Good for you, Mac! It is always exciting during the planning stages of a new project, and your excitement shows in your e-mails. The wood pallet fences can indeed work, and personally I think they look beautiful if installed evenly,etc. I've seen several pictures online & I really love the look, all the better for you if you have access to them easily. Knowing you have your heart set on using them to contain pigs, my only comment is, remember pigs eat meat. This means that anything that moves (chickens, cats, even your kids or neighbors kids) are fair game when the mood hits them. This can be unexpected. As a child I had 3 attack me-if it wasn't for my doberman at the time, I doubt I would be here today. She took the damage meant for me so I could escape (she lived). Please, please, especially since you are not living on the property, make sure your finished pig pasture/pen (whatever you decide to go with) has the foresight that pigs root, and can easily root under a fence, and they can reach hundreds of pounds and easily take out a couple of poles holding the pallets up. It's better to be forewarned than surprised I always say. Kudos to you and I wish you the very best in your homesteading adventure. Brendasue

Looking at real world examples it seems that the main problem (apart from the difficulties in construction) is the large swing in day/night temps. http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~caffery/greenhouse/performance.html They modified the structure and now ""We are very happy with how are greenhouse is performing. The longer term results: we've moderated the temps so that we the greenhouse doesn't get so hot (mostly because we added hens, and they don't like it hot). We still haven't lost any plants--including tomatoes--due to low temps."" http://www.ibiblio.org/london/renewable-energy/solar/Nick.Pine/msg00002.html A very good article on the progression from passive to active to agressive solar heating. Note again the problem with excessive temperature swings. http://www.ibiblio.org/london/renewable-energy/solar/Nick.Pine/msg00028.html ""I've rethought the problem you mentioned, that there may be a daily air temperature variation (delta T) larger than most growers can tolerate, in this solar-heated greenhouse design."" As for SHCS then that system is using the thermal mass of wet dirt. It could just as easily be pipes through water. However, if the SHCS greenhouse also used above ground water storage as well, a hybrid system would have kept the structure at 32F on the times when ""The gross response was such that we could have a 90 deg house when it was 95 outside and a 28 degree house when it was 30 deg below outside with the wind howling away."" That magical 32F. In a "phase change" type of system you would think they would have spotted that important point. The SHCS system emphasises latent heat of vaporisation, not solidification. And, from the world's expert in raising plants in an unheated greenhouse a realisation of the problems that have to be faced I present! http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/strucs/msg1108354418631.html "" * Posted by: Chris_in_Iowa 4b (My Page) on Thu, Nov 10, 05 at 21:43 I am all for starting seeds and growing them on to transplant size in a minimally heated structure in the spring. If you have minimal or no supplimental heating the biggest problem is it is TOO hot in there during the DAY. I say that because the temptation is to run the greenhouse as hot as you can during the day so as to store up enough energy in there to make it through the sub freezing night. This causes me to have major problems with "leggy" plants, too hot but not the corresponding intensity of light "" The "world's expert" comment was a joke.... :)

I'd agree with the rufa, except that it gets to 8' at most. Robusta is less hardy and will top kill at -5F. But if planted in the right place, it will send taller shoots each spring. If the old culms die, you can cut them to the ground in the spring and let the new shoots take over. You'd be better with something that doesn't die back, however. The other fargesias are slow to fill out and up. If you don't mind a lower screen, rufa may be the best option.

Thanks for the kind words everyone. Also, thanks for the ID on the Mexican Poinsettia/Fire Plant (Euphorbia cyathophora). It sounds like a plant that I, personally don't want to go to seed. I'm not that fond of it's looks and read that it can shoot it's seeds as projectiles which reminds me of ruellia. After fighting ruellia at our old place, I swore I wouldn't have it here. I even avoid purchasing plants next to it at nurseries! So, alas, I think I'll go out there right now and pull it from the pot. Maybe I'll go one step further and actually plant the poor Cuphea micropetala so it has a chance to do something this season!