my new orchid green house and questions...

[brit6v]

Hi everyone,
My good news is that a carpenter friend and his wife just finished putting my new Sunglo greenhouse up.
I have pictures attached. I don't want to bore you, but in case I am, I'm sorry if you get tired of reading and looking.

For elec: my husband had originally planned to use the existing wiring that he ran from our house to an old satellite dish in our backyard (now my GH location) several years ago. It was one of those monster dishes before the current small ones. His plans have changed, though. He has now decided to pull all of that old wiring out that is going through existing conduit [sp.?] to under the concrete slab inside the GH. He's gotta cut the "green satellite pole" off of the slab 1st then rewire it totally because, for one thing, it is as old as it is, and another thing is that I told him I wanted to have this, that, and the other and a few more "extras" sometime ($ allowing)....thus more elec. lol

As for benches: we plan for the same carpenter to build some for me.

As for foundation: my husband decided on wood flooring on top of gravel on top of landscape cloth.

As for heat: I already know that's going to be a big problem in the summer (I haven't thought as far as winter, yet). It's about 473 degrees in there now...bigtime hot! Fans alone will be far from enough cooling. Of course, I'll use them for air circulation, though. Also, the greenhouse came with an exaust fan. There's not a window for an airconditioner, or even an opening in the greenhouse wall for an outside air conditioner connection, either (we would have to cut one, and I don't want that, unless absolutely necessary). I understand that a swamp cooler wouldn't fit the bill for me, either....too much humidity in Alabama for one.

My question: I'm very ignorant about shadecloth (I'm really not goofy...just "uninformed"), so I would like to know what the shadecloth percentages mean. For example, does 70% shadecloth mean that 70% of the suns rays WILL NOT get through, or does it mean that 70% of the suns rays WILL get through??

I would also appreciate it if you will please tell me the things I will basically need for now so that I can put my orchids out there. I would very much like to provide them with more light than they're getting (especially my catts and 2 vandas). All other advice will be more than appreciated! Cooling for summer, for sure.
Vicki

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Vicki this is so wonderful! You are going to just love growing your orchids in there. The shade cloth question: Only 30% of light gets through 70% shade cloth. You will want to use 52% shade on the top and 70 % shade on the west side (at least that is what we do here and we have about the same type of weather (104 today on my back porch!))


The way we solved the humidity problem when using the 'Swamp Cooler' (Kool-Cell) is that we installed an air conditioner to remove the humidity and use the Kool-cell to add in cool air and cool the place down. We even tried adding a chiller (for huge reef tanks) to the water tank of the kool-cell, but it did not make enough difference to keep using it.

Keeping the ground cool (wet) will help with cooling too. Today for instance, I had to go and spray down the gravel floor in our greenhouse. It raises the humidity and helps cool the space a bit. I can hear the exhust fan running full on right now and it is 10:20 something at night. Still is hot in there. We also added another exhaust fan to the side of the greenhouse. (So one in the very top (24") front to remove the heat from the rafters in the greenhouse and one on the side at plant level 30" to keep pulling the air from the kool-cell across the space.)

Cheers,
BD

[delphiguy]

wow BD, you've got lots of electrical devices running in your greenhouse. I can only
imagine your electric costs to run these babies. the trouble we had put ourselves into
just to give our beloved plants their needed environments.

vicki
thats one hell of a greenhouse. i wish i had a big property so that i could grow more
plants. thanks for sharing.

[Phyrex]

That's one sweet looking orchid paradise Vicki!!!

[eaglssong]

I'm so jealous, but living in a condo with 41 other units just won't allow a greenhouse.

Vicki, I hope you get it all figured out, and that your orchids reward you for giving them such a lovely new home.

[bench72]

oh that looks totally amazing!!! Can't wait to see it all fitted out and full of happy plants!

[sadie]

That looks incredible! What a great place to grow orchids. Out of curiousity is that green thing a bird feeder?

I have fans in mine and I also found a Hydrofogger --it is awesome at both cooling things down and increasing humidity.

[margo]

WOW, I am so jealous!!! This is so great! Can't help with any advise because I don't have a greenhouse, but now looking at yours step by step kinda think... I gues soon I (hubby...LOL) will start working on new greenhouse with waterfall in it...(after BD's video of the phrag...) Hope I can get a permit from the city...

[delphiguy]

margo
i didnt know that you need to secure a permit to build a greenhouse? well at least you
have a property to build one, while me, i have a very limited space thats why im so
envious.

[margo]

Randy, here in Florida you pretty much need a permit for everything... to change the front door or a brocken window...or to remove a tree in your yard...or... so many rediculous things... On top of that the permit could cost you as much as wathever you need to work on...