Tag Archives: movable greenhouse

How Can I make my greenhouse its best?

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Different tips to make it more efficient, proper space for plants, proper light,
when to heat and not

There are numerous ways of making your greenhouse more efficient and a better return for your investment.

The first question which needs to be answered, however is, “What does it need to be efficient for?” The answer to that should be in line with your goals and priorities for your greenhouse.

As an example, if you are not going to be growing in the winter, you will not need to make the structure “heat efficient” but you will need to ensure that it is “snow efficient”. If you are growing in the greenhouse through the summer time, the efficiency of your ventilation system is critical.

Making your structure more heat efficient (summer perspective) will be expanded on in post #5 and more heat efficient (winter perspective) will be expand on in post #6.

When you intend to start plants in early spring and then move the greenhouse to start another crop, the moving process can be made more efficient by installing “skis” under the base.

Anchoring concerns are touched on in post #3. This is also a way of making more efficient use of your property with investing in more greenhouse space.

When you implement a trellising program, you will make more efficient use of the floor space in your greenhouse. It is important to consider the need for your plant load being balanced on your structure.

Another important thing to be mindful of is the shading that is created when you implement vertical growing. Under certain conditions you may need to consider supplemental lighting to make things grow.

One consideration that is important to be mindful of as well, is that in the confined space of a greenhouse, you can not grow everything. This is not just a space limitation, but a climate limitation.

Certain plants prefer it warm and some like it cool. Other plants prefer wet and others dry. It will be more efficient use of your greenhouse if you collaborate with a like minded person. You grow more of certain things and the friend does likewise and then you trade the extras.

Here is to working together and growing together!

How do I make sure it stays where it is supposed to?

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Pointers on anchoring, what kind of things will impact holding power of anchors,
anchoring after moving a structure

A phrase Norm has used thousands of times in his career is, “There is no such thing as too many anchors.” We consider it important to help customers understand the aerodynamics involved with a greenhouse shape.

The relatively small cost of the anchors is a short-lived savings after a building has blown away or shifted. By understanding and implementing what is required you can ensure a long term usage of your structure.

The job of your anchoring system is to counter the three aerodynamic forces working on your building.

  • Down force is usually seen as snow load
  • Up lift and lateral shift are forces typically associated with wind load
  • Wind going over a structure creates lift similar to wind going over an airplane wing

The first thing you will need to assess is what you are actually working with. If you have bedrock close to the surface, you have large rocks, or you have straight sand, it will impact your options for anchoring.

The actual holding power of your soil is an important consideration. Soil that has been recently excavated has considerably less holding power than soil that has not been moved in a long time.

The total surface area of an anchor post in contact with the soil is an important consideration. Large and short may have more contact area than long and slender.

When anchors can be used in alternating directions, it will multiply their individual holding power.

Wet soil usually does not have the same holding capacity as well drained soil. An important consideration here is rainwater which is shed by the building. As an example, with a 16’ wide structure, 8’ of rainwater goes each way. This means that the narrow area next to your building get 8 times the rain that the rest of the property gets. If you have poorly draining soil, this could be a potential problem.

If you are planning to use the movable structure option, proper anchoring has some additional challenges. Since your building is vulnerable to sudden increases in wind during this process, your anchoring protocol needs to be done quickly. Always do a test in the new area to confirm what you will be working with. With the quickness that is required, there is also a reminder that taking shortcuts will come back to haunt you.

We would like to reiterate, “If you are not 110% sure, please ask” There is no situation out there that is so unusual that we have not already been through it.

Your long term success is very important to us!

We hope you are finding value in this series of posts, helping you prepare for your new growing adventure! Reminder that the deadline is May 31st for Fall Delivery. We look forward to working with you for your projects!

Season Extension: Moving Your Structure

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A significant part of season extension involves moving an intact structure.

This basically allows you to get two (or possibly three) plots of production from one investment.

The idea is to start a relatively cold tolerant crop very early in the season (the timing will be different in different locations).

  1. Once the crop is firmly established in location A, (and it has warmed up) you will move the structure to location B and start another crop.
  2. You will harvest the crop in location A and then after working the soil, plant another crop in location A which is intended for fall harvesting.
  3. After location B is harvested and before frost you will move the structure back to A.
  4. Instead of doing twice in location A you could also choose location C.

A structure can be equipped with wheels which will run over the soil. There is quite a bit of flexibility where you go and the terrain you navigate.

The structure can be equipped with rollers on a track. This will determine where you go and this is usually intended for moving a bigger structure with fewer people.

The most common method of moving is sliding the structure on the soil. The base rail can be wood or steel.

It is critically import to understand the logistics of moving on a structure before you start. It is not hard to move a structure but it is also not hard to do damage.

Having a plan for proper anchoring is very important for a movable structure. Your structure is at a vulnerable state when you release the anchors. Once you start, the job must be completed quickly. You have to be aware that the anchors may not come out or go back in easily so you may need to give yourself some extra time.

One other area of consideration on a movable structure is the ends. There must be some sort of a flap or vent along the bottom so that when a structure is being moved, the ends will not uproot plant material. Generally speaking to have this ability in the ends takes away from the structural integrity, so some extra anchoring may be required.

You can see more information and photos on our movable information page. Please don’t hesitate to call us with ANY questions you may have. This can be a very useful addition to your structure, but must be understood correctly.

Season Extension: Hanley Caterpillar Tunnels

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The first area to discuss regarding season extension are those structures that are simple enough to disassemble and relocate to another spot-primarily referring to Hanley Caterpillar Tunnels.

