My first GH--work in progress

fanaticactus · Post by **fanaticactus** » Sun May 20, 2012 8:30 pm

I've stuck a lot of my collection in the GH. Obviously, it's not particularly organized yet, but I'll get there as soon as I get more racks & shelves. When the sun's out, it gets full exposure all day. Last time I looked today, it was 121 degrees in there--with air circulation. Random shots:

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Tiggy · Post by **Tiggy** » Sun May 20, 2012 9:32 pm

Very nice. I bet you can't wait to get the staging set up now. It still looks good though. By the way, have you cemented the wooden profile in, or is it bolted onto the cement and then the greenhouse onto that? I'm curious to find out the most secure and successful way of fixing one down for when we buy or build one, bearing in mind that we live high up on a mountain and sometimes suffer very strong to gale-force winds so it has to well founded.

Susi

cactushobbyman · Post by **cactushobbyman** » Sun May 20, 2012 9:53 pm

That's how I felt when I was able to move my plants into the greenhouse. Don't worry too much about organization, my greenhouse changes with the seasons.

Tiggy wrote: I'm curious to find out the most secure and successful way of fixing one down for when we buy or build one, bearing in mind that we live high up on a mountain and sometimes suffer very strong to gale-force winds so it has to well founded.
Susi

It depends on how big of a greenhouse you build. You may need corner footings 24 inches deep with rebar. A good start would look into you local codes for building a garage. A garage has a similar profile.

Tiggy · Post by **Tiggy** » Sun May 20, 2012 10:16 pm

cactushobbyman wrote: That's how I felt when I was able to move my plants into the greenhouse. Don't worry too much about organization, my greenhouse changes with the seasons.

Tiggy wrote: I'm curious to find out the most secure and successful way of fixing one down for when we buy or build one, bearing in mind that we live high up on a mountain and sometimes suffer very strong to gale-force winds so it has to well founded.
Susi
depends on how big of a greenhouse you build. You may need corner footings 24 inches deep with rebar. A good start would look into you local codes for building a garage. A garage has a similar profile.

Thanks, have made a note and will bear your advice in mind when we start planning.

fanaticactus · Post by **fanaticactus** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 5:35 am

Tiggy wrote: By the way, have you cemented the wooden profile in, or is it bolted onto the cement and then the greenhouse onto that?
Susi

Susi, I'm so sorry I neglected to answer this right away. Then, I tried to find the thread where you had asked this question, but skipped over it somehow. Anyway, your guess is right on. Although I wasn't here when our builder set it up, he called me before he did it and thought bolting the wooden frame base to the cement slab and then bolting the GH itself to the wooden base would be the way to go. We have some very strong winds here, too, in every season. It's just the effect of being on a flat plain in the lake between two major mountain ranges with the wide-open St. Lawrence River valley to our north.

Tiggy · Post by **Tiggy** » Tue Jun 05, 2012 9:52 pm

So you are between the mountains, whereas we are over 800m up the mountain. Can just see the sea from here and have the valley below with mountains all around, not too far from the French border and the Alps as well. Rather isolated and a bit hard in the winter if you don't get organized, but after almost 11yrs. we're pretty well adapted.

Thanks for answering my query, it helps me as I am still trying to plan it all out in my head whilst working very hard on my husband to get him to come with the idea that I need a bigger greenhouse. (we women are good at this, he just has to think that it's all his idea)

Susi

fanaticactus · Post by **fanaticactus** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 6:26 pm

As the seasons have progressed (faster than I need them to!), my GH is gradually filling up with my extended family. I am getting excellent results this year and, as you can see, I'm getting along nicely with nothing really fancy at all. The stands were all outside on the patio in past seasons, either under the pergola (for those that need shade) or not. I'm not hurrying to buy slatted benches; I'm waiting to see some that are exactly what I want. I don't have enough time to build them myself and my builder is extremely busy this summer with larger projects for other families. I don't mind them being on the cement floor right now, and apparently they don't mind it either. Repotting is coming along slowly but carefully--usually only one or two genera of cacti each day I can get to them--so I can mix up smaller batches of their preferred substrate.

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Post by **CoronaCactus** » Wed Jul 11, 2012 9:08 pm

Let the games begin!
Looking good, Dave.

Post by **daiv** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 2:06 am

No need to apologize. I think taking your time on it is a good idea. As long as the plants are doing well, who cares? Having them on the floor actually probably is perfect for acclimating them to the new environment. It will be warmer up on the benches.

fanaticactus · Post by **fanaticactus** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 2:59 am

daiv wrote: Having them on the floor actually probably is perfect for acclimating them to the new environment. It will be warmer up on the benches.

I didn't really think of that aspect, Daiv. You're right. Good point. In this heat and with only one smallish roof vent, I've got a medium size Vornado fan blowing through there for better ventilation. I am slowing learning by trial and error the best exposure (sun vs. shade) for each species.

@Darryl - Your recent shipment has added a lot of excitement to my collection this year. The E. mirabilis is about to bloom! I guess the stem gets pretty long before that happens, though. Is it a night bloomer?--just so I'll be prepared to go out after dark...

Post by **CoronaCactus** » Thu Jul 12, 2012 4:30 pm

fanaticactus wrote:
daiv wrote: @Darryl - Your recent shipment has added a lot of excitement to my collection this year. The E. mirabilis is about to bloom! I guess the stem gets pretty long before that happens, though. Is it a night bloomer?--just so I'll be prepared to go out after dark...

Cool! Happy to aide the addiction

They can bloom at just a few inches tall. Yes, it's a night bloomer. Usually starts to open around dusk. Self-fertile too if you wanted to sow a few seed.

fanaticactus · Post by **fanaticactus** » Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:51 am

CoronaCactus wrote:
fanaticactus wrote:
daiv wrote: @Darryl - Your recent shipment has added a lot of excitement to my collection this year. The E. mirabilis is about to bloom! I guess the stem gets pretty long before that happens, though. Is it a night bloomer?--just so I'll be prepared to go out after dark...
Cool! Happy to aide the addiction
They can bloom at just a few inches tall. Yes, it's a night bloomer. Usually starts to open around dusk. Self-fertile too if you wanted to sow a few seed.

Yes, I noticed a seed pod had split open when I received it. I saved it in an envelope and will try my hand at seed sowing this year. I also have some Parodia sp which made seeds.

My first GH--work in progress

My first GH--work in progress

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Re: My first GH--work in progress

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Re: My first GH--work in progress

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