Greenhouse In canada - Orchid Board

isdaojon · #1 07-09-2009, 11:45 PM

Hello everyone,
I have been thinking very seriously of building a greenhouse to house my evergrowing orchid collection.
Space is running out in the house and conditioons aren't the best for some of them. Also I would like to start mounting some of them.

I live in Toronto , Canada and am asking for advise from people who live here in Canada or in the northern part of the U.S.

I need help with the fallowing:

1.What are some good greenhouse sellers here in Canada?

2.How can you heat the greenhouse in the depths of winter when it falls to 20-c or less?

3. What are some good designs for an orchid gh?

4.could you tell me any advice you have from experiece with greenhouses for orchids from your experience?

Thank you all so much! This will help allot!

natasha · #2 07-10-2009, 12:32 AM

hi, i'm a fan of greenhouses too since i was a kid. but in malaysia (where i live) people seldom build greenhouses (except for agricultural companies). i wish to have one too someday

(3) some advise on building greenhouses
1. greenhouse kit, greenhouse | Sturdi-built - Planning for a greenhouse
2. Buyers Guide

hope this help a bit. don't forget to post pics of your greenhouse when its built!

isdaojon · #3 07-10-2009, 10:19 AM

thank you!

dounoharm · #4 07-11-2009, 07:28 PM

i have a greenhouse in nc...not as cold as you are...i would suggest heating with natural gas or propane...using a vented heater....and covering with a solar pool cover in the winter....you might need to double insulate with that bubble wrap stuff inside the glass or polycarbonate also....lots to think about too....i have twin wall polycarbonate glasing, but i wish i had at least triple wall instead...my kit came with the twin wall....enjoy the process of greenhouse building, its a joy!

mojomick · #5 07-12-2009, 10:05 AM

Hi, I live in Washington state in the high desert. We get down to freezing and below in the winter, snow and ice at times. I have a GH that I heat with a construction heater, but if you have natural gas, I would definitely go with a vented one. I use a solar pool cover for the winter, used rigid insulation aroungd the lower section in winter. I would suggest some really good fans so help keep the humidity down in the winter. When you bundle up the house to keep the cold out, the humidity tends to really go up at times and air movement is essential. Make sure you build it tall enough so the vandas and other high light plants can be hung up high all year. Build it bigger than you think as you will grow out of it in no time at all. Good luck and keep us informed. Betty

calvin_orchidL · #6 07-13-2009, 11:49 PM

Hey (greetings from another torontonian!)

I don't own a green house but I know several growers who do. If you come out to a SOOS meeting you can definitely meet them and chat about the intricacies. However, in my (uneducated and inexperienced) opinion, you may be getting a better bang for your buck by building an indoor grow chamber in your basement. I know one member (she used to post here a bit) who has done just that, and it works beautifully. The heat from the lamps help heat the area in the winter, so you can forget about worrying about a heating bill which can get hefty. Cloudy days in winter are not a worry either (and you know how crappy it can get here sometimes).

..Unless of course you're thinking of growing cool growers!

isdaojon · #7 07-14-2009, 01:22 PM

Thank you all for youre advise!

I am thinking of joining the SOOS soon.

Ill think about that Calvin.

Thank you again!

calvin_orchidL · #8 07-14-2009, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by isdaojon

Thank you all for youre advise!

I am thinking of joining the SOOS soon.

Ill think about that Calvin.

Thank you again!

As a further incentive, our August summerfest meeting (which is less than a month away) will be welcoming two vendors from the US: H&R from Hawaii, as well as J&L. Excellent vendors and they will have many delicious goodies for sale!

isdaojon · #9 07-15-2009, 01:32 PM

Dont make me more upset! Unfortunatley, im going to Mexico for a month and leaving on july 29. So sad.

Oh well. Hopefully they will be there next year!

Barbara · #10 09-02-2009, 11:12 PM

Hi, I realize that this is an older thread, but thought that you might appreciate the info. I not sure of what you're looking for, but we recently got a hobby greenhouse and are still working on setting it up and getting electricity and water out to it so we can begin to winterize it. So I can't really help you out with the experience end of things but I can provide a couple resources here in Canada.

The one of which is right here in Ontario, called Backyard Greenhouses: Greenhouse, Greenhouses, Greenhouse Accessories, Canada Greenhouse

And there is also BC Greenhouses: Greenhouses | Largest selection in the United States and Canada

We ordered the greenhouse from Backyard but they shipped it from BCG since they didn’t have the one we wanted in stock, so you just have to keep the cost of freight in mind, but they do seem to have comparable pricing.

About the heating issue: it is a good idea to get the five wall poly since it conserves more heat therefore costing less. We also laid a double layer insulation on the flour over course gravel, then covered it with another couple inches of smaller gravel. So far I’m not getting any weeds and there seems to be very few bugs showing up. The insulated floor, absorbs heat during the day and releases it at night and in this way it costs less to heat it as well.

If your interested I can provide more info.