James MacKenzie

Joshua States wrote:T
It's a steep learning curve. I did not plan for enough ventilation and need to figure out how to keep the temperature down inside. I have some shade cloth over the top of half of it and that seems to help quite a bit.
I will be getting more of that as the outdoor temps are in the 90's F (mid 30's C) lately.

If your nighttime temps aren't below unacceptable you might want to consider taking off both ends entirely and using screen in the hotter months - a larger mesh will let pollinators in as well. your window openings could be larger. At minimum remove the the apex (wedge above the door half-moon shape) on both ends... heat rises and collects there so the "tunnel will at least dissipate - cover in the fall.

i live in a cooler climate than you - i have a shed roof design... from june-sept the high part is permanently vented/open at the top rafters. i close it off during cold months... you could do something similar on the ends.

i have large opening windows on 3 sides that get a breeze - they are now permanently open. in the spring fall - they get opened and closed depending on the inside temp.

on a 25c day with sun and with everything open... it is still close to 35-40 in the greenhouse.

venting is definitely a "thing" ;-)

hope this helps - good luck - cheers!

absolutely - i had two but a hurricane knocked one out.

i use old windows ... can't live without it! i posted more details here:


https://permies.com/t/262587/Making-sustainable-greenhouse-disposable-plastic#2593499

all the above comments are valid - tbh - just fill them as is!

you could run some 1-2 inch branches along the seams at the bottom on the inside to help with dirt seeping out - a little soil around the outside perimeter should work too.

those are dandy beds - they are also tall!! you could probably do fine taking the top half off each on and double your beds (if you have more room) - 18" is deep enough for almost anything.. it will help with buckling  as well (less height kicking out)..

the rocks on the bottom are fine - yes some soil will get in there but eventually fuse in... side seams should be fine.!

best of luck!

just about everything shipped these days comes packaged with a silica pack (boots, batteries, electronics, etc etc.) - you can save them and reuse them no problem - ask your friends to save them too.. (they are great in tackle boxes, ammo boxes, tool boxes etc. as well)

it is ESSENTIAL to be sure your seeds are dry dry dry before you package them..in late summer/fall i have plates all around my house on books with seeds sitting on scraps of parchment...patience is key - 2 weeks  seems safe for internal seeds (peppers, tomatoes, squash, cukes etc.),  herbs you harvest  dry as a bone on a dry afternoon - them store the stalks til dry dry dry.. beans harvest crispy.. then dry more

did i say dry?? you can't rush the process .. putting them on plates gives insects a chance to skedaddle as well

to store the seeds, i use coin envelopes ..

https://www.staples.ca/collections/coin-envelopes-8902

they are pricey but work great a they are tough and breathe (i would advise against airtight containers) use a paper clip to seal them up as opposed to to wetting the glue flap you can re-use them until there is no space to write... i store the envelopes in plastic shoe boxes, with silica and those go up in a wood cabinet in a dry place in the house that has a door that closes (a kitchen cupboard up high would work well so long as mice can't get in)..

not much more to it but all of the above really does work reliably

good luck - cheers!

If you really mean "weekly" get a truck... if you have another vehicle and get a truck you can sell the other vehicle. if you find yourself finding/hauling things that often - NOTHING beats jumping out of the truck, biffing whatever into the bed and them jumping back in and off you go.. safely

i moved to rural cape breton in 2010 and bought  a used 2006 f150 then bought a new 2017 when i was coupled and we had 2 incomes and the interest rate was zero... i knew the dealer and we had a couple of good sessions making sure i got everything i needed . i did take the extra step asking him about a suv and trailer option (my parents did years with a rav 4 and trailer).

he told me that everyone who had come to him and traded their truck for an suv told him later on they wished they had kept the truck.. he emphasized "everyone"... it's something i don't forget

a lot of it depends, as other have noted, on your conditions, area size location etc...

i tried an atv with a plow for years but 170 feet of my driveway has nowhere to "push" to. additionally an atv is useless after about 8 inches of snow..

in the city i had a snowplow and it worked well for a short paved driveway in the suburbs... in downtown a shovel was adequate

eventually i had to get a subcompact tractor -  a b23x - it is the ONLY way to do my driveway. expensive - hell yes but again, the only way... advantage over a blower or blow is, well, it is a tractor - great for garden etc..

a couple of times i shoveled the driveway - took me 3 days after a 10" snowfall and i was exhausted  - that is unsustainable and can be dangerous..

anyway - that is my experience... suited to my requirements today of course - best of luck all - almost over this year anyway!!

trying to insulate that safely, effectively and without rot in Quebec would be a nightmare