Near completion

Got the supporting pieces in place yesterday. I have a couple of corrections to make, then I can put the covering on the solar room. Even have the door built but not mounted. (Do that after the rest is covered.) Just haven't had enough time. 

Not going to get it done today. I was exhausted when I got home this morning and have to work tonight. No complaints, need the money badly. Depending on my schedule, I should be able to finish it in the next 3-4 days. Sucks that it really takes so little man hours but arranging those man hours can be such a problem. 


The whole thing is very sturdy and should hold up to some rather strong winds. I'll still have to build up and level out the soil in some places around the base once it's done. A layer of soil around the bottom will also help windproof the whole thing, though.


I have a neighbor who has a chain and pole saw. He offered to help take down the cottonwood near the house. Though if I get to work tonight and tomorrow, I may just see about buying my own inexpensive one. Home Depot has an electric one for $50 and seems rated well. Good enough for my needs, long as I take things down in small pieces. (Which I would do for ease of handling and later use, anyway.) This is where that outlet strangely high on my back wall will come in handy. Still not getting why anyone put an outlet 7-8 ft above the ground, though.

If I get good enough results from the solar room as built, I may go ahead and extend it across the rest of the back wall, where the tree now resides. If I don't do that, it does give me a better idea of the future results of building the patio in that spot.

I need to get a large mortar chisel and start taking down the walls I mentioned before. Also need a new wheel for the wheelbarrow, to make moving the brick pile out of the way for greenhouse construction. Not done with the plans yet but I do know the wall will start next to the house. Taking out the cottonwood stump will be a great beginning to pour a foundation.

Mostly done

Got most of the frame up for the solar room today. Hard part was anchoring the top section into the cinder block wall, especially over the crawlspace opening. Since I previously removed the rotted out roof from the enclosure, I had few places to stand and was rather anxious about falling. Never slipped, though. The only things left are some stabilizing pieces and the door, then I can put the cover in place.


The measurements when finished will be 8 ft tall at the highest point, 8 ft out from the wall and about 14 feet across. It will enclose two windows, one crawlspace vent, the crawlspace entry, the washing machine and water hoses. I'll still have a few square feet of open space and will probably put some plants out there right below the kitchen window.


Got around to measuring the back yard today. I was wrong about the measurements. The actual size is 60 ft wide by 100 ft long, back wall of the house to back fence. So, if I build out the greenhouse 50 ft from the house, I'll still have a decent open yard beyond that. I haven't worked out final dimensions but right now thinking a good size would be 40 ft wide by 50 ft long. That would leave space along the south for deciduous trees and, as mentioned, still have a back yard. Though I am still considering extending the length to 60 ft. Not sure yet.

Be a lot of work to build something that size. But I can think of worse ways to spend my time.  

Almost forgot! I was wrong about the plants in the raised bed being lost! Most of the lettuce is still growing, with new plants coming up. Spinach is becoming recognizable as spinach (to us novices who have only seen full grown spinach in stores). Even a few pepper plants are beginning to show through the soil. Not sure how much garlic I may have grow, since I'm not certain how much of it the dog ate. Guess I'll wait and see. 

Coaxial cable

So, went out to work on the solar room today and was hit with something I forgot about. I needed to remove a ton of coaxial cable from the outside walls of the house. 

The way the cable was run into this house (long before I moved in), the cable ran from the junction box, underground, around the back of the house and up the wall. This was where they placed the splitter. From there, back down, along the top of the ground, up the wall and back around the top of the same wall the underground cable had just run along, then down and through the living room wall. A separate cable ran up, across the roof, down the wall and into my daughter's bedroom. Another cable ran up, along the top of the roof and into the office. When I moved in, there was also a cable which ran along the top of the hallway from my daughter's room and into my bedroom. 

All of this could have been accomplished with the splitter on the wall outside next to the fireplace, then one single cable to supply every single room in the house. 

It's all gone now and the outside of the house looks much better. Not to mention I don't have to anchor the plastic around all those cables. I will have to anchor around the power and phone cables but they're close together and it won't be too hard.


It got late and I just dragged all the wood for the solar room inside. Cut most of it to size, so it's all ready for putting together during the day on Sunday. Got some small hinges to include a door for access to the water hose and the meter box.

Sometime in the next week or so Ive decided to take down the wooden fence along the South side of the property. It's in poor repair, missing random boards and ready to fall in places. Don't want it to be a safety hazard. Besides, it also blocks sun for some number of feet on that side of the yard. Neighbors may not appreciate it but if they want a privacy fence there, they're welcome to build one. They have a chain link fence on their side of my wooden fence. Really strange that there are two fences on each of three side of my property. Seems to say previous residents were not too popular, maybe?

Another cold spell

So, got canceled from work tonight. Too late to do much outside when I was called. Temps for my immediate area are down in single digits for the next week at night. Not going above freezing tomorrow and nothing over 40 for the next week.

These are times I am happy for the insulated coveralls I got for riding last year, when I rode a motor scooter all winter. They come in quite handy for doing outdoor work in these temps, especially with other layers of clothing underneath. 

Daughter is with the ex and I'm scheduled to work tomorrow night. Gives me some free time in the morning to do a few things around here. Be a good time to work on that solar room. Got some more wood a few days ago to make it more stable than the original design. The wall attachments are already in place. I may be able to get most or all of it up in a couple of hours. Worth a try. Even partial construction would probably offer some benefit but even if it doesn't help, it won't hurt anything.

Guess not

The cold cover blew across the yard today. Obviously not anchored well enough. 

Low for the immediate area tonight is 8 degrees F. I only have a few plants surviving and not so hopeful for them at this point. 

Several pumpkin plants are growing well indoors. If they make it a few more weeks, they'll be good for placing in the cold cover early. Have to do a better job of shading them this coming year and they'll be likely to be good producers.

All the tomato plants I had going indoors have died off. Too cold when I'm gone for long hours, aside from the damage they took from the dog. I'll just get things started early for spring in a couple more months.

A neighbor offered to help me take down the cottonwood next to the house after the holidays. I'll split the wood with him for it. Probably take down the other one soon but have to build a swing for my daughter before cutting that one down. Seems like a swing is an important thing in her emotional well-being. I don't understand it but not going to deny something so simple. Once I build the greenhouse, a swing will be included.

Presents are out, stockings are stuffed. Daughter left a large box of tissues out for Santa because he may need them on the sleigh, since it's so cold tonight. Shows how considerate she is by nature.

Gotta get to bed. No telling how early I'll be awakened!

First computer sketch

So, here is my first greenhouse sketch on computer. I had forgotten how different drawing on computer is, so this looks really messy. 

This design is highly preliminary and only one view. Lots of things are still in the air but this does incorporate some aspects which will remain. 

I still have to measure things out to get solid proportions. I think my back yard is 60' long. If I make the greenhouse 40' long, that will give me a 10' patio for nearly the width of the house. The rest of the length will all be garden. The storage and work space are along the North wall and will remain there, leaving the South open to the sun. I'm keeping a space outside the greenhouse on the South to plant deciduous trees. The fireplace placement is very much in question, as I think a center location may be much better. Of course, it will double as a BBQ pit. 

