Greenhouse
Return to DiscussionsYesterday was sunny and in the 40's here in the frozen northwoods. I got to spend some time naked in my greenhouse and it was so nice to feel the sun on my body and the earth below my bare feet. Even the smell of the dirt was intoxicating.
So how many of you have a greenhouse that you use for some naked time in the winter as well as getting the jump on the season come spring?
I do, but I've been truck driving and the greenhouse is not being operated. Last winter I was setting it up for waterstove heat, but that's not quite ready to run yet since I havn't been home to finish it. But now that I'm back and determined to not drive truck if I can possibly avoid it. Finishing that system is one of several projects waiting on my time. With plans to eventually expand the greenhouse a lot, and build more of them for paying produce production. I want full time winter greenhouse work that pays. Much more enjoyable than driving a truck all around the country. And healthier.
For some reason I've not been able to find time to work on my greenhouse heating project. Too many things pulling me other directions. But that's on the to do list, hope it can make it to the top of my priority list soon. (It gets occasional bit of attention on a rainy day) (It's a 12X32 greenhouse, grow boxes lining both walls supported about waist high on rails and a 4 ft wide bench down the middle, got it maybe 1/3 planted with greens.) But meanwhile the greens I have in it are doing fine and I will start eating them more. The mustard has lost some of it's heat with the cool weather so I can eat it raw, it's a sweet/hot flavor. Arugula is still pretty spicy. Escarole is tasting better with the cool as well. Romain is tender and good, chard makes nice eating, and the nappa cabbage starting to make heads. Soon as I can get the heat going in there I plan on filling it up with more greens for winter salad and then keep scaling up the heating system till I can heat a big one. I aim to build a 3000 sq ft greenhouse with heated floor. Fill it with tomatoes first I guess. Then I want another one, and another one. Till I get some that are big and tall enough to grow tropical tree fruits in. Citrus, avocado's, macedemia nuts, mango, papaya, dragon fruit, sugar apples, etc. I'm debating on trying a durian, but they need fully tropical conditions, like keeping it above 50F. (And do not smell very appetizing I hear, but the flavor is wonderful, I tried some once and loved the flavor) Most of what I want to grow isn't that sensitive to cool air, they be ok long as it doesn't freeze. Just came across a peanut butter fruit tree, tropical fruit supposed to taste like peanut butter, that's really unique. So I need an extremely reliable and super cheap to run water heating system to pump hot water through pipes in the slab and hold it at 70F or so. That's my technical challenge to solve before big results can be expected and not have a big energy bill to pay regular which I can't live with. Initial setup expense is OK, can't be avoided, but I have to have really cheap operating expense to make it work.
I just got a good greenhouse idea. We have a small cave on our place that is located near the north end of a small clearing where a greenhouse could be situated. The semi temporary dwelling I made for my mother is blocking the access road I would prefer to use, but I can get rid if it soon as we move her to the new house I'm working on. (otherwise access is across the small field which is not good road surface) The cave is large enough to use for a geo thermal air heating source. Just need to dig a trench and make a passage over to where the greenhouse could be built. Maybe 50 ft from the entrance of the cave I think or less. I hadn't figured out how to get air out and not get it mixed with cold air since it's a single entrance vertical pit that drops about 25 ft to a horizontal bottom about 120 ft long, but it occurred to me that I should make a tight cover for the hole and drop a pipe down from the top to direct the cold air going in to the bottom, and pull the warm air off the top. That way the cold air will enter at the bottom and gradually warm up against the rock walls as it rises. It would not be the ideal floor heated greenhouse I'm after ultimately, but it would work for lots of cool weather vegetable production and it seems citrus does ok in that environment, since there's a man in SD doing ground heated air greenhouses and growing citrus successfully. His underground temp is 4F lower than ours. Probably fine for macadamias and avocados as well, and many other things. It would be a good unit to put non naturists to work in, since 50-55F is pretty cool to work naked, and it's up front on the place where the textiles hang out, although it would heat up anytime the sun hits it, or even the little bit of radiation coming through clouds creates a little warming effect. Automatic venting is necessary, plenty of it since summer heat can be significant. Just have to make it with large vent openings with screw jacks on them controlled by thermostats. Only need power to operate the vent openers and a blower to transfer air from the cave when the inside temp drops to 55. Our sub earth temp is 56F. That along with the other one I started will serve as the textile worked greenhouses up front on the place, maybe a 3rd one on the house if that works out.
My favorite hangout site is way back on the mountainside where in time I want a fully naturist greenhouse with temperature controlled to hold it at 75F anytime the outside drops below that. With that I could grow the really sensitive tropical fruits that can't handle below 50F without killing back or not fruiting, and have a hot tub in the middle of tropical foliage. Plus a waterfall and cool pool near it for cooling off. simulate Eden as much as possible for health and enjoyment.