Grnhouse A few pictures of our walapini.

[Stanb999]

We have a walapini on our market farm. Here is how it is when in use with the plants inside. The farm is offgrid as some may know. We use a small propane heater to keep the space in the 60's at night. We also cover the roof of the structure with concrete curing blankets to keep the heat in. This makes the single 40 pound propane tank last a week even at temps in the teens and twenties. I use small 12v fans to pull the heat down to the plants.The plants grow fast due to the good conditions inside. The space is 8'x20' with a wide "table" space where the tomatoes are pictured that is 16'x36" It also has 2 shelves on the north and south side of the space that are 16' x 20". We can easily fit 30 seed trays on the small shelves and ton more on the big shelf once the tomatoes are moved to the greenhouse. I haven't found a cheaper way to start plants in deep winter.



This morning the temp was 20F

 

[Stanb999]

Snug as a bug in a rug.

 

[Stanb999]

We remove the cover at first light.

 

[Stanb999]

73F not to bad.

 

[Stanb999]

the plants are looking well.

 

[Millwright]

Very interesting.

Thanks for taking the time to post pictures.

 

[Vicki]

Yes, thanks Stan! Is it a dirt or gravel floor?

 

[Illini Warrior]

you should see about some kind of solar collector/heat retainer system - the bigger spaces use black painted barrels of water - plenty of other designs out there that are pure DIY ....

 

[20Gauge]

We remove the cover at first light.

I was wondering about that.

 

[Stanb999]

Yes, thanks Stan! Is it a dirt or gravel floor?

Just dirt, But my soil is.. Umm. Sand and gravel.

 

[Stanb999]

you should see about some kind of solar collector/heat retainer system - the bigger spaces use black painted barrels of water - plenty of other designs out there that are pure DIY ....

The earth is a very good thermal mass. Adding barrels doesn't help much. I know folks with that kind of setup in greenhouses. The big reason for the propane is the tomatoes want it much warmer than the ground temp would provide, Plus burning propane provides CO2. If I wasn't growing tomatoes and temps could be cooler the pilot on the heater will keep it in the 50's. You nearly always need heat because you want fresh air coming in at all times. In deep winter when it just sits snow covered the temp goes just below freezing when the outside temps are well below zero.

P.S. Every time I post pictures of the walapini regardless of location I get told about the barrels.. It's like people have an aversion to burning fuel for heat. It keeps a 20 x 8 space near 70F costing about 2 bucks a day. Maybe it's the fact that I grow commercial and am raising thousands of starts that this is more than efficiency enough.

 

[Vicki]

Just dirt, But my soil is.. Umm. Sand and gravel.

I have wanted to dig out a walipini for awhile myself but I'm afraid my soil is just too wet to leave it natural. I'd have to do trenches and gravel or something along those lines. I do have a pdf file I saved for reference and I just found it again. here's that link...

http://opensourceecology.org/w/images/1/1c/Walipini.pdf

 

[Illini Warrior]

The earth is a very good thermal mass. Adding barrels doesn't help much. I know folks with that kind of setup in greenhouses. The big reason for the propane is the tomatoes want it much warmer than the ground temp would provide, Plus burning propane provides CO2. If I wasn't growing tomatoes and temps could be cooler the pilot on the heater will keep it in the 50's. You nearly always need heat because you want fresh air coming in at all times. In deep winter when it just sits snow covered the temp goes just below freezing when the outside temps are well below zero.

P.S. Every time I post pictures of the walapini regardless of location I get told about the barrels.. It's like people have an aversion to burning fuel for heat. It keeps a 20 x 8 space near 70F costing about 2 bucks a day. Maybe it's the fact that I grow commercial and am raising thousands of starts that this is more than efficiency enough.

all kinds of different designs and methods out there - mentioned barrels only as one - doubt if you'd have room for that one .... I suggest - take it or leave it - enough BS fighting & backstabbing here already ... don't need any more

 

[Stanb999]

I have wanted to dig out a walipini for awhile myself but I'm afraid my soil is just too wet to leave it natural. I'd have to do trenches and gravel or something along those lines. I do have a pdf file I saved for reference and I just found it again. here's that link...

http://opensourceecology.org/w/images/1/1c/Walipini.pdf

I'm thinking you'd want to grow in winter right? If So, make sure your roof angle is at least as steep as your latitude, it'd be better to go 10 degrees higher. So at your NY location you'd want the roof pitch to be at 54 degrees. It will look different than mine... It would have a very steep roof and shed snow well.

