Inexpensive Mini-Greenhouse - DIY Thirty years ago, I bought MOTHER EARTH NEWS to help pass the time while I was a U.S. Navy sailor stationed on an aircraft carrier. I enjoyed reading the magazine from cover to cover — often three or more times per cruise — and I couldn’t wait for the next issue. The magazine has inspired me to do many projects. Recently, I wanted to try growing in a small raised garden bed. I also made a mini-greenhouse cover for the bed so the crops could get an earlier start. Robert FordMontrose, Pennsylvania
Planning and Building a Greenhouse Adapted from Fact Sheet 645 - University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Service, David S. Ross, Extension Agricultural Engineer, Department of Agricultural Engineering Careful planning is important before a home greenhouse project is started. Building a greenhouse does not need to be expensive or time-consuming. Location The greenhouse should be located where it gets maximum sunlight. Deciduous trees, such as maple and oak, can effectively shade the greenhouse from the intense late afternoon summer sun; however, they should not shade the greenhouse in the morning. Good drainage is another requirement for the site. Types of Greenhouses A home greenhouse can be attached to a house or garage, or it can be a freestanding structure. Attached Greenhouses Lean-to. Even-span. Window-mounted. Freestanding Structures Freestanding greenhouses are separate structures; they can be set apart from other buildings to get more sun and can be made as large or small as desired (Figure 2C). Frames Quonset.
Dark Matter, Dark Energy And The Shadow Universe : 13.7: Cosmos And Culture hide caption Observations of the galaxy cluster known as MACS 1206 by the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) should help astronomers create detailed maps of Dark Matter in the region. ESA, M. Postman (STScI) and the CLASH Team/NASA Observations of the galaxy cluster known as MACS 1206 by the Cluster Lensing And Supernova survey with Hubble (CLASH) should help astronomers create detailed maps of Dark Matter in the region. I have bad news for you. Many folks have heard of Dark Matter and Dark Energy. They're too important to leave it at that. Let's start with a very important distinction. Astronomers see things moving when they look out at the universe. On astronomical scales, gravity is the main actor. Over the last few decades something remarkable has been observed. Likewise, based on the motions of the universe as a whole (and its structure), astronomers have been forced to infer the presence of energy that cannot be directly detected. WMAP Science Team/NASA
How to Make Your Own Coldframe A coldframe—simply an enclosed area with a clear top to let in sunlight—is one of the easiest ways to extend your growing and harvest season. All you need are a few basic supplies and your imagination. (Imagine: crunchy fresh lettuce for the holidays!) Here’s what to do. Start at the Top The only essential for the frame’s cover is that light gets through. Many people use old window sashes. In extreme northern areas, glass isn’t always the best option. If you’re buying material to cover your coldframe, consider Lexan, an improvement over Lucite. Other gardeners prefer the corrugated fiberglass (4-by-8-foot panels) sold for greenhouse walls.
Build a Barn Greenhouse I have been dying to show you my Mother's Day present. For years and years and years, I've been wanting a greenhouse. Up here in Alaska, the only way you are going to eat cucumbers or tomatoes off the vine is to grow a greenhouse. But every year, every spring, we just have so much going on, the greenhouse never happens. Next year, we say. I thought next year would never come. We were already saying next year this year. So I tried something different I said, what about tonight? We started cutting boards at 4PM that night. By that evening we had completed all of the wall framing. I was so excited couldn't stop myself from sharing a pic via instagram and twitter! That first night, we actually called it an early night! The next morning, we got up and assembled the panels in the driveway. We used roofing tin for the side panels. The corners are trimmed in simple metal flashing. For the greenhouse panels, we used the ribbing strips, but they aren't entirely necessary. All of the panels are predrilled
Urban Greenhouse - Alex's Hobby Site Please feel free to email any questions to koolex11@netzero.com. I'll be more than happy to help you out. The House: Here is how I built my small (4X8) greenhouse out of old windows. After many gardens, some successes and some failures, I moved for the first time to a city row home. First, I found some old windows around town. Great ways to find free (or very cheap) windows: Drive around on garbage night Email your friends and co-workers. Step 2: It is definitely easier to design the frame around the windows, rather than trying to find windows to fit the frame. I covered the back side with plywood because a) it faces south, b) there is a fence that I didn't feel like dealing with, and c. Notice the windows fit the 2X4 frame. The four corners of each window are held to the frame with screws put in diagonally. No I did not run out of windows. The greenhouse sits on an old concrete foundation, but I used stone to level the area and provide drainage under the structure. Hydroponic system
Nanotrees harvest the sun's energy to turn water into hydrogen fuel (PhysOrg.com) -- University of California, San Diego electrical engineers are building a forest of tiny nanowire trees in order to cleanly capture solar energy without using fossil fuels and harvest it for hydrogen fuel generation. Reporting in the journal Nanoscale, the team said nanowires, which are made from abundant natural materials like silicon and zinc oxide, also offer a cheap way to deliver hydrogen fuel on a mass scale. “This is a clean way to generate clean fuel,” said Deli Wang, professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. The trees’ vertical structure and branches are keys to capturing the maximum amount of solar energy, according to Wang. Wang’s team has mimicked this structure in their “3D branched nanowire array” which uses a process called photoelectrochemical water-splitting to produce hydrogen gas. The vertical branch structure also maximizes hydrogen gas output, said Sun.
