Hi thanks for asking! The address is:

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze1vlnx/index.html

It's a difficult site address to remember!

Here is a link that might be useful: The Monster Greenhouse

Bruce, stunning and fabulous greenhouse.
Please start a new thread so the emails will come to you.
You do not have an email on your page and I'm sure people would like to send you compliments and ask questions.
Me for one. Does the cork and moss on your orchid tree deteriorate with time? I used bamboo for my poles and vines and already they are showing signs of water damage.
My next step was to use metal lathe and stucco them with a hypertufa mix and make it look like a wooden pole, but the cork would be a lot easier.
I just think it will crumble in time.
How do you plan on cooling the greenhouse is the summer?
What are the highest outside temps you get in NY?

Hi Bruce,

Glad you checked in. Very nice work. My question is pest control...IPM? Sprays, and if so what kind?

Robert

Wonderful job. The inside is simply beautiful. Your bananas are growing like crazy. They obviously enjoy the environment. Have you had any problems with pests? I like the size as well. It's approx the size that I'm thinking of doing when the time comes. Where are you located and what zone? I'm having a tough time deciding between polycarbonate and tempered glass. I love the look glass sides would achieve. Great job. Hope we can chat some more on this later. Jay

Hi, and thanks for all of your comments. I don't post my email address because ona lot of these message boards it opens you up to spam. Since I got rid of AOL and got a new email address, I have gotten NO spam and it's made life easier.
But I am happy to answer any questions!

Now as to the orchid tree, it is not old enough to know for sure, but I have cork mounts that I have used for ten years, and they are in relatively good condition. So I think that the tree should last a good ten years before it needs to be dismantled and rebuilt. The orchids will be big by then anyway, and probably need to be divided.

Cooling is accomplished by the large fan in one end, which pulls cool air through the louvers on the other end. It is set to turn on at 85°. If it gets warmer still, then the fogger kicks in. This can drop the temperature five degrees in five munutes. After that, I don't know, because it has not yet gotten hot enough. However, I have noted that the size of the greenhouse prevents rapid overheating. My previous GH would already be hitting 95° by late March (it was a poly film 12 X 14 quanset). But so far, the hottest the Monster GH has gotten is 80° on a sunny 55° day. So I have hopes that I can keep the temperature below 90°. Our highest temperature in summer is usually 95°, and that is rare. Last year, we had only a couple of days in the nineties. Most summer days are in the mid eighties.

Pest control is with beneficial insects, and the occasional spot spray with insecticidal soap. I use ladybugs for the aphids, and this is very effective. Mealybug destroyers are used for mealy bugs (obviously) and they work pretty well, but the coleus plants are infested anyway. The mealybug destroyers are thriving, and are munching their way around the coleus, but they mealies are just growing too quickly. The plants however, still look great. I will rip them out in another week, and clean them off, root the cuttings, and throw away the base.

I used twinwall polycarbonate since it is a better insulator than glass. It also diffuses the light, and prevents burn on the leaves. Plus it is much more break resistant. Have you ever been in a GH and had a huge pane of glass shatter around you? I have! No, I will stick with poly. Also, if it is early morning, and you are just wearing your boxers, you can go into the GH without the neighbors commenting!

Bruce

Bruce,
WOW! I can't begin to find the words to describe your MONSTER GREENHOUSE. I am looking forward to seeing more pics of your bananas growing (and ripe fruit).
Thanks so much for sharing,
Jeff

It is great when you have the room. My greenhouse is 20' by 40' and about 18' peak. I currently have 6 out of 35-40 of my pineapple plants in bloom and the musa banana plants range from 1-5 ft tall and some will fruit in a month or so. Most will go out by the pond for the summer probably around the end of April but in the fall the pups come back in. Glad to see the updates Bruce I also use bugs for pest control along with about 6 frogs and a bunch of lizards that live inside around the Koi pond. Last fall I found a praying mantis egg sack and put it inside and now I have a bunch of little 1/4 to 1/2 inch mantis helping out! I am going to re-cover my greenhouse this summer the fiberglass panels are looking bad and Hurricane Ivan lifted the entire roof up about a foot or so during the gusts. I had stretched 3 strands of 14 guage electric fence wire from end to end prior to the arrival of the storm and that kept the panels from ending up in Tennessee! For those that haven't seen mine you can look at the link below.

Bob in North Alabama

Here is a link that might be useful: Bob's Homepage

Bob, that is another Monster Greenhouse!

Well when I retired from the Navy 9 1/2 years ago I decided I was going to plant myself and have green year around, so I bought a house on 3 acres in the country dug the pond and built the greenhouse! It is also my escape from the kids and I can watch the ball games and races in quiet, even have a small fridge in there with refreshments.

Bob

Bruce, would you mind sending me an email thru my contact info? I would very much like to ask you a series of questions that would be extremely ponderous thru this forum. Thanks! J