Converting my bedroom into a dedicated greenhouse.

[@altreac]

I've got quite a lot going on in terms of reconfiguring my place. It's a work in progress, as I'm designing and building stuff myself.

I'm doing a naturalistic setup. Polycultured containers. Microorganisms. Mix of food, herbs and tropical plants.

My balcony is done for the season until next or I get it enclosed. But one thing at a time.

All but 4 plants were started from seeds or cuttings. The monstera, spider plant, money tree and coffee tree I bought. The monstera was a 4 inch pot one, and my only "designer" plant. Lol. I loved the variegation. The rest were sad, discount bin buys.

There's lots of electronics going on. Temp, humidity controls, circulation, exhaust, lighting controls. All wifi. Still have to reinstall my irrigation system after moving my setup into this room.

I'll expand into the closets and stuff.


(I'm hiding my bed in the living room, behind a curtain on a bunk loft, over my sectional couch... Mini media center/theatre in the works!)


I did all the things you're not supposed to. Outdoor soil. Stuff grown outside indoors. I transplanted sunflowers... Lol. All the things.

I've got all the pests, but also a wide array of beneficial predatory micro fauna from nematodes to the good mites and spiders etc.

I like bugs as well as plants. But I keep the system well maintained and the rest of my place clean. With the hepa filter and exhaust and stuff on smart controllers, I've got no mold etc where it's not supposed to be.

My basil plants (Dark Opal & Thai) reseeded themselves and my plants are exhibiting hyperactive growth.

System seems to be working.

I've got all sorts of stuff folks would normally not want, like algae, good mold, mycorreize fungus... I had ladybugs. There's springtails and other stuff. Cynobacteria...

My spider plant and purple queen are growing at in insane rate.

There's a lemon tree, ginger, turmeric, Roma tomatoes... Parsley, some mint... All sorts of stuff.

I built the tall shelf from pallet wood and other reclaimed stuff.

Just wanted to share really.

Totally a chaos gardener. If folks are interested, I'll update every now and again. Mostly off high-octane social media these days. Too busy and too many adds

 

[oneeye]

I've got quite a lot going on in terms of reconfiguring my place. It's a work in progress, as I'm designing and building stuff myself.

I'm doing a naturalistic setup. Polycultured containers. Microorganisms. Mix of food, herbs and tropical plants.

My balcony is done for the season until next or I get it enclosed. But one thing at a time.

All but 4 plants were started from seeds or cuttings. The monstera, spider plant, money tree and coffee tree I bought. The monstera was a 4 inch pot one, and my only "designer" plant. Lol. I loved the variegation. The rest were sad, discount bin buys.

There's lots of electronics going on. Temp, humidity controls, circulation, exhaust, lighting controls. All wifi. Still have to reinstall my irrigation system after moving my setup into this room.

I'll expand into the closets and stuff.


(I'm hiding my bed in the living room, behind a curtain on a bunk loft, over my sectional couch... Mini media center/theatre in the works!)


I did all the things you're not supposed to. Outdoor soil. Stuff grown outside indoors. I transplanted sunflowers... Lol. All the things.

I've got all the pests, but also a wide array of beneficial predatory micro fauna from nematodes to the good mites and spiders etc.

I like bugs as well as plants. But I keep the system well maintained and the rest of my place clean. With the hepa filter and exhaust and stuff on smart controllers, I've got no mold etc where it's not supposed to be.

My basil plants (Dark Opal & Thai) reseeded themselves and my plants are exhibiting hyperactive growth.

System seems to be working.

I've got all sorts of stuff folks would normally not want, like algae, good mold, mycorreize fungus... I had ladybugs. There's springtails and other stuff. Cynobacteria...

My spider plant and purple queen are growing at in insane rate.

There's a lemon tree, ginger, turmeric, Roma tomatoes... Parsley, some mint... All sorts of stuff.

I built the tall shelf from pallet wood and other reclaimed stuff.

Just wanted to share really.

Totally a chaos gardener. If folks are interested, I'll update every now and again. Mostly off high-octane social media these days. Too busy and too many adds

Hello friend and welcome. That looks like a lot of fun to me. Thanks for taking the time to share your project with us. Please keep us posted this Winter.

 

[@altreac]

Hello friend and welcome. That looks like a lot of fun to me. Thanks for taking the time to share your project with us. Please keep us posted this Winter.

Can do if you're interested.

Curious, I've seen this forum software elsewhere, on this version is there a way to add pictures in thread (not hosted on my own storage and linked).

Just curious, cause I'd do running updates. I've got loads of pictures.

I'm gunna keep copying plants as they get bigger.

It's an interesting project. Lol. First time living alone. Kinda fun to be able to do whatever weird stuff I feel like.

It's not really that weird. Just atypical. Interesting though.

