The Chinese Greenhouse (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series) by Dan Chiras

Author:Dan Chiras [Chiras, Dan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: New Society Publishers
Published: 2020-11-03T06:00:00+00:00

FIGURE 6.8. Hoop house over heated raised bed. This configuration might create an even warmer environment for year round growth. Illustration by Forrest Chiras.

If you install solid-walled PVC pipe, be sure to drill plenty of holes in it to prevent water from accumulating in the pipe. Drill holes along the length of the pipe, along the top, bottom, and side. I drilled 3/8-inch holes in my pipes every 3 feet (approximately 1 meter) in my heat exchanger. Were I to do it again, I would drill many more holes or use perforated drain pipe. (Who knows, if I make a few bucks with this book, maybe I’ll dig up the PVC pipe and replace it with black corrugated drainpipe.)

Another idea worth exploring is the construction of small hoop houses over raised beds, heated with surplus daytime solar energy (Figure 6.8). Heat given off by pipes running through the soil could create a tropical climate zone inside the mini hoop house. Be sure to remove the plastic when the Sun is shining, to maximize growth. You may even want to install hoops over aquaponics grow beds, a technique I have used with great success since 2019.

Raising the temperature inside a Chinese greenhouse via DIHB can help boost production. But there are other ways to enhance output. As any gardener knows, placement of vegetables makes a huge difference. Some veggies, like tomatoes, prefer warmer temperatures; others, like lettuce and peas, grow better in cooler conditions. Some vegetables grow better with more light. Others prefer a less direct sun. Microgreen growers are especially sensitive to the different conditions their micro-crops prefer.

A Chinese greenhouse will naturally form different “climate zones.” So, when operating your greenhouse, take a little time to figure out where zones exist. Which areas are sunnier and warmer, and which regions are cooler and less sunny? Locate in-between zones, and plant accordingly. Put lettuce, spinach, kale, peas, bok choi, mustard greens, and other cold-footed greens in cooler locations — for example, closer to glass or plastic surfaces. Cooler temperatures in the dead of winter will slow their growth, but the plants won’t perish or suffer as much as warmer-weather vegetables like tomatoes and peppers. Place Swiss chard, turnips, broccoli, and cabbage in locations that are a little warmer and sunnier. By all means pay special attention to where you place warm-weather veggies like tomatoes and peppers. Be sure they receive plenty of light and are located in areas that remain warmer at night. Keep them as far away from cold glass or plastic surfaces as possible. I tuck mine in areas that are sunnier and warmer day and night.

As a side note, for optimum winter growth you’ll also need to stage plants — grow them so taller ones don’t shade short plants like broccoli, or even shorter ones like spinach.

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