Re: Ohio Gardener's Greenhouse

OhioGardener 4/19/2023, 7:17 pm

Put shade cloth on the greenhouse today to help keep temps down now that the sun is getting higher. It was 80ºF outside today, and it got up to 100ºF inside the greenhouse, so it was time to cool it down.

Ohio Gardener's Greenhouse - Page 3 Shade_11

Ohio Gardener's Greenhouse - Page 3 Shade_10

OhioGardener 5/7/2023, 4:42 pm

Had to add 1.5" of compost to the raised bed in the greenhouse today. All of the lettuce and Chinese cabbage started bolting to seed due to the high temperatures, so I cut all the plants off at soil level and noticed how much the soil had sunk down in the bed over the long winter. The only thing growing in the greenhouse now is Swiss Chard, 3 Bok Choy plants, and 2 cucumber plants, until I can decide what to grow in there over the summer.

**sanderson** 5/8/2023, 2:55 am

Are the windows and doors open now? What is the white attachment? Heater? A/C?

OhioGardener 5/8/2023, 8:22 am

Yes, the windows on the side and the one in the door are open now to help keep it cooler. The white thing is a hood over the intake air shutter, and there is another hood on the other end over the exhaust fan shutter. I'll have to take another picture after I cut out the openings for the side windows. The shade cloth cooled it down by 15ºF over what it was before it was covered.

**sanderson** 5/8/2023, 4:53 pm

What percentage is the shade cloth? An intake and an output, makes sense.

OhioGardener 5/9/2023, 8:14 am

sanderson wrote:What percentage is the shade cloth? An intake and an output, makes sense.

It is 60% shade cloth. Yes, pulling the hot air out is necessary. It is a thermostatically controlled exhaust fan and intake shutter opening. I put the hoods over the vents to keep the snow and rain from blowing into the greenhouse.

**sanderson** 5/9/2023, 2:23 pm

Cadillac green house! Ohio Gardener's Greenhouse - Page 3 3170584802

Chuck d'Argy 5/10/2023, 2:25 am

Looks wonderful OG!!!

And Happy Birthday!!!!

OhioGardener 5/11/2023, 6:44 pm

OhioGardener wrote: I'll have to take another picture after I cut out the openings for the side windows. The shade cloth cooled it down by 15ºF over what it was before it was covered.

As I promised, I took a couple new pictures after the shade cloth was trimmed and openings were cut for the windows. I need to put tint or paint on the windows to block the sun, but for now it at least offers a cross flow of air.

Ohio Gardener's Greenhouse - Page 3 South_10

Ohio Gardener's Greenhouse - Page 3 North_10

OhioGardener 6/18/2023, 8:17 pm

After being on my to-do list for the last 4 or 5 years, I finally put down some pavers to create a walkway to the gardens. Dug out the sod and put some sand in the holes to level the pavers. Will be a great improvement over walking in the mud during the rainy season. Very Happy

Ohio Gardener's Greenhouse - Page 3 Paver_10

markqz 6/18/2023, 11:41 pm

Lovely! Very idyllic!

What is the black thing and the post in the foreground?

OhioGardener 6/19/2023, 8:11 am

markqz wrote:Lovely! Very idyllic!

What is the black thing and the post in the foreground?

Thanks!

That is a squirrel guard on the bird feeder post.

**sanderson** 6/19/2023, 12:43 pm

Beautiful garden.

Chuck d'Argy 6/22/2023, 10:20 am

Great looking walkway! How long did it take?

And are your raised beds 4x4 posts with corrugated metal? I am thinking of doing that. My son has done it, but I think I'd like taller beds.

OhioGardener 6/22/2023, 10:43 am

Chuck d'Argy wrote:Great looking walkway! How long did it take?

It took 7 hours for two people - one digging the 16"x16"x3" deep holes, and one to fill the holes with 1" of sand and set the pavers. Of course that does not include the several hours I spent designing, measuring, and ordering the stuff needed. Very Happy

And are your raised beds 4x4 posts with corrugated metal? I am thinking of doing that. My son has done it, but I think I'd like taller beds.

