- Joined
- Mar 27, 2021
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For years I have wanted a greenhouse, I came across dome greenhouses back in July and knew that I was going to build one.
Fast forward a few months and I found a spot in my garden area for the greenhouse, I just had to move 4 garden beds. I broke ground very early January after collecting supplies for the previous 5 months.
I used an online calculator to find the lengths I needed the sticks. I spent 2 weeks cutting, drilling, staining and screwing the connectors on. Next came the tough part. Measuring out where each footing needed to go, digging them by hand, dropping a redwood 2x4 in each one then leveling and finally fill with cement.
I then built the base and top separate, called up 6 friends, ordered pizza and beer, and had 7 of us move the top over to the base.
Next was 12hrs of covering with plastic, stapling, cutting, stapling some more and taping all the seams. (Eventually I had 8 more hours of covering the inside with plastic as well.)
Once it was covered I built the door frame, I cemented the posts in the ground for additional support. Once that was completed it was on to the fish tank. I dug an insane hole 2ft deep, 5ft long and 3ft wide. I used cinderblocks, rebar, and cement to build a fish tank that is now 5ft high(2ft is underground) 4ft long and 2ft wide. I lined it with 26mil sections of black plastic. It holds roughly 300 gallons and should make for a great heat sink. I have it plumbed for aquaponics and have trout in it now.
Next I got 2 automatic window openers and built two windows which help immensely. Once the windows were done I was back to my old enemy of angles. Thankfully I bought an angle finder and was able to make the garden beds out of redwood 2x6s. Then I had to fill the beds, thankfully I have a friend with 9 llamas and was able to get 2 truck loads of manure, that with peat moss, compost and perlite I had them filled.
Next I built the door, added some trellis’s, my duck wood chime that my wife got me, the waterfall for the fountain, solar lights so it lights up at night, and irrigation hoses.
Almost 4 months later I have my dream greenhouse, and my 5 year old son and I have already planted seeds in it which have just sprouted. In the center garden bed we ordered a miniature peach tree and will grow some berries at the base of the tree.
Now I have a few questions,
First, even with two windows and an exhaust fan the greenhouse gets way hot during the day. It was 70 today and 100 degrees in the greenhouse with the fan running. I’m worried about the days that we have coming that are 90-100 degrees. Does anyone have any ideas?
Second, I didn’t realize my buddy mixed the llama and horse manure. I then added a lot of straw mulch, I how have grass and grain sprouting up everywhere. How should I go about getting rid of it other than pulling the hundreds every other day.
Fast forward a few months and I found a spot in my garden area for the greenhouse, I just had to move 4 garden beds. I broke ground very early January after collecting supplies for the previous 5 months.
I used an online calculator to find the lengths I needed the sticks. I spent 2 weeks cutting, drilling, staining and screwing the connectors on. Next came the tough part. Measuring out where each footing needed to go, digging them by hand, dropping a redwood 2x4 in each one then leveling and finally fill with cement.
I then built the base and top separate, called up 6 friends, ordered pizza and beer, and had 7 of us move the top over to the base.
Next was 12hrs of covering with plastic, stapling, cutting, stapling some more and taping all the seams. (Eventually I had 8 more hours of covering the inside with plastic as well.)
Once it was covered I built the door frame, I cemented the posts in the ground for additional support. Once that was completed it was on to the fish tank. I dug an insane hole 2ft deep, 5ft long and 3ft wide. I used cinderblocks, rebar, and cement to build a fish tank that is now 5ft high(2ft is underground) 4ft long and 2ft wide. I lined it with 26mil sections of black plastic. It holds roughly 300 gallons and should make for a great heat sink. I have it plumbed for aquaponics and have trout in it now.
Next I got 2 automatic window openers and built two windows which help immensely. Once the windows were done I was back to my old enemy of angles. Thankfully I bought an angle finder and was able to make the garden beds out of redwood 2x6s. Then I had to fill the beds, thankfully I have a friend with 9 llamas and was able to get 2 truck loads of manure, that with peat moss, compost and perlite I had them filled.
Next I built the door, added some trellis’s, my duck wood chime that my wife got me, the waterfall for the fountain, solar lights so it lights up at night, and irrigation hoses.
Almost 4 months later I have my dream greenhouse, and my 5 year old son and I have already planted seeds in it which have just sprouted. In the center garden bed we ordered a miniature peach tree and will grow some berries at the base of the tree.
Now I have a few questions,
First, even with two windows and an exhaust fan the greenhouse gets way hot during the day. It was 70 today and 100 degrees in the greenhouse with the fan running. I’m worried about the days that we have coming that are 90-100 degrees. Does anyone have any ideas?
Second, I didn’t realize my buddy mixed the llama and horse manure. I then added a lot of straw mulch, I how have grass and grain sprouting up everywhere. How should I go about getting rid of it other than pulling the hundreds every other day.
