green house question...

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 6:35 pm

This may not be feasible for you, but sinking the GH into the ground 2-3 feet would go a long way to providing good stability and showing less surface area for the winds to hit. Having the benches close to or at ground level would make it easier to protect the plants using Daiv's "Batton down the hatches" ideas.

Post by **daiv** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 7:01 pm

Very good call Darryl! Gunnar doesn't post much here anymore, but he used to a lot and here is a post on greenhouses that show his setup and more info within the thread:

http://www.cactiguide.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5083

Daiv

Loph · Post by **Loph** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 5:06 am

thats a great idea! the unfortunate thing with these storms is they are really really wet, so underground would likely just level up with mud after. cant speak for florida, but the storms i have seen that is the end result, everything becomes level.

i like that plywood idea, little more work, but seems pretty safe!

one other thing that is common with plastic wall greenhouses here are these plastic strips, like those flat italian noodles but larger. they are metal inside and plastic outside and stretch a tiny bit. people put these in between all the poles to keep the plastic in place....this is a cheap relatively good fix for wind..easy to self install

hope all goes well, so exciting knowing you will finally have room for your plants!!!

for the first year.

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 6:48 pm

Ya i thought about the ground water afterwards, i guess you'd have to make a solid concrete tray with a drain and a foot or so of gravel underneath....lots of extras there!

Dustin, gonna finally post my shadehouse pics now. It's really nothing special...

dustin0352 · Post by **dustin0352** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 7:04 pm

yea burrying a green house here would not work well. During the summer the water table here is about 10-11 inches deep. In our dry seasons (starting now) It goes down to about 20-26 inches. I just dug a hole to see If I can set my 4x4 posts this weekend and am only getting to 18inches deep then its pure water. Hopefully by next weekend I can get down to 24 inches and set the posts in concrete. As for hurricane proofing, any and all plastic/pannels are going to be detachable and all plants would be moved indoors during any hurricane. The good thing about hurricanes is they are slow moving, and will have aleast 24-48 hour warning before they strike. Also I am about 11 miles from the coast so say one hits with 120mph winds in the eye wall by the time it gets to me the winds are down to 70-80 mph. Our main worry around here is flash flooding, and tornados spawned from the rain bands. In my time in this part of fl we have had 7 hurricanes and countless tropical storms all with minor damage.

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 7:49 pm

gotta go work on it now...i'll make comments later.

dustin0352 · Post by **dustin0352** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 11:35 pm

Nice! what size is it? And where do you get them stakes for the 4x4's?

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 6:18 am

8W x 16L x 7T
I got everything at Home Depot. But if you have easy to dig in soil and no rocks or concrete footings from a wall, don't bother with them. Save the money. Just as easy to shove the posts directly in the hole. I did use quickcrete for the 3 posts along the back. The ones in front i pounded in, no rocks or a wall footing under there so they went in pretty easy. They go down 2 feet and i always have the future option of digging and adding quickcrete.

But the most important thing is to make sure your starting post is solid and plum. cause if its off, the whole house will be off!

Level ground, obviously, is also important, but not as important as the horizontal peices being level...not necessarily even with the ground

I used that weedblocker fabric, but i also used an Ortho product to kill everything. Says nothing will grow for up to a year. So should take care of all weeds and grass. I applied that the day before the weedblocker and gravel floor. FYI: 2 scoops of 3/4 gravel almost fill a full size truck bed and gave me a 2-3inch depth with a tiny bit left over.

With the high winds you'd experience, i'd suggest against the metal hanger brackets. I don't have much to worry about, the Santa Ana's aren't killer strong, and this is a shadehouse, so plenty of ventilation...

Lag bolts/screws for most things, and strong screws for the smaller stuff.

I was thinking about an easy way to attach the plywood sheets when the hurricane hits. By using long lag bolts, from the inside and having 2 inches or so hang outside. The plywood gets holes drilled to match the bolt locations and it can be bolted up in no time, even one person can slide it on one bolt and maneuver it onto the others pretty quick and easy. Not sure if wing nuts come in big sizes like that, but you could look.

Harriet · Post by **Harriet** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 4:14 pm

Even pressure treated will succumb to rot and or termites eventually. In the long run, down here, a bigger problem than wind! Quickcrete works, but I have also put roofing tar on the ends of posts that go directly in the ground. Mine has been in the ground for well over 10 years now and seems to be holding up well.

Here it is pre- and post-cactus obcession. I want to reclaim the sitting space and to add a slat house in the area behind the camera where there is no tree coverage...

dustin0352 · Post by **dustin0352** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 12:38 pm

10 years in the ground and still looks like new! Nice. I helped build my moms deck up in Tallahassee about 13 years ago now, and I know all to well the pain of rot, and termites. That is a good idea you had with the roofing tar. Its so practical but yet I would have never thought of it. Thanks!!

Harriet · Post by **Harriet** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 12:52 pm

Thompsons Water Seal and a good pressure washer...

Post by **daiv** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 4:14 pm

I agree, I've made a mental note of the tar idea too.

Darryl,
The shade house is looking pro! Looks like a little of the lawn went with it too!

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:07 pm

Thanks Daiv. I have more pics to post but my work computer is jacked up. I'm really happy with how it's coming. Yes I did get to enjoy removing a small section of grass.

Dustin, The next set of pics will show alot more

dustin0352 · Post by **dustin0352** » Tue Oct 06, 2009 5:11 pm

Well guys looks like I will not be building my greenhouse. Instead ordering a kit. The reason being is the city I live in is making it close to impossible to build my own. From having to pay a enginerring company to draw up blue prints, to having to pay to turn in the prints to be approved by the city council, to restrictions on how it will look, and permit prices, it is pretty much not worth building one, but ordering a kit which they say is just fine. So of course it will now be a much smaller greenhouse than anticipated, but better than nothing. I guess I will just have to think up a really efficient shelving system.

It is supposed to be delivered next monday, so hopefully I will be able to start the build thread next week. I will keep you guys updated.

Post by **daiv** » Wed Oct 07, 2009 2:30 pm

Dustin,
There are pros and cons of living in CA vs. MN. One of the cons in San Clemente, CA was dealing with the local regulations and home owners associations. I had the city come after me for the pool we had in the back yard. They said they didn't have a permit for it so I would have to get a permit (which was pretty much impossible after the fact) or get a permit to remove it and tear it out. After much back and forth, I got them off my back by showing that they've been collecting taxes on a pool with no permit for 20 years. All of a sudden it was no longer "the most urgent matter in the world" as they were making it out to be.

Anyway, I can't wait to see your build pics. Who knows? Maybe it will turn out for the better this way.