Replacing the GH Roof & Building a Palm Shelter

Discuss greenhouse related topics and outside weather protection methods.

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Mark
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Post by Mark » Sat Sep 26, 2009 8:22 am

Steve,

Are you planning on adding any supplemental heat to it?

Mark



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Knnn
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Post by Knnn » Sat Sep 26, 2009 9:03 am

Mark, Been using a small electric heater with the thermostat re-calibrated to about 40*F
Going to experiment this year this year with lights & different heaters to find what works best.

Steve
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hardyjim
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Post by hardyjim » Sat Sep 26, 2009 9:20 am

Well done,that looks really sharp!
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lucky1
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Post by lucky1 » Sat Sep 26, 2009 12:16 pm

The only thing missing is a sign: SCAT CAT!

Sheesh I'd hate to see how much rolled roofing costs in Canada then!

Barb
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Knnn
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Post by Knnn » Sat Sep 26, 2009 6:42 pm

Thanks Jim, hoping to have better luck with this one! (Shelter and Palm)

Barb, I suppose they could always dig their way into it (at least until the ground freezes :lol:


Steve
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hardyjim
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Post by hardyjim » Mon Sep 28, 2009 11:47 am

oppalm wrote:nice work steve. Are you planning on spending some quality time with your washy in that plam hut. I think you could hang a flat screen on one of those walls and watch football on Sundays. ?






Your killing me :cheers:
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BILL MA
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Post by BILL MA » Mon Sep 28, 2009 12:13 pm

Maybe we should all hang tv's in our palm huts for Sunday football! LOL!

Bill

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Knnn
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Post by Knnn » Tue Sep 29, 2009 7:18 am

The shelter's loaded up (couldn't find room for the TV :lol:

Image

Image



Steve
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lucky1
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Post by lucky1 » Tue Sep 29, 2009 11:27 am

Steve, if those are jugs of water, did you add salt to them.
If so, how much?
Barb
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Knnn
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Post by Knnn » Tue Sep 29, 2009 11:40 am

Barb, Just plain water. Besides lowering the freezing point, is there any advantages to adding salt?


Steve
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lucky1
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Post by lucky1 » Tue Sep 29, 2009 11:55 am

Another poster had mentioned salt.
I haven't tried it.
Thinking of winter roads/sidewalks, salt is an advantage that might work for us in containers.
Barb
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BILL MA
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Post by BILL MA » Tue Sep 29, 2009 3:35 pm

I don't have a degree but changing the freezing point might actually help us. All of our outside planted palms are easily hard at freezing when dry, we only use these water jugs for two reasons. One emergency heat source, and two to keep the temperature from fluxuating to much. I'm not sure at what temp salt water freezes but if it's 20 or something wouldn't it be better to use the energy to freeze the water then or at 32 where are palms are fine anyways. Just a thought, what do you guys think?

Bill

lucky1
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Post by lucky1 » Tue Sep 29, 2009 3:44 pm

Worth a try...it certainly won't make it worse.
Wonder if we have to use the large salt crystals (like ice melter), or just regular salt?

Barb
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BILL MA
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Post by BILL MA » Tue Sep 29, 2009 3:47 pm

I'll use ocean water. Next time I go I'll fill up the million milk jugs I've been saving.

Bill

ScottyON
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Post by ScottyON » Tue Sep 29, 2009 5:10 pm

So I'm sure you saw pictures of my structure. How much did it cost you last year to heat with the small heater. I bought a small one with a thermostat and was going to set it to 40. But I am also going to pick up some c-9 bulbs as well in case the first bill is like :shock: Hoping it's not though.

Great job on yours! I'm jellous of the windows!!! I'm thinking I may need to have mine covered by the end of next week. They are call for some colder weather, crap!!

