the Plus4Zones non-tropical unheated greenhouse

I'm not this guy, but I like this guy...



I have an old horse barn that is just screaming for a conversion like this.

Ivan

Thanks for posting Ivan, I hadn't seen that before and I love it too.  My greenhouse does about 4 zones as well and I'm just starting to plant warmer climate trees in it.  Should've done that sooner.  But the idea of converting old buildings like that is great.  If he has a second video, feel free to post it here too.  I'm a bit curious what kind of plastic he put on the barn...

Hi Mike, I've followed your greenhouse adventures for some time, and have been quite inspired. Thanks for posting all your details.

Here's another of his videos:


And a call to action:


I don't know any of his construction details either, but it seems he's hoping to have people contact him for advice and guidance. I won't presume to post his email here, but he provides it for all in the comments section of one of the videos.

Ivan

Oh man this is genius. I have a barn with few animals in it. I should convert it!!!

I am loving this thread!  So encouraging that you don't need to pull out every trick in the book to get results... just make the best choices with what you've got.

Also, I'm wondering... if you have your +4 barn greenhouse... can you put up a smaller +4 greenhouse in the middle(?) of it?  Does that make it a +8 greenhouse?

I don't think you'd get another #4.  Otherwise by that math you could do four nested greenhouses and the middle one could BBQ a pig.  Hmm, gotta test that out....

My hunch is that a small greenhouse inside the big one would get you 1 or maybe 2 more zones.  

He made another video

Wow - such great info in these videos.  I need to come up with an indoor orchard concept that not only provides milder winter temperatures, but addresses the terrifically hot and dry early summer temperatures that tend to bake anything in a greenhouse.  I'm so inspired by these videos!

His greenhouse design works fine in the cool Canadian summer, but would cook any plants in it during my hot, humid zone 7b South Carolina summers.  I grow citrus, pineapples, and overwinter peppers in my unheated hoop houses by removing the greenhouse film plastic cover in the spring and replacing it with 30% shade cloth which reduces the heat gain on the plants, reduces their water loss, and excludes all but the smallest pest insects.  In the fall I pull off the shade cloth and replace it with the greenhouse film.  By doing this, the greenhouse plastic isn’t exposed to the higher summer UV levels so it should last much longer than the 4 year lifespan guarantee for the greenhouse film.