New, improved mini cool greenhouse!

If any of my OI friend have been wondering why I haven't posted much or commented on threads for a while, I now present a partial answer: I have been rebuilding my DYI mini cool greenhouse!

I was having some issues with it:

-the flat roof dripped lots of condensation onto plants in winter

-the orientation and structure of the greenhouse blocked too much light (especially at mid-winter). I simply am not used to living this far north of the equator and did not anticipate that the sun would be so low.

- the evaporative cooling system leaked lots of water onto the surrounding landscape, creating a muddy mess

- electric cords and heater were difficult to keep properly dry

- efficient, effective heating and humidity on cold nights was hindered because both escaped through the CELdek pad

- the Hydrofogger was taking up too much space and was spitting droplets on leaves

Some of these issues I sort of predicted would become problematic, but I was originally going for a project that would cost less and take less time to build.

For reference, here is the OI thread I posted after building the original.

It's not that I relished the thought of taking on yet another DYI design-construction project :bang:, but I was quite concerned about some weakened, etiolated plants due to the low light. So in the first week of May I dove in to the project. With help, I moved and turned the structure and then set about gutting it!

I built a new roof, with the least amount of structural lumber possible. I gave it a slope of 6:12 to prevent condensation drip with the added benefit of giving excess heat to collect at the peak of the roof. I built in a roof vent for emergency cooling, operated by a solar-powered vent arm. I also greatly reduced the amount of lumber that could block light on the south and east sides, so that during winter when the angle of the sun is very low, the most can be made of these precious mid-winter lumens.

I redesigned the evaporative cooling system and made new, simpler, larger doors.

After lots of experimenting I also came up with a new way to position the Hydrofogger so as to eliminate water droplets from condensing on any foliage.

I am really very pleased with the result; the greenhouse is attractive, efficient and more user-friendly.

For a full set of images, please see my flickr set.

 

Just a few pics:

 

Thanks for the positive feedback Kitty, Marni and Alexey.

Marni, I was inspired by 'Masdies' , they were the ones getting the short end of the lumen stick from March to May... only 500 foot candles! Horrible. Now they have heaps of light - hopefully it's not too much. This is why I need to visit soon with my light meter in hand oke:

Kitty, in a way I could go away for a while - the only problem is there isn't any automatic watering. I tend to grow mounted and potted things with the least amount of moss possible and this means I water more often, once a day for most of the plants in summer. My indoor growing space is still going well and quite full of plants, especially after the Malala order, despite so many of them having arrived dead or severely weakened.

Good eye Alexey! Indeed, both Masdevallia hirtzii and M mendozae are in full bloom at the moment I hope the mendozae doesn't hate the fact that I'll be growing it cool instead of intermediate. I don't really have a good intermediate space and I am not going to build one any time soon. Like many orchidists, I am cursed in loving orchids from all four climate groups: warm, intermediate, cool and cold. Speaking of cold, I've got a Masdevallia racemosa that is doing well *crossed fingers*

Before POE this year, I didn't have any Masdevallias. That is not to say that I hadn't killed them in warm conditions in previous attempts

 

Thanks everyone!