Build a $300 underground greenhouse for year-round gardening (Video) Growers in colder climates often utilize various approaches to extend the growing season or to give their crops a boost, whether it's coldframes, hoop houses or greenhouses. Greenhouses are usually glazed structures, but are typically expensive to construct and heat throughout the winter. A much more affordable and effective alternative to glass greenhouses is the walipini (an Aymara Indian word for a "place of warmth"), also known as an underground or pit greenhouse. Here's a video tour of a walipini that shows what a basic version of this earth-sheltered solar greenhouse looks like inside: © Benson Institute It's a pretty intriguing set-up that combines the principles of passive solar heating with earth-sheltered building. The Walipini utilizes nature’s resources to provide a warm, stable, well-lit environment for year-round vegetable production. SilverThunder/via Cheap but effective, the underground greenhouse is a great way for growers to produce food year-round in colder climates.
20 Re-purposed Window Greenhouses 20 Repurposed Window Greenhouses Related Posts « Chia Seed – Ancient Food of Aztec Warriors Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 Days [Full Film] » building a greenhouse out of old windows - Greenhouses & Garden Structures Forum I'll be tackling my own window greenhouse soon so it was nice to review this thread. I'm unsure of what my roof will be at this point and I may purchase a clear plastic corrugated roofing material for that if I can't salvage enough glass. This description is long but hopefully detailed enough to give you a good idea or what I have in mind. If anyone has their own ideas, suggestions, constructive criticisms they are welcome to post. When it comes down to it though usually I have to try something for myself even if others say it won't work. Sometimes it proves to be foolish and other times I am rewarded for it. I intend for this greenhouse to have year-round use in one form or another. The size will be roughly 18 ft wide by 20+ long with a gable post and rafter style and shape. This is largely an experiment for me based on many other posts and forums so I am excited to try. I understand the drawbacks of using old windows, especially windows that aren't double paned or tempered glass.
Organic Farming: The New Frontier (NASDAQ:WFM, NASDAQ:WINN, NYSE:PEP, NYSE:GIS, NYSE:HSY, NYSE:CAG, NYSE:DF, NYSE:MCD, NYSE:WEN, NYSE:BK, NYSE:KFT The organic foods business is worth over $50 billion globally, and with a new trade agreement between the United States and the European Union opening up new markets, that number could double within the next few years. The organic foods movement is no longer a relic of the bygone age of free love and tie-dye, but a booming industry supported by all walks of life. Entire supermarket chains, most notably Whole Foods (NASDAQ:WFM), rely heavily on that ever-growing faction of Americans who actually care enough about their health to put down that Quarter Pounder in favor of a soy burger, or maybe a free-range turkey burger. Hot Feature: Cloud Computing: The Sky is the Limit Blame it on Morgan Spurlock’s “Super Size Me” or Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” The U.S. had the biggest organic market in the world in 2010, with sales climbing about $2 billion to $26.7 billion, roughly 45 percent of global sales that year. Of course, the big guys won’t go down without a fight.