The walls and support columns will be stuccoed cinder block. 

Big debate for me is roof slope. Center or North end highest? I need to study wind patterns, so as to maximize summer ventilation. The highest section will need to be slightly higher than the house so heat will exhaust upward and away from the house. 

Not shown here is that the lower section of the South wall will have either hay bale construction which can double as seating, wooden boxes for storage which can also be bench seats or a combination of each. Hay bale would offer more insulation but I think wooden boxes would be more stable and would offer more storage. 

So, this design will be revised and refined over time. 

Things improving

Things are improving for the moment. Got most of the Christmas shopping done. Just one more gift card to buy. For once, I even got the wrapping done before Christmas Eve.

I am very much into environmental conservation but enjoy technology, as well. I just think too often technology has left environmentalism behind. They do not have to be exclusive, as we can clearly see today. 

That said, I got my daughter some roller skates which convert from having training wheels to in-line skates when she's ready. Also got her a Tinkerbell toy which actually flies! (I think she should love that!) Several inexpensive things from Dollar Tree, one of my favorite stores. 

Since there's only the two of us, just got ham steaks for Christmas lunch. Besides, not sure what time the ex will pick her up that day, so keeping it simple. 

While cleaning house the other day, I noted that the dirt in the house is dirt, not sand! For the first few months of living here, I dealt with sand being all over the place. The fact that what is being tracked in now is less sand and more dirt is good. It means the work I've been doing in the yard is showing some results and transforming the soil into something more viable than it was.

I still have tons of leaves to rake up. Going to put them in bags and save them for the compost pits during the summer for carbon content and oxygenation.

Okay, going to get to bed. Picking daughter up from daycare to make another attempt at visiting Santa tomorrow. Tomorrow night, going to see the River of Lights at the Botanical Gardens, something set up here every year for Christmas. They've apparently added a number of new displays this year. Tomorrow is the last chance we'll have before Christmas. Hope the weather holds up long enough to go through it, since a front is headed our way. Though it would be cool if it started snowing while we're there.

Home from hospital

My daughter is home from the hospital. Doing well, seems to have pretty much gotten through the whole thing without major residual problems. Back to her old self again. More than a little happy about that!

Have a break in the weather here. Very strange, seeing what the East coast is going through. 

Got some wood to complete the solar room in back of the house. Hoping to finish it this week, before the next cold wave comes in. May need one more roll of plastic. 

I put up an ad to trade wood from one tree for someone cutting it down, which will give me more space to extend the solar room at some point and include nearly the length of the house. Also give more sun exposure. Besides, it's too close to the house and I'm afraid of what it can do to the foundation. Think I'm going to be using other forms of heat and avoid the fireplace while my daughter is around, any way. Too much risk of the fireplace causing my daughter more breathing problems. So the wood can be spared.

The more I've examined it, the wiser I've found the idea of the solar room to be. Most of the back wall of the house is cinder block, uninsulated. Just blocking the wind from that side of the house will be a big benefit during the winter.

I've come up with some early designs for the greenhouse/patio which I am beginning to like. Think I'm going to hook up the graphics tablet and start doing some of the design on computer, rather than the legal pad I've been using. Once I do that, I'll post some of the design sketches.

Scary week

I had the most frightening week of my life this week. My daughter went into respiratory distress and had to be hospitalized. She was kept on a continuous nebulizer treatment for nearly 24 hours straight. I have never seen anyone remaining on a continuous neb for that long without being placed on a ventilator (which I feared was coming next). Eventually, she improved and was discharged. The pulmonologist felt it was an acute viral illness coupled with an allergic reaction.

Needless to say the dog is gone.

Been in the process last night and today of cleaning house and washing nearly every scrap of clothing and linen in the house. Going to go pick her up from the ex's shortly. 

She has an inhaler to use for a while. Never had any problem like this before. She's typically in perfect health, aside from sinus allergies. 

I'm deeply overdrawn, not enough work (and couldn't have taken more this week, any way). Still, I want to see where I can take her to go see Santa, long as she's up to it tomorrow.

Simple concepts

So, since starting to read up on solar heating, it seems to me that the concepts involved are very simple. However, it does definitely help to read up on designs which have proven most effective and learning why those designs are more effective than others. 

I am going to continue reading on things and learn more about how heat pumps work. I've heard of them but, since this is the first house I have owned and I have lived most of my life in the SW states, not much occasion to learn more about them. Like most of us, always been told heat pumps are devices for colder climates. 

So many things I have heard just prove what a wasteful society we have been for so long. (Not like I haven't known that since I was a teenager or younger.) It's actually rather foolish that we have not utilized so many technologies through the years which have been proven effective, economical, logical and environmentally responsible. It amazed me when I learned that solar water heaters were originally designed (and in widespread use in California) in the very early 20th century. It's now 100 years later and the design has not become common? Popular home design has not grown to utilize solar heating and natural cooling? I read not long ago that the NM Dept of Agriculture is selling low cost trees to people who own more than one acre. First, why placing limits on larger acreage? Second, none of the trees produce any fruit which they are giving away. Why? Why not produce trees which produce some form of sustenance, which also turns back into compost material more readily than just leaves? It has been a short time since solid waste facilities began composting material, rather than digging huge holes to dump things in. Methane production is still very low on the list of priorities, far beneath finding new sources of oil. While old food we throw away on a daily basis could be producing a valid source of energy for the future. It's sad. 

Oh, well. Began some initial drawings for the next incarnation of the greenhouse, as mentioned before. I know I'll have to go through multiple designs before coming up with one which I find suitable. I still have some research to do on wind direction, materials, cost, sources and more. Trying to make sure the design will be as complete as possible to begin with before beginning construction in a few months. Because of the extremes in the environment here and having the whole thing attached to the house, I want to include as much natural cooling as possible, not just heating. One of my biggest debates so far is regarding the greenhouse design closest to the house. I do know I'll have to make the roof as high as or higher than the house roof, then include vents at the top. 

Lots of ideas running through my head with lists of what I do not yet know right next to them. 

Lessons learned

The greenhouse is dismantled, the plastic sheeting is rolled up and in the shed for future use. The pipes are in a pile which I'll make neater tomorrow. A number of pipes and fittings simply broke from the wind. Pipes are still usable, just have to cut the broken parts off. Salvaged the self-drilling screws, which come in handy.

So, I learned a few lessons from all this. Think it best to pass them along for anyone who may wish to build a greenhouse in the future.

1- PVC is a great choice for building a greenhouse in most places. Not so much in Albuquerque. There are even other places in NM where it would be suitable but the winds here are too strong at times. At least, for anything the size I was building. Something smaller would have less wind resistance, so would be more likely to work. I'm also sure it could be done here but the strength, fittings and such required would become so expensive that any savings would become lost. Wood or metal is much more practical for anything large here.

2- If you plan on building a greenhouse, spend the time and money on continuous plastic sheeting. It will save you time, effort, heartache and most likely money in the long run. Order it before you start building and, if you do the work yourself, it will probably be delivered by the time the frame is done.

