Greenhouse additions

[Mikimble]

Hello All,

I am getting ready to expand my greenhouse, and am looking for some advice. My greenhouse is pictured here:
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=299

What I want to do is this: build another greenhouse, just like the one I have, on the same line in the garden; and connect the two greenhouses with a 12 foot lean to shed. In other words, the shed would be sandwiched between the two greenhouses. I'm doing this so I can have more room; and also desire to install a regular wood stove in the shed. The rocket mass heater that I put in the greenhouse works ok, but requires me to feed it every 45 minutes or so. This can get very tiresome on those cold winter nights. I would rather have a stove that I can stoke up to last through the night.

My issue is how to attach the greenhouses to the shed. Can the shed act as sidewalls for both greenhouses; or should it be built "freestanding"; and then somehow connect the greenhouses through doors of some kind. The shed can be bigger than the greenhouse sides; so can I just cut out the shape of the greenhouse in the side wall of the shed, and attach the greenhouse fabric to the shed?? Any ideas, thoughts about the best way to do this??

Sorry I haven't been here for so long; personal issues, etc. Hope everyone is doing well. Hi Matt. Thanks again for the help.

Mike

[matt walker]

Hi Mike, good to see you again, welcome back. Hope you got some shredding in this winter. I didn't, unfortunately.

Man, more greenhouse! Yes please. I just recently expanded mine again, and still need more room. I think if I were going to do what you propose I would consider a few things. Firstly, is your greenhouse running N/S or E/W? If it's N/S I would probably not sandwich a shed in there, but rather extend the greenhouse into one long one, and build a protected area for a stove in the middle. If it's E/W, then shading isn't a big deal so your plan could work, although again, unless there was some stuff I really wanted to keep out of the sun, I'd just go for more growing real estate and make it all one big greenhouse.

To answer your specific question, I think I would probably do the opposite approach of what you propose. I would build the two greenhouses complete with walls and doors at the ends, then connect those with a breezeway and just fasten the greenhouse fabric to the frame of the breezeway. That way the "shed" is lit from both greenhouses, and you can move heat pretty easily between the two. Hmm, that sounds funky to build if the shed is bigger though. Yeah, I dunno. Good question.

[Mikimble]

Hi Matt,

We had quite the winter here so yes, quite a bit of shredding was accomplished. I didn't really have any falls this year too, which is always good at my age.

The greenhouses are running east/west; and I plan on having the sheds south facing wall glazed with glass or clear panels, so it will really will be more like a shed/hot greenhouse. Haven't decided on beds or containers for that location yet; but am thinking with the wood stove and the ability to insulate the roof and north wall it should stay pretty warm for the tomatoes and peppers ( along with the supplemental lighting maybe).

Thanks for input; and for any input from anyone at this point. I don't think they sell kits for these at Walmart.

Take care,

Mike

[Mikimble]

Hello All,

Wanted to update my greenhouse picture:

I had to take out the rocket stove and replace with a cast iron box stove. Too many trips up to the greenhouse to stoke the fire. In my situation, this may work better. At least the tomatoes and peppers made it through last night's killing frost.

I suppose I'll have to turn in my Permaculture membership now....

Mike

[matt walker]

Hey Mike, good to see you man. Those tomatoes look great! No judgement here, use what works for you. Around here it's not the temps that keep things in the greenhouse from growing, it's the light, or lack thereof. Do you get long enough light cycles to keep things going in there over winter, or are you just trying to hold greens and the like?

[DrewInToledo]

Is that a fine greenhouse grade sawzall hanging on the right? Oh, wait! Forget that. I like what's on the left!!

[Mikimble]

Hey All,

Yeah Matt, the light get's us here too. Right now I'm just trying to hold some peppers and tomatoes for as long as I can. Usually grow mostly greens in the winter in there. Just got the stove hooked up in time for the killing frost. The greenhouse would probably have survived; but the peps and toms wouldn't have been very happy.

You know the rocket mass heater worked; but you had to be there too much. I couldn't spend that much time up there with the other stuff I do.

Mike

[Mikimble]

Hi Drew,

Yes, that is a battery powered sawzal approved for rocket stove greenhouse use only. The other you refer to is sport's illustrated swimsuit edition calendar, 2013.
That particular calendar was not approved for greenhouse use.

Mike