The skylights gain unnecessary heat and light in the summer, and none in winter. They also leak sometimes, inspite of buying a quality product and installing it properly. Partly it is condensation collectin on the glass and dripping. The night time heat loss isn't a big deal to us, but there is not much gain in winter when needed.

We have a big maple about 50 feet to the south, shades in the summer and makes little difference most of the day in winter. The deciduous shrubs and trees to the west don't have any winter effect, but provide shade in the afternoon and early evening in the summer when needed.

Your overhang probably was intended to keep water out of the foundation and basement--18" probably doesn't shade the windows much.

And, yes, I did everything myself except excavation for foundation and the slab. I discovered years ago that either renting machinery or hiring it done is cost effective for me for doing site work or excavating.

Maybe we could split out the pyramid power discussion to the Open forum?

It has nothing to do with greenhouses.

Fait accompli, Monsieur Pops.

As I've pointed out elsewhere I'm currently bringing home a freebie greenhouse
http://photos.impstar.com/index.php?alb ... e=1ab2.jpg
When I go to reassemble it I've got some questions about it's orientation.

The place that I'm thinking it will fit best would have it north/south on the long axis. I'm wondering if thats going to be a serious issue?

The building won't get any sun from mid november until early/mid february no matter where I place it in my yard. in early february though it will get a little bit of morning sun out of the east. This slowly increases until early april when it effectively will get sun all day other then a couple of hours where it is shaded. Jump ahead to mid may and it will ne partially shaded during the hottest hours of the day but still taking a ton of sunlight.

My hope is that with the green house I can get an early start on some of the tougher spring crops and also have somewhere for my seedlings to grow up. Lately I've been killing plants while attempting to harden them off after starting them indoors. It's either been too windy, too cold or too hot to take them outdoors. I didn't know that tomatoes could get sun burnt

So anyways will the north/south orientation work ok? I'll be insulating the north side if it will. If I have to run east/west then the north side is a curved wall that I won't be insulating.

<edit> east west whats the difference </edit>

I have experience from my Greenhouse, about 2.5x3m, with 3 m on hte long axis. I also have no sun at all in winter, from middle october through early March, in fact. For me the long axis is oriented SE-NW. I am more north than you, in Stockholm Sweden which is just north of Anchorage ALaska.

I would not worry about the orientation of your greenhouse. Put it where it looks the best. Mine seems to heat up equally no matter where the sun stands. In summer, shade in the middle of the day is a good thing, as it easily gets hot even if you have automatic window openers (you'd better). I put in an extra window that is always open from June (a bit depending on the weather). Also the door is always open, I mean night and day, in summer. Ventilation is very important. Most greenhouse models that are sold seem to have too small openings. (they probable want to sell electric fans the next year)

I got plastic window panes, because I was told it would be better insulation. Even so, when the temperature drops at night in spring the greenhouse temperature becomes the same as the outdoor temp, so I could as well have had glass windows. Glass looks better (in my opinion) and it also lets in more light. You want big doors and big windows that open.

I always have to start my tomatoes indoors. The recommendation here is to harden them slowly over a period av two weeks before putting them outside. That does nto work for me. I put them out in hte greenhouse in early-middle May (when the risk of frost in the greenhouse is over). Then it takes them a month to adjust (they do not die but do nto grow either), then they start growing like mad. They have just started last week. If planted outside, I have to wait to early June. Then they still need a month until they start to grow. I get more green that red tomatoes.

Lettuce, radishes and peas can be started early (end of March) in my greenhouse. I put the earliest crops in containers, as the greenhouse soil is still too cold in March (it gets frozen in winter). From middle april I use the original soil in the greenhouse. Advertisemnets for greenhouses here often recommend that you cover the floor with tiles, and use big planters 'because it is easier to change the tired soil'. IMO, they just want to sell stuff. I treat the greenhouse soil just like the other veggie beds, lots of compost, cover wtih leaves in winter, crop rotation. In middle October I tear out all the plants. Beans, squash and tomatoe plants just grow mold a that time (remember, no more sun in my greenhouse)

nocar

A basic "container" growing book I like is Incredible Vegetables from Self-Watering Containers, Ed Smith.

I have 2 improvements he doesn't have, though he has lots of experience:

1) Bury fish in soil.

