Mini shadehouse summer solution

[ArronOB]

Hi. My collection of small cattleya and oncidium alliance hybrids has been inside for the winter and now it’s time to move them out (nb. Australia, so seasons reversed). The problem is they have grown well through winter, and been potted up, and I’ve added to the collection, so now they won’t fit back into the shadehouse where they spent last summer. I need another shadehouse, but light filled space is at a premium here and I only have a couple of meters of north facing block wall along the garage where I can house them. So I’m thinking of getting one, or maybe two of this type of mini-greenhouse

Naturallife 69 x 49 x 160cm 4 Tier Premium Greenhouse | Bunnings Warehouse

Or more likely, making my own so i can get more out of the footprint. It’ll just be shadecloth, over a metal frame, with mesh shelves. I don’t want to spend much money because we should be moving about Christmas time.

So does anyone foresee any problems growing cattley and oncidium hybrids in one of these? The main issues That I see are:

In order to maximise space, the shelves will be directly above each other, so when watered in place the water from the top will fall directly on those below, all the way down for 4 or 5 shelves. This seems like a good way to spread disease ? Comments ?

Also, this shadehouse will have to sit against a north facing block wall that will get very hot. I expect a few days of 40degrees Celsius plus over summer, and there isn’t a lot of breeze in this spot. Will this be a problem ? Any solutions to mitigate this ? I’m thinking perhaps an insulated barrier between block wall and plants, maybe sheet polystyrene? What do other people use?

I wish we had a better spot, but there isn’t one, so I’m hoping I can design something that makes it usable.

Cheers
Arron

[estación seca]

Can you grow some kind of heat tolerant vegetable against the wall to decrease the heat? Okra, black-eyed pea, Chinese yard-long bean, basella / Malabar spinach love heat.

[ArronOB]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Can you grow some kind of heat tolerant vegetable against the wall to decrease the heat? Okra, black-eyed pea, Chinese yard-long bean, basella / Malabar spinach love heat.

No, there is only a very narrow space, otherwise it will intrude onto the walkway. I guess I could set the rear of the mini-shadehouse about 100mm off from the wall, but less would be better. It’s also concrete below, so anything growing would have to be in a pot, which will be itself a challenge and reduce my orchid growing space.

Currently I’m thinking expanded foam sheet insulation - it would have the added advantage of being white and hence reflecting light back onto the rear of the plants.