After the plants move out...

In the south, the greenhouse hits some terrible summer temps so I move plants out totally.
Early on, I have to put up the shade cloth and move the more tender plants out or else the
leaves get scorched.

It seems a waste to let it sit in summer so I am planning to hang 'rainy day' laundry in it.
It will accomodate two 20 foot clotheslines.

But what has really been on my mind is to use it as a nonelectric solar food dryer.

Anyone have any experience with doing this or any other things with the off season greenhouse?

90% of my plants leave the greenhouse in the summer also.
I don't use it for anything else, but am hoping other chime in with what they do with theirs.
Great idea to use it for your clothesline! Nothing better than drying your clothes for free!
Barb

Thanks for the support Barb. I use two retractable clotheslines so they are easy to put up and take down. That should work great.

I've heard of drying flowers, foods and herbs in a car window or trunk so I thought why not in the greenhouse. I did some herbs in mine last summer and hope to experiment with more this summer.

Pod, I did read somewhere (can't find it as hard as I try) that someone used their greenhouse for drying food. The important part was a fan blowing. I'm not sure if it would work here with our horrible humidity in the summer, but wouldn't it be neat to be able to do a whole lot all at once!

added: Different foods require different temperatures for dehydration, but as a general rule, dehydrate herbs at 95°F, vegetables at 125°F, fruits at 135°F and jerkies at 145°F.

My GH can hit 125 easily if I keep it closed, even in spring.

This message was edited Apr 11, 2011 9:06 AM

Good information ~ thank you! If you should locate the information I would appreciate it.

I think closed up here would be dangerous in summer. Yesterday was 90° and the GH was 125°. I know the herbs need to be in the dark to dry and I can use the storeroom next door to the GH and hand herb clusters from the rafters. Not sure I would do meats in the GH (other than that blessed little snake that moved in last week when I had the door propped open). LOL

The humidity does rise in the evening but the GH should remain dry. I know older folks that would place the trays in the yard and bring them in over night when dew fell. Dew should not be an indoor problem either.

Thanks for thinking of me...

and a p.s. ~ the greenhouse works excellent as a clothesdryer. It has saved on the utility bill considerably already.

Here in Northern Virginia my 8x8 solex greenhouse (with shade covering) reaches a high of 110F on the top shelf, 90F at floor level. Even so, I find several weeds growing quite well in there (amaranth, jersualem artichoke and crab grass). I'd like to use it for something other than storage during the summer, but I'm not sure what. If other people are using the summer greenhouse, they aren't talking. I find very few references to making good use of a greenhouse in summer. Unless you have a movable greenhouse and some shade to move it into, it's going to be super hot in there.
In "Growing Herbs from Seed, Cutting and Root" Thomas Debaggio wrote that potted cuttings did well in his summer greenhouse, "The heat in my greenhouse (often over 100F during the day) made my summer cuttings grow quickly." These cuttings were already rooted in a water or soilless mix, but even so.

I agree ~ lol

When I had a cattle panel plant shelter, I was fascinated to see the weeds that would pop up in there. You'd think that scalding heat would do them in but no...

I have tried putting cuttings in the greenhouse in summer but found they required far more water than I had time to tend to them. I'd end up losing them or moving them out.

We took a two week ( too long for me at this time of year ) vacation. I had tomatoes beginning to turn and a hornworm began to feast. The day before we left, I picked all but the greenest and placed them on a large bread tray. When we got home, I found only two had rotted. One of those had been bruised and the other had a split. The tomatoes had ripened and are yummy. I also dug up the multiplier onions and have them curing in there.

It is fun trying to think of what else I can do but love to dry clothes in there. I'll hate to give that up when the plants go back in, not sure there will be room.

I too move my plants (mostly Aimee Gardenias, Jasmine young plants I have not sold) outside for the summer and use the space for cuttings of Christmas Cactus since that is the next big item that will go on sale. I use the coca coir and lots of water and those babies root really fast with the shade cloth and the temps over 80 deg. But, you do need to keep watering daily, but then I do that in the Winter depending on what is inside. My stock plants need to be watered frequently due to their size but just not as much water in the winter. The Gardenias may never completely dry out or I will loose the buds.

I am too lazy to hang up wash but what a great idea. If I were younger that would be terrific.
Have a wonderful 4th all you great greenhouse people. JB

My little 8x8 GH has double doors, and my grandkids live with us, so in the summer it is the place they store all their yard games and bikes to keep the rain off. We never shut it up because it gets very hot. Once the weather gets bad most of their things end up in the garage, where they need help to get them in/out.