3- If you have a large dog, plastic sheeting may well be a bad idea. If you still choose to use plastic sheeting, I would advise placing lateral PVC pipes about every 6-8" for the lowest 3-4 ft around any sides the dog can access, starting at ground level. If you place them vertically, the dog may still try to squeeze between them. If you leave a space at ground level, the dog will try to dig underneath.

4- Wood is more expensive than PVC but only by about 50%. If funds are limited, start with a smaller and adaptable design. If designed for it, it can be expanded later. Just build to the width you want and keep the length short. Then it only requires taking down the sheeting, adding length and putting the sheeting back up on the new rear end. It is also much easier and more secure to attach plastic sheeting to and can later be adapted to glass or polycarbonate, if so desired.

Hope this gives some valid advice to anyone who decides to build a greenhouse in Albuquerque or anywhere that experiences winds as we do here. PVC simply won't stand up to wind gusts of 50-60 mph.

Destroyed

The wind here has been fierce. If this was by the ocean, it would have been considered gale force or tropical storm wind speed. Looked outside this morning and the greenhouse was mostly on the ground. Went out to assess the damage and it was extensive. Pipes cracked and broken, sheeting torn, clamps ripped out, screws and all in some cases.

So, in this incarnation, the greenhouse is no more. When the wind dies down I'll start taking it apart, salvage what I can and construct one or two smaller structures, like a smaller greenhouse and/or cold row covers.

I'm guessing my compost heating experiment is not to be this winter.

After some thought, I decided that several different projects will be combined. Since before moving in, I've wanted to build a covered patio. Then there's the greenhouse. And then there's the solar heating project. Each one should preferably have some of the same elements, such as solar heat in the winter and adjustable shading in the winter. If I attach this to the house, it will help insulate and heat the house in the winter and cool it in the summer. Before completing it, I'll have a well drilled.

Of course, this will be much more solid than any of the temporary experimental constructs I have been working on. The crawlspace enclosure has a cinder block wall around it, plus I have a cinder block wall on the South side of the house, between the neighbors' fence and my own. Then there is a heavily leaning cinder block wall in the front of the house. I'll take each of these down to use for pillars, then fill with cement, stucco and paint them. Plastic sheeting will work at first, then replace with windows over time, starting on the South side, then the West side. I'll make the whole thing a mixture of old Spanish garden mixed with modern solar elements. Of course, I'll include rain harvesting in the design.

Some added features will be incorporating the storage shed and firewood storage. I'll include the waterfall, stream, pond and fireplace/BBQ I had planned for the patio. The compost pit will still be located somewhere inside, for CO2 and winter compost production. (With the solar heating design, the compost heating becomes fairly moot.) I had intended to move the swamp cooler to ground level and run insulated ducts to the roof entry, so this could be included in that plan.

The good part is that I believe this will not require city inspection, since it will be considered a covered patio/greenhouse/storage structure, not living space, even though it will be attached to the house. It may be eligible for solar/insulation tax credits but even if not, it should reduce my energy bills to near nothing. I'll also include solar water heating and later PV panels, which could eliminate my utility bills entirely (and maybe earn some money, as well). I'm not planning on having any municipal plumbing, gas or electric extended from the house, unless it's having an extra outlet or two installed on the outer wall of the house itself, keeping the chances of required inspection low.

None of this will even be started until springtime. Until then, I'll work on some cold row covers and the solar room on the back of the house. I may go ahead and take down part of the crawlspace wall, which is somewhat complicating the solar room plans. Can just lay the blocks aside for now.

I am rather sad at the falling of the greenhouse but have learned enough to gain confidence in a more permanent structure, even though this one never got completed.

Different things

Still haven't gotten back to working on the greenhouse. Been too cold, too windy and my energies have been diverted elsewhere for a while. Get back on it sometime this week. 

Last couple of days, my daughter has been here. Today, we made sugar cookies and more cookie ornaments. Some to send to her Godparents in Texas, some to replace ones the dog ate. The new ones are now sprayed with clear lacquer for preservation and dog repellent (I hope). 

Also got all but two windows weatherstripped. They're least in need, plus I have to stand on a cinder block wall to get to them. Another project for this week but that will only take a few minutes.

Venting the dryer into the house has a benefit I didn't think of- humidity! Some people may not like it but I do not care to be mummified while still breathing. Besides, the humidity helps keep the place warmer because humid air transfers heat better than dry air does. So, it helps keep the place warmer even when it's not running. Besides, my daughter and I have been coughing and sneezing a lot less this weekend than in a while.

When I planted pumpkins during the summer, I read accounts of other people who talked about sprouts "leaping out of the ground". When mine sprouted, my thoughts were not that my sprouts were leaping. Now, the seeds I planted in peat pots a couple weeks ago are sprouting and I understand that whole "leaping" statement! Going to have to find something larger than peat pots quick! Too bad the tomato plants aren't that enthused but I know it's a bit cool for their preference.

Okay gotta hit the bath and bed. Have to be up early.

Cold wave

Last night, the temp went down to 11 degrees F here. This morning, woke up to find the pipes had frozen at the meter and I had no water all day until this afternoon, when it warmed enough to thaw. Have to keep the faucets dripping tonight to prevent that from happening again.  Tonight, we're supposed to go below 10 degrees F.

Got some part of the house weatherproofed today. I have a.. thing which juts out from the house and houses the entry to the crawlspace. It's part of the original structure, there is no door on it (doesn't appear there ever was) and the roof is badly decayed. Today, I removed the roof and stapled black plastic over and all the way around this structure. This has been a major entry for cold air into the crawlspace. Tonight, can tell the difference strongly. 

This is where my first solar project will be placed. Going to line that area with black plastic and build a frame up to the top of two windows. Then staple translucent plastic sheeting to the frame. It's a simple thermosyphon  structure. The crawlspace opens to the bottom and cold air enters from beneath the house. While the sun is up, it will heat the air, which then rises. Open the windows and the heated air enters the house through the windows. Even if the solar aspect doesn't do much good, just having the frame there blocks cold air from much of that side of the house, especially the crawlspace and windows. So it has heating value even without the solar value. If it works well enough, I'll make it more permanent in the future. I have plans to build a patio in that area, any way, so I will have to adjust the plans to incorporate solar heating. Though it has to adapt for summer cooling, too.

I also taped plastic over the screen doors and the bathroom window, which eliminated some drafts. Got some electrical outlet cover gaskets and put a few of those in place tonight. I have 120 ft of weatherstripping to put around my steel casement windows, which are also rather drafty. Walmart has weatherstripping for $3 for 60 ft, plus the outlet cover gaskets, which were also $3 or $4. Have a few tubes of caulking which I got at various places, average $2 a tube. Have to put that stuff to use, also. 

One difference is that the bathroom is warmer. My daughter complained about how cold the toilet seat was last time she was here. She should be happier now. Don't blame her for complaining, cold toilet seats are one of life's worst experiences (and I've been on the wrong end of a gun several times). 

I got a working dryer this week for free off of craigslist. Someone was giving it away and I was the first one to call about it. They had moved and the new house didn't have 220V outlets, so they gave it away. Really nice guy! It's not new but not too old and works well. Since it's electric, I'm venting the exhaust into the house instead of outside and taped up the vent until spring. 

