Tag Archives: Greenhouses

Boosting Food Production with Grow Lights

Phillip Bogle, a Solexx dealer from Nehalem, OR has been getting phenomenal results harvesting vegetables year-round in his 16’ Solexx™ Garden Master greenhouse.

PHIL: “I get more amazed each day at how much of a difference my greenhouse and the lights have made on my gardening experience. I won’t sell a greenhouse for food production without lights. I feel that light does more to ensure a healthy vegetable crop than heat. I love the quality of light provided by Solexx™.

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Shade Cloth Benefits

Heat Reduction
Shade cloths provide a way to reduce the ambient temperature inside the greenhouse.  It allows filtered light to pass through the panels to keep plants from being scorched and overheating during hot summer months.
shade_clothMaterials and Time Required

1 polypropylene shade cloth:   $65.00
1 roll neon colored nylon kite string:    $5.00
6 pack camping stakes:   $5.00    
Total:  $75.00

Project Costs

Install Time
Installation took one hour with two people.

Tools Used Materials Used
• Broom handle or long stick
• Ladder
• Rubber mallet
• Utility or pocket knife 
• Nylon twine
• Polypropylene shade cloth
• Six camping stakes

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Low Cost Swamp Coolers

Keeping Our Cool

water_buckets_2  Visiting the Solexx greenhouse headquarters, Beverly gave me a tour of the various greenhouse styles they offer. She also showed me growing and cooling techniques they are currently trialing. One such cooling method caught my curiosity, so I decided to test it in my own greenhouse.

Bev demonstrated how she took plastic Rubbermaid® trugs filled with water to lower and maintain the ambient temperature inside the greenhouse. The containers are low tech and not very sexy looking. I’m happy to report however, they seem to be working. Amazingly enough, the water in the containers remains cool.

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Juicing the Greenhouse

NOTE: This customer is sharing their steps to wire their greenhouse. We advise all customers to hire an electrician unless you are 100% sure you are capable of the project.

Part 1: Adding Electrical to Greenhouse

Adding electrical to your greenhouse is an individual experience. It can be accomplished in several ways. Our project goal was to replace a figurative cold frame into a fully functional greenhouse complete with light, fans, heating mats, cooling and heating before summer.

Materials and Time Required
This project took more trips to our local hardware store than we expected. The final tally for materials was $100 and a weekend to run electrical wiring to the outside of the greenhouse.

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Installing Solexx Panels on Aluminum Frame Greenhouses

Before Shots
plastic_wallplastic_polycarbonate

Our greenhouse has undergone many incarnations over the years. It was delivered and set-up with no instructions attached. We quickly learned that a greenhouse without water, electric or venting is essentially a large cold frame. For many years, it was a way to relieve the garage from all my tools, pots, and garden miscellaneous so my husband could have the garage back.

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Solexx Greenhouses introduces the Lit’l Propagator

Over the years we have had requests for a small greenhouse using Solexx covering. Many of our customers have limited space to put a greenhouse and needed a greenhouse with a smaller footprint. The Lit’l Propagator is a 4′ x 4′ greenhouse that is actually tall enough for most gardeners to stand in at 72″ tall. Built in shelf framing is included so you can easily make shelving to store your plants.

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