2) Self watering container I do by drilling holes about 1/2 inch from ordinary plastic pot bottom (around sides) and place pot in "clear box" (translucent plastic tub container). Put water is in clear box and pot sits in water (if going away for a week, maybe fill up more water than normal).

A glance instantly shows which plants using water the fastest and if it needs water. This allows watering once or twice a week, instead of daily and the plant does better as it never dries out.

Simple, cheap, easy. And as Ed points out, if self watering, a plant can actually produce more than from the outdoor garden.

Of course once you drill holes (small small holes) along the side bottom of planters, it won't be useful as a stand alone pot anymore, as it would leak water out the bottom sides. But being I don't like to have to water daily and I plan it as a production pot to always sit in a clear box with a couple inches of water in it, that's ok with me.

This site has a lot of the same ideas I've been mulling for an energy efficient greenhouse;
http://www.greenhousegarden.com/energy.htm

For those of us living in the great white north...

Would those dwarf banana trees, lemon,lime, whatever be able to flourish in a greenhouse? I am just thinking when no oil, no bananas. If the roof was a high enough peak, the banana tree could grow 15-20 ft high? I just hate to think because one lives in Toronto, they will never see another tropical fruit again...

I've heard of a couple people who grow bananas in greenhouses, both in Colorado. One is Avory Lovins (probably not a real popular guy here). Here's another guy who lives in the Colorado Rockies and grows bananas indoors during the winter. I think the latter has a greenhouse integrated into the actual house itself.

I've just finished my solar greenhouse for way up north (S. Dakota).

It's 20 foot east-west by 17 foot north-south. About as big as I can make it with a 50 foot east-west property line. The south side glazing is double walled polycarbonate at a 63 degree angle for the low, low winter sun. It's got the all important air-lock entry way (double door) on the east side.

If there is clear skies it'll get up to 90 degree F in the greenhouse even with -20 F outside. Cloudy days stunt it to high 50's or low 60's though.

I trenched a 7 foot line back to the house where the wood/coal burning boiler heats hot water to a massive radiator in the greenhouse via pex piping though three inch pvc piping. Also a two inch pipe for electric 220 vac wires.

Next is to finish the LED supplemental lighting and hydroponic grow tubs and pots.

I should "finally" start growing next month.

Please wish me luck!

Any pictures and construction details to share?
What are you using to store daytime temperature gain for nighttime re-release?
I'm contemplating something very similar, though due to my exposed hillside, will likely use cinderblock for the north and west sides. I'm trying to figure out how to insulate the outside in a manner that is not expensive or unbecoming (north wall will face a picky neighbor that I don't want to alienate).

Yes, I have pictures from a few months ago. I'm having problems with my serial to usb connection (had to get a new computer with no serial ports to my shocking surprise) for my digital camera. Have to get that done soon. However, I'm not aware of how to post them here. Looks downright cool, imo.

haha....yes, I too have the same delima regarding unbecoming vs insulation for the north wall. Now, it's just 2x4 studs with R11 insulation with osb on the interior and 1x8 for the exterior with tin over that.

However, when PO or whatever gets peoples attention bales of straw on the north, east and west sides will be the way to go.

I've got boatloads of five gallon water containers I've painted dark green for heat retention on the north interior wall. I know black is better but dark green looks cooler. Can't seem to round up 55 gallon plastic containers around here so lots of smaller ones.

Sounds really cool (or warm in this case) bs!

I was proud when the temps were in the teens a couple days ago and my lone tomato volunteer test subject didn’t freeze in the greenhouse - the rest of the seedlings were enjoying life on and around my dining room table. It has been so stinking warm; 85 last Monday, then so cold it scared me into bringing them inside where there isn’t much sun when the temps got in the teens by Friday that they have really grown weak legs in the space of a week.

At 18 degrees it was 35 in the greenhouse overnight after a very overcast day – encouraging but not great.

I only have 2 layers of uv-resistant poly, 3 halogen lamps and a seed-starting mat in a 5x20 area partitioned off with R-3or4 foam boards. I have 3 - 55gal drums and several dark buckets of water but they don’t really get much sun since they are stuck in the corners.

Anyway, good luck!

Thanks Pops!

Well, finally done with the LEDs, tubs, valves, piping of the interior tubs to the resevoir etc, etc.

ok....next week is it.

WooHOO!