I've been running everything over watered pretty much. (not the monstera, that'd kill that one quick I think). But I've got the high porosity pro mix mixed in with my outside dirt. A bunch of soil came to me in containers that had lived outside for years. And there's some extra chunky perlite in there too. So it drains super well.

The huge air exchange and high density polyculture means the bottom water circulates, and the moss, algaes and cynobacteria (the cynobacteria is blue green to the moss green and algae 'other' greens, but still true greens. The cynobacteria is super cool to look at).

The orange jelly fungus in the pots at the top, layers dead black layers that kinda look like lava cooled, also in layers...

The mycorrhize fungus makes white spikey structures on leaf litter it's recycling.

And you don't see the hypoaspus mites (beneficial soil micro predators) less you touch stuff. Then you see lots. Most stuff you don't see unless you dig a bit of start turning leaves over.

I do clear some leaf litter, but I leave some as well.


The basil going to seed is the most exciting for me. That tray makes me think of a little forest floor. The original plants have big woody stocks now, but they're getting on. I still wanna see what they do though. So I'll let them do whatever they do.

Slow release and regular fertilizers. Gotta for the container density.


I've got a whack of arduino sensors and some electronics experience... So I plan on adding some cool bits to the electronics. But I wanna build the room out around the plants after I see what they wanna do. It's a work in progress.

I've got sunflower seeds saved too. So stuff will harden to my place in time.


I'm having fun anyways. Lol

 

[Meadowlark]

....Curious, I've seen this forum software elsewhere, on this version is there a way to add pictures in thread (not hosted on my own storage and linked).

Have you tried using the "attach files" function located at the bottom of all threads?

 

[@altreac]

Have you tried using the "attach files" function located at the bottom of all threads?

Hrm. I see it this time, but it wasn't there last time. Must have had a broken frame on my browser last time. Latest android update broke more than it fixed on my device.


Thanks

 

[@altreac]

Some random ones.

My original Coppertone sedum cutting.

Ginger, turmeric, a Roma tomato. Random flower in one.

Dark Opal and Thai basil naturalistic tray. Both plants have made seedlings. I've pulled a bunch of the Dark Opal into other pots. The Thai is a bit slower and there's fewer so far, so I'll grab a couple in a bit. But I support high density with ferts, so the crowding isn't as bad. I've got kit to test a bunch of soil and environmental conditions, and a bunch of different adjustment chemicals. Haven't really needed them so far, but may need to add some supplemental magnesium soon.

I think the fuzzy one is a Cuban mint? I got a lot from people as cuttings never labeled, so I'm kinda just growing stuff. Lol. Some order. Much disorder.

My giant spider plant. She's flowering in the back with a ton of buds. Need to grab some pics of them, she's quite happy.

I'll shoot some of the crazy Purple Queen at some point as well.


If I'm having fun, I do have an ok digital microscope. But I'm pretty ADHD and need to be engaged to do that stuff. Lately I'm pretty happy just hanging out in the room with my plants. Keeps me calm. (3b army med release)

 

[PolycarbonateGreenhouse]

Sounds like you’ve got a solid plan either way, but if it’s possible, I’d keep the polycarbonate where you can — better light, less moisture buildup, and a nicer feel inside overall.

 

[@altreac]

Sounds like you’ve got a solid plan either way, but if it’s possible, I’d keep the polycarbonate where you can — better light, less moisture buildup, and a nicer feel inside overall.

Good points for sure.

I really don't have moisture buildup issues though. There's 5 fans, exhaust, hepa all on wifi smart controllers. But it's the regional climate. Regina, 3b, the Prairies are getting dry.

It's a stereotype that all of Saskatchewan is flat. But not in Regina. Regina is legit as flat as you get. So the wind rips moisture down.

There's days where I can pump 12 L of water into the air and it's struggling to get to just 50% RH with a unit rated for 800 sqft!

For me, not having lived here that long... It's insane.

Prior, I was living on Haida Gwaii. If you know, you know. But if you don't it's an archipelago off Canada's west coast. Under Alaska. Formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands.

Anyhow, it's a temperate rainforest. Coming back to the east side of the rockies, especially with the wildfires? Omg, my eyelids were even sticking together when I blinked for a few months. I was so used to effectively 100% RH all the time. One year it rained 300 days in the year!

It's been about 2 years off the island now.

Completely new climate for me. Last in Canada I haven't explored.



For light, I'll get something better to address privacy and let more light in eventually. There's a building line of site to the window. When the foliage gets denser, it'll be obscured enough. But while just a greenhouse... Still don't prefer being watched.


Totally a work in progress. I talk too much, but I really do note everything. Appreciate the input.

 

[@altreac]

The flowers I think are the corn flower seeds.

I was at a Rummage sale several weeks ago, got a bunch of stuff including some gardening stuff (sewing stuff too! Pinking shears... I'm a nut... Lol)

In the haul there was 4 packages of ancient seeds. So I stuck random ones here and there in my containers.

