Too Hot in Greenhouse
yellowseven
17 years ago
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michaelinnc
17 years agooakhill (zone 9A, Calif.)
17 years agoRelated Discussions
New greenhouse too hot
Comments (12)My greenhouse had problems with heat build up this year, too. Tried a shade cloth on the inside on the back 1/3, which is south. It helped some..will put it on the outside next year. There are two intake vents in the "front" (one on the east side, one on the west) which is north and my fan is on the opposite wall (SW ) There was a heat pocket in the back SE corner, which another separate fan helped. Am going to try a fan/mist system such is used for cooling livestock. We had some extrmemly sunny, warm weather all of April,and then again later in the spring,so that made the situation different than the year before when excess heat was not a problem. The horticulture teacher at a nearby school said he would spray paint the surface of their greenhouses white (special paint?) on the outside, and as the summer went on, it washed/peeled off. I would guess the material your greenhouse walls are made of would also determine if this is a solution for you. If nothing else, we know what is meant by "greenhouse effect"....See MorePit Greenhouse in Texas? Advice please
Comments (3)I'm in zone 6 TN with even colder winters than you Texans. My house looks similar to the illustration except that below grade mine is good ol' Tennessee red clay rather than concrete, and the rafters are anchored directly to the ground. It was originally built as an experiment and considered temporary. I am in the process of making it permanent. Current dimensions are 14'x26', 9' at the ridge and 4' at the sides. The ground it sets on slopes, so the back end is 5' below grade and the front is 3.5' below grade. I am in the process of deepening and berming, and eventually it will be 6-8' below grade with a slightly sloping flat roof 6-8' above grade with headroom of 12-14'. I use it to overwinter a collection of palms and camellias and a few other plants that will not live outside over a TN winter without protection. Since having the greenhouse, our temps have been zone 7, most years falling to around 5F a few times. Most nights are in the 20'sF. I heat with a home type kero heater only when I think temps inside will drop below freezing. This has been 6-8 times per winter and costs per winter have been less than $100 with kero at $3.50 per gallon. Generally I think about heat when the temps fall to 15F. Depending on the weather, inside temps are usually 10-20F above outside. It has not been tested at negative numbers, and I will probably get another heater as a help when the inevitable happens. Our record low here has been -28F in '85, but I have seen temps in the negative teens several times since I have lived here (26 years) and expect to see temps like that again. I remove all plants around the end of April. I probably could do it earlier, but I am subject to late spring freezes and most stuff is in soft growth so I wait. Fall is usually friendlier and most stuff comes in by mid Nov. I use a residential type attic fan for ventilation, and that works well in all but summer. In summer with the fan going, temps stay about 15F above outside. The highest inside I've seen is 115F, generally 105-110F most sunny summer days. Water is a problem, and I will install a sump pump this fall. This past winter the greenhouse flooded at least 4 times. I am able to syphon the water so no harm done but it's a PITA. Dampness is rampant, especially with low inside temps and cloudy winter days. It does not affect my woody stuff, but I am unable to grow anything herbaceous like pansies. They melt from Botrytis. I keep a box fan mounted up high going 24/7. Currently I have electric run on the ground from my house which is 50' away, and drag a hose in for water. Eventually I will install 4" Schedule 40 from my basement and run electric, water, and hopefully gas to the greenhouse. I hope this info helps. I have no experience in zone 8a. I think my main concern would be winter wet. Ken...See MoreSnake in the Greenhouse
Comments (26)If you can take one more snake story. Last week I had taken my basket out to my pepper patch to pick some green chili. When I came in I was so tired and did not feel like roasting and putting the peppers up, so I set the basket in the frige to deal with it the next day. I tended to the peppers the next day, but that night when I went into my kitchen there was a little black snake about 14 to 15 inches long sticking it's head out from the bottom of the frige. Needles to say I was shocked. Ran to get the broom and a glass jar. I tried to get the snake to come all the way out and then got the bottom of the boom on it and coaxed it into the jar. Ran out my back door and with my elbow opened the garage. I flung it so hard on to the driveway that I'm sure that little snake had one heck of a headache. When my husband called that night I was frantic about how could a snake get into the house. I remembered the next day that while I was picking my peppers I had set the basket down on the ground to reach under a pepper plant. That rascal must have gotten into my basket and was in for a real surprise when he wound up in my fringe. I hope he was all alone. Snakes don't run in packs do they? I still get upset when I open the frige....See MoreHelp! Greenhouse problems-too hot
Comments (8)Thanks so much for the responses. There are actually two small windows at waist height at either end of the greenhouse. Also an exhaust fan. However, the exhaust fan has to be turned off during school hours because it makes so much noise the teachers can't function. Even with the fan on and windows open it still gets to be 110 F easily. Unfortunately, the structure is glass and steel so I don't think it would be easy to retrofit windows/vents, but I'll ask someone more knowlegable. I think I will try the shade cloth first and see how that works. I can get it free from a supplier that supports our program - just not sure how i'll attach it. Usually it's not such a big problem since i get the plants out for the May long weekend anyways and it's not that warm before then, but this year we've already had many days over 25 C and it's roasting in there. Someone else suggested I also try a box fan blowing at the other end of the greenhouse too (when class isn't on of course)....See Morekittyl
17 years agoyellowseven
17 years agohotdiggetydam
17 years agojimmydo2
17 years agoyellowseven
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17 years agoDaphane Mcconnell
8 years ago
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