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Greenhouses in our hot climate

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Dauntless



Joined: 20 Nov 2010
Posts: 174
Location: Mesa, AZ

PostPosted: Wed May 07, 2014 8:13 am    Post subject: Greenhouses in our hot climate Reply with quote

Does anyone here have a greenhouse? I am wondering about keeping it cool during the hot months and also have a couple more questions.
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myamberdog



Joined: 21 May 2011
Posts: 323
Location: palm springs, california

PostPosted: Wed May 07, 2014 11:37 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I don't have one here in my desert (in Palm Springs) but I worked at one
growing up in a much cooler climate back east, and we had to use fans and open all the windows we could, and spray the glass with a white wash kind of spray to reflect the direct light (not even sure if growers use that anymore. I'm thinking they'd cover the structure in white shade cloth of something like that I've heard of some people using a mister type operation in front of the fans to cool the plants too, but boy, it is a daunting proposition to keep a greenhouse cool in our blazing summer climate.....

If you kept one in the shade perhaps that could work. Do you have plants that need high humidity, Mr. D? Otherwise if you were growing stuff over the winter in there, you could just remove the structure, but then you'd lose that moist warm growing environment for a blazing hot dry one....

Guess I'm not really sure of my advice......someone who's had or tried one out here should probably respond....

m.a.d.
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phoenixtropicals
Site Admin


Joined: 06 May 2008
Posts: 1207
Location: Mesa Arizona

PostPosted: Wed May 07, 2014 11:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

People use a swamp cooler setup to keep them cool and humid. It works pretty good. Both the club greenhouse works like this and so does Doug Jones's. Only problem is that if the cooler fan burns out it gets hot really fast. Probably a dual fan/cooler setup would be wiser so that you don't have a single point of failure.
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Dauntless



Joined: 20 Nov 2010
Posts: 174
Location: Mesa, AZ

PostPosted: Thu May 08, 2014 8:47 am    Post subject: Greenhouse Reply with quote

Amber, I am really wanting 2 greenhouses. A smaller one for growing transplants for my garden and for overflow and then a larger one for tender tropicals in pots. I live on the outskirts of town and it is cooler here. I lost most of my tropicals like mangoes, allspice etc because of unforeseen freezes/ frosts. I checked the weather forecasts religiously and we had a couple of surprises. It would be nice to not have to worry about the temperatures except to keep an eye on my citrus trees.
Too, the humidity could be good.
That is a good idea about being able to open it up in the warm weather though.



For the larger one, we want to build it ourselves and alter it according to what would work best here. I am thinking it won't be a traditional greenhouse with so many windows, will have insulation and plenty of ventilation etc.
As for the smaller one, I was looking at the Harbor Freight 10'X12'. They are pretty inexpensive and with a few modifications, supposedly they can hold up pretty well. However, I have heard that the poly panels fail in our brutal sun. So, I had thought that maybe someone on here had one or had experience with poly panels and how they hold up or some tricks to enhance them.

I actually do have a swamp cooler sitting on my patio waiting for a greenhouse Smile I will have to check out the club greenhouse. It has been a couple of years since I've seen it.
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Kyle_Davis



Joined: 01 Jun 2009
Posts: 45

PostPosted: Fri May 09, 2014 6:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have a greenhouse that got busted up from the wind a few years ago, when I was just starting my graduate degree program. So I just left it. It's 11' wide ,by 7' tall by about 24' long. It's a hoop house. I need to replace the plastic on the sides and find a way to keep the grass from growing in from the sides. During the winter it was GREAT. During the winter I take the ends off and cover it with shade cloth. Seems to work ok for me. And if you water or mist in there a few times a day, with bark on the floor it seems to hold some humidity.

I really could use a swap cooler out there.
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Dauntless



Joined: 20 Nov 2010
Posts: 174
Location: Mesa, AZ

PostPosted: Thu May 15, 2014 12:08 pm    Post subject: Hoop house Reply with quote

Kyle, that would be great to get going again. It's a nice size.
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myamberdog



Joined: 21 May 2011
Posts: 323
Location: palm springs, california

PostPosted: Fri May 16, 2014 1:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think maybe the thing to do with greenhouses in our hot hot summers, is to take the plastic down and put up shade cloth over the scaffolding....

What do you guys think? They make a white 22% shadecloth which really helps reflect some of that heat...


