Here are a few pictures of my hobby greenhouses (thanks for the suggestion Clare they are working out great) inside and out.
It would be great to see other peoples set ups, if possible.
Davie
Greenhouse Pictures and Setups
Still trying to arrange this one, as you can see it is very packed. I have over 50 plants stuffed into this one. The heater is just a ceramic heater with a thermostat I got at Walmart for $40. Maintains a constant temperature, it can keep the greenhouse as warm as 77 degrees overnight, with outside temps in the high 30's. the heater stand is custom made, I sell them for $100 if anyone is interested.
Davie
This is the other set-up. The bricks were a suggestion from Clare or Dete or someone here to retain heat. I used cinder block with holes not only to retain heat, but also to help circulate the heat from one end of the GH to the other. The heater blows through the holes in the blocks moving it to the other side, at the same time heating the blocks which retain the heat. The heated blocks act as bottom heat for the plants that sit on them. This has really helped to keep the plants from getting wet feet.
Davie
First flowers in greenhouse! Fast growing, grew over 3' this year, large flowered white/yellow with little to no scent.
Thanks for looking, and would appreciate other people showing off their winter set-ups.
Davie
Very nice, Davie! I'm glad those are working out for you. Did you have any problems making the rods fit? I always seem to have trouble with the roof one fitting. I am using these same greenhouses for the second winter. They are packed too. I'll have to wait until it stops raining to take some pics, but I can show you some that I took previously.
Congrats on getting flowers in the greenhouse. My plumies in the greenhouse are blooming too, and I love them. They really brighten up the winter blues.
You've seen this one before. It's against the house under the eave. It's all sealed up now and stays that way most of the time.
This is the front of the same greenhouse:
This one is in the back:
Here's a greenhouse bloom:
Here's Vera Cruz Rose blooming in the greenhouse:
Here's a new seedling blooming for the first time at 4 years old:
Here's a picture of my greenhouse last March:
Here's one from April:
Here's a mini pop up one that I still use:
This is my Harbor Freight one that I used in 2004. It was much bigger, but the cover only lasted a couple of years before deteriorating.
Here's the same one:
That one was packed by the time I got through with it.
Here is a picture of my greenhouses. I have a few tropicals planted in the ground. The greenhouses are built over the flower beds. In the spring the cover comes off and the frames stay up. I also have a permanent greenhouse for potted plants.
greenhouse for potted plants
Awesome:-)
The two FarmTek greenhouses are heated by heavy-duty steel garage workshop heaters made by Ouellet. This is my first winter with them. They seen to work very well. I also have propane and kerosene heaters for backup when it gets down to the twenties.
Clare, Thanks for the pictures. The first GH I got went together like a dream. The Second was a different story. The first came with a different type of pole, they were all plastic and fiberglass pieces that fit perfectly. The second one I got had poles that are a combination of plastic, metal and fiberglass. The fiberglass does not seem to insert into the metal as easy as the plastic. Or the poles are all 1/8" too long on the 2nd. I got it together though and have been enjoying them ever since. Your right having flowers during the winter is awesome.
Rita, Awesome greenhouses. That's what I hope to graduate up to someday. I bet you have quite the collection with that much room. Smart to leave everything in one place, and just cover it every year. Much better than breaking your back moving it year after year. Thanks for the pictures.
Davie
That's good, Davie. I think mine are metal because I had some rust on them that I had to clean off in the spring. It seems like they made the poles too long to fit in the pouches across the top. Mine still don't fit, and I don't have them in the pounches, but they do stay at the top.
First flower from Pahuahi Ali'l in GH. More coming soon...
Davie
That's a pretty one!
oooh, I really like these greenhouses, where can I get one?. I have not read through all the posts, so it may have been mentioned somewhere.
Clare, my plummies still are green and have leaves, they are inside a spare room.
A.
That's great, Antoinette! How are you enjoying your new place? Has it reached freezing yet? I always think of you when my epi's bloom as many of them were yours originally when the roof rats took cuttings for me. LOL!
OHHHH, it has been in the low 20's here for a couple of nights already, and in the 30 alot.. today was nice. I got back from ABQ yesterday.
They just finished the flagstone work and I'm one happy camper, it was like having the yard full of company for about 1 year... first the rockwall, then the flagstone. I'mm so glad to have my yard to myself now. Too bad it's winter though.
Glad you are enjoying the Epies, I miss the tropicals... I think if I can get some canna's going, that will do me..lol
I think I have some canna seeds that I can send you if you want them;-)
Oh Clare, thank you, but, I'm going to get only two kinds if I can help it, Tropicana and maybe Australia Canna, just for the foliage.. I've got Banana Canna and now the yard is done so I can figure out where to plant. I also got a sack of mixed cannas at Lowe's, they already have the spring bulbs out, and a couple of other things that I've always wanted to try, but SoCal was too hot for (like Hostas).
I've put in awhole lot (litterally 100's of each) Iris, Daffs, Crocus and Daylillies and hopefully they will naturalize in certain areas, close to 2000 bulbs went in this year. I'm getting ready for LOW maintenance stuff, too tired for anything else.
edited to add: Clare, let me know if you need anything from this side of the Southwest.
This message was edited Jan 12, 2008 7:40 PM
Thank you, Antoinette! You're sweet. I'm good. I'm totally right there with you on the low-maintenance stuff. I had to laugh at your "too tired for anything else" comment. I can relate to that, buddy. 2000 bulbs is very impressive. I would to see a pic of them in bloom;-)
Better picture of Pauahi Ali'l.
Unknown Pink just starting to open. Pink washed out from the cold.
Sent to me as Kaneohe Sunburst gotta watch those people on Ebay!
This message was edited Jan 17, 2008 11:29 AM
Davie,
Did I understand you correctly that you are keeping your green house 70 degrees at night?
Mickey
Mickey,
Trying to keep it above 65. Sometime it falls down near 60, but on average it has been above around 70. Just had my power meter changed, cheaper from from 7pm to 9am now. Should help with power bill. Was a little expensive doing it the first month, but had 8 plants start inflos when it started to get cold that I have never seen flower. Just couldn't let that happen! Found two more this morning starting to push inflos.
Davie
Davie,
Good for you. There is no way I can keep the gh that hot at night.My DH would kill me. I'm lucky that we can keep it above 40 at night.
Mickey
mickey - put some foam insulation along the bottom walls and line the windows with plexiglass on the outside and inside for that air gap in between and you can easily get another 10-15 degrees of warmth. then you can heat it and not have to worry about the heat dissipating to rapidly.
Dete,
We put the foam up last year, I wasn't thinking were I put the gh and it's too last to move it. At night it can get pretty cold here as you may know. I'm getting better results with the AZRoom having plastic over the windows.
Mickey
is it one layer of plastic or two?
Dete,
I just put foam insulation up int he bottom half of the gh. Do you mean put a layer of plastic over the whole gh?
We put one layer of plastic over the windows of the AZ room and it has helped to keep the area warmer pluss I'm not heating it.
Our house is all electric. If I were even to suggest I wanted to keep the gh or Az room at 70. I would be shoot. Our electria is pretty pricy already. I do have a few of my better plumies in the train room and they are ok. I't about 70 in there. It looks rather messy and they are stacked 3 deep in front of the window.
Mickey
sorry for the confusion. i was talking about the arizona room.