 

Internal collapse

The wind went wild again and did more damage to the greenhouse. The sides are still up and stable but the roof section completely collapsed. Not much surprise, since I haven't yet been able to repair the earlier damage yet. No time, no money and not the right supplies to do it right. Today, I got the supplies I needed to do the job right. Not working tonight, so I should be able to get it done tomorrow. Nothing was torn up or broken, just parts came apart from one another. Got self-drilling screws to prevent that from happening again. 

Some plants are coming back in the raised bed. Apparently, the dog ate the tops off some of them but not the roots. Still, I'm kind of glad that I don;t have anything large growing right now, as the collapse and the weather would have killed it all off. 

Been getting some calls for possible nursing jobs. Going to return those calls tomorrow. Also re-fax my resume to some pharmacies. My best approach may be to work each part-time. More secure that way. Have to wait and see what pans out from discussions and interviews. Way things are going, my only other viable option would be taking a travel assignment, which I don't want to do because my daughter is here.

Ideas for heating

Still doing some reading on solar heating and came up with a few ideas. 

One is for the greenhouse. Since the greenhouse faces east/west, if I place black plastic on the north side of the greenhouse, it should help capture and retain heat. If I lay down black plastic on all the unplanted areas, it will turn the entire greenhouse into a solar heat collector. In the spring, I can just roll up the black plastic to throw away or store for next winter, depending on condition. That will also help kill off some weeds and compost the soil beneath the plastic, if left on all winter. 

I also came up with an idea for using solar heat for the house for under $50 (when I have $50) and no structural changes. Kind of a large heat grabber for the bathroom window, which would draw cold air from beneath the house. More on that in the future.

Dug up

This morning, I removed the cold covers from the raised bed as usual. Let the sun and air in as much as possible.

Tonight, about 90 minutes ago, I recalled I had not put the covers back. Went out to replace them and saw dark soil where things had been growing. 

We had let the dog out by himself to play today. He has been corrected several times about the raised bed. Yet, he had dug up nearly every single thing which was living. Only about six things left, from what I could see. 

This dog is becoming more and more of a problem. As he gets larger, he is getting more aggressive and less disciplined, rather than more. 

I now have a 15 ft galvanized steel chain attached to the picnic table (which is around 200 lbs). He will no longer be allowed in the yard unless chained up. He will be chained up whenever we are gone or asleep. If his behavior gets any more aggressive, he will be returned to the shelter we got him from. 

He has gotten aggressive enough that my daughter is losing trust and affection for him. She spends a lot of time avoiding him. Not normal for my intensely affectionate and loyal daughter. I am restraining myself from some drastic measures with this dog but my patience is tissue thin now. One more incident may be enough to get this dog chained with his nose inches from his own poop or his mouth wrapped with Coban, either one for a couple of hours, until he gets the message. If those don't work, to the shelter he goes. I don't even trust for my daughter's safety with him now. 

One of the reasons dogs are popular pets is because they are loyal, affectionate and show a form of respect to their families. This dog does none of that. He is simply needful and vindictive. He has pulled my daughter's hair and took her favorite stuffed animal from her grasp. Poops on the floor in multiple spots, multiple rooms. (He even picks a particular area in the yard to go, not all over the place.) He started tearing pieces of clothing from the line. Began taking my blanket from my feet while I'm asleep for him to lay on. (Yes, he has his own blanket.) Has stolen various toys and other items to chew on and destroy. He seems to target things which we are most attached to. Some dogs hoard, he destroys. He has been given love, attention, affection, warmth, rewards and more. He was given up by one person or family and I now believe it was likely for his behavior. He was healthy and well fed when we got him, no overt signs of abuse or neglect. It looks like he just may not learn.

The solution!

Could not find any glue which purports to work on plastic sheeting with any reliability. Same with tape, at least for outdoor use. Not much of a greenhouse with holes running laterally across the roof where the plastic overlaps.

Came up with the solution this evening. Duct tape will work! But not just taping the pieces together. I have enough overlap that it would work to tape one or both edges, then roll them together and fix them to the sides. This would probably work without the tape but I think the tape will help the rolls lay flatter and add strength to the fixation points, which would be more prone to weather stress. 

It will require some disassembly and reassembly but not taking the whole top down. No more hardware needed and I have the tape on hand. Can get this done in two hours or less.

It does rather amaze me that there are no glues or tapes made for this use.

The top is up!

Got the top up on the greenhouse this afternoon. Still needs a bit of work where the plastic sheets overlap but seems solid, otherwise. Went out after dark and the temp had dropped and even with some work needed, it's noticeably warmer inside than out.


Granted, this is not a very fancy greenhouse but for 20 ft x 25 ft, under $200, built by one person who has not formal training in engineering, construction or gardening, I'd say it's not bad.

I will probably add some additional supports in the future, though more for aesthetics than anything else.

I can already tell that at least two of the compost pits are producing some level of heat. Not much but I'll work on that.

Still using the cold row covers for the moment, until I get the remainder of things firmed up. Temps are below freezing most of the next week, so guess I got this done with good timing.

Almost there

Even though my daughter and the dog were around, I managed to get 10 of 12 roof supports in place on the greenhouse today. I miscalculated and cut the last two very slightly short. I'll have to find something around here to attach some additional length to those. I know I have something which will work. 

My daughter was no problem. The dog insisted on first standing, then lying down on the drill cord. Not once, not twice but at least ten times. I'm rather certain that if this dog were human, he would be permanently institutionalized if someone didn't kill him first.

Once the last two pieces are in place, I can put the plastic sheeting up. All that will be left then is making doors, which can wait a little while. I just have flaps in place right now, which I can Velcro. That, repairing dog damage and tightening up loose ends. 


I have known this greenhouse would be a temporary one and would be replaced in the future with one more permanent. It does appear this one may be a lot more temporary than I had thought, if things keep going the way they have with it. One major goal with this was experimenting to get different processes and routines down, to figure out the major needs of a more permanent structure before building it. Right direction, yard placement, least environmentally and financially costly heating and cooling methods, etc. I have learned a lot in a short time and continue to do so. That makes me want to keep the temporary greenhouse up even longer, not knowing what I may learn in the future. 


However, I do intend to design and build a more permanent greenhouse myself. One thing I have a history of is making designs which are adaptable over time. I have debated whether to build several smaller greenhouses instead of one large one. I've already decided on making it one large greenhouse. However, I will design it with multiple rooms and movable walls. This will allow for different temperature ranges and lighting levels in different rooms for different crop needs. It can also ramp down during winter months if necessary or allow for easier rotation and isolation. The most difficult considerations are ventilation and pollination. But I have plenty of time to work on those issues, as I won't be even starting solid planning of such a thing for at least a year.

No such luck

Tried to get the top on the greenhouse yesterday. No luck. With my daughter and the dog vying for attention, just couldn't manage it. No way I'll be able to get the top up unless the dog is locked in the house, any way. 

It was so windy yesterday that I had to reinforce one side of the greenhouse, to keep the PVC from snapping like twigs. I tied some ropes around the top sections and pounded some stakes in the ground with one nail near the top of each. Tied the other ends of the ropes to those. That did the trick. Can dispose of that when I get the top up.

