temporary greenhouse

Keeping it above 40 degrees is good!
We all have to get creative.
It works, that's the important thing!

 

What we won't do for our orchids!

 

It looks like this will do just fine until you can swing a greenhouse. Nice job! The plants certainly look happy and healthy.

 

We're getting a cold snap this week(supposedly) in our area. Do you have a temp. alarm just in case? You can get a cheapo wireless for less than $30.

 

Candace, which alarm are you referring to? I'm looking for one and I would like to consider the one you are speaking of.

 

I'm using an Oregon Scientific that I purchased years ago. I'm sure the model # is discontinued, but if you go to the Oregon Scientific website there are some. They're battery operated and the range is only 100ft. but that works for a lot of folks. There was a recent thread about this if you do a search here on "temperature alarms" or "wireless alarm". I have to buy another one for my new g.h.

Edit: Here's the thread with more info. http://www.orchidsinteractive.com/showthread.php?t=3942&highlight=wireless+alarm

 

Just a thought?

Hi Dave I understand how you feel EXACTLY!
Sometimes I think I live for my plants, But I too was dying for a greenhouse. With what they cost it was so out of the question for me. Until my husband came up with an idea. I don't know if this could help. But he actually built a green house for me attached to my garage. All he did is put down a cement floor used some 2 X 4's for the frame. We had some old windows lying around that we would probably have never used for the sides. I'm sure you could find some at garage sales. Anyway we picked up some acrylic plastic for the roof at home depot. (made a double layered acrylic roof "He just used the 2 x 4's and made a sealed box with the acrylic on either side") and for the lower portion of the greenhouse, he just used some simple plywood. Once it was done we stained it, which makes it look very rustic almost like a cabin. I love it! I don't think he paid more than $400.00 for the whole thing, and since he took most of the summer to build it, it did'nt put that much of a hole in our pockets. I hope you get your own greenhouse one day either way.
Happy planting
Lisa

 

looks like mostly Catt type plants, your good to 30f on most of them.
i find frost cloth or an old bed sheet thrown over them for those few possible or real frosty nights a season is all i need.
i get my share of 35F mornings, i really have only lost plants to 3 things ...out of control scale / severe sunburn and 5 nights from 25F to 30F a few years back. a random night or 3 at 30F and frost cloth is all you need, but i am down thisaway and you are up thataway.

 

Dave: I suspect what went wrong with your PVC project was that the PVC pipe began to sag when weight was put on the frame. Here is something you may want to try. I used PVC pipe for my shade house where I keep my more heat tolerant orchids in the summer. While you are in the area where the PVC pipe is sold you will also see some rigid elctrical conduit pipes that are equally as cheep as the PVC pipe. Find the size of rigid metal conduit pipe that just fits the inside diameter of your PVC pipe. The metal conduit piping will give the PVC pipe the rigidity you need to support the plastic covering. One other thing you can do is make you wall or roof frames first then litterally wrap the frame componants with the plastic sheeting on both sides of the frame before you tie it all together. That will give you an air insulating factor that should help keep your project warmer.

Just a thought!

just tom