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Thread: My Greenhouse setup

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  1. #1
    Real Name
    Bob
    My Grow Area
    In a Greenhouse.
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Cattleya
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    20 miles south Of Cincinnati, O
    Posts
    194
    Member's Country Flag

    Default My Greenhouse setup

    This is mine just before we finished it completely western red cedar including the floor. It is totally run buy computers and controllers and has 3 HAF on the back wall.

    The greenhouse can run off a bank of battries that are kept charged as long as the electric is on, when power is off solar panles keep the bats charges, when all that fails there is a 7500 watt propane run gen that will kick in. This took me 35 years to plan and 7 months to build.

    Picture to left shows new section has a 12/12 roof pitch left wall has shade cloth inside
    center picture Light controllers Irrigation Controller and 40000 btu propane forced air furnace.
    picture on right looking from old redone greenhouse right wall 12/24/110 volt converters left of picture is the bottom heated beds for young plants lower left my nap chair. The roof panels have UV protection built in, all windows and roof double wall poly.
    Attached Images Attached Images    
    Last edited by Hillbilly Bob; February 21st, 2009 at 07:06 AM.

  2. #2
    Real Name
    Bruce Brown
    My Grow Area
    Greenhouse
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Cattleyas & Slippers
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Gender
    Male
    Location
    Arkansas
    Posts
    35,133
    Member's Country Flag

    Default

    Bob, this is fantastic! I moved this to its own thread in the same section so that people would not miss seeing it. What a great setup. It must be so nice to not have to worry all the time. We have a little gas generator to use if power fails, but we would have to go and get it out of the barn, fill it with new gas, plug it in, and crank it up. Having everything automated must give you so much more time to enjoy tending the orchids. I would love to see more photos.

    Cheers,
    BD

  3. #3
    Real Name
    Larry
    My Grow Area
    Under Lights.
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Phalaenopsis for bloom time
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Watervliet Michigan
    Posts
    149
    Member's Country Flag

    Default

    I'll trade ya! It looks like you have all the bases covered. I would loose my happy home if I went to all that expence at one time. I will add some of those bells and whistles as time goes by. I had to wait a year to prove to my wife that I could make the plants rebloom before I could buy more. Now I buy what I want when I want. Do you sell any Orchids to support your hobby? I think I may some time down the road but it isn't the reason I am doing it. I just like to grow them.
    TWLARRY

  4. #4
    Real Name
    Bob
    My Grow Area
    In a Greenhouse.
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Cattleya
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    20 miles south Of Cincinnati, O
    Posts
    194
    Member's Country Flag

    Default

    Actually I lucked out on a lot of the expense I found 2 12'x14' commercial saunas that a guy had taken out of a health spa. I got them for 450.00 they had enough Red cedar to do the floors walls and roof rafters. I bought the beams and 4x4s from a dealer here. The benches where people sat are now the benches where orchids sit. The fans I had from other greenhouses. I did buy the fan controller best thing I ever bought it does everything but sweep the floor.
    I learned early that as you expand and change things never get rid of what you don't need then you will need it later.

    My wife helped me a lot at the first, I was only 6 weeks out of heart surgery when I started it, and man was I slow Id do 2 boards a day and think I was moving. My kids helped me get the 2 Saunas after that I wanted to do it by myself I had to prove to to me that I could still do it. It was my way of recovering

  5. #5
    Real Name
    Rebecca Luce
    My Grow Area
    Windowsill
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Cattleya!!
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Chicago, IL
    Posts
    1,793
    Member's Country Flag

    Default

    I love these pictures Bob!!! They never fail to amaze.

    BTW, that "6 weeks out of heart surgery" bit....geeze!!! That's pretty dedicated...I'd say you are pretty inspirational!!

  6. #6
    Real Name
    Laurent Lambert
    My Grow Area
    Windowsill
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Laelia & Encyclia
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Brooklyn, NY
    Posts
    1,722
    Member's Country Flag

    Default

    WOW, love the look of the red cedar wood, what a clever idea to use the saunas as building material ... If I had a greenhouse I would want it to be just like yours! Well done!

  7. #7
    Real Name
    Bob
    My Grow Area
    In a Greenhouse.
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Cattleya
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    20 miles south Of Cincinnati, O
    Posts
    194
    Member's Country Flag

    Default reply

    Quote Originally Posted by Becky15349 View Post
    I love these pictures Bob!!! They never fail to amaze.

    BTW, that "6 weeks out of heart surgery" bit....geeze!!! That's pretty dedicated...I'd say you are pretty inspirational!!
    My wife the nurse/Researcher told me to tell you the word she used was not as kind as inspirational

  8. #8
    Real Name
    Bob
    My Grow Area
    In a Greenhouse.
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Cattleya
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    20 miles south Of Cincinnati, O
    Posts
    194
    Member's Country Flag

    Default Your Town

    Quote Originally Posted by twlarry View Post
    I'll trade ya! It looks like you have all the bases covered. I would loose my happy home if I went to all that expence at one time. I will add some of those bells and whistles as time goes by. I had to wait a year to prove to my wife that I could make the plants rebloom before I could buy more. Now I buy what I want when I want. Do you sell any Orchids to support your hobby? I think I may some time down the road but it isn't the reason I am doing it. I just like to grow them.
    TWLARRY
    I think we stopped in your town on one of our fishing excursions is it off 95 has a Marathon Station and a Diary Queen close to ch other?????? We were trying to figure out how to pronouce the name the guy at Marathon set us straight

  9. #9
    My Grow Area
    Outside 24/7.
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Cats., Phals., Dems.
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Vacherie, LA (Between New Orleans and Baton Rouge)
    Posts
    142
    Member's Country Flag

    Default

    This looks great. I have wanted a greenhouse for a while, not 35 years though. I guess I will be storing my orchids in my potting shed in the winter for a while. They are still looking fine, and have new growing. I think they will really go into over drive when I take them out in mid March.

  10. #10
    Real Name
    Bob
    My Grow Area
    In a Greenhouse.
    Favorite Orchid(s)
    Cattleya
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    20 miles south Of Cincinnati, O
    Posts
    194
    Member's Country Flag

    Default

    The heated seedling bench the 700 gallon a day RO system with the 2 -50 gallon Ro water storagetanks and the 12V water pump it is a demand pump up to 13 gallons a min
    Attached Images Attached Images    

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