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ajv73

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 
Here is an update on my greenhouse.  Many of you have been a great help.  So I thought I could get some more ideas.  The shell is pretty much done (aside from a little trim work and flower boxes my wife wants).  Also, the door needs finished.  More importantly - I need to figure out a ventilation system.  As you can see the greenhouse isn't very big.  The calculators they have say I only need around a 1000 cfm fan.  Should I buy a more powerful one?  Or is too much air circulation bad?  I'm hoping to use this to try and get an early start to the season and extend ripening time.  My wife has a million other ideas.   Thanks..Tony


greenhouose.PNG 

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Tony V. - Western PA, Zone 6a
rafaelissimmo

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
Looks great. I just bought a Riga 7 x 7.
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Zone 7b, Queens, New York
WillsC

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
Tony,

That is a great looking greenhouse A+.

I am still fighting with the county about mine........government (rolls eyes).
blueboy1977

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
Very clean work! I am fantasizing about building a little green house my self with all the left over wood from building our house. Your giving me some ideas, thanks!

Hey Wills, when big brother finally shuts you down I will gladly come pick up all your green house building material;)
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Rob
Zone 9a/9b were the too meet. South Houston Tx

Growing:  Black Madeira, Smith, LSU Scott's Black, Improved Celeste, VDB, MBvs, RDB, Unknown Peach/Apricot, Salce, Malta Black, Texas BA-1, JH Adriatic, Atreano, CDDN, CDDB, CDDG, Strawberry Verte
kubota1

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
Tony, Good job! It looks awesome!
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Art- Western Pa. 6a
fignutty

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
No reason to go over one air exchange per minute if exhaust fan and intake are properly positioned. The fan needs to be as high as possible. That will be the warmest air and needs out. Cool intake air needs to come in down low. If that's not enough then go with shade cloth. Figs like it hot so a good fan should do the job.

Actual air movement will be less than advertized as with most things. And the more air resistance the lower the flow.
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Steve in Alpine TX 7b/8a
Wish list:  Sangue Dolce, Siblawi, Victoria, Emalyn's Purple, Colonel Littman's Black Cross
waynea

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Posted Reply with quote  #7 
That greenhouse has style, I like, thumbs up!
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WillsC

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Posted Reply with quote  #8 
Quote:
Originally Posted by blueboy1977
Very clean work! I am fantasizing about building a little green house my self with all the left over wood from building our house. Your giving me some ideas, thanks!

Hey Wills, when big brother finally shuts you down I will gladly come pick up all your green house building material;)


I think the odds of the county saying yes to me are better than your wife saying yes to you having a greenhouse;)
blueboy1977

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Posted Reply with quote  #9 
LOL, good point Wills! I will be able to put one in, but Im sure she will have some input on how, where and what it needs to be. I wear the pants, she just tells me what size and color to wear;)
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Rob
Zone 9a/9b were the too meet. South Houston Tx

Growing:  Black Madeira, Smith, LSU Scott's Black, Improved Celeste, VDB, MBvs, RDB, Unknown Peach/Apricot, Salce, Malta Black, Texas BA-1, JH Adriatic, Atreano, CDDN, CDDB, CDDG, Strawberry Verte
WillsC

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Posted Reply with quote  #10 
lol:)  
PhilaGardener

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Posted Reply with quote  #11 
Tony , that is one great looking greenhouse!  Enjoy!
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Philadelphia Gardener Near Philly, but winters still feeling like Zone 6!
Charlie

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Posted Reply with quote  #12 
Very nice :)
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Zone 7A ~ Fort Smith area Arkansas 
drphil69

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Posted Reply with quote  #13 
Very nice greenhouse!
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Phil - Zone 7A - Newark, DE Newbie fig lover just trying to learn.
ajv73

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Posted Reply with quote  #14 
Thanks for all the positive feedback. It was fun to build with my kids - and we were able to recycle a lot of windows, wood, etc.

But I don't know anything about proper ventilation. So those of you who know please give me some specifics of what I need? Where is best place to get the equipment. And a good fig that likes it hot. Thanks..Tony
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Tony V. - Western PA, Zone 6a
Hershell

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Posted Reply with quote  #15 
Very nice indeed.
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Hershell Zone 8. Ray City, Ga.
greysmith

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Posted Reply with quote  #16 
Here is an idea for a DIY blower. Probably don't need it for a greenhouse, but it's a low cost solution. I'm building an autoclave to pasteurize straw and sawdust for raising mushrooms and it takes a high pressure blower that I pretty much have to make myself.
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S central KY, zone 6b
fignutty

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Posted Reply with quote  #17 
I'd get a 12, 16, or 20 inch fan here:  http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/shutter-fan/greenhouse-cooling

Since cost and amperage will be similar you might as well get at least the 16 inch. They are variable speed so can be turned down. They also can be bought as a kit with an intake shutter. Put the fan as high as possible and intake as low as possible and on opposite side.
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Steve in Alpine TX 7b/8a
Wish list:  Sangue Dolce, Siblawi, Victoria, Emalyn's Purple, Colonel Littman's Black Cross
kubota1

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Posted Reply with quote  #18 
Tony, Check out this link. It's his favorite fig for the greenhouse.
http://figs4funforum.websitetoolbox.com/post/best-100-greenhouse-grown-fig-6561610?pid=1279841830#post1279841830
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Art- Western Pa. 6a
Dave

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Posted Reply with quote  #19 
calculate CFM
http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/fan-calc.shtml
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Connecticut - Zone 6B  Wish List - Bordissot negra rimada
hungryjack

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Posted Reply with quote  #20 

Nice work.
Will double as your "dog house" when the wife gets mad, lol.

