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[EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net>]

Lynn Wigglesworth wrote:

> 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.

You are lucky that you have a high ceiling.  I will have to get by with
dwarf trees, but I could do that.  Figs are rather shallow rooted, so I
can see how they would be fine in a bed like that.  How deep is your soil?
I had a huge lemon verbena
> that lived through a couple of warmer winters, but finally got
> frosted.

You know, if I had to choose between an actual lemon and a lemon
verbena, that would be a really, really tough choice.  They, too, are
really expensive, if you can even find them down here. Lemon grass is
another possibility.



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.

Poms fit the bill...they do well in zone 8, which is 20 or so, and they
are shrubs, not trees.  Like you, I want an olive, too.  These plants
are so expensive though it is hard to justify it. Consider tangerines,
too.  I think they are about the smallest of the citrus family...and I
love mandarin oranges(tangerines) in Chinese dishes and salads.  Are
pistachios small?

So how much square footage have you alloted to your indoor tree farm?

As to the ground below, generally our soil doesn't freeze to depths like
your does.  4" is about as deep as you would see, and with a greenhouse
above, I seriously doubt that the ground would freeze below.
I do have a concern which may or may not be relevant.  I believe that
the old septic drain lines run under the greenhouse/shop.  They are no
longer used, but I am not sure how that would affect the roots or the
ground temperature or the soil moisture.
I suppose I need to make a list of all the plants I would like to grow,
consider their root habit and spacial needs, and then go from there.  My
little greenhouse is only 8x21, so space matters.  I use it mostly to
start seeds in, and to overwinter my succulents, not really to grow much
because of the heat in the summer, but if I use that same heat to grow
tropical fruit...
I know I could do things in large containers and move them in and out of
the greenhouse, but that would be a lot of work.  I'd rather plant
inside, if feasible.





--
"The world is my country, all mankind are my
 brethren, and to do good is my religion."
 Thomas Paine (1737 - 1809)