Then I forgot to put the blankets over the cold row covers when I went to work. This on the coldest night we've had so far this season. Luckily, the covers did their job and no extensive damage was noted. 

One thing I did manage to get done was finally putting the shed in proper order. Much easier to get motivated with the new window in place. Hard to organize a place when you can't even see well inside. This will make it much easier to get the rest of the house in order at long last. 

Took out the Halloween decorations and brought in the Christmas decorations. They're still boxed up but my daughter and I will put them up this weekend, after Thanksgiving is over.

Bust

Going to call the current compost experiment a bust. May try again at a later date, as too many factors could have played in. Low or no bacterial count in the soil added? Too much N? Not enough carbon? Too wet? In any case, I added the remainder to the outside pits, which are progressing well, especially since mulching leaves and dry grass this week. Took off like a rocket after that. 

I have small sprouts springing up in the raised bed but they're tiny and I'm not sure if they're things I planted or weed/clover. I was careful with the soil I put in place but the dog could have tracked things in I didn't want before I put the sunroofs in place. Hoping for positive but ready to be pulling things out if necessary. 

Pea Green Soup

Colder weather is always good for a big pot of split pea soup. Made a pot tonight. Unfortunately, not with peas from the garden, as things are growing but rather slowly. However, it's inexpensive to make and really good. Lots of onions, potatoes, bacon and, in my bowl, lots of freshly ground black pepper. Daughter hasn't tried it yet but I'll force at least one spoon down her tomorrow and hope she likes it enough to want more. 

Finally got the plastic to finish the roof on the greenhouse. Won't be working on it for a few days, since my daughter is here and I don't want to leave her feeling neglected on her two days a week with me. 

The sunroofs are working well over the raised bed, especially with blankets on top for subfreezing nights. Things are still growing, though slowly, as stated above. Had hoped to harvest some lettuce and green beans for Thanksgiving but it just wasn't to be. Should have better luck by Christmas, though. The sunroofs also offer the advantage of keeping the dog out of the raised bed. Though the disadvantage of not being tall enough for a trellis for green beans and peas. That's okay, if the dog tore them out or they froze then they would never get tall enough to need a trellis. 

Been doing some light reading on solar heating. Need to do some heavier reading on the subject before taking any action. Decided to use the greenhouse and maybe even the shed as test platforms for different trials on solar heating, maybe even solar water heating before attempting anything with the house, itself. The greenhouse and shed can be altered more readily and less expensively, plus I can isolate the results more without interference from the heat sources inside the house. 

Still in debt but made enough money to buy the stuff for Thanksgiving tonight. I am thankful for that, as last year I was broke before TG and had to race around TG morning, looking for one place that was open and still had a turkey left. Found one but at a premium price. This time, got it at the pre-TG special price and have all the stuff on hand, ready to cook, including homemade pumpkin puree in the freezer. 

Gotta get to bed. Daughter will wake me early. We have plans for the day, with no work involved. Brownies to make and walks and the playground to burn them off. 

On call again

Got the greenhouse more secured today, so the plastic isn't falling down or blowing around. Though I am considering surrounding the whole structure with punji stakes to keep the dog at a distance. He's run into the sides of the greenhouse so hard that he has broken some of the clamps.


It was cold outside this morning, so I waited until it warmed up a bit to get out there and get things done. I do find a difference between motivation and masochism. I'm all for the former. I'm single and gave up on dating over a year ago, proof that I'm not into the latter. 

Had intended to install that window on the shed but it got late. Took a nap, since I was scheduled to work tonight. Then got called. No work. I'm on call. So, I got up and went out to install the window. Got the basics of it done just as it got too dark to see. Power tools and darkness. Not a good combination. It's nothing fancy and I still need to put a frame around it, so it doesn't look too tacky. I did put sealant around it and bolt it down well. Least I have enough light to see in there now, long as there's any light outside. Future plans are to get more lucite for one more window and a light with a separate solar panel. No power going out there as of now, so if I go out to the shed at night, I pack a flashlight. 

The compost experiment goes on. After adding compost to the mush last night, no heat produced, which should have at least started by this morning. Think it was too wet. Added more dry compost today, so I'll see what happens now. Worst comes to worst, I can toss the mush into the regular compost pit and let it continue in normal fashion. 


Guess I'll go watch TV and cut the rest of that PVC.  Ran out of weatherstripping but cutting is the most time consuming part of making the clamps. 

Experiment continues

So, aside from the clover mush, I've added some blended apple and orange peels, now added some leaves. The one thing not from the kitchen or yard so far is that I added some Epsom salt to the mixture. Got the whole mixture currently sitting in a covered 5 gal bucket in the kitchen. Going to go out in a little while, bring in some compost and see what happens. 

The process is not attractive. The mixture tends to look a bit like vomit. However, with the blending, it's well oxygenated for the moment. 

Some people have suggested vermicompost. I may well do that in the future but right now I'm trying to come up with a mixture that makes the most heat possible, so bacterial activity is the way to go. It also means high N content. 

Next shift I work, I'm going to get the plastic to finish the greenhouse before paying the bills. If the greenhouse has any success, it should provide some amount of food which will help in the long run. Right now, the greenhouse is a shambles. Have to work on it tomorrow and get it in better condition or it will be useless to put a roof on it, as it'll just collapse eventually. Supposed to work tomorrow and the following night. 

Clover soup

Today, my daughter helped me pull some of the clover today for use in my current experiment. I didn't even ask her to help, she just suddenly showed up at my side while I was gathering clover and started helping. I told her I was making soup for plants to eat and that got her excited. Not so excited after I ran some through the blender and asked her if she wanted some of it. The mixture came out of the blender a dark emerald green. Looked like something out of a sci-fi or horror movie. Pretty sure this stuff should have an extreme amount of Nitrogen in it.

I still haven't been able to positively identify this clover. It's not unattractive, has no thorns or anything like that. Only grows a few inches tall and grows well in shady areas. Some of the plants have sprouted tiny yellow flowers. I've tentatively identified it as a member of the mustard family of plants. (Sounds about right, judging from the odor when I blended it.) If I can control and confine it, I won't get rid of all of it. If it is the mustard plant I suspect, it's considered a winter grass and should mostly go dormant when warm weather returns. I'll have to research further, as it could have serious beneficial properties, here and well beyond my yard. 

I'm actually a little glad the greenhouse isn't finished yet. Between weather, normal wear and the dog, some parts of it have shown weaknesses in my design up to now. Sheets of plastic falling down, duct tape coming loose, various overlaps proving faulty. Got the drill back out and secured a few places today and it looks a lot better. Have to do many other spots later in the week, when I'm not neglecting my kid to do so. 


Really happy with the screws I purchased, which are "lath screws" by Phillips II. They cost around $7 for 170 of them, have broad heads and drill points, eliminating the need for drilling each hole. They also have a positive grip head and come with a special drill bit which engages the texture in the head. 


Supposed to freeze tonight. Still haven't had the money to finish the greenhouse, even though I need less than $30 at this point. But I have three domed plastic skylights I got for free, so I placed those over the raised bed and covered them with blankets for tonight. Works well for an improvised row cover. 


Okay, off to bed. Daughter will wake me early and I have no real idea what the day will bring after breakfast.

