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["Lynn Wigglesworth" <lynnw1366 AT hotmail.com>]

>  I believe I can keep the greenhouse at least at zone 8 temps and maybe
> zone 9 or better.  It would allow me to grow small trees like bay or
> lemon verbena, too.  Right now, the floor of the greenhouse is waste
> concrete that we shoveled in there.  It is actually thin and
> porous...water goes right through it.  It could be breeched rather
> easily, I think, and the roots could get back into the soil.  With a
> pick, I could punch small holes in the floor. Building a large raised
> bed inside the greenhouse I don't think would be the right solution..I
> have a sloping roof, 8 ft max, 6 ft min...not much room for small trees
> in a raised bed.  However, if I punch holes in the floor and use lumber
> to create a small, say, 8" deep soil bed...What do you guys think of
> this idea?  Other solutions?

My greenhouse is turning into a tree farm :-)  The floor is thick concrete, 
so mine are all in raised beds. I make them out of pallets lined with 
plastic and fill them with my 'special mix' (one of Eliot Coleman's 
greenhouse soil recipies). I have a tall roof (close to 20' at the peak); 
with a 6-8 foot roof, it makes sense to plant in the ground. I'd be 
concerned with cold coming up through the ground, though. Maybe you could 
insulate/mulch the soil around the outside of the greenhouse to keep the 
cold from creeping in.

I had a terrible whitefly problem trying to grow things like tomatoes and 
peppers and melons. But nothing bothers the fig trees or the kiwi (fuzzy, 
not the hardy kind). I'm a little too far north for figs outdoors (I had 
them in Philadelphia, but they don't survive here), but they love the 
greenhouse; it gets down to about 20 degrees at the coldest. I have 5 fig 
trees now, with the 2 tallest up to the peak). I had a huge lemon verbena 
that lived through a couple of warmer winters, but finally got frosted. I'm 
looking for other fruiting short trees/tall bushes that can take temps down 
to 20 or so. I'm thinking of getting an olive tree, but they cost so much 
and live so long that it's practically like adopting a child...I'd feel 
guilty if I killed it.

Lynn Wigglesworth
Tioga Co. PA