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Knnn
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Post by Knnn » Tue Sep 29, 2009 7:49 pm

Thanks for the comments! The window is convenient, but also means it heats up quicker (need to open it up in the mornings with warmer days)

I heat the green house and part of the house with electric each winter, so the best guess I could come up with is $10-$20 extra per month. Maybe less, maybe more :D
For me, solar gain plays a large part. A sunny day and the heater only runs a few hours at night, a week of overcast days and the heater will run 24/7

This is from a web site calculator which will give you some idea, (a worst case scenario), 100 C9 lights at 350W running 28 days straight at .10kwh
(You can plug in whatever values you want to get a rough idea)

Image



Here's the link http://www.handymath.com/cgi-bin/electr ... bmit=Entry


Steve
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Knnn
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Salt

Post by Knnn » Tue Sep 29, 2009 7:54 pm

Thanks for the info on the salt, need to do some more reading :D


Steve
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BILL MA
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Post by BILL MA » Tue Sep 29, 2009 8:12 pm

Thanks for the conversion Steve! That really helps people out. I think theres a rv solution we could use to keep all our bottles to a freezing point at a solution of our choice. (Ichanged my mind) What ever that point is It will be hard to get back the energy unless the days are warm or we incorperate heat. (-temps in the bottles set at 20 would be good) Sorry about the sea water, rv solution is way better.

Bill

ScottyON
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Post by ScottyON » Wed Sep 30, 2009 5:53 pm

Cool!! Thanks Steve!!

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Knnn
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Post by Knnn » Fri Oct 02, 2009 6:27 pm

Good luck to everyone with their winter protection!

Finished mine up, (roof & caulking), even put in a wireless thermometer, no more scraping frost off the window to see inside :D

Image



Sealed the bottom with soil and it's all set.


Image


Steve
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Okanagan desert-palms
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Post by Okanagan desert-palms » Fri Oct 02, 2009 9:11 pm

Looking good Steve. What about a aquarium heater to keep the jugs of water from freezing. They can be turned up quite high.

John
Okanagan Palms and Tropicals
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Knnn
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Post by Knnn » Sat Oct 03, 2009 7:01 am

John, Think I have a spare 200W heater, maybe try that in a 5 gallon bucket and see what happens?
With no heat, temps. inside the shelter held a steady 5*F above ambient all night, (38* this morning, 43*F inside)


Steve
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DesertZone
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Post by DesertZone » Sat Oct 03, 2009 10:29 am

looks good Steve. I like that the window will open and close it what I was meaning. A place to let out heat on warmer days. :D :lol:
Shoshone Idaho weather
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-Aaron-

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Knnn
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Post by Knnn » Sat Oct 03, 2009 7:00 pm

Thanks Aaron, I knew what you meant :D
Was having trouble with the window, took me a couple tries to get the right size opening. (I forgot it had to be installed backward to put the latches on the outside........lol


Steve
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DesertZone
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Post by DesertZone » Sat Oct 03, 2009 7:40 pm

Sure looks good. Amazing the care you give your plants. :D
Shoshone Idaho weather
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Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

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BILL MA
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Post by BILL MA » Sun Oct 04, 2009 6:58 am

I'm gealous Steve! I have some serious building to do pretty soon along with digging. I dug up one banana so far woo hoo! Just 15 more to go, not to bad except most of them are pretty hefty in size. Time for some wheaties again I guess.
I'll post some pictures of the banana seperating operation I did, it will help in removing pups.

Great job Steve, you must have a feeling of relief now.

Bill

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Knnn
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Post by Knnn » Sun Oct 04, 2009 8:06 am

It's nice to have everything ready!
I had two Ensete glaucum planted out, they only grew a couple feet this year. Hardly any roots either when I dug them up?
Musa basjoo grew well in that area last year, I'll have to figure out what I was doing wrong :D


Steve
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Knnn
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Update..........

Post by Knnn » Wed May 22, 2013 12:54 pm

The shelter has worked well, but has grown too small. Been setting it up on cinder blocks the past two winters for extra height.
I'll build a lighter one this year.......... The old one now serves here :D

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lucky1
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Post by lucky1 » Sat May 25, 2013 2:50 pm

You got a new pup!
:D

Hmmm...cinder blocks to raise the height.
Wondering if I should do that for my Trachy hut.

Barb
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