Leaf piles and a new compost method

My daughter has been excited about autumn. She's always enjoyed kicking leaves around but this is the first year we've had our own yard. Turns out she was excited about the idea of jumping in a huge pile of leaves! So far, the leaves have been falling slowly. I managed to rake together a moderate size pile of leaves but nothing all that big. This weekend, the temp is dropping and leaves are falling heavily. When she comes over this weekend, the leaf pile should be about three times larger than last weekend. I don't mind raking the pile back together for her, long as she's having fun.

Of course, as she becomes bored with it and the leaves atsrt breaking down, I'll run the composting mower over them and add them to the compost pits. 

Like most compost pits, my own looks like it may be lacking in Nitrogen, now that it's autumn and heading into winter. However, right now I'm actually happy for all the clover in the yard. It's still bright green and there's enough of it to up the N content to a decent enough amount to keep the pits working well for some time. I also drink lots of coffee and grind the beans to powder (turkish grind), so that should help, also.


I've also been looking around for what items can be placed in the pits to maintain and maybe increase the N in the compost. Found that parsley has a very high N content (and not too expensive). So, one or two bunches here and there while shopping would be an affordable way to add N to the compost.

Ran across an article and website which went into the subject of colloidal humus compost. With some minor knowledge of chemistry, the name made sense. In truth, all fertilizer is a colloid (suspension) of sorts. The website tries to sell an e-book for $35, which I don't have and probably wouldn't spend that much on, any way. However, it did get me thinking. I generally follow the usual process of cutting items up fairly small before composting them. Wouldn't it be more efficient to place things in a blender? If I turn compostable scraps into a colloid before adding it to the pits, it should speed the whole process along.

Considering trying the above, placing already mixed compost in 5 gal buckets and adding the blended mixture to it, just to see what happens.

I'm also looking into designing a mulching barrel for leaves and grass clippings. If I can get hold of an old electric motor (like a lawnmower motor) blades and a metal drum, I could devise a drum which would grind things up enough to make the process faster and more efficient. Later, I could probably combine that with solar power to run the motor. I know, chipper/shredders exist but I'm thinking of reducing the particles more than that does. If things are reduced enough, composting may not be really necessary. Long as the raw materials are mixed together well. That would be something for a later limited experiment. It does seem to me that spreading well broken down materials would have the result of turning the entire yard or garden into a compost heap. Only the heaviest and most compacted residual material would have to be composted.

Weed fabric

Composted the main garden a couple days ago, all raked out and such. Then laid out weed fabric, some mulch on top (need to buy more). Then, of course, the dog started pulling it around. Got it back in place and had a strong talk with the dog. May seem strange to rake off the top layer of soil into the compost pit, then apply compost from another two pits but I had a big problem with clover overgrowing everything. I'm hoping the weed fabric deters that. Want to give it a little time before planting anything else. If that doesn't work, I'll probably have to use black plastic, instead. I'd prefer to avoid chemicals if at all possible.


Original plantings in the raised bed are growing well. However, the broccoli seems to have simply disappeared. Think it's the dog again. I know he dug more garlic out.

Got a reprieve in the weather and it's been rather warm. Supposed to drop below freezing again this weekend or early next week again. I should be able to get some, if not all the roof on the greenhouse by then. Or I'll have to devise a temporary cold cover for the raised bed. Not too hard as yet, since most of the plants are still small. Though I'm going to have to install a trellis for the peas soon. They're ready to start creeping now but not tall enough for a trellis.

Potted tomatoes are growing rather well. I transplanted some of the larger ones to bigger containers and added some of my own compost. They look like they're taking to it much better than the bagged stuff, as they became greener and growth accelerated within like two days.

Okay, have to get moving. I have a test to take for a new job application today. Hoping to get this. More stable and within walking distance from my house.

The case for harvesting seeds

I've read many places that harvesting and saving seeds from store bought produce is a bad idea, blah blah blah. Most typically, the advice is published by someone with connection to the seed industry. I have no doubt there are times this advice is quite valid but do not believe every single seed I plant should be purchased. 

Right now, I have cherry tomato seeds growing, which were store bought seeds. I also have beefsteak tomato seeds growing, which I harvested from produce bought across the street at the produce market, then fermented and dried. So far, the beefsteak seeds are germinating at an approaching 100%. The plants are also surviving well. The cherry tomato seeds are running 50-60% germination and a number of the  plants have died off. They were all planted at the same time and have been treated exactly the same. Now, maybe the cherry tomato plants are a much more fragile species of plant. Plus, production is still to be seen, as the beefsteak plants could well be sterile and produce no fruit. Have to wait and see. I still find it worth the effort to try saving and growing seeds from produce.

Cooked some pie pumpkin today to make puree and saved the seeds from that. Has a really good, sweet flavor to the pumpkin with no sugar at all. So I'm hoping the seeds will be viable and I can reproduce the same kind of pumpkins. Seeds are drying now.

Back is still a bit sore but recovering well. Haven't done a job like that on my back in years.

My daughter's dog managed to tear down the top section of the plastic sheeting on one side of the greenhouse. Running into it, then trampling it. It's along a side between the fence and greenhouse. Guess I'll have to use some spare PVC piping to erect a fence at each end to keep him out of that area.

I direct planted some new seeds yesterday in the raised bed. If it gets too crowded, I should have the main bed in planting shape by the time some plants are big enough to transfer. The dog had also dug up some of my garlic, so planted more of that. (He's learning to leave the raised bed alone.) I also planted more peas, broccoli, romaine, green beans (earlier plants failed from frost or strangled by clover) and some jalapeno seeds I harvested. No great hope for those through winter but maybe I'll be surprised. Mulched the raised bed with cedar, which I'm hoping helps discourage the dog, among other pests.

Going to empty out two compost pits this week and get the main bed ready for planting. One pit is still outside and I used a bucket of that to kick-start the culture in three new pits. Going to use the weed fabric I've had sitting around for a while once the main bed is set up. Then I want to get some carrots and potatoes in the ground.

Light day

Yesterday, I did some rather extensive hoeing with a hoe and pickax, then raked well in the greenhouse. Was expecting to work, so stopped to take a nap in the afternoon. Got called off from work again. So, I decided to go ahead and dig out some of the remaining bamboo roots in the yard. When I moved in there was a lot of running bamboo, with evidence that bamboo once covered as much as one third of the back yard. 

I dug up roughly 100 lbs of bamboo roots, which is hard work and a lot of bamboo root. Ask anyone who has ever tried this. Bamboo is rhizomatous, so the root (singular) grows forever and must be chopped apart with a pickax to remove it piece by piece. It also grows on multiple levels, one over another, so you can get through one layer to find another beneath that. In my yard, I've found as many as three layers I could identify. Still not done but made considerable progress. 

Along the way, I pulled my lower back. Walking like an old man today and writing with a heating pad on the chair behind me. I also found my hands were swollen and visibly bruised. That's an odd thing, as I do not bruise with major trauma. 

I had been taking a protein drink lately because I have gluten intolerance and therefore higher protein needs than most. Maybe I was taking too much? Did my research. No, not too much protein, I was taking too little protein! 