It'll be interesting to see what comes up where, find out what comes up and what doesn't... Lol. Flower surprise.

 

[@altreac]

There's this pretty Lady.

I can totally understand why this plant is invasive.

Between it and my spider plant, I'd call them my stars.

 

[@altreac]

Props.

There's another in the living room, but the sun's not up. That one is an experiment to see how it does in the regular apartment conditions. Cooler. Darker. Drier.

But given how wild this plant grows... There should be cuttings available forever.

This is one I plan on copying a whole bunch and give one to all my neighbours. Only 12 units. And the more plants they the building, the better the air... So I'll keep propping stuff and just leaving them in the foyer. Should be a fun game as well.

So I'll have my flower surprise going on in my greenhouse and then random plants in the foyer.


No one used the flower beds here either, so I'm thinking of maybe just taking it over for the next season... Grow some stuff for people to forage. Not a 'keep off my lawn' garden... Hehe.

The spider plant hasn't opened her flowers today. She's getting well adjusted to her new home here and is quite the hearty plant. Lots of pups, lots of buds.

It drinks the entire bottom tray 3 to 4 times per day. (wifi, wifi...! I don't have to be home to water...nothing crazy still, just specific higher demand pants. I'm sorta, kinda semi-hydroing stuff... But it's definitely chaos. Electronically supported. But still chaos. Lol

I love being in the room when the lights come on.

 

[@altreac]

More angles on the setup.

Some shots from up by the ceiling. Some straight on.

Cell has a good camera... For better or for worse, I normally just try point and shoot. Focus more on staying stable for the shutter than anything.


I finally decided to cut the green pepper way, way back. Still kinda meh about doing it. Might have to start more, but not giving up yet. If it survives... It'll be a tough one. I got it to fruit indoors (little, bitter things) without this setup, so who knows. It might tough it out.

 

[@altreac]

Pink decorative grass sprouted.

Some sunflowers. Couple... Urrr... Dutch Elm seedling/weeds. Lol.

I don't label stuff on purpose. I know more or less the seeds I put in. But I really enjoy trying to identify what's what.

I spotted the aphid in the one picture. Got it. Lol. It's like polishing your boots in the army for me... Picking aphids with pointy tweezers.

(promise. You don't wish you had my free time. Might be counter intuitive, but just trust me... Self driven purpose can be extremely difficult...idle hands, right?... Think of me kinda like a big puppy who needs a job or destroys the furniture... No malice or intent to damage... Just high - energy... Rough on things...).

 

[@altreac]

I'm running this project on minimal to zero budget where possible.

Without getting hard into backstory, I've spent time homeless in my life.

So things value differently to me than average I suspect.

I've been building my greenhouse partially cause I love plants, nature, wildlife etc. Partly to see if I can offset food costs realistically, still having space to live in my apartment.

That's why I'm reconfiguring/remodeling everything to accommodate my concepts.

I may have lost lots in life, but the skills I've picked up stick with me. I've learned to build and blacksmith, I'm a huge math nerd, so I can draft... Furniture through clothing.

I've been focused for a year on getting the tools I need. And I'm hitting the point where I've got enough gear to execute projects start to finish without needing to wait another pay cycle to acquire this or that component. Screws, fixtures... Etc.

But the bulk of my actual building material in scraping. I hike around, eye open for osb, plywood, real wood, steel... I've been taking everything apart, saving what hardware and fixtures I can and using the material to build stuff.

I just got a couple osb dressers and some plank boards. And already have a planter plus something else in mind.

At the moment my materials are taking up some space, but the pile certainly isn't static. It's only been about 2 months since I started actually building the larger parts and its working itself out nicely. Once I'm done the macro structures... Bunk loft, sewing/workshop area... I've already got my kitchen and prep area mostly designated and set up. So I'm not really short on space, as crazy as it may seem.

By dedicating the bedroom entirely to plants, it surprisingly freed up more space than you'd think because of the sorting system it allows.


So, having gotten this far. I feel good. About my project and about myself. And that's been a while.

 

[@altreac]

Here's the Spider plant.

All the flowers it seems she's opening today.

Kinda interesting. The ones on the Tradescantia pallida are already closed up now and the Spider plant has all hers open. Lots and lots more buds. I've got 6 babies potted and I don't even know how many pups in water. I don't even try for her, half the time I accidentally knock one off, she's just got so many. So I toss them in water and see which go.

I actually have some sunflowers started. I'm really not sure which ones though.

There's the giant ones, bird seed ones, dwarf ones and 2 more, plus I think they were black eyed Susan's? Wild plant growing in a public sidewalk I grabbed a seed pod from.

I've had a bunch of these plants in different places in my apartment, but they're all on the same room now.

I love watching stuff grow.