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Greenhouses & Garden Structures

solar prism greenhouse

18 years ago

I've been thinking about buying a solar prism greenhouse (co. in Or.)

Does anyone have one and what do you have to say about it?

Good or bad...I want to know.

Also, I was wanting to grow my garden year-round in this greenhouse. I have lupus and I understand the ultra-violet rays are blocked 100% in this greenhouse so I would be able to be in it without any health problems.

I plan on having some raised beds with a seat built around it so that it is handicap accessible.

If I grow my vegetable garden in this greenhouse year round, would I be able to have honeybees in it to pollinate my plants? I do not want to have to pollinate my plants on a daily basis.

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Comments (3)

chris_in_iowa
18 years ago
As you are in the planning stage, and you have thought this through enough to think as far as pollinating by insects, I think this may be of interest to you.

Many insects "see" not what we see but they "see" in the UV range. Many studies have been done about the effects of harmful (to plants) insects in greenhouses with UV opaque coverings and it has been found that they cause less damage inside greenhouses than outdoors as they are effectivly blind in the greenhouse, they cannot find the food! This also holds true for pollinating insects too. They cannot "see" the flowers without UV light.

It may be very cheap to add UV lighting in your structure that shines only on the plants, not you. Also there are different types of UV. It may be that your greenhouse will filter out ALL UV wavelengths and you can add back non-harmful, to you, portions of the spectrum inside so the bees are happy again.

Think of the cheap "black light" bulbs. The ones used in night clubs that make white clothing glow (and also show you who has severe dandruff if they wear dark colors. )

There are many resources on the net that explain this much better than me ( probably even scientific studies that explain why dandruff glows in UV light! ) Here is just one link that explains it.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bees on Strike
mawkhawk
18 years ago
GW member DukerDawg has a Solar Prism. He told me that if he had to do it over again he'd get more greenhouse for his money as he paid quite a lot for his.

I did send away for their brochure and found them very expensive, several thousand $$$, which was way more than a big chunk of fiberglass shoud cost I thought. They also sent me a flyer that said to contact them as pricing is more competitive in my area, whatever that means.

IMHO, if they don't post the price and shipping charge on their web site then something sneaky is going on. They also kept calling me and harrassing me, even to the point of being rude. 1 saleman even called me and cursed at me.
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weebus
18 years ago
I haven't heard anything good about them. Do a search on them and you will find a lot of info.

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