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Greenhouse plan!

Discussion in 'General Chat' started by jai, Jul 12, 2016.

  1. jai

    jai Orchid addict

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    I plan to get a greenhouse by August. I was wondering what would be best to heat during the winter? In Ohio it can get below 0F. I plan to grow intermediate to warm conditions(no lower than 55F in the winter preferably)
    Here are three models I'm choosing from:
    Screenshot_2016-07-12-19-49-16.png Screenshot_2016-07-12-19-57-51.png Screenshot_2016-07-12-19-49-04.png
     
  2. Dave The Scientist

    Dave The Scientist Active Member

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    You're going to want sometime with twin or preferably triple wall poly glazing so your heating costs aren't insane. Your options are gas or electric heater. I think gas will be cheaper to run. Southern is a popular brand. I would also get a bigger size now if you can afford it. A bigger one will not experience as large of temp swings and you'll just wish you had gone bigger in a year or twoz
     
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  3. jai

    jai Orchid addict

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    Would I be better off hand making/ building my own with poly walls. I live in the city and I'm lucky to have a back yard that's about 10x10'.
     
  4. Dave The Scientist

    Dave The Scientist Active Member

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    Personally I would just buy one but building is an option if you're handy. You can certainly get triple wall greenhouses as kits. I think you need to up your budget a bit. I think the ones you are looking at are more for extending the growing season and starting seedling early for regular old gardeners, not growing orchids year round
     
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  5. goods

    goods Well-Known Member Supporting Member

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    I have the 6x8 Palram model that you posted, and it is twin wall. I put mine up at the end of winter this year, so it didn't have to work all that hard to keep temps up. It did keep temps above 60F when it was ~40F ambient outdoors with the help of just a small space heater, so I think it can keep me at least above 50F when we freeze. Take my advice with a grain of salt, though, our climate is basically sub-tropical. If we see a night at 28F, it's treated as a major event. Heaven forbid it rain and be that cold...
     
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  6. jai

    jai Orchid addict

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    QUOTE="Dave The Scientist, post: 117315, member: 2736"]Personally I would just buy one but building is an option if you're handy. You can certainly get triple wall greenhouses as kits. I think you need to up your budget a bit. I think the ones you are looking at are more for extending the growing season and starting seedling early for regular old gardeners, not growing orchids year round[/QUOTE]
    I was more thinking of getting a cheap one(for a outline) and modifying
    I was thinking a couple space heater would work just fine set on a temperature dial.
     
  7. Ray

    Ray Orchid Iconoclast Supporting Member

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  8. Boytjie

    Boytjie Out hiking Supporting Member

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    I've looked into these pre-fab kits in past, but speaking as a fellow frigid climate dweller (Rochester), one potential problem I see is entering and exiting in the winter. Unless you have a vestibule (like a double-door airlock system), all your heat is going to go straight out the door the minute you open it. And the cold blast on the plants can't be good.
    - Stephen
     
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  9. jai

    jai Orchid addict

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    I worried about too. I devised a plan that might work: make a three layer curtain contraption consisting of bubble wrap layer, thick cloth layer, and another insalater. And I will be wrapping the whole thing in bubble wrap and plastic during the winter to keep heating cost down. It will probably be a year before I actually use in durning the winter(to work out the kinks).
     
  10. jai

    jai Orchid addict

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    Should I worry about a cooling system it has never got warmer than 90°F in my area? It is averagely 70-75°F daily in warmer months. Will fans be sufficient?
     
  11. Ray

    Ray Orchid Iconoclast Supporting Member

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    You'll want shade cloth, which ought to be enough unless you focus on cool growers.
     
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  12. jai

    jai Orchid addict

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    No I will try to stay with warm and intermediate growers
     
  13. John Klinger

    John Klinger Active Member Supporting Member

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    If you are going with a green house, have you thought of wrapping it with bubble wrap in the winter. I wrap mine on the outside and it does keep it warmer.
     
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  14. jai

    jai Orchid addict

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    Oh yes for sure anything that will keep it warmer I will try:)