Light Deprivation Greenhouse

kpmarine

Well-Known Member
man-

i hope they didn't delet ethe one about using your fat mom's moo moo for a cover. her blimp ass could prolly fly it right in.

it's a sad state when this guy's green housing techniques are an inspiration.

oh.....................one starred.:)
Let's see your greenhouse then.
 

UncleBuck

Well-Known Member
Have you tried it yet, with the black plastic.......How long will it take to cover/uncover, looks like this will take longer to cover than swooping the plastic over a hoop house.
i did all my transplanting today, will be putting up the plastic tomorrow.

i estimate about 15 minutes to fully cover/uncover the whole thing, but i'll get an official time tomorrow.
 

kpmarine

Well-Known Member
i did all my transplanting today, will be putting up the plastic tomorrow.

i estimate about 15 minutes to fully cover/uncover the whole thing, but i'll get an official time tomorrow.
Did I miss the pictures of the finished light dep rig? If not, would you mind throwing some up? I was thinking about giving it a shot at some point, and I'm curious how you got this to be an easy thing for one guy.

D'oh! I looked back and saw it now. You may want to add in some more boards to make sliding the sheeting across more easily. At least, if I'm getting how you planned to work this.
 

UncleBuck

Well-Known Member
Did I miss the pictures of the finished light dep rig? If not, would you mind throwing some up? I was thinking about giving it a shot at some point, and I'm curious how you got this to be an easy thing for one guy.

D'oh! I looked back and saw it now. You may want to add in some more boards to make sliding the sheeting across more easily. At least, if I'm getting how you planned to work this.
that is exactly what i plan to do, (x2) 2''x2''x8's per sheet of 4'x8'.

there will be 3 gaps where i have the poles attached to the walls, luckily they are only 3'' wide and i will have four strips that are 6'' wide to cover them.

roll up the sides, slide out the tops and then there is light. unfurl the sides and let them drop, couple of cinderblocks to prevent them from flying up with a wind gust, and slide in the tops and then it is dark.

i even have a perfect place to put the sheets of 4'x8' nearby so that they won't kill the grass, get wet and mold up, or take up any important garden space.
 

kpmarine

Well-Known Member
that is exactly what i plan to do, (x2) 2''x2''x8's per sheet of 4'x8'.

there will be 3 gaps where i have the poles attached to the walls, luckily they are only 3'' wide and i will have four strips that are 6'' wide to cover them.

roll up the sides, slide out the tops and then there is light. unfurl the sides and let them drop, couple of cinderblocks to prevent them from flying up with a wind gust, and slide in the tops and then it is dark.

i even have a perfect place to put the sheets of 4'x8' nearby so that they won't kill the grass, get wet and mold up, or take up any important garden space.
Sounds like a plan. What are you using as a light blocker? Just some panda film?
 

UncleBuck

Well-Known Member
Sounds like a plan. What are you using as a light blocker? Just some panda film?
that's a good question.

i am somewhat reluctantly going to try 6 mm black plastic sheeting doubled up on itself. my suspicion is that it will not be sufficient to block enough light, but i've seen people on other forums claim success with simple 6 mm black plastic sheeting. so who knows.

my failsafe is what i have indoors for all my little grow cabinets: blackout sheet. $6.99 a yard at joanns, would need 24 yards to cover the walls. unlike the plastic sheeting, there would be no worries of tears due to fatigue from rolling and unrolling every day, and no light gets by that shit.

actually, come to think of it, that would be $168 worth of fabric and a shit ton of sewing, whereas 9 more 4x8's would only be $131. i could buttress the sheets of plywood against the walls with scrap lumber i have laying around, too.

oh, decisions, decisions, decisions.

and for anyone out there keeping track of my original budget of $500-800, i have good news. i initially set aside $400 and am only at $222 so far, so if the black plastic sheeting works, i will come in significantly under budget. if not, i will still come in at or around the $500 mark.*
 

kpmarine

Well-Known Member
that's a good question.

i am somewhat reluctantly going to try 6 mm black plastic sheeting doubled up on itself. my suspicion is that it will not be sufficient to block enough light, but i've seen people on other forums claim success with simple 6 mm black plastic sheeting. so who knows.

my failsafe is what i have indoors for all my little grow cabinets: blackout sheet. $6.99 a yard at joanns, would need 24 yards to cover the walls. unlike the plastic sheeting, there would be no worries of tears due to fatigue from rolling and unrolling every day, and no light gets by that shit.

actually, come to think of it, that would be $168 worth of fabric and a shit ton of sewing, whereas 9 more 4x8's would only be $131. i could buttress the sheets of plywood against the walls with scrap lumber i have laying around, too.

