"Douglas" wrote in message
...

"Amber Ormerod" wrote in message
...

"kenty ;-)" wrote in message
s.com...
Hi, I have a greenhouse for growing orchids & having a source of rain
water
inside the greenhouse that is of inside temp is important,especially
in
winter when tap water is really cold & rainwater is a natural source
for
plants.


is that any different than bringing it inside the greenhouse for a few
hours
to get to the same temp?

*********
(In friendly tones (!!)....). - You will find you will have better and
more
important things to do, than wait, once the greenhouse building is
completed. The raising of the temperature of water from its ambient temp
is a slow process depending entirely on the extent of time and the heating
applied, implying that much heat energy is expended to reach higher
temperatures. We all know this, - don't we, - and anyway, what about Her
Indoors calling for her chauffeur to take her to Asdas, - or the pricey
dress-shops, just as you are breaking out the watering cans.!
Reserve a corner inside the greenhouse for your potting table and
underneath
build 2 stands alongside each other comprising 2 cement blocks standing
on
their edges but raised about four inches underneath with house bricks.
That
height will be about 28 inches. These will support an oblong plastic butt
from B&Q with a tap at the best useful place, That 28 measurement can be
anything, just make it suit
the height of the bucket and the height of the tap on the side of the but.
I,f.t. (!!)...). - Anyone who digs a pit reservoir with the top at
ground
level should be taken aside and thrashed within an inch of his life.
Why??.I will answer with only one word,- Children. It's the same with
ponds.
I have a small one but it is well and properly guarded.
I have seen neglected allotments with sunken butts and the rotten wooden
lids still
crumbling after thirty years , -some with no lid at all, unattended and
unrepaired.

I,f.t. (!!)...). - For oblong greenhouse structures in this Country,
(England). east-west or somewhere near that, is best. The sunshine rises
shining through the eastern end or a corner , sweeps slowly across one
side
and sets shining through the western end or corner in the evening.
When drawing up the plans I strongly urge you to consider designing the
greenhouse with built-up beds inside. Mine are about 28 inches high from
shoe-sole level, ( one brieze-block or cement block on top of another
with
house brick under to get the extra 4 inches on the height). How easy it
is
thereafter, to work at the plants without too much effort and not get
sacro-iliac problems like the dreaded sciatica, of which I am a victim.
If its a big house you'll have to design-in, - in the middle of each side,
(I have only one side thus) for personal reasons, - I use the otherside
for
potting etc., etc.) design in entry squares because the length of the ends
will make the middle portion too wide to reach the perimeter plants near
the
glass on the long side of the greenhouse. That square built there for
standing on is lost for growing anything, of course.
How to construct - build the low brick walls first, then fill the inside
of
the growing beds, i.e., rubble underneath and soil on top. But first
knock
drain holes in the wall, each side at ground level about two-to-three
inches
wide will do. Arrange slight slopes on the bottom of the bed floor to
drain
into the holes. (I have not bothered to make a cement floor, - I don't
think
it is necessary. I have only two holes at one end because the g/house is
built in a slightly sloping hill. The greenhouse is level, of course.
Fill in the bottom, up to about eight inches with broken pave slabs or
such,
very loose together then you will later fill in with stones or whatever
about the size of your lightly-clenched fist, more or less, use your
judgement and whatever you've got or can get.
Building up the actual sides of the beds.:- Build up the beds to about
four
inches *higher* than two cement blocks laid lengthways standing on their
edges, Those low walls will be about 28 inches above the floor you are
going
to stand and walk on, (Lower than that negates the whole job, - you will
still have awkward physical back-bending problems. Higher tends to make
the
top of the soil bed difficult to work.) Now to fill in the earthy
'growing' compost, (which I have just replaced this years after three to
four years use. (Tomatoes).
I have already in another thread explained I mix in my trusty cement mixer
The depth of final growing compost to the top of the inside wall is just
nicely over a foot. (The "Growing Soil" is just above a foot deep.)
I mix soil: - Lets' talk about that. If you buy it in it's expensive so
you are growing tomatoes, plants, etc for a hobby. Nemmind, eh! there's
always something to do, and that is very important.
When you retire from the daily slog, a deadly enemy called idleness
quickly
saps your confidence and you wake up in the morning and you ask yourself
what you are going to do.
A person interested in gardening has already as good as beaten the enemy.
We rise and eat, then wander out the back. Look at those roses! they've
come
on nicely!. The big poppies are in full bloom! .You reach the greenhouse
and enter to open up. Look at those side-shoots,!
I'll soon pinch 'them' out!. Its comfortably warm in there,- it relaxes
you. Your mind is looking outwards , not inwards, and slowly you happily
potter on. and forget all about diazepam.
As I was saying before I digressed, the compost I use is (approx) 40%
earth-soil, 30% peat, 5% coarse sand, 25% composted leaves. A handful of
Phostrogen, two or three handfuls of bonemeal, a soupcon each of fish'n
bone
and dried seaweed granules. You can mix-up any sort of compost you fancy.
The tomatoes are already as high as the second flowers and the cucumbers
also doing well.
I live in the Furness peninsular, by the sea , up North-west, South
Cumbria.
Doug.
This post may repeat. I have had a small crash. Perhaps not, it's not in
my
Sent List.
* *************
Addendum
**************

I wrote all that stuff and forgot to explain "why the raised beds"?..
Quite simply you get more success with raised beds because there is a
bigger mass of compost in them (more volume) then the normal ground level
method, and this is because the greenhouse warm air during the day heats up
to that mass temp and the mass retains the heat for some considerable time
during the night. A small portion of the heat is dispersed into the inside
air of the greenhouse, enveloping the leafage, - but best of all the level
of heat is prolonged in the raised bed and the roots get the best of
continued warmth for a longer time when the temperature outside has dropped
considerably.
Doug.
*************

"Douglas" wrote in message
...
Addendum
**************

I wrote all that stuff and forgot to explain "why the raised beds"?..
Quite simply you get more success with raised beds because there is a
bigger mass of compost in them (more volume) then the normal ground level
method, and this is because the greenhouse warm air during the day heats
up
to that mass temp and the mass retains the heat for some considerable time
during the night. A small portion of the heat is dispersed into the
inside
air of the greenhouse, enveloping the leafage, - but best of all the level
of heat is prolonged in the raised bed and the roots get the best of
continued warmth for a longer time when the temperature outside has
dropped
considerably.
Doug.
*************

oh right, kinda like soil warming but without the wires.