I only grow starts in mine and not in deep winter.

Check out these guys from University of Minnesota really cool tech.

https://www.extension.umn.edu/rsdp/statewide/deep-winter-greenhouse/

 

[Stanb999]

all kinds of different designs and methods out there - mentioned barrels only as one - doubt if you'd have room for that one .... I suggest - take it or leave it - enough BS fighting & backstabbing here already ... don't need any more

Sorry. I didn't mean it in a bad way.. I actually think it's rather funny that it's always mentioned.

 

[Vicki]

all kinds of different designs and methods out there - mentioned barrels only as one - doubt if you'd have room for that one .... I suggest - take it or leave it - enough BS fighting & backstabbing here already ... don't need any more

Tensions in the air I think. It's hard to relax when it feels like the world is humming. Loudly I might add.

 

[Vicki]

I'm thinking you'd want to grow in winter right? If So, make sure your roof angle is at least as steep as your latitude, it'd be better to go 10 degrees higher. So at your NY location you'd want the roof pitch to be at 54 degrees. It will look different than mine... It would have a very steep roof and shed snow well.

I only grow starts in mine and not in deep winter.

Check out these guys from University of Minnesota really cool tech.

https://www.extension.umn.edu/rsdp/statewide/deep-winter-greenhouse/

54 inch pitch. Ok. I'll remember that, thank you.

It got me to thinking about how there's a nice spot that slopes down into the pond. I've been wanting to have the pond cleaned up and maybe I could get whoever does it to leave me a nice ledge on that north side of that pond. A chicken coop close by wouldn't be bad either. Both would have access to the water and thinking about it further there are enough small trees to be knocked down I might just use them for building material. Stepping down into a walipini sounds great with a pond in front. heck I might as well build the dock out from there so I can fish there too! lol

 

[Bubble Head]

I have the pit dug. It was an old collapsed potato cellar. Cleaned it out with my skid-steer. Dimensions are 32' by 26' which is a good amount of space. It is a north to south pit with the entrance on the south side. This means the roof will have to catch the sun from the east and west. The problem is keeping the soil from sliding in on the sides and what to cover it with. I can cut most anything out with my little sawmill but still keeping the sides in place seems to be very important to the roofing. I thought of some old re-lock fencing or any kind that might be woven and try to anchor to the sides. Don't really have the money to just get it up and running but I would like to get a second phase started if not a cover on it. Any suggestions with how to anchor the soil on the sides would be appreciated.

 

[Stanb999]

I have the pit dug. It was an old collapsed potato cellar. Cleaned it out with my skid-steer. Dimensions are 32' by 26' which is a good amount of space. It is a north to south pit with the entrance on the south side. This means the roof will have to catch the sun from the east and west. The problem is keeping the soil from sliding in on the sides and what to cover it with. I can cut most anything out with my little sawmill but still keeping the sides in place seems to be very important to the roofing. I thought of some old re-lock fencing or any kind that might be woven and try to anchor to the sides. Don't really have the money to just get it up and running but I would like to get a second phase started if not a cover on it. Any suggestions with how to anchor the soil on the sides would be appreciated.

If you have lumber or can make it... http://www.southernpine.com/applications/permanent-wood-foundations/

Due note that yours will not last long with being treated.

 

[Bubble Head]

If you have lumber or can make it... http://www.southernpine.com/applications/permanent-wood-foundations/

Due note that yours will not last long with being treated.

I am not going to last as long as the untreated lumber. I have been thinking of cutting some lumber out to make section smilar to the Border Fence. I could build them on a jig and put them in place quickly. Maybe use 3/4" schedule 40 PVC and hoop to the inside of the dirt. Bring a strong plastic cover over the hoops and anchor.

 

[Stanb999]

A video tour today.

4min.