This is the portable DomeHaus by Gronhaus. My son helped me to assemble it today. Getting the cover on it was the real tricky part. It has a really tight fit. It is too hot to do anymore on it today, almost 90 in the shade, but I will post as I get the inside set-up more.
thats what ya call--short but sweet
This is the inside...the first morning...can you tell that I am excited about it or anything?!
Way to go, Margie! I'm glad you got it. I think you'll be very happy with it. I told DH that he was going to have to help me put the new cover on mine next week. Of course we still have at least 6 weeks before we should have the first frost, but I'd like to have it ready before the nights get too cool for some of my tropicals.
Its real easy to hang a fluorescent shop light fixture from the top beam. I did that and then ran it to an all weather power strip that has my heater-timer on it too.
Have Fun!!!
Gretchen
Margie -- noticed in another thread that you said you weren't going to have electricity to your GH. I wasn't either, until I realized that I would lose some things if I didn't heat it when the temps started dipping. All you need to do is use an extension cord that is UL rated for out door use. I would imagine that you probably have an out side electrical outlet at your house? Just use it, and go through the little hose flap near the ground to the right of the door. Gretchen :)
Congratulations, Margie. It looks great.
Now, how much is the rent for a shelf in your greenhouse? VBG!
Gretchen...I was thinking of getting a little propane heater for really cold nights. I understand there is one that can be used indoors!
Tracy...for you it's free! I owe you for all your help, filling my raised beds with planting mix and all the driving you do to long-distance daylily meetings!
A small $30 electric space heater with a thermostat would be perfect for a small greenhouse like that, im thinking propane would be too hot and possible melt the covering.
Thats just dinky-do. Nice little greenhouse. Now its time to have fun.
Aloc...I wasn't going to have electricity!
There is a small portable propane heater....I will try and link a site...only 4000btu's...
Anyone know if that one would be too much heat? They say you can use it in a tent!
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005LEXI/nextagcom-20/ref=nosim/103-5570953-6500655?afsrc=1
How big of a tent will it heat-----a one man tent or a large tent. And Does it only heat what is sitting in front of it or the whole tent? Most tents sit low to the ground. I would look into that heater information a little more. I wouldnt want you to loose your plants due to not enough heat.
Wow...I don't know Margie, but I'm thinking that might be way too much heat. Consider this: for the first couple of months that I had mine going, I used a 12" square ceramic heater, and it kept the entire GH nice and toasty warm when it was freezing and below outside. Only reason I switched to the radient heater was so I could have it thermostatically controlled, and not have to be running out to turn it off and on. Another really handy thing to have is a remote thermometer. I have the base sitting on my kitchen counter and the remote attached under my GH bench (so its not in direct sun) and its so nice to be able to know the GH temp at a glance. You won't want to be without one. I bought mine at Radio Shack...
I did go ahead and order this portable propane heater...it has a low and a high. 4000-9000, my DH thought the low would be alright. He was really objecting to the electrical wiring to the GH for safety reasons. He was afraid of the cord getting wet when it rains. So I will just have to see. He did think I might have to get a battery operated fan.
I really like your idea Gretchen about the remote thermometer. I did see one at Radio Shack and didn't get it. I will now though. Beats having to go out in the dark and cold to check the one by the GH!
Had 2 wasps flying around in GH today, even though I was careful to keep the door closed. Hmmm...I guess I will not have that problem in winter.
Working on my shelving today...will be sure to post as I get further along. Right now we are working on extra securing by burying a post in cement...my DH wants to make sure this thing is secure! New hip replacement and all, he is telling me he can dig! So, it may take awhile before I can actually set it up inside!
I guess the wasps couldv'e come in from underneath. You will want to "seal" around the bottom of the greenhouse to keep critters of many kinds out. I did that by piling mulch against the outside of mine, about 6-8" deep. Aids in insulating it too. I doubt you'll have to worry about it blowing away if you used the anchors and guy-lines they provided. Even with the guy-lines broken on the windward side of mine (a horse got loose and broke them and I didn't realize it until after a terrible storm), mine has never done more than shudder a bit :) Like I mentioned earlier, you will love it!
Gretchen...checking out radio shack for the thermometer...which one did you get? And are you happy with it? Does it have the min. and max. temp. too?
http://www.radioshack.com/search.asp?find=remote+thermometer&hp=search&SRC=1&image1.x=27&image1.y=33
http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=63-1033
Yes, I am very happy with it! I have an extra transmitter that I use for the out-door temperature. I believe that you can have up to three tranmitters for each receiver.
It has min and max temp, and I think it may have an alarm when it gets to freezing. Isn't that funny, I can't remember that for sure. Anyway, it works really well -- just keep it out of the direct sun...
Gretchen
Also in the baase station, there's a little box that shows the ambient room temp where its located.
This message was edited Sep 28, 2004 2:11 PM
OK...finally moving along with my GH...got the weed cloth down and some of the shelving started....not too sure about how to lay it out. The south side would be the warmest, but it is also where the door opens. So probably not the best place for seedlings! What do you think?
