"Many, not knowing how simple and easy it is to operate a greenhouse, will not build one, as they are sheep and too afraid to leap into the unknown."

I had to chuckle when I read that one because I'm planning to have a greenhouse precisely because I am 'too afraid to leap into the unknown' of canning and putting up food. I'm terrified of killing off my family with botulism, and would rather extend the growing season with a greenhouse than risk canning. I have a plan that's forming right now, where I use a modified form of the "square foot gardening" system INSIDE my greenhouse, in the colder times. I'm reading "Square Foot Gardening" at the moment and it seems rather fascinating. So I'm reading all these greenhouse posts with great interest.

I'm a lot further behind in my plans than you folks are, living as I do in the suburbs of a big city, but I'm looking for a couple of acres to build a sanctuary for my family.

Regards,

L.

from the corner of the page we get:


from US Census Population Clock we get 295,366,629.

The fact you are aware of the problem puts you way ahead of the pack.

Thank you kpeavey - you've made me feel better!



L.

It looks as I am finalizing my decision of greenhouse construction and going with pvc pipe as the frame construction.It seems to be the most cost effective.
http://www.newfarm.org./features/0802/g ... ndex.shtml

I use pvc for my raised beds, that stuff is wonderful. I even used it to help make my kids halloween costume this year. (it will then get recycled into the hoops for another raised bed.)

I find it funny going to the hardware store asking for things and telling the person what I am using it for. I get the weirdest expressions. It all started when my decided to use pvc to make her own curtain rods instead of paying $1700 for custom built metal ones. instead I think it costs her all of 15$

I have an image of Carol Burnett with a curtain rod in her dress.

How are you using PVC in your raised beds?

Yesterday we did quite a bit of work on the greenhouse. If it hadn't been for the fact that we seemed to have company off and on all day long, we would have gotten a lot more done, but I suppose one can't complain about having friends and family stop by .

We did get the north wall in and insulated. The north side of the roof is also covered, to prevent the directly-overhead sun (in the summer) from heating the greenhouse too much. I lucked out and found 3 black 35 gallon steel drums which will be perfect for holding water for heating. I'll probably add one more container - I have a black 30 gallon trash can with lid (also black) which I think will work, at least for now.

Next steps on the greenhouse will be wrapping it inside and outside with plastic and the installing glass on the south facing wall. That should be in this week. My baby chicks will be shipped on Feb. 16th, so I'm getting a little antsy about getting the greenhouse up and running - I need to be able to check the temps, etc., to make sure the babies can stay there for a couple weeks once they outgrow the brooder box. Too much to do, and too little time to do it.

I have also begun turning over the garden spot (with a potato fork - that's a lot of work), and have finished about 1/4 of it. Carlin's going to get out the tractor and disk and disk it for me, and also get out the breaking plow and plow a new section for the expansion I want to do this year. My plan is, once it's broken up well, to build raised beds this year. I may not get them all done in time, but I will build what I can, and if necessary add to them as I harvest early crops and have bear spots.

Today, though, we have to make a trip out of town - and it's suppsed to be raining anyway - so I doubt I would get much done if I were here. Oh well... there's always next week .
Kathy

Part of the intensive gardening thing I am doing is to use pvc. since pvc is flexible it easily bens to form ribs over my raised beds. this will let me use tuffbell to cover my beds for bugs, birds or excess sun and all those etceteras.

I love this stuff, its so versatile.

OK Shannon you got my attention on that.I know that pvc gives off carcinogen fumes when burned or heated but for greenhouse use?I dont know.
I mean its not being burned.Now if it gives off a little fumes over time in an outdoor environment ,dont forget that we are talking about some 3/4 inch diameter tubing not pallets of the stuff in a warehouse.
So Im wondering if maybe its a little overrated for very small quantity.
I dont think that I would use it excessively around children but in a greenhouse??
Unless we are talking about fumes going up,(how little or how much we do not know)getting trapped on the underside of the nylon,finding their way into and contaminating the moisture which is also there which in turn drips back into the soil if it isnt released from the greenhouse and then the plants could POSSIBLY be contaminated that way.Now I dont know how realistic that could be.It sounds like it makes sense.Id like to hear other views on this.
On the other hand I would think that with proper ventilation,it would be ok but again,Im no expert on pvc .
In my business we use lots of toxic stains, laquers and varnishes.Now these are used in a ventilated area which is suggested by the manufacturers and with proper breathing apparatus,but I would think that these materials in the large quantities used and then sprayed into the air are 100 times more dangerous than fumes from pvc.

Well, actually it is burning. PVC pipe is not uv protected which means it degrades in sunlight. That's a slow burn.
The other problem with the degradation is that it make the PVC brittle.
A couple of years exposure and the pipe will become unreliable.

Perhaps, but this is why we are in this mess in the first place. By saying "who cares, my back yard isn't poluted when this stuff is made" is the root of our current troubles.

Time to figure out a better alternative. Ihear there are kinds of bamboo that will grow above the 49th parrallel. Anyone experimenting? does bamboo have to be grown in a curve or shaped that way as it grows?

There are several types of bamboo that could be an alternative.

I'm going to try growing one or two kinds; I live at about 30 degrees north latitude.

If you can get it to grow successfully then make sure ahead of time you pick a location that you don't need for anything else. Bamboo, once its established is impossible to get rid of. Napalm won't kill it.

True when I made the decision to use it (pvc) I hadnt thought of the environmental and health hazards right off.Thats why its good to throw an idea out there,and even it is a brainstorm,there will be some feedback and help clear things up.
My idea basicly is to use some sort of plastic pipe 19mm and reinforce it internally with rebar.Now there are other plumbing pipe (plastic)which are used for water,inside buildings .thick walled.I will look into that now.
I dont think that is pvc,because it is used for drinking water lines in Europe.
but then I dont know how cost effective that would be yet either.Will look into it and let you know.
BTW.thanks for the links.

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