Two New Videos from The Spirko Homestead
Video One – New Greenhouse from Steve’s Greenhouses
First up today my new Greenhouse provided by Steve Kasarda at StevesGreenHouses.com I am really excited to finally have a really awesome greenhouse. Steve’s kits are just awesome, you could do pull ups on the bows they are so solid. I am in love with how high things are and hope to hear from one of our favorite guests on my idea for a heat sink in the floor.
I honestly can’t recommend Steve’s Greenhouses enough after getting this installed. I have a lot more to do, I will be adding some automatic vents to the back wall and some other cool stuff, I will be sure to keep you posted on the progress.
Video Two – The Hugelkulture Project Part Two
Next up, the hugelkultur project is really becoming more of an update on the whole system of earthworks that I am putting into my property. We are adding more swales, we finished off the first swale hugelkultur combo bed, we have decided on a direction from the pond and erosion on my land is about to become a thing of the past.
Resources for this Post
- Steve’s Greenhouses
- Steven Harris at Solar1234
- Greenhouse Video on Youtube
- Hugulkultur – My entire project as a playlist on Youtube
Jack, the greenhouse looks great. Do you know what the plastic is rated for regarding wind? We get gusts up to 70 mph and steady winds of 45mph a few times a year.
Jack: Your greenhouse turned out really nice. I like what you did on the end wall. Gives it a little character. Thanks for producing this video to show the members. Hope you enjoy it. Thanks.. Steve
Jack, Living on similar land in the Ozarks, I may have a useful tip for pond sealing. Years ago a friend dug a large pond that would not hold water. After scrub-brush took over the pond, a brush-fire got loose and burned the area. The resulting ash sealed the pond, which still holds water to this day. I can’t promise these results elsewhere, but it’s cheap enough to try.
Great information Jack! Thanks, and we love the dog, really makes us want to get another one. I’m interested in the solar panel idea as well for heating the floor.
Great videos jack! Any idea what Steve charges for his greenhouses? I’m in the market for a 10×20 and if his prices are reasonable I would definitely be up for buying one from him!
Jack, thanks for showing us your greenhouse; it gives us another option as we start planning ours.
Looking to build a 10×25 garden in back yard. How high should my fencing be to keep critters out? Also if I wanted to have a pound and compost pile inside the garden area with a green (hoop) house over in the verrying seasons, could I still have in ground beds or would I need to pull them up first before a pound. Would be placed in the best sun of back yard, but still is mostly shaded until around noon in summer time. Is this an ok area for a greenhouse? Or would it be better in a shaded area? I’m in N California by the way! Thanks.
Great Videos Jack thanks for the uploads
Jack — the video broke up when you discussed the cover crops you were using. Which three did you decide to plant? Also, where did you purchase them? Wondering if I should make a trip to one of the sponsors or buy locally.
The 1′ back “gap” is pure genius. I don’t think you yet realize just how much a greenhouse can heat things. Let me tell you something. Back in my Montana grad school days, I spent inordinate amounts of time in the Plant Growth Center (the greenhouse complex). We had days when the outside temperature was maybe -1o degrees F– I’m guessing that’s colder than you see in Arkansas– and we’d be running our aspen walls (cooling system). Granted, this was a large complex of houses, but I have seen this also in greenhouses in Colorado. I once worked at a greenhouse complex where each house was detached from the next. We had a blizzard that April (no big surprise around here) and let me just tell you, the houses were unheated but were quite comfortable to work in. We were happy when the snow melted at noon– for the extra light, and I think the propagators started to shed their jackets– but it was no big deal. That gap may help prevent overheating on sunny days. You may eventually want to run a fan around to help increase the effectiveness of the air in the gap zone. (I’m thinking here along the lines of HAF venting). Conversely, it can help too much heat escape at night and you may need to install a temporary gap cover on very cold nights. But it’s definitely a good feature!
Max is soooo not impressed with your dopey swales and ponds, just throw the damned kong already! LOL!
OTOH, I’m eating this stuff up. My soil has just as many rocks and is a whole lot steeper – too steep for any kind of large yellow machines so whatever gets dug will be done using the old-fashioned, sore-muscles method. Really looking forward to seeing your progress on this.