Should I build a greenhouse?

[fatjay]

Greenhouses are houses that people grow things in that get hot in the cold. That's all I know about them. So here's what I have.

I want to grow food year round. Lettuce, cucumber, tomato, cilantro, garlic, carrot, etc. Can I use a green house year round? I would be dedicating part of my garden area to it. I was thinking a 10x20'. Do they need to be vented? Temp controlled? Auto misting?

Please fill my brain with everything about how a green house is properly used.

 

[Jstpssng]

Short answer, Yes.

In your region you will be able to grow many crops year round. "A Greenhouse" can be many things though. How permanant do you want it? You can do a simple hoop house; metal conduit half circles, covered with plastic. (I have one of these, 14x40. It was my father's last hoop house, and I had fun with it but now need to put it on a better site and buy new plastic.)

You can go a bit further, building a wood frame and covering that with plastic. You can build a wooden frame and cover it with polycarbonate.

10MM Twinwall Polycarbonate Sheet 48x96 (This is the route I hope to go.)

If you really want to get hardcore you can build a pit greenhouse. How to Build a Pit Greenhouse on Your Homestead – Mother Earth News

If I was 30 years younger, this is the route I would pursue.

 

[fatjay]

I was going to get a HF carport then wrap it in 5mil clear plastic sheeting, then frame a doorway and windows out. Then basically do raised beds inside. It's 10' wide so I was thinking 3' on each side with a 4' in the middle. I have a south facing back area, but if it gets to hot in the summer, i'll cook my plants.

 

[bigtiller]

I was going to get a HF carport then wrap it in 5mil clear plastic sheeting, then frame a doorway and windows out. Then basically do raised beds inside. It's 10' wide so I was thinking 3' on each side with a 4' in the middle. I have a south facing back area, but if it gets to hot in the summer, i'll cook my plants.

With those plans, it doesn't sound to likely you will be successful with year round growth.

For that you will need supplemental heat, insulated windows, temperature & humidity controlled exhaust fan, and fresh water.

Ideally it would be connected to the south side of a small garage so egress/ingress would not disturbed the conditioned air as much.

But your plans would be great for getting a jump start on the growing season outside.

 

[fatjay]

With those plans, it doesn't sound to likely you will be successful with year round growth.

For that you will need supplemental heat, insulated windows, temperature & humidity controlled exhaust fan, and fresh water.

Ideally it would be connected to the south side of a small garage so egress/ingress would not disturbed the conditioned air as much.

But your plans would be great for getting a jump start on the growing season outside.

I can move mountains. If what I plan is wrong for what my intent is, please correct it, and I will make proper adjustments. What I know is limited, but what I can do is unlimited. Tell me what you would do if you were planning a 10x20 greenhouse.

 

[Yander]

Year-round growth depends on what you are growing year around. Some of the things you mentioned can easily be grown year round with just an unheated hoop house or greenhouse.

You mentioned cucumbers; those are heat loving vegetables and would require some heat in your greenhouse. They don't like cool.

I would start by deciding what it is you want to grow and then look at the temperatures that that plant needs to grow in.

But yes, if you want to grow year round, a greenhouse is definitely a must in PA.

There is a book by Elliot Coleman called the winter harvest handbook. If you're serious about this I would buy that book and read it.

In a nutshell, in the book he says that for each layer of greenhouse fabric you reduce your growing zone by one and a half.

Example: So in PA one layer of greenhouse fabric would be like you were in say Tennessee. A hoop house inside of a greenhouse, or two layers, would put you in a Georgia zone.

Those are guesses without looking at a growing zone map just for example of how it works.

 

[Streetcar]

Greenhouses are houses that people grow things in that get hot in the cold. That's all I know about them. So here's what I have.

I want to grow food year round. Lettuce, cucumber, tomato, cilantro, garlic, carrot, etc. Can I use a green house year round? I would be dedicating part of my garden area to it. I was thinking a 10x20'. Do they need to be vented? Temp controlled? Auto misting?

Please fill my brain with everything about how a green house is properly used.

With those plans, it doesn't sound to likely you will be successful with year round growth.

For that you will need supplemental heat, insulated windows, temperature & humidity controlled exhaust fan, and fresh water.

Ideally it would be connected to the south side of a small garage so egress/ingress would not disturbed the conditioned air as much.

But your plans would be great for getting a jump start on the growing season outside.

As big tiller said year round requires supplemental heat and ventilation . I would start with simple hoop house to extend season on each end. If you like results you can expand. From my limited experience rodents love greenhouses

 

[David Wayne]

Shorter daylight hours means you will need grow lights.

David

 

[Jstpssng]

As big tiller said year round requires supplemental heat and ventilation . I would start with simple hoop house to extend season on each end. If you like results you can expand. From my limited experience rodents love greenhouses

Depends on the crop. Even up here people have been growing cole crops in winter, with compost as the only heat source. Carrots are another which will grow that way. Tomatoes, cucumbers and other warm weather crops do need heat; but you can grow those inside, with a grow light to extend the daylight.

Another option I've seen people use rather than the HF greenhouse is the frame of a temporary shelter; buy a sheet of 6 mil plastic after the original covering fails.

One thing you need to consider is snow load. Make sure that you leave room on each side to plow or blow a path to keep it from building up. It also would be worthwhile to build a gravel pad to elevate the footprint of the greenhouse; that way you don't risk "touching" the covering with your bucket, plow or blower.
Please don't ask me how I know that!!! It will make cleaning the snow all around easier.
I also would consider a small heat source anyways to take the chill off while you are out working there.

 

[Paddy]

As mentioned above, very large compost piles with water filled tubing has been used to heat green houses. The material mix, saw dust and wood chips has to be controlled with water infusion and nitrogen to keep it hot. but a well constructed compost pile can generate heat all through the cold season.