oh, decisions, decisions, decisions.

and for anyone out there keeping track of my original budget of $500-800, i have good news. i initially set aside $400 and am only at $222 so far, so if the black plastic sheeting works, i will come in significantly under budget. if not, i will still come in at or around the $500 mark.*
Hopefully the plastic works out. Our local feed and garden store has rolls of black plastic like that for a decent price. Have you hit the wood in there with Thompson's, or something like it? It looks like it's all untreated wood in there. A waterproofing may help if you want it to last a few seasons. I'm a stone's throw from Medford, and if your spring and winter is half as wet as mine, it may be worth it. I'm not sure how bad it gets a little farther North.
 

UncleBuck

Well-Known Member
Hopefully the plastic works out. Our local feed and garden store has rolls of black plastic like that for a decent price. Have you hit the wood in there with Thompson's, or something like it? It looks like it's all untreated wood in there. A waterproofing may help if you want it to last a few seasons. I'm a stone's throw from Medford, and if your spring and winter is half as wet as mine, it may be worth it. I'm not sure how bad it gets a little farther North.
that's the thing, this greenhouse is going into the fire pit come november. my better half got an internship in the bay area and is moving down in august, i'll be following her once harvest is over.

my non-light dep GH, which was built last year and meant for one season, does look pretty ragged already, but not rotted by any means. however, i will be blasting that sucker with a bleach solution before planting. i just need to pull up my veggies first and cover the soil with some of the tarps i was using over winter to prevent the bleach from touching the soil. not sure it will have much effect, but it's easy enough to do so i'll be doing it.

and yeah, the fall-spring seasons here are probably even a bit wetter than the medford area. if i ever build a permanent greenhouse, i will be using treated wood or better yet, PVC/metal. but i do love building these things, and they are cheap. so i might just build a new one every year because it's fun and i can afford it. i'm kind of odd like that.
 

PeyoteReligion

Well-Known Member
Holy shit this makes me wish I was super wealthy. I would just develope polarized greenhouses. You set a timer when you want the polarized frames to shift slightly to black light out and poof, no light gets in. Technically speaking this is a perfect solution to the problem, although not very feasible for most any grower financially. Nobody steal my idea. I'm gonna patent that shit. Trust me, one day, polarized greenhouses for controlled outdoor flower periods for sale to the masses. Honestly not a bad idea.
 

Figong

Well-Known Member
Holy shit this makes me wish I was super wealthy. I would just develope polarized greenhouses. You set a timer when you want the polarized frames to shift slightly to black light out and poof, no light gets in. Technically speaking this is a perfect solution to the problem, although not very feasible for most any grower financially. Nobody steal my idea. I'm gonna patent that shit. Trust me, one day, polarized greenhouses for controlled flower periods for sale to the masses. Honestly not a bad idea.
Agreed, it's a hell of an idea.. the problem is that there's about 19 patents pending on the product of the very same nature that already exists. If curious, google for "magic glass" or "smart glass" -xbox (so it doesn't find the xbox related shit)
 

PeyoteReligion

Well-Known Member
Agreed, it's a hell of an idea.. the problem is that there's about 19 patents pending on the product of the very same nature that already exists. If curious, google for "magic glass" or "smart glass" -xbox (so it doesn't find the xbox related shit)
Fuck!!! Of course someone ready thought of it. It really is brilliant.
 

kpmarine

Well-Known Member
that's the thing, this greenhouse is going into the fire pit come november. my better half got an internship in the bay area and is moving down in august, i'll be following her once harvest is over.

my non-light dep GH, which was built last year and meant for one season, does look pretty ragged already, but not rotted by any means. however, i will be blasting that sucker with a bleach solution before planting. i just need to pull up my veggies first and cover the soil with some of the tarps i was using over winter to prevent the bleach from touching the soil. not sure it will have much effect, but it's easy enough to do so i'll be doing it.

and yeah, the fall-spring seasons here are probably even a bit wetter than the medford area. if i ever build a permanent greenhouse, i will be using treated wood or better yet, PVC/metal. but i do love building these things, and they are cheap. so i might just build a new one every year because it's fun and i can afford it. i'm kind of odd like that.
Enjoy the cost of living out there. The bay area is nice, but it will bend your checking account over a counter in a hurry. If you're only keeping the greenhouse for the season, then it's probably a safe bet not worrying about sealing it. I know what you mean about the rebuild. Every time I make something, I always see the things that would have made things a little better. If I ever made something permanent; I'd probably end up tearing it down and rebuilding it anyway.
 