Some possible effects of not having enough protein in your diet can be: Fatigue, depression, anxiety, lowered immune response, bruising easily (capillaries become more fragile), long healing time, anemia and muscle wasting (short list). I knew some of this but not all. May have known at one time and forgot. 

Now, my protein intake is probably sufficient for normal activity but I have been doing some hard physical labor on and off for some weeks. Then had some digestive problems this weekend from something I ate at work. So the end result was that my blood thinned out and capillaries became weakened. (Also kept wondering why I was getting tired so easily while working.) So, I had a protein-heavy dinner. Going to take it easy today, let my body catch up.  

Dug out

Got one more compost pit dug out earlier in the day. Soil was so hard I broke my garden fork and had to move to the pickax to loosen it. Finished that one, was tired and expected to work tonight. Got canceled from work, so went ahead and dug out the last pit. So, I now have one compost pit in each corner of the greenhouse. Though it will take a while to have enough material to fill them with proper material. There is the issue of three large piles of dirt to deal with..


Leveled and raked out the main garden. Raked most of the top material into the pits. Still have some work toward the back of the greenhouse but it's starting to look pretty good. 


It's easy to see the difference in the soil from the main garden area from when I moved in. The soil at the entrance has not been worked, so it's still gray, sandy and dry. The garden soil is dark brown, loose and holds moisture well. 


The dog seems to like digging up my garlic. Have to plant more. He's learning and I have plenty of room to plant. 


I had begun having doubts about the size and design of the greenhouse for a while. Too big? Too ambitious? Is the roof too low? Those doubts are fading now that I'm getting it in shape. It's large but not precocious. The roof height should be easy to maintain and make it easier to heat, while retaining higher CO2 levels, once the compost pits are going and the roof is up. It will have plenty of room to grow while not feeling cramped. It's simple but not ugly and, with a few embellishments, should eventually be quite attractive. So, in spite of doubts and late financial constrictions, I think I've made good choices along the way.

Even better

Took another look at the prices of one gallon planters. Turns out one site I had saved does not charge $45 per 100, as I had thought. That price is for 200! How cool is that?! I find it really cool but maybe I'm a dork, okay?

Only one corner of the main garden is growing a few lettuce plants now. So, I dug one more compost pit and started filling it in with surface soil which had lots of clover growing on it. It also has lots of mulch. That one will take a long time to compost but figured the bacteria should feed well on it, over time. There's lots of clover growing all over the garden, but the root system is shallow. So, I'll probably take the first inch or two of surface soil and compost it over most or all of the winter. Everything is now within the confines of the greenhouse and, as I remove clover, new growth should be easy to spot and remove. 

I still need to dig two more compost pits, as I have one at each of the West corners but need ones for the East corners. I'll do that tomorrow. Not much as yet to put in them but why wait until later?

Leaves are falling, though rather slowly. My daughter has a romantic idea of jumping in a huge pile of leaves. Guessing she saw it on TV or video, as she has grown up in apartments until this year, so has never gotten to do this. There haven't been enough leaves to form a big pile yet but getting there. I've been avoiding raking until that happens. The ex made a comment about the work involved but I don't mind it a bit. I'll rake them into a pile several times, if necessary. She can invite her neighborhood friends and all of them can jump in the leaves. What the heck? They just help break them up a bit more before commending them to the compost pits. Um, that's the leaves, not the kids.

Over the winter, I'll build the planned raised beds. Still debating the eventual structure and end design of the whole garden and greenhouse. With the size of the greenhouse, I have room to place work tables along one side, maybe two. The picnic table may eventually wind up in there, as well. (Or a smaller one.) Overall, I'll have to accept my own nature and an evolving knowledge to the fact that the whole thing will be a work in progress for the rest of my life. Not a bad thing at all.

I'm not really much on flowers but my daughter is, so some portion of the garden will be dedicated to various types of flowers. At least starting them there before later transfer to different places in the yard.

Some trees planted

Okay, granted this doesn't look all that impressive as yet. However, I've planted 29 tree seeds and 8 grape vine seeds. So far, these include Dixon Apples, Golden Apples, Bartlett Pears, Lemons and Black Grapes. 

For anyone who thinks my idea is too expensive, here are my costs: Seeds: $0. I don't count the cost of the seeds because they are all harvested from food we ate.  Soil: Top Soil from Lowe's: $1.86. This cost will likely be eliminated in the future, as I'll be rotating at least four compost pits. Cups: $2 from Dollar Tree. Plastic sandwich bags for wintering seeds: Roughly $0.02 each, for four bags. (50 bags for $1, Dollar Tree.) Highest cost was the Sterilite box, $8 at Walmart. If you have something else suitable, that cost can be eliminated or reduced. It is reusable and will likely last for years, though.


So, total cost of planting 8 grape vines and 29 tree seeds was $11.94 before taxes. I'm not counting the cost of water because it really only takes so little that the cost is negligible.

The cost may go up in the future, unless I can talk someone into donating plastic planters. That will be some time away, though. Up to a year. Even then, I've found greenhouse supply places that sell 1 gal containers for about $45 per 100. Assuming a constant cost, at this rate, it will cost me about $0.81 per tree/plant to produce at least 100 plants. Even including shipping and price increases, it should not come out to any more than $1 each. So, that comes out to $100 or less per year to improve the environment and make an ongoing contribution to feeding those in need. I don't find that too expensive, especially since it's split up through the entire year.

Maybe not a bad thing

First frost is forecast for tonight. I already have weather damage to several plants and the top of the greenhouse is not yet in place. I had predicted the first frost would come early. I hate when I'm right, sometimes.

It may not be a bad thing if the frost kills off the main garden bed early. I intended to change the direction of the garden to East/West, rather than North/South, as it is now. That is, aside from building more raised beds. If the main bed gets killed off, I can dig it out and re-compost the top layers to kill off weeds and grass which invaded. While the remaining plant material would enrich the compost more. That would give me enough material to use for four compost pits, one for each corner of the greenhouse and enable me to really ramp up on the compost heating experiment.  Even more so when mixed with the leaves from the trees and normal kitchen waste.

That design will look more attractive, any way. I had started the garden without all that much thought or knowledge. The placement and direction was decided on mostly because it was most convenient at the time, with few tools available. I have more tools now and more knowledge. The East/West direction will enable me to place taller plants, such as corn, further to the south or in alternating rows/beds, allowing for more shade in summer months to shorter and more heat-sensitive crops. I also want to look into what kind of vines will grow in this environment, so I can grow vines along some support structures, making for even more shade. Mostly, I want to look into grapes and hops. Biggest question is which ones will survive and produce here.

Too late

Looks like I'm finishing the greenhouse too late for some plants. It wasn't supposed to freeze last night but I guess there was some frost at ground level. A few of the pumpkin plants suffered frost damage. Unfortunately, the two with the worst damage were the ones with pumpkins actively growing.

In spite of all the effort, going to be using blankets for a while. I'm out of plastic sheeting and out of money to buy more, since I haven't gotten any work for a while now.

It really is a challenge to build a solid enough greenhouse here in NM. Heat in the summer, freezing in the winter, not enough rain at times and torrential rains at others, snow, and winds that pick up suddenly and can blow cars across lanes.

