Garden build 2025

DDW_OR · February 26, 2024, 04:46:15 PM

Will be starting a garden in 2025
What crops. Bushes. Fruit trees. Fruit vines.

Montana zone 6a. 5a. 5b

What would you recommend
All suggestions welcome

Also building a 12x32 twin wall polycarbonate greenhouse
Use sawmill for 2x6's
Then build frame
Then stain with airless sprayer
Then put twin wall on

We have grown peach trees. Ugly looking but VERY TASTY.!!!!!!!!!
Where killed over 30 years ago in February after 2 weeks of warm weather that got the trees to start budding.
Still remember the taste.
Have not tasted the same since.

Also killed the cherry trees around Flathead Lake

Will plant the trees along the property line
Then bird netting when fruit is growing

Berry bushes between trees

rusticretreater · February 27, 2024, 11:32:55 PM

https://www.thespruceeats.com/montana-fruits-and-vegetables-2217211

twar · February 28, 2024, 04:46:01 AM

When I was at the U in Missoula, a neighbor had an impressive apricot tree. I remember her giving away apricots to any one who would take them.

DDW_OR · February 29, 2024, 12:02:51 PM

Watched a couple videos on greenhouses buried 2 to 5 feet into the ground
Then adding geothermal heat loops 8 feet underground. 70 to 100 feet long. Ground temperatures that deep are near constant 40 to 50 degrees. In most of the videos they are growing oranges

DDW_OR · March 05, 2024, 03:28:51 PM

found this useful site for when the sun will be directly overhead
https://www.suncalc.org/#/48.368,-114.1725,16/2024.03.06/12:47/1/3

then use your shadow and two stakes to mark your shadow
then orientate the build to that

will still use the Outdoor Wood Furnace, OWF, to heat the soil in the ground.
and may add the geothermal heating
part of the Geothermal loop will use the OWF trench to re-gain some of the heat lost

DDW_OR · March 06, 2024, 09:04:48 PM

Plan to build it like a Polebarn

I got several cardboard tubes used for shipping chimney pipe sections. About 3 ft long
Frost is 5 ft. So 2 tubes per post
Then the metal bracket into the wet cement. Then the 4x6 post on the bracket
6x6 on the four corners

Build it once. Use it for 50 years

Will see how the twin wall polycarbonate holds heat in the winter
May add a 1x2 spacer then a second sheet on the outside

Southside · March 06, 2024, 09:56:39 PM

I bought orders of lady bugs and added them to our 300 sf experimental greenhouse this winter, basically zero aphids now on kale leaves that are in contact with the ground and those were definitely the ones harboring the most in the beginning.

Plan now is to have a 30'x100' in place for late summer and I definitely will run tubing under the raised beds to tie into the OWB. May just grow greens / cool season in it over the winter as those have done really well for me this winter then use it to get a jump on field transplant starts. Around here it's just too hot come summer to have anything in there so thinking I will toss some really long season soybeans in there mixed with sorghum as a cover crop / nitrogen fixation / green manure. Till it all in come September and plant cool season crops.

DDW_OR · March 07, 2024, 11:39:03 AM

and i will make all of my raised beds the same.
in late fall i will move the coldframe into the greenhouse. one more frost protection layer

DDW_OR · March 15, 2024, 12:20:59 PM

the house, greenhouse, and OWF trenches will form an almost equilateral triangle that will be used to put three empty, ADS 4-in x 100-ft Corrugated Solid Pipe
about a total of 250 feet of trenches
two fans in the greenhouse, one pushing into the pipes and the other pulling from the other end
the trench from OWF to house is too shallow, 2 feet, it will melt the snow on the ground.

and a good friend is giving me a lot of 4 ft chain-link fence. about 900 feet with concrete posts and most of the pipe. my fence line is 550 ft. never worked with chain-link.

DDW_OR · July 17, 2024, 02:27:45 PM

Took a screen shot of my Property. then outlined each building in yellow. then removed everything else

trenches with water will be about 8 feet deep

trenches T1 and T2 will have the following
a heat loop from the OWF.
four air pipes around the OWF line
electrical
an empty 1 1/2 inch black HDPE pipe

Trench T3 will have
four air pipes
electrical
an empty 1 1/2 inch black HDPE pipe
a 1 1/2 inch black HDPE pipe with a one inch PEX pipe inside for water

so the air pipe flow is 300 feet long
Greenhouse to T3 to T1 to T2 to Greenhouse

Trench T4, 5 ft deep
a heat loop from the OWF.
electrical
an empty 1 1/2 inch black HDPE pipe

Trench T5, 2 feet deep
electrical
an empty 1 1/2 inch black HDPE pipe

DDW_OR · August 08, 2024, 05:34:13 PM

The greenhouse pit

Dig the inside down about 4 feet
Line pit walls and bottom with foam board
Add a foot of dirt
Then pex pipe loop
Then fill with three feet of dirt

OWF water temp is 180 to 190 degrees
Do not want to cook the roots.

