I don't know if your HFGH frame wall will support much weight or many shelves, but surely the roof supports would hold some hanging plants?

However, for a combination of decorative purposes and the ability to hold heavier pots, yet leave some floor space in the center of your GH; what about baker's racks?

They are tall, yet not too deep, and most are step-back in design. Large plants on the deeper, bottom shelves; smaller on the top, with plenty of light to each level and why they are so popular as plant display racks.

Remember that in winter, when you need the most light for your plants, the sun is less than 45 degrees off the horizon. In summer the sun is closer to vertical. So you can stack 2 shelves and put understorey plants on the bottom shelf. 3 shelves deep and grow ferns on the bottom.

Model your greenhouse like the environment the plants come from. I grow lots of heathland plants, so my top shelf gets a lot of sun. I also grow lots of terrestrial orchids and ferns, which go lower down.

Rainforest plants could be almost solid in your greenhouse!

I like the baker's rack idea, thanks.

I'm going to have to use lights in winter. It is so grey and rainy here and the location of the greenhouse is not optimal.

I had some hanging plants in my HFGH last winter with no problem. Firstly, I used a lightweight potting material. Rather than hanging them directly from the ribs, though, I purchased C-clamps that bolt into the channels, threaded a long bamboo pole through those clamps and hung the plants from big "S" hooks - That way, I can locate the plants wherever I want, rather than just at the ribs, distribute the weight a bit, and slide them back and forth if need be. A similar set-up on the opposite wall is neat and handy storage for my tools, a few small hanging plants, decorative items, etc.

As you can see, my use is leaning somewhat towards "conservatory", too. You're going to have at least one chair in there, aren't you?

I like the baker's rack idea also, but so far haven't seen just what I need; they're either too tall or the lower shelves don't go all the way back. Hope you find something that works.

Diane

If you need more sunlight, do consider a northwall with reflective insulation. Sunlight coming in from the south will get two chances to hit your plants. You'll lose some sunlight back out the south, but on the other hand, it'll help keep your IR in the greenhouse much better than non-reflective insulation.

Yes, Diane, I am going to have a chair for sure. A pond too.

The north wall is the door wall, only way the greenhouse could be orientated on our small city lot. There just isn't much sunlight to reflect back here from Oct to June! There are some sunny days occasionally but seriously, we can go three weeks of grey sky/rain at a time. It is dark when you go to work and dark when you get home too.

You still might want to consider some insulation, preferably reflective, on that north wall; you could probably even wrap it around about two feet onto the northernmost part of your east and west walls. I found 1"-thick foam board with a matte foil on both sides at a local big box store. Once installed it looked better than I thought it would and did make the greenhouse brighter.

My door faces east, but I still noticed a difference when I added insulation strips in the door (where the aluminum frame is recessed), and later some overlapping wide strips of excess clear solar pool cover material reaching from just above the door about to the floor.

Tell me more about the pond: how big, where are you going to situate it, etc. I have a 1600 gallon koi pond/water garden outside and imagine it must we nice to have one in a greenhouse, just didn't think I had the room.

Diane

buyorsell:

The door is on the north wall? I just want to check something here: your long axis (8') runs east-west, right? If not, you should try to reorient it at all costs. You'd get 33% more sunlight (and 33% more heat, which would be a major costs savings if you're heating it, esp. if you tend to have cloudy days. 33% more solar heat on a cloudy day could be the difference between a heater that has to kick in all day and one that doesn't have to until late at night).

Even on a cloudy winter day, you'll still get a relevant amount of light (perhaps even as much as 250W/m^2 -- depends on where you are and how thick the clouds are). Maximize those m^2! :)

Yeah!!!

A math and drinking thread!

It may be true that having the long axis E-W means that more solar radiation hits your greenhouse so you gain more free heat. But depending on what you do then a N-S orientation may be a better option.

Sometimes we have to forget about capturing solar energy, stop thinking like a salesperson for solar water heating panels, and think plants again.

Low sun angle, maximize the south (north if you are foreign) glazed area and store that heat!!!!

From a plant point of view then the plant is going to track the light. It will grow in the direction of the highest light intensity.

So you have a problem, while trying to maximize the heating effect you are also altering plant growth.

*gulps another beer* What we need is diffuse bright light where the plants live but a structure oriented to capture the most solar energy.

Stupid as it seems, we need shade cloth INSIDE the greenhouse in winter to capture the heat from the low angle sun and yet diffuse the light so the plants don't all try to grow south......

As to the thread. That Sam's club shelving is great for a greenhouse.

Here is a link that might be useful: Shelving thread

The 8' wall faces West, the East wall faces a 10' arborvitae hedge in the neighbor's yard. The South end is blocked by the neighbor's huge Box Elder tree and our camper. The North end with the door faces our shed.

Unfortunately, the greenhouse gets direct sun only from the West and not until afternoon and also when it is directly overhead.

Trust me, there is no other spot in our yard to put it except smack dab in the middle of the front lawn.

Diane, I have a 900 gallon watergarden with various goldfish and two whiskey barrel ponds, one preform and three small liner ponds for waterlilies.

What we are planning on doing is using 2 x 12's to make an insulated wooden frame across the back of the greenhouse. It will be 6' x 2' x 12" deep, we may dig down and make it a bit deeper but not much. The liner will show, it won't be natural like our other ponds but it will be a pond in the greenhouse to winter over Tropical Waterlilies etc. I will need to heat the water with an aquarium heater and will need supplemental lighting. I know from years on a watergardening forum that Tropical Waterlilies will continue to bloom throughout winter if warm and bright enough. I may install some sort of a small spitter to make some noise but not too much splash.

Chris, I've read that thread, thanks. Looking for something more decorative.

Ouch. No wonder you have such huge sunlight problems! In the winter, very little light comes in from the east and west, and none comes from overhead.

If your greenhouse is like this, your best bet is to insulate, insulate, insulate, and use reflective insulation on the inside. Insulate any wall that's not getting much sunlight.