Market Farming

["marcy" <marcy AT aculink.net>]

Thanks Shelly!
The winds the day we lost it were reported at 76. I imagine you get the same
types of gusts if you're SE WY- those front range treats!
The layout is 30x96, the hoops are 40' long, 2" PVC schedule 80, spaced 5'
apart.  The PVC is set over 1" steel pipe that was jackhammered into the
ground. We used 2x10" boards along the sides and the plastic wrapped both
layers together around 1x2" firring strips screwed into the 2x10s. The ends
we did of wood (4x8' exterior masonite siding sheets) to help stabilize the
whole structure. 3/4" swaged conduit for purlins - 2 rows on each side. In
the center are about 8 heavy timbers that have a 1" steel pipe "T" up to a
center pipe going lengthwise of the structure and each 2" PVC rib WAS bolted
through the steel pipe. I say was because the bolts snapped off....
I had 4 straps over both layers of plastic. I tend to think the straps
should have been attached differently. They were fastened under the 2x10
boards on the side and around the pipe inside the board.
Some think the wind got under/inside and some think it sucked the opposite
side up...
I appreciate any insight, ideas or suggestions!!
Marcy

----- Original Message -----
From: "Shelly Elliott" <shelly AT idlethyme.com>
To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 3:01 PM
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Re:seed starting & greenhouse


> Marcy,
> I am in SE Wyoming and have both a tunnel and a greenhouse with only
single
> layers and no wind protection. 40mph winds here are normal and 80 mph
gusts
> happen regularly. I use a U-channel and wiggle wire system and have never
> lost the plastic. Could you tell me more about the construction of the
> greenhouse you lost?
> Shelly
> Zone 5 SE Wyoming
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "marcy" <marcy AT aculink.net>
> To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2005 8:29 AM
> Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Re:seed starting & greenhouse
>
>
> > I'm bewildered and hope some of you can help me!
> > I've been starting seeds inside for years and years. I've never had a
> > greenhouse before and only one year had a cold frame to use. We finished
> the
> > greenhouse 3 weeks ago and last week it got torn apart in the wind and
> > that's another story  - and more questions actually.
> >
> > Anyway, I got a heat mat (set at 80 degrees) and had 8 flats of tomato
> seeds
> > planted. After the poly tore apart last week I moved the flats in the
> house
> > and they still haven't germinated. Some of the seeds looked a bit
swollen
> > but nothing else. I thought that tomatoes liked light but then another
guy
> > told me they put theirs in the darkness to germinate. The week before
the
> > poly tore we had a power outage and it got down to 30 in the greenhouse
> that
> > night. Could that have been enough to kill the seeds?  Or could the
> problem
> > be when it got hot in the greenhouse during the morning? Didn't have
> > automatic vents installed and we opened the doors. Too much light? We're
> > having a barnraising this Sunday to rebuild the greenhouse but I'm
> concerned
> > about these seeds and nervous about planting more till I figure out the
> > problem.
> >
> > Now on the greenhouse...
> > I see all the high tunnel pics and catalog pics. This was a frame my
> husband
> > had built 6 years ago. He'd never built a greenhouse and since left. I'm
> > trying to use the basic frame which had big timbers in the center
> supporting
> > 2" PVC hoops 5 foot apart. People in the area had told me the only way
to
> do
> > a poly covered structure is to use a double layer and inflate it. So we
> did
> > the double layer and installed the fan. When I talked to the salesman to
> > reorder the poly he asked me about adjusting the blower. The
installation
> > instructions didn't mention adjusting it. When I went out to check it I
> > found out the air intake was totally closed - so no wonder it didn't
> inflate
> > the layers! On frosty mornings when it looked like it was blowing air it
> > must have just been the heat from the motor.
> > We get pretty gusty winds around here but I still think there has to be
a
> > way to make this work. I'm hopeful that the inflation will make a
> > difference. Does anyone have experience both ways?
> > The wind was from the north and it tore the south side loose. It was
> really
> > bending the hoops on the north side. I don't know if they need more
> support
> > or none - I see pictures with no bracing under the hoops at all.
> > Does anyone use the 3" strapping over the poly? We had attached it under
> the
> > 2x10 on the bottom and around the pipe underneath. I'm thinking that the
> > straps shouldn't be attached to the structure because that just helped
> pull
> > the board and poly up...
> > Thanks for any advice!!
> > Marcy
> > SE Colo
> >
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