# setting up a greenhouse



## freshreef (May 14, 2004)

i would like to set up a small greenhouse (2m*2m*2m) in my backyard for special and rare plants so i can have all the plants i want/need even if i dont have a place for them in the aquariums. this need came to me cause its very difficult to get rare and special plants such as l. cuba, h. callitrichoides etc.

the temp in my country is 10-15 c in the winter and 25-32 in the summer. hummidity is around 60-70% most of the year. 
1. do i need air condition or fans will do the job? 
2. how can i increase the hummid. %? - im thinking of a small foger or small fauntains or small pond with power head that circulate the water and the evaporating water will give another 10-15% hummid? 
3. im going to place the greenhouse outside in the backyard but going to hide it from direct sun due to high temp. do i need extra lightings? 
4. what is the best substrate? 
5. what ferts?
6. do i need to know something else? 
at the moment im consulting with orchids and "savage garden" gardeners in israel as i think they can help me there.
thanks...


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## MiamiAG (Jan 13, 2004)

What material are you using for the walls?

What grow out system will you use?

If it is enclosed, you need a system to maintain temparate temperatures.I used a swamp cooler that kept temps in the 80s.


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## freshreef (May 14, 2004)

its ging to be outside and im going to use daylight + sodium vapur or MH light for extra few hours. ive heard people that use "moister matress" - did u hear about it? how does it work?
the walls will b from poligal (its some plastic that looks like plexiglass but very light and soft) 
i bought fogger for moist and going to use fans and maybe air condition.

what substrate do u guys suggest? think im going to use regular potting soil enriched with peat moss. - any special thinks i need to know? 
do i need to make the soil acidic ? 
do i need to use ro water? 

im going to hold only the rare and demanding special plants. thinking of even try to grow toninas and eriocaulons emeresed. 

what is the max temp i can grow most of the plants in the green house?


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## MiamiAG (Jan 13, 2004)

mor b said:


> i would like to set up a small greenhouse (2m*2m*2m) in my backyard for special and rare plants so i can have all the plants i want/need even if i dont have a place for them in the aquariums. this need came to me cause its very difficult to get rare and special plants such as l. cuba, h. callitrichoides etc.


This was what I thought when I started. ;-) Soon you have so many plants you HAVE to start selling them.


mor b said:


> the temp in my country is 10-15 c in the winter and 25-32 in the summer. hummidity is around 60-70% most of the year.


Well, as you know, 10-15c is too cold for most tropical plants. The good thing is that as long as your greenhouse is well sealed, it will do an excellent job of holding heat within it. I'm a silly American so forgive my ignorance/lazyness in trying to convert to celcius, but my greenhouse kept temps 15 degrees above ambient temperature. In my case this was a serious problem during the summers.


mor b said:


> 1. do i need air condition or fans will do the job?


Yes. It will get too hot otherwise. You need to have one wall fan (small) built into one wall that blows air into the greenhouse and a vent on the other side to let hot air out. Also, if can use a swamp cooler to easily manage the hotter months and humidity levels. Just tie it to a humistadt. This will keep your greenhouse at a nice even tropical temperature.

Also, if you keep rare plants, you may want to add a chiller to the water. This also keeps water/plants at appropriate temps. The cooler water will also control ambient temp within the greenhouse.


mor b said:


> 2. how can i increase the hummid. %? - im thinking of a small foger or small fauntains or small pond with power head that circulate the water and the evaporating water will give another 10-15% hummid?


The items mentioned above will keep humidity high. I would try them first. If you find that humidity is not kept as high as you want, then add a fogger. Be careful though, too high humidity can lead to certain types of fungus.


mor b said:


> 3. im going to place the greenhouse outside in the backyard but going to hide it from direct sun due to high temp. do i need extra lightings?


I wouldn't do this. I would place the greenhouse in direct sun and use shade cloth, if needed, over delicate plants. Your greenhouse covering material will remove at least 20% of the sunlight. You can control the balance with shade cloth. This will save you the electrical cost of running extra lighting. Tropica uses extra lighting simply because of where they are located.


mor b said:


> 4. what is the best substrate?


There is no BEST substrate. It really depends on your set up. I used a floating hydroponic setup. Most of my plants were grown in Grodan (rockwool). Others were grown using MetroMix- a professional mix now owned by Sun Gro Horticulture. I grow crypts in this media.


mor b said:


> 5. what ferts?


Again, it depends on your set up. I used and really like Technaflora of Canada. Their line of products is awesome.


mor b said:


> 6. do i need to know something else?


I would highly recommend reading up on hydroponics and perhaps subscribing to the Growing Edge magazine. Also, post questions here.

For ideas, take a look at my emersed setup in this forum. It shows growing trays inside my makeshift greenhouse.

Good luck!


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## MiamiAG (Jan 13, 2004)

mor b said:


> its ging to be outside and im going to use daylight + sodium vapur or MH light for extra few hours. ive heard people that use "moister matress" - did u hear about it? how does it work?
> the walls will b from poligal (its some plastic that looks like plexiglass but very light and soft)
> i bought fogger for moist and going to use fans and maybe air condition.


I've not heard of those materials. I used plain old painter's plastic from Home Depot to cover mine. The highes mill they have and it worked very well to filter the sunlight. Please see my previous post about sunlight.


mor b said:


> what substrate do u guys suggest? think im going to use regular potting soil enriched with peat moss. - any special thinks i need to know?


Depends on your system. See my previous message.


mor b said:


> do i need to make the soil acidic ?


It really depends on the plants you keep. Your soil substrate/solution should be of a pH that makes and keeps needed nutrients in solution and in a form plant roots can uptake easily.


mor b said:


> do i need to use ro water?


You don't need to but I would recommend it. It gives you much more control over the nutrients your plants are taking up and makes it easier to spot problems.


mor b said:


> im going to hold only the rare and demanding special plants. thinking of even try to grow toninas and eriocaulons emeresed. what is the max temp i can grow most of the plants in the green house?


I would strive for an even temperature of 75F (sorry, can't convert to celsius).


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