Reverse Green House??

[Soilman]

In another area, I have been introduced for the first time to a cold-frame. Sounded good at first, but I am not so sure this is what I am looking for. I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions about making a HOT HOT HOT DRY DRY DRY desert climate, with a potent (50+UVray) sun... into a tropical climate. I know all I need is lots of moisture and I am there.

My problem is this. In a greenhouse and, from what I have learned, a cold-frame as well... the Glass enclosure holds in warmth and moisture. Glass here...? makes for a great oven in the summer, but warm and wet, usually is not the outcome of a greenhouse here.

What I want to do is dilute the sunrays and trap the humidity..... any suggestions? or am I hoping an impossible dream?

Lotsa love,
-the soilman

[buster]

Gosh Soilman, I don't know. You must raise the top of a cold frame when temps are warm to kepp from frying the plants. So I don't think that's what you want. You need some of of humidifer, it sounds like to me.Connie

[Tina55]

Soilman. I'm in semi-desert Southern Cal. Here you can use a swamp cooler (evaporative cooler) for humidity and cooling. Also we had a shade cloth cover to stop some of the sun from frying plants. It is what all the greenhouses use. Also, even in Vegas, it gets cold. I have seen snow traveling through. So you also need heating in a greenhouse for your tropicals.~Tina

[Soilman]

Thanks alot. Looks like what I need to do is just get the greenhouse going and add some accesories. My biggest problem here is in the summer with moisture. It is soooo hard to keep humidity. That sun evaporates everything. If you were to go out with a gardenhose and spray a flood of water puddles and all, there wont be a trace of it within 20 minutes. If you wash your car. You get water spots within seconds. Sometimes I feel like I am surrounded by sponges.

Thanks again, and Cheers,
-the soilman

[donybee]

Tina is right soilman, a cover in the summer is almost a necessity in hot areas. I live in N W Pennsylvania zone 5 and even in the winter when the sun is out and I don't get the vents opened early it will hit the top of my themometer whigh is over 120 degrees. Sure wish I could afford automatic temp controled vents. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Soilman]

I wonder if there is any kind of material out there that is readily available that is waterproof, but breathes air freely enough to permanantly vent but yet retain the moisture... sort of like kevlar or something???? maybe there is a way to custom make a breathing, but moisture trapping vent in a greenhouse. Probably do a lot of greenhouses good!!

lotsa love,
-the soilman

[Tina55]

Ok, My 'old man' is a retired Ag teacher. The green houses at school had the evap. coolers I was talking about. One wall was a water wall; it had what looked like corrugated cardboard (it wasn't) and water dripped down that wall. The other side of the greenhouses had exhaust fans. They pulled the outside air through the wet 'cardboard' wall and out the other side. These were thermostatically controlled but could be done manually as well. The only other thing that I can suggest would be a misting system. These are easily put together and the components avail. at any Home Depot or Lowes. I use micro sprinklers in my yard for their misting affects and cooling but also just for year round watering. And misters for my ferns and things like bleeding hearts. They are relatively inexpensive and I'm cheap :lol:

[Soilman]

thanks tina. I know some places that make swamp coolers that are very similar to what you are talking about. I was thinking about hooking one of those up, but an entire wall of similar design would be even better! The misters sound great too. I just need to find a way to let in sufficient sun, meanwhile diluding it so it doesn't evaporate all my imported water. If I buy all this fancy stuff cheap or not, it will be for not if I cant keep it from evaporating.

Love a girl who's "cheap" :lol:

ok that was out of line... :angry:

Cheers!
-the soilman