Moved to KY 2 years ago, bought this house with a 8x6' GH, used it to the max over the winter.
Now I want more room....so I'm adding a 16' extension onto the GH.
Much more work than I had planed for as the walls are concrete block 24" up, had to knock a section of that out and the roof will be pitched the other way ???
Here is a shot of the past 2 days work, (so happy I have good help)
More details and pic to come...Look up my past posts here.
Looking SE
Great looking project. I wish my 6x8 was wood frame, but it is aluminum, so I'm stuck. Good luck and keep the pics coming.
The frame of the small GH is concrete base and a metal frame and roof frame.
Along the metal frame there was wood bolted to the metal. So in the small GH I was able to attache wood for shelf and attached my grow lights. I don't know if you would be able to do the same with your aluminum frame, but most things are possible.
Now the addition will all be built from wood (I love working with wood) BUT I must connect the wood frame to the metal frame of the small GH, which should not be much of a problem.
I will be using old, recycled windows for the sides, in a mix and match fashion, hope it looks nice, I know it will be functional.
Had to drive 20 miles to get the 20' ridge beam, a 2x6 , Lowe's only had 16'
It rained all day Friday, this pic is Thursday pm.
More to come.
Well it's 'dried in' and I do have some tables and shelf inside. And have started some lettuce, radish, turnips and a couple of plants. Must get my grow lights installed.
All the electric is in, the floor is dirt, thinking about putting down patio stones or gravel.
This new addition will give me much more room than I (think) I will need and I will have to 'grow' into it. I put out 60 tomatoes transplants last year from the small GH, 6x8
The windows at the top are for ventilation which I don't need right now, temp have been in the low 20 for a week, it's snowing, lightly right now (that's hard on a FL boy) ^_^
My rabbits waters are freezing every night, last night I put new water in at 11PM and it was frozen at 7AM ???
So until it gets a little warmer, from N. Kentucky, it's the Rentman here. ^_^
Wow, looks great! I wish I could do the aesthetics, but for now I'll settle for functionality ... (got a hoop house). But your place is cute, too.
Poor bunnies!
The bunnies like the cold a lot more than the 90 heat we have in the summer
It's a lot 'hotter' now than last night, 32, and I check their water twice a day in this weather, they need water more than feed.
Do you keep them as pets? Or because of their contributions to the compost pile, lol?
The bunnies are not pets, here are 6, 1 day old, born in Oct., they are almost 2lbs now.
I only have 1 doe and 1 buck and with the teens I get lots of 'poo'. In the winter I spread it in the garden, summer it goes in the compost. I also use it as a spray for the plants. It has little odor after it dries. I changed the rabbits water before starting this post, they love luke warm water ^_^
I've been installing bobble wrap in the GH. I will put it on all the windows and ceiling.
Hi Rentman, I use a heated dog bowl I got from Tractor Supply as a bird waterer in winter. The heater kicks on at 40 degrees. You might want to try one for your rabbits. Doesn't take much electricity and I have it on an outdoor extension cord. Becky
Thanks for the tip, Becky,
I'll have to protect the cord someway, maybe steel conduit ^_^
They chew anything, but I'll work something out, they need the water.
The cord for the heater has steel coil around it. I think dogs chew on it also. Its about 6 ft long, but can be coiled up under the bowl.
Yeah, horses like 'em too... I got a submersible one for my troughs off of e-bay, too big for bunnies, though.
That pic is amazing - their little pink ears slay me...
The babies must be checked every day or two, (the mom doesn't care like most other animals,) to be sure they are doing OK. They start getting fur the second day and grow fast.
I was thinking of putting them in the GH, at one end, their water would not freeze, they would love it , with all the lettuce near by. ^_^
I will show the inside of the GH when I get it complete.
For not 'change the water 3 times a day'
I checked on the heated water bowl...plastic...it would be chewed up in a week, I give them a small 2x4 wood block to chew on and they turn it into an oval piece in no time, Humm maybe I could sell the blocks as 'art work'...always looking for more income. ^_^
lol....
I had no idea rabbits would chew on heavy plastic. Sounds like putting them in the GH is the best idea. Until you get so many plants in there that they won't fit anymore. The bigger the GH, the more plants one collects is my experience.
beclu727, Thanks for the tip, the heated pet bowl is a good idea, but not for rabbits.
I will keep it and let the birds have some water.
When our kids were small we bought two rabbits for them and had them 'house trained' but when one of our lamps stopped working, I found the cord chewed through.....
And the way they chew wood...I'm not putting in a plastic bowl.
I haven't completed the inside of the GH so I will make space for my furry one inside.
