convert barn to greenhouse

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1sunnyday Sleepy Eye, MN Dec 16, 2008

We have a brick dairy barn that is no longer in use. Would it be possible to turn one section of this building in to a greenhouse? It is cemented out with gutters, is plumbed for water, and has electricity. Would we be able to get enough light by enlarging the windows on the east and west sides? The hay loft is still used to store hay so sunlight from the cieling is not possible. If we can put in more windows-- what kind would offer the correct kind of ventilation? What are other pro's and con's ?

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NatureLover1950 Vicksburg, MS(Zone 8a) Dec 16, 2008

I don't see why you couldn't also add some artificial lighting. Can you attach fluorescent lights to the ceiling? If you can hang the lights from chains so they can be placed close to the plants, it could offer lots of additional lighting.

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sallyg Anne Arundel,, MD(Zone 7b) Dec 24, 2008

The amount of light you need is not just enough to see by, but much more. People who grow tomatos right on the windowsill often find the plants don't get enough light and will stretch out and be spindly. Home growers who start seedlings under light will have flourescent tubes suspended within inches of the top of the plants. That's how much light plants need.
Have you thought about temperature? How cold does it get in the barn?
You might want to look to your state agriculture dept for greenhouse advice, maybe they have inexpensive options, like a hoop house, for you to try instead. Here's a link to an article in Dave's about a hoop house.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1452/

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