Dawg
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Dauntless



Joined: 20 Nov 2010
Posts: 174
Location: Mesa, AZ

PostPosted: Sat May 17, 2014 11:34 am    Post subject: greenhouse Reply with quote

Amber, I think you would definitely need sunshade but I think it would be more like 60 to 70% shade. Right now I have shade cloth on part of my garden enclosure in this range and the plants are doing well with it. They get full sun early and shade starting around noon for the rest of the day. We'll see how well they do as the temperature climbs and the Summer drags on Smile
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myamberdog



Joined: 21 May 2011
Posts: 323
Location: palm springs, california

PostPosted: Sat May 17, 2014 12:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dauntless - I agree. 22% is probably not enough...thanks for the correction!


M.A.D
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Bkaus



Joined: 31 Jul 2012
Posts: 136
Location: North Phoenix

PostPosted: Tue May 20, 2014 7:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Was using the black 70% stuff from HD and it seemed like a little too much (plant needed more sun). Then went online and got 50% black shade cloth and it seems to be working better.
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Dauntless



Joined: 20 Nov 2010
Posts: 174
Location: Mesa, AZ

PostPosted: Tue May 20, 2014 11:34 am    Post subject: Shade cloth Reply with quote

Bkaus, good to know. Right now I am experimenting with my garden. Currently I am trying these "mesh tarps" at Harbor Freight because they were available right away, cheap and finished around the edges. The ad says 60 to 70%.

I have read that black shade cloth absorbs radiation and provides the most shade while white shade cloth allows more diffused light and provides a cooler environment.

Here's a picture of my garden and how I have the shade on the enclosure. It sure feels better to me but my plants will be the judge.



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Shade cloth


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myamberdog



Joined: 21 May 2011
Posts: 323
Location: palm springs, california

PostPosted: Wed May 21, 2014 11:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Really looks great, Dauntless!


MDog
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Bkaus



Joined: 31 Jul 2012
Posts: 136
Location: North Phoenix

PostPosted: Thu May 22, 2014 10:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You do have a great looking garden space!

Been looking over the internet to find valley gardeners and what grows well for them in our desert. Making a list of what they are having success with.

My tomatoes were much better than last year with all the plants getting some kind of little bug that killed them off (no tom last year).

This year got 7 good size tomato from my better boy then the leaves turn upside down and the plant just quit growing and setting tomatoes. The early girl put on 30 toms and looks now like it's dying but they are very sweet and tasty. The purple grape tomatoes are going gang buster and still trying to set fruit even now, it has a strong acid flavor but good. Been ordering seeds to try some more kinds in the fall.
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Dauntless



Joined: 20 Nov 2010
Posts: 174
Location: Mesa, AZ

PostPosted: Thu May 22, 2014 12:37 pm    Post subject: Garden Space Reply with quote

Thank you both! This was started over 2 1/2 years ago and we finished it this Spring. It's 25' wide X 50' long and the structure is all metal, stone and concrete so I hope it keeps everything out. We live on the outskirts of town and it has been an ongoing exercise in frustration to do any gardening since there are so many hungry critters here.

Bkaus, I am a little out of practice with my gardening but it's starting to come back. Right now my soil in this garden is terrible. This was finished so late on the planting schedule that all I did was till the ground with some compost in it and planted.Some of the things that I planted did so poorly that I have pulled them out. I should have waited to do it right but was anxious to get planting so I went for it.
Some things are doing ok and oddly enough, my tomatoes are doing really well. I have about a dozen plants and they are loaded with tomatoes. We have been eating a few and they are finally starting to ripen more steadily.
The tomatoes were one of the main reasons that we put the shade cloth up.
Like you, I like to try different varieties. This is why I am wanting to build a smaller greenhouse. I hate being dependent on nurseries and stores for my transplants. I want more variety and I want them ready when I want them and not when they say I should plant them.

I love "talking" gardening so I will keep an eye out for more of your posts on the vegetable forum on this site.

By the way, my melons, sweet potatoes, Armenian Cucumbers, Okra and Crowder peas are doing great even in the lousy soil and heat.
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phoenixtropicals
Site Admin


Joined: 06 May 2008
Posts: 1207
Location: Mesa Arizona

PostPosted: Fri May 23, 2014 9:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great looking garden. Swiss chard is a really easy one to grow here. It's great in salads.
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