A good item here for those wanting greenhouses were it can get really cold. quickly reading through all this i do think that wwe need to expreiment with removable roof components. You already have maximum irrigation and soil management. What is then needed for most of the growing season is an active environment with sun. Thus an hydraulic folding roof seems sound.
Such a roof can also be extended in the face of a thunder storm as well.
None of this will excite a commercial grower but for an attached arborian it will seem ideal.
7 Tips for Passive Solar Greenhouse Design
https://vergepermaculture.ca/2014/11/06/passive-solar-greenhouse-design/
After five years of running a passive solar greenhouse in the
Canadian North, I want to share a few learned lessons with you on
designing one. And you won’t want to miss it, I was just interviewed on
the Permaculture Voices podcast, where I did an hour-long piece on passive solar greenhouses. That link is at the bottom of this blog!
Greenhouse Tip #1: Get the Orientation Right
You might think that a greenhouse should capture the maximum amount
of solar energy and should be oriented to straight south. Not so.
Believe it or not, the optimal orientation is actually slightly to the east. This gives the greenhouse early morning sun and rejects sun towards the end of the day when it’s most prone to overheat.
Having said that, if your greenhouse is oriented within 45 degrees of south, it should still work fine.
Greenhouse Tip #2: Use 70%+ Transmissivity Glazing
Light drives the entire system, so you want to make sure you choose a
material that’s going to let at least 70% of it through. If too much
light is blocked, your plants will get leggy and things won’t thrive.
But as you increase transmissivity, the R value
(the thermal resistance) of the glazing will decline. In northern
climates you want to strive for a balance between these two variables.
We use a polycarbonate product that gets 72% transmissivity and has a R
value of 2. There are materials with even better performance out there
but as performance increases, so does the cost – keep that in mind.
Greenhouse Tip #3: Insulate, Insulate, Insulate
In cold climates, insulation is the name of the game. It’s the
element that makes the biggest difference in the thermal performance of
your space. We chose to go with R20 walls all around, which ironically
is better than most homes in our neighbourhood. The R value you choose
is going to be a function of how many seasons you want to grow (2, 3, or
4), how cold your environment gets, and how you plan on heating the
space. R20 is a good place to start for the Canadian prairies.
Greenhouse Tip #4: Ventilate, Ventilate, Ventilate
On the flip side, I’ve come to believe that there is no upper limit
to ventilation in a greenhouse. I recommend that people install a
ventilation area equivalent to at least 30% of their glazing. However,
this will only keep things cool and manageable in the shoulder months.
To get enough air through the greenhouse, it’s important to have other
ways of seasonally increasing ventilation to keep temperatures below
26˚C. We have a blowout door that can be removed seasonally . The other
reason for excess ventilation is to allow the plants to get “exercise” –
it’s important to let them blow around in the wind.
Greenhouse Tip #5: Get the Soil Right
Getting the soil right is
as important as any of the other design criteria. Plants growing in a
greenhouse grow faster, harder and longer than outside plants. Why?
Because you’re creating a perfect environment for them. This means that
you need to make sure your plants have a soil medium that can keep up
with them. To get that medium, partner good biology with good subsoils.
Our current greenhouse has wicking beds and mediocre soils. We made the
mistake of building on a concrete pad, which precluded us from getting
access to the subsoils. So now we have to continually add minerals,
compost and compost tea to keep things running. So learn from us. Plan
your greenhouse on soil and plant your plants into the ground it
encloses. Use heaps of compost and mulch, cycle beds with cover crops,
and you’ll be laughing!
Greenhouse Tip #6: Get the Irrigation Right
Irrigation is one of the first things to go wrong in a greenhouse.
When that isn’t right your plants will get stressed, and diseases (plant
pathogens and pests) will follow. You want to hit the Goldilocks zone
of moisture: Not too much, not too little, just right. I’m a fan of drip
irrigation on a timer – Set it up once and forget about it.
I also recommend using rainwater in your drip system as rainwater’s loaded with nitrogen
(from lightning) while being free of chlorine and fluoride. Plus if you
have hard water, drip irrigation’s not going to last very long before
it needs replacement. Rainwater is soft and works great!
Greenhouse Tip #7: Get the Right Thermal Mass
Thermal mass is crucial to your success if you want to extend
seasons. Water’s often talked about as the ultimate thermal mass, but it
can freeze and make a mess. Even though they have a quarter of the
thermal capacity of water, I’m a fan of stone, used concrete or cob –
you don’t have to worry about them during the winter.
If you are using water as thermal mass, use 8-12 L of water per
square foot of glazing. If you’re using stone, concrete or cob, go with
40-60 kg per square foot.
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