I builded, I buildeth, I built... Its up...

Hi I have just completed and signed off on the scrounged begged borrowed upcycled recycled greenhouse yay!! now for a cold beer and a rest... It is mostly re-used windows and pallet wood. I have had suggested to me building a watering trough inside for growing to save  time and effort has any one done this?? I thought I would try hay bales inside first..

It is the most amazing feeling, isn't it?

Where I live in Kansas we get the odd late-spring hard freeze, which are too cold for my greenhouse alone to protect against, so I covered my bok choi and other greens with 3 layers of plastic. They survived and gave me over a month's good eating at which time the salad greens outside the greenhouse started producing. THEN I had salad coming out of my ears, not that I am complaining!

I am trying to decide what to plant in there this Fall. Frost tolerant plants do the best, but I am seriously tempted to plant cucumbers.

As for a watering trough, I found a washtub full of water to be a great convenience while the seedlings were small. They need very little water but they need it immediately. Older plants need a lot of water and it was simpler to run a house out and give them a good drink every few days, but seedlings need fiddling over and I did not want to walk into the house to get just 2 cups of water. The washtub of water would last me for 2 weeks while the plants were small.

I may build a shallow trough and put a couple of bales in it and see what happens... Plus I  think a good reacting bale will help warm the inside of the greenhouse too..

Terri do you have short days in the fall and winter where you are? We are in Ireland and we do so I was going to think about rigging up led lighting for a few hours a day, maybe 12 volt with a small wind turbine and car battery.......

Not bad at all.  That's a cool looking building!

Thanks Sonja! It took months I have a back and neck problem but I chipped away minute by minute and got there....

Heres another angle

Wow, Andy! Very nice looking. I love all the upcycled glass!

That is awesome! I've been wanting to do that for years, but nay-saying spouse has prevented me so far. How about some black barrels filled with water on the North side to work as solar heat sink?

Wow, that's a beautiful greenhouse! Well done.

That's excellent in so may ways. Well done indeed!!!

Well done

That's an amazing greenhouse! Love it... You're inspiring me to make a cob one with upcycled windows as well....

Wow a cob greenhouse would be awesome ... build it, you could use straw bale too that would be warm and cosy for your seedlings.

Black Mission, Texas Everbearing, & Brown Turkey. Only one has survived a winter. It died later that spring. I know of a few mature fig trees around here. They mostly die off in winter then resprout each spring. I WILL achieve at least that. Quantity of trees needed is not an issue. Since they don't "hibernate" in Texas one tree will feed half a neighborhood. Never heard of Chicago Hardy but will pursue that further. First thing the guy who bought my old place did ... chopped the fig tree down. Then every other plant on the property. Shade, food, beauty, water retention, & erosion control. Just gone. No clue.