Right now, all that's in my greenhouse are my Christmas cactus, some rooting hibiscus cuttings and some other small cuttings. Once the plants get a solid root system, they do much better outside with the fresh air, breezes and sunshine.
Barb

Oh Barb, you make me homesick. I spent the best years of my life on Wrightsville Beach, NC way back in the 50s. We were Marines then. LOL No plants at that point. Not even grass. Beach is Beach as you well know.

My stock Christmas Cactus are all outside except the real old ones. They are inside just hanging out. Some are over 15 years old. Have a nice day. JB

Hi. My greenhouse is covered with shade cloth but we've had 109-114 outside for several months now and I'm using it! It's staying 90 inside the greenhouse because I continually run the fan and have installed a mister system. When I turn the mister on, it drops by 20 degrees, easily. So, I've got geraniums, petunias, lots of herbs, some house plants, tomatoes and peppers, lots of roses that are getting bigger waiting to be planted out, lilies, beets, cabbage, chives and I can't think what else. I'm just now planting seedlings so that I can have some fresh flowers and veggies in the winter. This is my first year with the greenhouse and I didn't know people didn't use it in the summer! I keep the door closed continually but the upper windows open because they're covered by the shade cloth and no insects can get in. We've had infestations of mosquitoes and flies outside.

Sounds like I wouldn't mind being a plant in your greenhouse!
Barb

It does sound wonderful.

Mine is on a slab with a wood frame and I don't have water to mist and not sure I'd want to in the GH like this. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but DH thought is was what I needed and I do like it.

It was 110° outside today and now at 8 pm, the GH is still 103° under shadecloth.

I still hang out clothes in it and have been drying and ripening vegies but live plants would be crispy critters in there this summer.

This is my first year of having a greenhouse. I'm looking for a shade cloth that would cover an 8x24ft.long.

Where did you guy's buy your shade cloth? I was looking through the internet last night and it is overwhelming.

I appreciate anyone's suggestion.

gsg.

Gsg ~ I found mine at Wmart at the end of season. It was 8x12 and priced at $20. I chose the tan instead of black shade cloth for cooler temps.

BTW, I've also seen smaller sizes of it at Lowes and Home Depot in their garden centers so you might also check with them. Two smaller ones might work and be easier to handle.

http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/accessory/plastic.shtml

that is where I got my shade cloth for the greenhouse because that's where I ordered the greenhouse

but I have also built "shade houses" for my raised beds because the direct sun and heat here just about kills everything. I got that at Farmtek which is a huge seller of greenhouses from large to small and this is a link to their explanation page:

http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/ExternalPageView?pageKey=EXTERNAL_PAGE_3001

which tells you what kind of shade cloth you might need for what purposes.

When I lived in Georgia, I was always searching for sun, not shade!!! But I know different parts of ga are very sunny and hot. But out here, I'm looking for shade just to survive!!!

Podster, that's a good price for 8x12..don't mind getting couple of those for easy handling, specially for an old gal like me.

PrissyJo, my greenhouse is Rion so I might also check there's as well.

Not just the hot is the humidity also. Everything in my vegetables garden is dying, can't keep on watering.

Thank you for all the help.

gsg

Hot it is... I think that shade cloth was purchased at the end of summer and marked down. After this summer, they will probably be sold out.

I has also been watching Farmtek as they sometimes run markdowns on smaller pieces at worth watching prices. Thanks for that link and reminder PrissyJo.

Pod - I agree! This summer is a killer for everyone, not just NM and TX. We've had it hot here for while~~ now, if we could only get some of the rain they've gotten east of the Mississippi, we'd be okay. I've been running my water lines for up to 20 hours a day. In fact, for my pumpkins, cantalope, watermelons and squash, I just leave it on continuously and my squash are still wilted by 10 am.

Barb - LOL. Sometimes I wish I could just stay in the greenhouse instead of having to go out to the rest of the garden and weed!! It's been so miserably hot lately that my weeds are going to seeds.... I'm going to be in trouble next year for sure!

Morning ~ another hot one ahead. We are ever so dry here. We are now on mandatory water restrictions. I don't water during the day and don't worry when leaves (especially large ones) are wilted during daytime. In the evening most will recover. If they are still wilted in evening, I carefully soak the roots. By morning the plant will have picked up. They wilt in the heat of the day as a defense mechanism. There is less leaf surface for moisture to evaporate. I am afraid of overwatering if I do so during daytime but it is tempting when I see how pitiful things look on my weekends.

Amazing how durable weeds can be when everything else is dying. Amazing also how optimistic us gardeners are... lol

I actually have a silver maple tree, which is deciduous, growing next to my GH. It does help keep it a bit cooler in the summer, but I do need to put a fan in. I know the plants would appreciate it.
Barb