UncleBuck

Well-Known Member
Fuck!!! Of course someone ready thought of it. It really is brilliant.
every invention i dream up has already been done.*

just last night i pondered a way to keep the neighborhood cats from eating my outdoor cat's food, but it's already been done. radio tag around the collar that opens the food bowl. fucking brilliant. my idea was not so brilliant.
 

UncleBuck

Well-Known Member
Enjoy the cost of living out there. The bay area is nice, but it will bend your checking account over a counter in a hurry. If you're only keeping the greenhouse for the season, then it's probably a safe bet not worrying about sealing it. I know what you mean about the rebuild. Every time I make something, I always see the things that would have made things a little better. If I ever made something permanent; I'd probably end up tearing it down and rebuilding it anyway.
the bay area cost of living is part of what inspired the second GH.

i mean, fuck. i'm gonna have to get a goddamn actual job when i get down there. what kind of fuckery is that?

yes, i've been drinking tonight.
 

kpmarine

Well-Known Member
the bay area cost of living is part of what inspired the second GH.

i mean, fuck. i'm gonna have to get a goddamn actual job when i get down there. what kind of fuckery is that?

yes, i've been drinking tonight.
I can sympathize. I've been cruising off of my GI bill and odd jobs for the last couple years. I never want to go back.

And it's a Tuesday night, who isn't drinking?
 

UncleBuck

Well-Known Member
I can sympathize. I've been cruising off of my GI bill and odd jobs for the last couple years. I never want to go back.

And it's a Tuesday night, who isn't drinking?
fuck, i never meant to be a grower. when i started growing for my wife and i, i was working a $20/hr job with full benefits, stock sharing, 6% match on the 401k (aka free money), and tons of other little perks like free lunch, tons of PTO, and the like. i would give away ounces to neighbors. i even gave it away after i got laid off until the UI started dwindling.

and i'm the same way about seeing a better way to rebuild things. probably got it from my dad who is a carpenter. when we are at a restaurant we focus more on the details of the trim job or how they could have tiled the place better rather than the food. my brother is the same way.
 

PeyoteReligion

Well-Known Member
Agreed, it's a hell of an idea.. the problem is that there's about 19 patents pending on the product of the very same nature that already exists. If curious, google for "magic glass" or "smart glass" -xbox (so it doesn't find the xbox related shit)
Breifly looking into this shows the applications to be for homes. Primarily rich people homes with big ass windows, the polarized window would be use in place of blinds. My application is for an outdoor greenhouse, which still looks to be a fresh patent idea upon initial googling...
 

Flaming Pie

Well-Known Member
that's the thing, this greenhouse is going into the fire pit come november. my better half got an internship in the bay area and is moving down in august, i'll be following her once harvest is over.

my non-light dep GH, which was built last year and meant for one season, does look pretty ragged already, but not rotted by any means. however, i will be blasting that sucker with a bleach solution before planting. i just need to pull up my veggies first and cover the soil with some of the tarps i was using over winter to prevent the bleach from touching the soil. not sure it will have much effect, but it's easy enough to do so i'll be doing it.

and yeah, the fall-spring seasons here are probably even a bit wetter than the medford area. if i ever build a permanent greenhouse, i will be using treated wood or better yet, PVC/metal. but i do love building these things, and they are cheap. so i might just build a new one every year because it's fun and i can afford it. i'm kind of odd like that.
Dang. Hope you have similar space to work in when you move. I hate moving. Once I am settled I like to stay put.

Edit: Just read that you will have to start working again down there. Will this still leave time for growing?
 

Figong

Well-Known Member
Breifly looking into this shows the applications to be for homes. Primarily rich people homes with big ass windows, the polarized window would be use in place of blinds. My application is for an outdoor greenhouse, which still looks to be a fresh patent idea upon initial googling...
Agreed, I would have assumed that the patents they put up are at the technology level, meaning any use of it would fall under said patent.. not specific to 1 design for a window, or greenhouse - good eye. Now the race is on, the patent office is 22 minutes from me @ 80 mph. Nah, wouldn't do that.. I don't wish to do research and invent 100s of thousands of dollars in R&D.
 

UncleBuck

Well-Known Member
Dang. Hope you have similar space to work in when you move. I hate moving. Once I am settled I like to stay put.

Edit: Just read that you will have to start working again down there. Will this still leave time for growing?
i don't mind moving, and it's only for a year. i am looking forward to the experience in a lot of ways.

and yes, i will have to grow and pull some shitty desk job to afford the type of lifestyle that i can tolerate for a year in that neck of the woods. but after that, we have eyes on a small farm in our future, so there is a lot to look forward to and plan for.
 
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