The real lure of these buildings is their low cost and simplicity to move. Generally the area is prepared in advance and then the tunnel is moved over the area when the planting is to be done.

Since the original design specified 6′ hoop spacing, the intent was always to remove the cover before risk of heavier snow fall. More often now, growers are going to 5′ spacing (and sometimes 4′) to allow the covers to remain on longer or even permanently.

By having a smaller hoop spacing, it allows the cover to stay on permanently, which allows for a much earlier start in the spring.

The key to the concept of the Hanley working is in the rope.

  • The back and forth pattern of the rope resembles the way a person would lace up a boot.
  • Typically there is a spring loaded clip at the base where the rope passes through.
  • Once the rope is fully installed, it is important to tighten it through three passes from end to end.
  • If the rope is not tight enough, the wind will create wiggle and movement sideways.
  • When the plastic is tight enough, it also allows the grower to slide the plastic up the hoop to allow ventilation.

Generally the plastic is about 25′ longer then the tunnel.
This allows the installer to bunch up (pig tail style) the extra poly at both ends between a pair of posts.
It is important to get the plastic as tight as possible lengthwise first.
There must also be a rope from the top of the last hoop to the tie off post.

There are a couple of challenges to consider with the hanley tunnels.

  1. One of these challenges is to create a proper entrance. Typically entrance is achieved by slightly lifting the plastic and ducking underneath.
  2. The other are of challenge is the low shoulder height of the structure. This restricts the use to a couple rows of taller items in the middle and a couple rows of shorter plants along the side. The width of the tunnel does lend itself to three regular size beds.

Once you have learned about the nuances of the hanley tunnels, and asked any questions that come up, you will be better prepared to have these efficient season extenders work for you and your application.

Feel free to look at our Hanley Application page for more information and photos, and give us a call with anything else you require.

We are pleased to have many happy customers these structures are working for, and look forward to you being next!

Check out our book if you want to know more “So You Want to Buy a Greenhouse…Your Guide to Planning a Greenhouse Purchase”

March Features *So Many Applications! & Who We Are*

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If you’re wondering a little bit about Multi Shelter Solutions and who we are, what our values are, and our process to help you find your shelter solution, we wanted to share a few articles this month so you can get to know us.

Why Choose Us?
This page has a bit about Norm’s history and the experience and approach that we have to every project that comes to us from you! It includes our video series on Values as well as a link to the video of Norm’s Greenhouses 101 presentation. “We don’t sell you a greenhouse, we help you buy one!”

Don’t take our word for it, here’s what others are saying!
We have been so grateful for the encouraging words and testimonials that people have shared about their experiences with us, on all our social platforms, on the phone and in emails. We wanted to honour those and share them with you in one place. If you have any to add, feel free to reach out and we will share yours too!

We want to help you find your shelter solution…here’s why!
This page is an overview of why we do what we do and how. Similar to Why Choose Us? it goes into a bit more depth

We have a number of resources on our website to share all the ways and applications which Multi Shelter buildings can be used. Norm has been in the industry for over 45 years and often says there isn’t much he hasn’t seen, and loves the challenge of coming up with new solutions for creative applications.

We have done a flying building to help an apartment building construction, a building over a boat sailing on the St. Lawrence over winter, a round building for a creative workshop area…as well as all the standard uses we have!

Applications Page & Various Ideas and Options

Profiles & Space Requirements
This page discusses the various heights in from the side you can roughly expect from our buildings to help you plan. We don’t bend any steel before we get an order, so this can be slightly adjusted as well if your requirement doesn’t fall within the chart. Please contact Norm for these custom cases we can do, for no additional charge. It also discusses the shapes and pros and cons of each. Stay tuned to this page later this month for a video from Norm explaining this further

We would love to discuss your project with you and how a Multi Shelter can help fit what you need. Have a look around our site for information and pricing, as well as the descriptions of what Multi Shelters values and how we work with you on your project. We look forward to hearing from you!

As part of our new monthly giving back initiative, $240 from structure purchases in February has been donated to Foodbanks Canada

In March we are supporting Breakfast Club Canada with a portion of every purchase

Thank you for helping us make a difference
– Norm & The Multi Shelters Team

 

 

Movable Structures

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Please download our Movable Greenhouse Information or our movable brochure for printable versions of this information.
Or visit the movable application page for more details

Welded base replaces the base brackets at $14.50 per foot of structure.

That means if your structure is 36′ long, you would calculate 36 x #)$14.50 (2 sides) = $522

Skis only are $13 per foot of structure plus $55, and are 3′ longer than the building length – 39 x $13 (2 sides) +$55 = $562

Please ensure you read the instructions and considerations FULLY and understand all the points before considering purchasing a movable greenhouse.

The intent of this page is to point out concepts rather then discuss specifics. There are simply too many possibilities to cover them all. It is our purpose here to make sure you realize the possible consequences of some of your ideas and to point out potential pitfalls.

The idea of a moving structure allows a user, with a little creativity, to protect 2 or 3 times as much area with the same building and investment. It is a very simple concept as long as some basic guidelines are adhered to. If these guidelines are not followed, the building can easily sustain significant damage. The stress of pulling must be distributed evenly to eliminate or greatly minimize the risk of damage.

If you are moving a structure often or over longer distances, please call to discuss wheel options

movable skis

Click to see the photos below in a larger format with detailed descriptions