Got the shelves measured and up and my pathway started...still alittle to warm to put my plants in, but very soon I think. I will have to see how it is the next week or so.
Here is what it looks like now...
Lookin' good, Margie! I'm definitely going to have to get a bigger one next year...I'm going to have to sacrifice some stuff that won't fit this year :( Oh well, hopefully its all somewhat replaceable...
Did you get the shelves at Costco? Curious because I have to find some like those.....
Daisy...the shelves are from Home Depot...surprisingly very reasonable I thought...$39. for the ones on the left and a little more for the one with the butcher block top. I put a few coats of varnish on the top to protect the wood.
They came in black also and also had a higher one, which would have been too high for my GH!
Good Luck...Margie
Thank you! That is a great price- I think that ernie said that the Costco kind are $72 each now. And the little cart is a great idea. Good luck to you!!
Daisy...the higher ones I think are $49. each (higher than mine). They are very heavy too and the shelves adjust every 1"...making it very easy to have the shelves just where you want them.
This is where I got to this morning...added a few stepping stones and a few more bags of pea gravel...still need to do some anchoring outside, but then it will be finished.
Wow Margie -- looks good! Are you planning to leave it up year-round?
Thank you Gretchen...Yes, I am planning to leave it up...but I am sure it will be too hot inside to use it during the summer!
Yes, it will be too hot to use it in the summer, and something you will want to consider is covering it with a tarp or something to protect it from UV rays. Wish I had thought of that, as the sun ate right through mine, and it completely fell apart at the seams. Luckily we had already received the replacement cover (due to the broken zipper), but I am unsure as to whether they'll cover sun damage... just food for thought...
PS -- Margie I just realized this when I switched the cover -- had I known previously, I would've let you know. Sorry :(
Gretchen...thank you for letting me know. I had a feeling the sun would be hard on it. The area that mine is in does get some shade in the summer. But I will look into a protective covering for it also.
I got my GH all anchored down for the wind we were supposed to have last night & the air is as still as anything! At least I am ready if one does come!!
I love seeing your house!!II so want one....My parents have a very large back porch that is not heated....Not a lot of light ...I' m sure I can be clever and use plastic make a tent...I heat it with a portable for my three cats so I don't know!!!!!!! will cats tear the plastic? I must read this thread just found it but gotta run do some work ...I am happy for you...It's like a great new toy but it is a very serious toy dee
Dee...The plastic on this particular GH is very strong with re-inforced threads running through it. I don't know if your cats could rip it or not. But especially if you have a protected area with no wind...I am sure you could set up something to keep your plants warm. Maybe even made out of plexiglass or something rigid like that ! Let me know how you make out! Good luck, Margie
Well...our nights are getting cool and windy and rainy so I decided to get my brugs in the little GH yesterday. It really filled up quickly and I don't even have my largest 3 in there yet! I know, everyone said get one bigger than you think you need! Oh well...this is what I had room for!
Margie -- looking good! You still have lots of room.....
Gretchen...my main problem is a path to walk to the back to open up the vents and to water....and I had expected to have a chair that I could sit and talk to my plants and keep them company!
Any hints on especially getting to the back to open the vents?
Also I need to work on some solar heating....water bottles I guess....it is sometimes cooler in the GH than outdoors, like early morning...
Oh, believe me I know... I was really kidding to some extent, but you can get your brugs much closer together. It won't hurt them one bit to be crowded. Here's one little area of mine last March, and I'll tell you that the whole thing looked like that -- I had it crammed tighter than sardines in a can! As for your back vent, you need to leave it exposed in order to get to it as well as get air circulating. Mine is always cooler than the outside ambient air when the heater isn't on. I tried the water bottles last year -- I had them all the way around the perimeter on the floor. I don't think it made any difference and they took up too much space...
March 14, 2004, brug cuttings:
Gretchen...it sounds like a heater is the way to go then. What temp. do you keep your GH at?
I was planning to just keep it from freezing...about 40 degrees maybe. It is already 40 degrees the last few nights. That will be a lot of heating!
So much to learn!
Thank you for all of your help! Margie
Margie -- I keep mine set on 70, although when its really cold it drops to the high 50's. I keep it heated so they'll continue growing rather than go dormant...
Just an up-date on my heater decision...the last few nights have been 28-30 degrees outdoors. Putting my little Mr. Buddy propane heater on around 9pm when it is about 38 outdoors, on low...4000BTU's, the GH temp is staying around 47 degrees. Actually this is just about what I had planned for it to do. Around 7-8 am I shut the heater off and the sun quickly warms the GH to the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's !
Only the heater is inside, connected to a 20lb tank with a 12'hose. It shuts off at the tank, so I don't even have to open the GH up and let the war air escape. I do leave the lower back vent open for air.
Right now, the brugs are budding and blooming...but I don't know how long they will do this.
Very nice, Margie!
How neat!!! You must keep us updated on how you like it, how well it's doing and what you would do differently, if anything.