Would consider something for drainage along the front of
your greenhouse, going to get soggy there after a rain,
and eventually work its way under your structure.
Coat all interior wood with some water sealant or stain.
Might want to consider a small oscillation fan along with your intake fan.

 
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Big Apple/Fig, New York 6B
ajv73

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Posted Reply with quote  #21 
I might be living in the all the time then.

Maybe I'm being thick? Do I need an intake fan too? I just thought I needed an exhaust fan and a intake shutter (either with or without a motor). I didn't think the intake had a fan. Then a thermostat control. I will also put in an oscillation am just to love some air around. But I really don't know.
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Tony V. - Western PA, Zone 6a
fignutty

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Posted Reply with quote  #22 
You need an exhaust fan and possibly an intake shutter. The intake could be an open door. But having an intake shutter allows automation of the whole system. It opens and closes as needed.

One of these packages would work, possibly the 1620:  http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/hobby-ventilation-package/greenhouse-cooling


The 1212 would probably work but the bigger package isn't much more.

Notice both intake and exhaust have a shutter. That's needed in rainy conditions.
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Steve in Alpine TX 7b/8a
Wish list:  Sangue Dolce, Siblawi, Victoria, Emalyn's Purple, Colonel Littman's Black Cross
kubota1

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Posted Reply with quote  #23 
Hey Tony,  You should put that Chiappetta that I gave you in your greenhouse. The one that I left in my greenhouse has been awesome. The figs are smaller than the ones on the outside, but they are so sweet. I think this tree performs better in a drier environment.

Attached Images
jpeg Chiappetta.jpg (107.49 KB, 5 views)
jpeg Chiappetta..jpg (124.76 KB, 5 views)


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Art- Western Pa. 6a

ajv73

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Posted Reply with quote  #24 
Might be a good idea. But before I realized I was going to get so fig crazy I built 2 big fig boxes out of my old deck. They each hide a plastic barrel inside. They look ok but moving them (more than just winter storage) might be difficult. The chiapetta is doing well though. Here are a few photos. I hope they ripen! The other one has the conandria in it. It looks great - best grower of them all. But it only 3 or 4 figs?

Attached Images
jpeg image.jpg (1011.61 KB, 17 views)
jpeg image.jpg (925.21 KB, 14 views)


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Tony V. - Western PA, Zone 6a

kubota1

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Posted Reply with quote  #25 
Tony,  They are growing good! Hopefully they ripen for you.
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Art- Western Pa. 6a
ajv73

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Posted Reply with quote  #26 
The greenhouse it totally finished.  So I thought I'd post a few pics and thank everyone again for all their helpful suggestions.  As you can see from the photos my wife and kids are trying to claim it - no figs in it yet!   It's just a small hobby greenhouse, so it's not big enough for all of us.  I actually posted a separate thread about whether I should move the figs in there tomorrow as temperatures are about to cool in western pa.  But I didn't get any replies.

I am planning to build a separate "fig house" to store my figs for winter.  But I'm running out of time and energy.  Can they be over-wintered in the greenhouse?  I'll add enough heat to make sure they don't frees obviously. Would it need to be blacked out?  Or just wrap the figs? Or nothing?

Thanks again

Attached Images
jpeg greenhouse1.JPG (734.49 KB, 16 views)
jpeg greenhouse.JPG (618.65 KB, 16 views)
jpeg greenhouse3.JPG (982.29 KB, 16 views)
jpeg greenhouse2.JPG (967.16 KB, 15 views)


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Tony V. - Western PA, Zone 6a

waynea

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Posted Reply with quote  #27 
Nice greenhouse Tony, Cadillac model. Congrats and put it to good use by filling it with figs.
eboone

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Posted Reply with quote  #28 

Nice work Tony, when are you going to come help build mine?  :)

Seriously, now I'm going to have to come visit yours in addition to Art's to get ideas for my eventual greenhouse project; not sure how soon I will get one but it will happen eventually.  My wife is on board with the idea, gotta start saving the pennies and nickels

Absolutely you could winter your figs in there, the only question is how are you going to heat it and how much it will cost.  Art or someone else with a greenhouse will have to tell you about parking the figs in it now for additional heat
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Ed
Zone 6A - Southwest PA     
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Short wish list: CDDG, LSU Red, Dark Greek (Navid),  Col Littman's Black Cross.   And any cold hardy early fig.
ajv73

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Posted Reply with quote  #29 
Thanks Ed.  You are welcome to come take a look.  

Mine was actually pretty cheap to build.  The pavers are recycled, all the trim work is from an old deck I took up, same with the benches and sink basin inside.  The windows are from my brothers house, the door is made of of odds and ends - including the original windows from my house, the sink is from my parents.  

I said it's all done but I guess that's not entirely true.  I'm going to add water next year from rain barrels.

My only regret is it isn't bigger.  But that's the breaks when you live in town.  

Thanks 
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Tony V. - Western PA, Zone 6a
kubota1

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Posted Reply with quote  #30 
Tony, Congrats on the great looking greenhouse. Great job!

You can most definitely over winter them in your greenhouse. The hard thing is heating it. They will go dormant for most of the winter. Probably Dec.-March. Mine started to wake up at the beginning of March. I kept my t-stat at 40 in the coldest months.
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Art- Western Pa. 6a
ajv73

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Posted Reply with quote  #31 
I am a little worried about heating it. I don't have access to gas. So the only practical option for me seems to be electric, propane or kerosene. Electric would be easiest since it wouldn't need vented. But electric will likely cost the most. Though I love my trees I don't want to go broke keeping them alive. I'll have to do some research.
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Tony V. - Western PA, Zone 6a
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