After having expanded our gardens and fenced in the raised beds, we decided to take the plunge on building a greenhouse this year. The thought being that a greenhouse would provide more options for growing food, maybe even year round. In my estimation, even if the experiment didn’t work, at least we would have more storage.
There were a number of options for a foundation on the Greenhouse, but I decided a slab of concrete would be the most durable and pair well with an extended driveway for teen parking. Once the slab was poured and cured, I started assembly of the Greenhouse Kit from Costco and over two weekends was able to complete it. The greenhouse is bolted into the concrete.
As the months became colder, it was clear that it would be difficult to keep the greenhouse above freezing overnight. After a little bit of research, I found an electric oil heater would be the right tool for the job. This device uses electricity to heat a reservoir of oil to a temperature and then efficiently radiates heat. Next year I intend to run electrical to the greenhouse, but for now I have an extension cord running to the heater.
The experiment has started over the winter with growing herbs and carrots in buckets (also by Costco). Many of the seeds are not working, but they might have been old. So far it’s staying toasty in the greenhouse without costing too much to heat the space.
