raised greenhouse

[mpmace]

I have an idea of using old metal barrels as the foundation for my greenhouse. If I line them up and put the greenhouse on top, I could anchor it to the barrels (filled with dirt) and have that much more height inside. I thought I could also use the inside part of the barrel as a growbed support. The outside part I could plant beautiful flowers to pacify my wife. Any ideas?

[GoneFish'n]

A higher ceiling in a green house can improve ventilation during hot weather, but it also requires more heat during cold weather. It is normally best to keep the green house low. Not so low that your are required to be bent over when working with your plants. Barrels, 55 gallon, might be a little high with a growbed on top. And growing flowers on the outside, you would have to be careful not to plant flowers tall enough to block the sunlight. My thoughts only. With today's inflation, my two cents worth may be grossly over rated.

[mpmace]

I worry about it being too high to keep warm during the winter, but the barrels will only raise it 35 in. I thought that would be a good height for my beds. I really wanted room for my tomatoes to grow. I love the heirloom types and they tend to get rather high. If there's a better way, I would love to hear it. I just want to get the best use of the greenhouse without losing any grow space.

The flowers on the outside would be bulb flowers. Not too high.

[GoneFish'n]

It sounded like you planned to use the barrels to support the growbeds. With the 35" barrels and another 12-14" for the bed its self, you are talking over 4 feet. That would make it difficult to reach across to tend to your plants. Unless, of course, you are a lot taller than me. Green house and growbeds on the ground would give you the same room for your plants to grow up as green house and growbeds at barrel height. I would just use longer stakes to raise the green house a little higher and give the plants a little extra room.

[dufflight]

Or dig the barrel in a little. Forget the dirt. If you fill with water in winter and empty them in summer. Some black pipe running in a loop from the barrels will heat up the water and help with the heating in the night. Also painting the outside of them black will help heat them up.

[mpmace]

I like the idea of digging them in a little. I'm over six feet tall, so I can reach the far side with little effort(except for my overly developed belly). I also would like to run a black pipe around the outside to heat the water in the winter. I can't paint them black because I promised my wife I would cover them up somehow. (Something about "What would the neighbor's think?")