Planning the greenhouse upgrade

​We have two little greenhouses; old cracked glass things just tall enough to have to stoop and a footprint of 8 foot by 10.  They are cute as buttons and really, for the amount of hot stuff we eat, it should be enough.

Some years I plant my seedlings in the soil, and they grow like stink.  Other years, like this year, I do everything right - I amend the soil with various manner, let the chickens in over winter to eat all the bugs, do all the thing - and everything fails.  This year's peppers were planted with care after the last risk of frost, on a cloudy day.  The next day the sun came out and scorched the poor little seedlings.  The day after, it was nearly frost.  

But that's the way our weather goes - hot during the day, cold during the night.  And these tropical plants (mostly hot peppers) don't seem to thrive in these conditions.  

Some years it works, but this year, it's been a dismal failure!

Click "read more" on the right to ...

Over the last decade, I've tried all sorts of things from heat sinks, to fans, to ... oh it's a huge list.  Everything on that list took time, energy, money, or all of the above. I'm far too lazy for that!

What I need is a better greenhouse system that can give me consistent temperatures year 'round without added expense or fuss.  A passive greenhouse!  This winter (life permitting) I'm planning to move and rebuild the greenhouses into something prosperous.  But what would that look like?  

Well, it just happens that there's a Kickstarter for that!  

Some friends of mine are building a greenhouse that will do all the things I could ever dream, and they are making a documentary about the process. I'm looking forward to this and already have some great ideas for my greenhouse revamp.  

Here are their words about the project:

​The Truly Passive Greenhouse Movie will document the designing, building, and testing of a new type of greenhouse that uses no electricity or fuel whatsoever to stay warm all year. Many greenhouse designs claim to be passive, but actually use electricity to power fans, or they simply allow plants to freeze during the coldest months of the year.

We're all about innovating and experimenting at Wheaton Labs--so this movie will take viewers through the whole process, even documenting the greenhouse's performance through an entire Montana winter.

If this design is as successful as we expect it to be, anyone with access to a little bit of space and some basic DIY skills will be able to grow plants year-round for food or greywater filtration while reducing their environmental impact and their electric bill. And if they support us on Kickstarter, they'll get gobs of amazing goodies related to permaculture, homesteading, and gardening--even if they only give us one dollar!

Check it out! It's got some pretty neat rewards that will get you excited about permaculture.

​I've already got some great ideas for my greenhouse upgrade.  I can't wait to see the finished video!

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