No, those were purchased beds. They are all galvanized steel with no wood, and are 18" high.

OhioGardener 7/3/2023, 11:40 am

Going to try a new experiment with growing peppers in the greenhouse this winter. I am going to start some peppers in 5 gallon grow bags, and then this fall I am going to prune the plants back and move the grow bags into the greenhouse to continue their growth over the winter. Hopefully, next spring I will be able to move them back outside and continue their production of fruit.

I looked for the grow bags on Bootstrap Farmer, and they recommend 7 gallon bags for peppers rather than 5 gallon. So, I may rethink that, but moving a grow bag with a cu ft of soil in it might be a 2-person task.

Bootstrap Farmer Growbags

**sanderson** 7/4/2023, 10:35 pm

What about 5-gallong buckets instead. No disturbance of the roots during transportation.

Just a caution about felt bags for folks in hot dry climates. It becomes a challenge to keep all of the MM moist.

Chuck d'Argy 7/4/2023, 11:40 pm

I really don't like 5 gallon buckets. My first container gardening attempts were with those. I switched to those black round nursery containers, about the same 5 gallon volume, and found them to be more suitable to my uses. And cheaper too. Even getting them free from the bakery of a store cost more in gas to get there to get them.

But that's all my situation/preferences. your results/preferences are probably different. But just in case your looking for alternatives....

OhioGardener 9/7/2023, 5:53 pm

Removed the shade cloth from the greenhouse today, and refreshed the raised bed to get it ready for the fall planting within the next couple weeks. Our daytime temps now will be in the mid- to high-70's, so it was time to remove the shade cloth.

OhioGardener 9/14/2023, 5:27 pm

Upgraded the greenhouse a little today by adding a shelf to hold the container planters, and added a cedar potting bench. Ordered the potting bench from Sam's Club, but the shelf to hold the container planters is a 2"x8"x12' cut in half which was purchased from Lowe's. The 6' length of the shelf fits perfectly with the 2'x6' raised bed. These two additions will improve both seed starting, and container growing.

Northbeam Folding Cedar Potting Bench

Ohio Gardener's Greenhouse - Page 3 Pottin10

2"x8"x6' Pine Board Shelf for Container Planters

Ohio Gardener's Greenhouse - Page 3 Raised19

OhioGardener 9/25/2023, 4:29 pm

Transplanted 6 Bok Choy and 3 Chinese Cabbage plants into the greenhouse raised bed. Sow Bugs ate the leaves off of one plant, so had to put down some Sluggo Plus on the bed. Have 3 Swiss Chard seedlings that will be transplanted into the right end of that bed as soon as they are large enough. The greenhouse garden is coming to life for our winter greens. Very Happy

Ohio Gardener's Greenhouse - Page 3 Bok_ch21

**sanderson** 10/1/2023, 4:14 pm

OhioGardener wrote:Northbeam Folding Cedar Potting Bench

Love it.

OhioGardener 10/9/2023, 12:43 pm

Picked the first Leaf Lettuce and Spinach from the greenhouse this morning. Frost warning tonight, so the outdoor raised beds are going to be done for the winter.

Ohio Gardener's Greenhouse - Page 3 Lettuc14

OhioGardener 10/19/2023, 8:47 am

I have never had a Chinese Cabbage grow like this one has! I think it must have gotten into a bunch of Starbucks coffee grounds. LOL

This plant is growing in the raised bed in the greenhouse. I planted the cabbage at one per square, but all three plants have grown well beyond their square, and they are smothering the Bok Choy next to them (they are barely visible behind the cabbage). This is the second year for the MM in the raised bed, and the living soil web has come fully to life. This cabbage will become a key ingredient in a Toscana Soup for dinner. hungry

Ohio Gardener's Greenhouse - Page 3 Chines10

**sanderson** 10/22/2023, 2:44 pm

So, it's not Napa cabbage? That is huge!

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