Have temperature probe in dirt
Pex pipe pump turns on at soil temp 40 degrees
Turns off at 50 degrees

thecfarm · August 08, 2024, 08:37:07 PM

Interesting!!!
I have a root cellar on one side of my basement, It's under the sunroom. Maybe 12 by 16 feet. The floor is lined with stones. It's about 6 feet under ground, with 2 feet of exposed concrete. I kept track one winter. When it was in the singles numbers seem like it got down to 46° then it would go up to 50 with higher temps. I only checked it one year. Just the sides and ceiling has 2 inch foam board.

DDW_OR · August 09, 2024, 02:10:11 PM

Just had a thought.

55 gallon open top barrow
copper loop from OWF to heat water inside barrow
then a second copper loop to the pit PEX loop.

nope, too complicated.

so OWF ThermoPex has two Pex lines inside, Send and Return

DDW_OR · September 19, 2024, 06:18:44 PM

Also was told about foam foundation blocks
Two birds with one stone

Would not need the tubes

DDW_OR · September 21, 2024, 02:38:45 PM

Will not do the foam foundation blocks
Too much $$$

DDW_OR · October 01, 2024, 11:27:48 PM

where do you get sprinkler system parts
besides Home Depot, Lowe's, Ace, true Value, Facebook, and Ebay

DDW_OR · October 05, 2024, 10:56:02 PM

Here is a good vid of how I plan to build my raised beds
Mine will be 5x10 and 36 high I have lots of 3x10 white metal roofing

May coat the inside with something to reduce rust

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fThviH71CaI&pp=ygUWRGl5IG1ldGFsIHJhaXNlZCBiZWRzIA%3D%3D

reride82 · October 07, 2024, 01:47:20 PM

Check out Bob Quinn out of Big Sandy, MT. He built an underground greenhouse that uses geothermal to heat it. He's been growing citrus, peaches, apples, cherries, etc in a much worse climate than the Flathead

He has pioneered many organic and homestead ideas in the past, and he's a great guy to boot!

Levi

DDW_OR · October 07, 2024, 02:39:58 PM

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php?topic=124171.msg2041865#msg2041865

greenhouse pit

DDW_OR · October 29, 2024, 01:59:30 PM

The triple wall polycarbonate was delivered

November 6 two trees will be dropped

Will be clearing and flattening the greenhouse location

Have other properties before the snow comes

DDW_OR · October 29, 2024, 03:26:18 PM

The garden slopes from North to South
the Garden Tool Room will have no Polycarbonate
it will be insulated and be kept at 40 deg during the winter

this is the future layout plan for the 1.5 acers
the yellow round is fruit trees
the long orange lines are berry bushes on the inside of the chain link fence
red lines are property lines
Pink lines are irrigation
the yellow rectangles are the different trailers we have. will be selling some
Multitek is a firewood processor
Timberking is a sawmill

will be a total of 9 to 10 gates
some locations will have a double gate, 12+12

will use the Bobcat E80 excavator to remove the top foot of yard soil\rock, then use a vibrating screen to sift the larger stuff.
then mix topsoil with the small stuff and add to the yard.
land is on top of a Glacier till rock pile. can leave the water hose run all week with out a puddle

DDW_OR · November 25, 2024, 04:33:48 PM

did the price of buying each individual part, and compared it to the 57253, 3 valve system.
will be using the Orbit Manifold 57253 cheaper and should be more reliable.

during this winter i am drawing many plans
watering
electrical
Cameras

i found on Craigslist a red 2,500 ft 1.25 inch roll of PEX for under $800

will be running a PEX 1.25 inch line from the house to the Greenhouse ( GH ) .

lines to the raised beds, fence growing, and fruit trees will all be 3/4 inch PEX-B Blue. and designing it so i can hook up an air compressor to winterize the lines outside the GH.
the lines inside the GH will be run down the center then to the wall raised beds

the camera POE Ethernet cable will be inside a White 3/4 Pex pipe, or the red 1.25 PEX

will add an empty 1.25 in each trench for the future, if i get the big roll

will be converting the 2 car garage into a work shop and adding heat from the OWF.