So, it's not great surprise that the landscape staples didn't work. The wind picked up this afternoon and every single one pulled out of the ground. They're still a good idea for areas that don;t have the winds we get here.

So, last night I had cut a lot more snap clamps while watching TV and backed them with weatherstripping. This afternoon, I snapped those in place. But by the time I had finished the last side, they had all popped off the first side. I had a box of self-tapping screws, so I took them and a drill with a screwdriver attachment. Went around and fixed each clamp in place with two screws. Some of the pipes came apart, as well, even some that had been glued with PVC cement. I fixed many of those in place with screws, also.

Some of the posts in sandy soil got blown hard enough to be leaning severely. Blocked those temporarily with other short lengths of PVC. I have 1x2 stakes in the shed, so I can put those down tomorrow. If the holes grow any larger, I can pour concrete in them at some point. I had thought 12" deep would be enough but obviously not in this soil.

I'm really hoping this greenhouse isn't just wasted effort for the next few months. Though I never really consider anything truly wasted effort, as you gain knowledge along the way.

Planted the first tree seeds last night. Not much, just a few lemon seeds. I planted several each in five styrofoam cups. If multiple ones start growing, I'll separate them when they get large enough. Going to plant more seeds in cups this weekend, when my daughter is here. Keeping them all inside for now. By the time they are large enough to transfer to bigger pots, I should have the greenhouse done.

Staples and clamps

Since I needed to secure the sides of the greenhouse covering, I recalled I had a box of landscape staples. So, I stapled the bottom all the way around today. May get another box and place one staple about every 6". One good thing about them is they're cheap. I got a box of 50 for something like $3 at Harbor Freight Tools. They're just under 5" long. I love Harbor Freight!

Since I don't want to spend that much money and snap clamps aren't available locally, I decided to make my own. Got a 10' length of 1 1/4" thin walled PVC today, cut it in 6" sections. Then cut a small section lengthwise from each piece. Lot of work but that way I get twenty 6" pieces for about $3. So far, I've only cut 8 pieces, two for each corner. If necessary, I can fix them in place with self-tapping screws and/or apply pieces of weatherstripping to the inner side.

I still need to get the top up by Wed night, as first frost is forecast that night.

From some light research

The compost heated greenhouse is not at all a new idea, it seems. Such attempts have been made at least as far back as 30 years in multiple countries. It also seems it is a good idea, as such experiments have been quite successful. 

One reason this is a good idea is that compost produces mostly CO2. Since plants inspirate CO2 and expirate O2, increased CO2 levels in a greenhouse is a good thing. It can boost plant growth and production by as much as 40%! In fact, one problem often seen with winter greenhouses is lack of CO2, as plants absorb the existing ambient CO2. Since winter greenhouses are most often closed to external sources of CO2, the greenhouse is naturally lacking in this gas, which plants require. 

This is in addition to the fact that compost can produce heat up to 140 degrees F (some sources say up to 165 degrees F). Now, much of the research has involved compost heaps much larger than my own. The ones in research were several tons large. So, I'm not sure just how much heat my own puny piles will produce but any amount of heat which helps at least decrease the need for external sources of heat will be welcome.

So, by placing a compost pit or bin inside the greenhouse during winter months, it would seem you are providing multiple benefits to the plants inside. You provide heat and CO2 at the same time you are basically cooking them a healthy meal. 

Most of the American research has included manure as a major component of compost. However, European researchers have achieved the same temperature ranges with little or no manure and the end chemical composition is virtually the same. It appears to me the benefit of manure is simply bacterial introduction. Yet, once the required bacteria are present, they remain present and continue to propagate. The trick is simple. Never completely empty your compost pile. Always keep some back for the next batch, which transfers the bacteria along. It's like making sourdough bread starter. I've been doing this since my first compost batch and it has proven to work.

Some research has included using compost to heat water and has worked well. Once again, the compost heaps were considerable and required heavy equipment to manipulate. I don't have the money, the equipment or even the available material for such a large compost heap. I kind of question the practicality of such a thing, if you need large machines, any way. They also included pipes and pumps to circulate the water. My thinking is that simple small, slow fans over the pit would help oxygenate it, possibly increasing heat production even more, distribute the heat and the CO2 more effectively. (If it can be solar powered, even better!)

So, I'll place several pits or bins inside the greenhouse over the winter. Get a few thermometers and at least one temperature probe to check and record progress.

Sides up

I have the plastic sheeting up on the sides of the greenhouse. The plastic doubles over for the top few feet, which should help with winter weather. Just having the sides up should help with an overnight cold snap. 

Got the sliding sections up which I mentioned. However, the overall height is between 9-10 ft now. Wanted it closer to 8 for easier maintenance and less wind resistance. Besides, 10 ft looks a little precocious. So, I'm going to cut the height down a bit before covering the top. Shouldn't take long.

Have to weigh the sides down to block more wind from the bottom. I have loose bricks and one railroad tie which should serve the purpose. Still need to clamp the plastic, too, as duct tape isn't going to last for long, especially when the weather gets colder. 

Transferred a bunch of plants out to the raised bed this weekend which were getting too big for the peat pots. Hope they do well. I had been hardening them to outside weather for a while. 

I had harvested, fermented and dried some seeds from a beefsteak tomato a few weeks ago. Planted them in some peat pots. I'm excited to say they're growing! May not sound like much to some people but this is the first time I've ever done this. I also harvested and dried seeds from a cantaloupe this weekend and was amazed at how many seeds I obtained. If you buy seed packets, you only get about 1/4 of that for more than the cost of one fruit! Kind of a rip-off, isn't it? Just saving those for spring. 

One edge of the smaller compost pit extends under the side of the greenhouse. Think I'll fill in the outside edge and dig out the inside, to experiment with the heat production aspect. If it helps heat the greenhouse through the winter, that would be great! If it does harm, I'll just fill it in and move it back outside. 

Oh, well

I returned the call to the NM Dept of Agriculture. No direct assistance, just some advice. It was good advice, though. 

One thing was that the solid waste dept offers free compost to whomever asks for it. I knew about this but their website refers to needing a truck to pick it up. I have a van. I will call them and see if maybe I can load a few Sterilites at a time and haul compost that way. 


No matter what, I am still moving forward with the project. Have seeds wintering in the fridge now. Some have only been there a few days, others a few weeks. I keep adding with the items my daughter and I eat. She gets excited at the idea of planting them. She's careful to look for and save seeds whenever she eats fruits now. Most of what she has helped me save goes in the fridge. We haven't explored seeds together which have to be dried yet.



The base section of the greenhouse is pretty much complete. Little fine tuning as I complete the rest is in order. It won't be perfect but it should be quite stable and definitely large enough. Need about two connectors to complete the base, each about $1 or less. 

The top section is going to have some intentional give, as I am building it with a couple of feet of sliding sections. The winds can get fierce here, so I think the sliding section will allow more flexibility when it's strong. The top section will intentionally slide, then spring back when the wind subsides. Takes some of the stress off other parts of the structure. If more rigidity to the sides is needed, I can always fill the pipes with concrete. 

Supposed to have cooler weather coming in next week and seems the first frost isn't too far away. Knew it would come early this year. Need to get this done soon.