Winter storage (Sweden)

Do-it-yourself projects such as greenhouse or shadehouse builds and related topics.
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olof_n
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Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2017 5:35 pm
Location: Sweden

Winter storage (Sweden)

Post by olof_n »

Hi!

Just wanted to show my new winter storage, thought to try to store some of my cacti in the greenhouse this year.
Tired of moving them every fall and spring. Especially the heavy columnar.

The storage is easy to take apart when spring arrives.

The sides facing north and west have 45 mm insulation. The roof is also insulated.
The other two sides have a 45 mm air gap between the plastic layers.

I installed a small PC-fan that slowly circulates the air inside.

I also have dual heaters. Heater one is 500W and controlled by a cheap PID-regulator.
The temperature is set to 5-degree Celcius.

Heater two is a backup system if it gets really cold. It is a 300W shoe dryer controlled by a WIFI connected SONOFF thermostat.
The SONOFF let me monitor the temperature with my mobile phone and also control the shoe dryer manually.
It starts automatically if the temperature gets down to 1C and turn off at 3C.

I have also installed a 43W led luminaire. I don't know if it is necessary when the cacti are dormant but some extra light is probably good. It's only on four hours a day in the afternoon when it's dark outside.

I will hold thumbs that there will be no power outages this winter. I have ~700 Lophs and some other cacti in the storage :)
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Door removed
Door removed
DoorRemoved.jpg (94.02 KiB) Viewed 6937 times
Insulation
Insulation
Insulation.jpg (87.41 KiB) Viewed 6937 times
Light and PC-fan
Light and PC-fan
LightAndFan.jpg (78.47 KiB) Viewed 6937 times
From outside
From outside
FromOutside.jpg (70.84 KiB) Viewed 6935 times
DaveW
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Location: Nottingham, England/UK

Re: Winter storage (Sweden)

Post by DaveW »

Yes people forget you don't need always to heat all the greenhouse in winter, or heat it all to the same degree. You can partition off part of the greenhouse in some way and either just heat one part or keep one part hotter than the other for plants that need extra heat. Also many just use virtually a "hot box" of various sizes like yours in the greenhouse, often with the smaller ones just heated with a soil warming cable almost like a large propagator where plants like Melocactus needing more heat can be kept over winter. However do not get them a lot hotter than needed or the plants will grow when they should be dormant.
Pereskiopsisdotcom
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Re: Winter storage (Sweden)

Post by Pereskiopsisdotcom »

I love your little greenhouse. I've drawn up some ideas for one that looks similar including the brick work and the roof (from what I can see). Are greenhouses common in Sweden? Do your winters force you to stop using them in the winter months? Here in most of Canada, a hobby greenhouse would likely only run from May through October before shutting down due to the high cost of heating here. Though, you are keeping yours at minimum hibernation temperatures, right?
http://pereskiopsis.com

Interests include: Rhipsalis, Turbinicarpus, Gymnocalycium, and Lophophora.
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olof_n
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Location: Sweden

Re: Winter storage (Sweden)

Post by olof_n »

Yes, greenhouses are pretty common in Sweden. Many people like to grow vegetables (tomatoes, chili, cucumber, etc.) in the summer.
However, not many people grow cacti :D

May through October applies to most of Sweden as well. I will keep 5 degrees Celcius in the box.
I guess it will take about ~200kWh (avg. 300W/h) a month to heat the box from December to February. Time will tell.

This morning it was -1 outside, +1 in the greenhouse and +7 in the box (heater was turned off).
When it gets really cold (colder than -10) I will cover the box with extra insulation (blankets or rugs).
DaveW
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Re: Winter storage (Sweden)

Post by DaveW »

In Britain apart from growing cacti on windowsills greenhouses are essential since we cannot grow most cacti outside in winter Pereskiopsis. Most amateur greenhouses now are commercially made maintenance free aluminium ones with few wooden ones these days and most readymade amateur greenhouses are glass to ground.

However you can get a few with a so called "Drop Door" alternative where you can put a normal glass to ground greenhouse on brickwork and the door end has the facility to lower the door to accommodate up to 3ft of brickwork which then means the ridge is about 9ft above the floor giving extra height for shelving and tall plants.

As I seldom grow plants under the staging's, only using below them for storage of pots boxes etc and soil ingredients, I bought one like this. My staging's are level with the top of the brickwork and there are shelves about afoot down from the eaves. Obviously the roof vents are on automatic openers as they are a little too high to reach without using steps:-
Drop_Door_lg.jpg
Drop_Door_lg.jpg (117.25 KiB) Viewed 6597 times
It is a pity most normally glass to ground greenhouse manufacturers don't offer the facility to lower the doorway in one end since it's the only thing stopping you putting any normal glass to ground greenhouse on walls ranging from about 1 foot high to 3 foot high.
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olof_n
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Location: Sweden

Re: Winter storage (Sweden)

Post by olof_n »

My greenhouse is very similar to Dave's.
The brickwork has a height of 80 cm (2,6 ft?).

This year I bought four shelves (same as in the box) from Ikea that are very practical. The shelves are great and only cost 12€ https://www.ikea.com/se/sv/p/hyllis-hyl ... -00278578/.
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Greenhouse.png
Greenhouse.png (344.08 KiB) Viewed 6579 times
Lambda44
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Re: Winter storage (Sweden)

Post by Lambda44 »

Very nice.
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eulaspiegel
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Re: Winter storage (Sweden)

Post by eulaspiegel »

That's a nice winter set-up, in what part of Sweden are you?
Growing mostly under LED lights, in northern latitudes. Especially interested in stem succulents and caudiciforms. Dreaming of my first greenhouse.
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mikethecactusguy
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Re: Winter storage (Sweden)

Post by mikethecactusguy »

a greenhouse in a greenhouse.
Mike The Cactus Guy
Enjoying the Spines
mcgrath111
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Re: Winter storage (Sweden)

Post by mcgrath111 »

Great set up, I've been thinking about a PC fan in my tent over winter to keep condensation down; has it worked well for you?
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