper) you can make stainless wire supports for the shade.

i have to do something similar for hurricane proofing and what i do is take the shade fully unfurled, measure top to bottom and cut a coated stainless steel cable length that size + 8". then sew it through the shade cloth every 3-4" and then crimp the ends with a loop at each side. you can then put small clips on the shade for attaching to the wire or loop it around a separate tie off line depending on if you want the shade open or closed. assuming you have a roller on the top and a pulley on the bottom you can easily roll them up with the cable in the cloth too and only anchor it on the occasions when you need it extra strong

also, relief flaps, i like the half circle down shape "U", are amazing for subduing the effects of wind on a sail. as long as the flaps aren't too big, the light will move with the sun so it should not burn anything