going full time into the greenhouse bizz this year.

well i am going to jump head first into this bizz. i have 2-21'x60' greenhouses in pieces waiting for the bulldozer to flatted the area. i will try to get a pic of everything as it goes along. any help and or idea will be welcomed. i am going to try to start worm beds and compost piles to add to my potting soil. i am trying to go totaly organic and as solar as i can i have a good wood shop and welder station so am going to try and do everything i can my self. right now i am up to my neck in plants in the basement with grow lights so ready for the green house to get up because the garage is the next victim for the plants to invade. thanks for any help.
"whitebear"

Good Luck!

thanks cathy4 i'll need it. i'm not starting it on a shoe string i'm starting it on a broken shoe string lol."whitebear"

what is your goal, selling plants? Selling food?

both i am going to plant up 2 acres with veggies and flowers and hanging baskets in the greenhouse. am wanting to build some hoop houses later this year to grow salad greens in threw the winter.

do you have help?? Goodness, that is ambitious.

three sons 18, 9 and 11 and father trying to keep him busy.

this is the spot for the two greenhouse. today i think i made a deal for two more 15x40 and 20x50. haven't even got the first greenhouse up and already over my head lol.

this i about 1/3 of the poles. waiting on the bull dozer.

this is one of six tanks that will be in the greenhouse for solar mass and for raising tiapia for a aquaponic system. right now the fish are in the pool my wife is ready to kill me. i told her that people pay big money in Spain to let fish nibble on them. it softens the skin or something. she just gave me the evil eye. lol

Wow, veggies, flowers, baskets, AND tilapia? I hope you have done your homework. The one lady I know of that raises fish (tilapia, IIRC) in her little greenhouse has to quadruple insulate it and keep it around 70F all winter long.

yes i've been reading all i could for about 2 year before i left my job to work for myself. i also have a lady that has been in the greenhouse bizz for 7 year helping me. and another guy that has been a full time farmers marketer for 40 + years helping me. and another guy that has been raising tilapia for 10 years. so far i have built 10 solar water heater that will heat the water up very nicely. i am in the middle of building heat grabbers. saw one in texas on a cold cloudy day. the air was going in at 36 and coming out in the 90s. i've got more projects that hours in the day lol. been working from 6:00am to 9:00pm. and still not getting it all done.lol working harder now than i ever had to. but loving it all the way.

"I can rest when i'm dead" "maybe"lol

you need to tell us about those heat grabbers!

and when you finish telling us, get some rest!

here is a fast drawing of the thing i will try and take pic's as i build one and post it here.

i have to say i get real deep sleep now.

It sounds like you have plenty of experienced folk for advice. That is the best way to start. Learn from other's success and failures. Good luck to you.

here's one of the solar water heater i'm working on.

bad news the dozer guy called and his dozer will be down for at least two weeks. so going to see if i can find someone with a tractor and box blade to level it. wish me luck. while i'm waiting for that i thought i would build a small one and use it as a seed starting house. these are the patterns i made this morning getting ready to start on the real one this afternoon. hope to have it up and running by sunday. fingers crossed.

well didn't get to work on my greenhouse yet wife told me i had to make something for the school auction thats tonight so i ended up spending friday making this. well maybe i can get on it sunday. fingers crossed!

had to put the fan on it so the poly would dry in time.lol

gthumbus...just wanted to let you know how much I am enjoying your posts (and photos), and I wish you the very best of luck!

thanks ice_worm glad to here it i'm hoping to have more pic's later. have you checked out crickets post there awesome.

birth of a heating bed. well i can't work on the greenhouse today the wife gave me tickets to" larry the cable guy show" for tonight" for v-day and only have about 4 or 5 hours to work so i thought i would build a heating bed for my seed starting and figured i would bring you along for the ride. here we go

built a 2' x 6' box

put about an inch or two of pea gravel

spread out my soil heating cable

covered with 2 or more inches of pea gravel

put some legs on the end

put a shelf above it

add the light and some seeds to start and a few seedlings and a heating bed is born. later i am going to add plastic around so i can keep temp i want.

this is some of my babies on the kitchen counter. wife is so ready for the green house to be up. well i hope you liked our little detour from the greenhouse adventure. hopeful i can get on i monday.

Now that is cool (or warm). You sure are talented with tools.

very talented!!

You want to come live in Canada for a month? ; )

thanks guys. i wouldn't mind coming up there in the middle of summer. :)

i make things out of wood when i'm not planting so my dad can sell them at our local farmers market they allow home made stuff along with the veggies and plants i like to keep him busy plus he loves to talk with people. if i don't keep him busy he will try to get a job. he needs to just relax and take it easy. he's worked plenty in his like. its time for him to enjoy life.

I love this thread and have learned so much.Please keep it going.It's kinda like Living my dream thru you.....Thanks,Tina

hey gthumbus - I'm trying something like you, only at a much lower level. My friend and I are have built two small houses and have started veggies with plugs, but I want to do some of our own seeds, too. Will probably duplicate your seed bed, these little heat mats just ain't getting it.

Wishing you all the luck in the world!

thanks guys i love posting and trying new things. if anyone has any idea's that they would like to try but can't for some reason. let me know and i might be able to try it and let you know the results. hay tina have you checked out crikets thread. its great check it out. "pagancat" good luck with yours. on the heating bed i was thinking of making one with foam lining the bottom and sides so that all the heat would be directed to the plants. and trying to figure out a way for warm water to run to my misters which are not installed yet. i think my next project is going to be a misting bed for starting cuttings.well in between the greenhouse that is.

*Please* post your ideas for the misting bed. I'm very interested in what you are doing, if you don't mind me piggy-backing off of your ideas. That's one I haven't the slightest idea on.

1158 cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli starts down...