Ya, it is amazing that your plants and system survived your greenhouse being knocked over. Just thought I would through this out as well, I live in the desert where we get very high winds regularly all monsoon season. I worked for a dealership that used the large tent canopies to shade new boats for sale. Along with the normal tent stakes, we also tied the canopies to 55 gallon drums filled with water. The winds were strong enough to bend some of the 2 inch metal pipes used as the canopy frame, but we never had a canopy fall over or fly away. For your much smaller greenhouse I imagine something like about 6 five gallon buckets filled with water would probably do as well (one on each corner, and two in the middle).

You can also do a "dead man" system where you bury a 5 gal bucket and tie to that. Some people even drill holes thru the bucket and put rebar in an x shape to help grab the earth like an anchor.

Well we didn't want to go to that kind of trouble since next year our plan is to have a commercial size greenhouse. This was more of our experimental to see if i could figure out how to even do the whole hydroponic's. And with the great help i've gotten on this site. We're really excited for next year.

Commercial size?

Don't tease me... what size are you thinking of? I would love to set up two 10x12's like this one... 24x10

Two HFGH 10x12 Greenhouses Joined Together - Greenhouses & Garden Structures Forum - GardenWeb

These are the Harbor Freight Green House kits, they sell for 800 bucks, but if you are patient, you can get them on sale for 550-600. Then you need an additional 300+ to reinforce them. Plus laying the foundation. I hear you will end up at about a grand per unit. They are not put together that great out of the box, but they also don't cost 10k. And for my zone, and weather I don't need to worry about snow load, and wind above 50-60mph ever.

We're looking at around a 30x48 to start with. I have about 1.25 acres that my kids could care less to play on. Might as well do something with it.

Finally went out and got some pictures. Thought i'd show you, what you've all helped me accomplish. And yes i know that one bucket has nothing in it. They were weak plant's (prolly from me) that eventually called it a day. Wife hasn't decided what kind of plant's she want's to replace them with.

OK who here has to deal with tomato worms? They dang things decided i was doing such a good job with my plant's now, that they would give me yet another problem....:mad:

Any pictures of them?

I'll get a pic of them if i dont kill them first LOL. They are also called a Horn Worm.

Here is a link to a picture of one.

Google Image Result for http://www.growgardentomatoes.com/image-files/tomato-hornworm-5.jpg

Hey Mater,

Those guys suck! I have had them in the past, should be here in a month or two...even though I HATE to spray anything, I have used this with great results. Also billed for Organic gardening...

Safer® Brand Caterpillar Killer Concentrate | Safer Brand

Ya i'm not big into spraying either, but if that mean's my plant's get left alone then that's what i will do. I was thinking about buying some Mantis and turning them loose, i did have a black aphid problem....lady bug's to the rescue LOL.

I am way into using benificials bugs in the garden, but I'm not sure the Praying Mantis would take care of the hornworms...they get huge. Let me know if you know differently, I'll pick some up today!

T

Funny you should mention that, I found two little mantis today on my nute tank. Hope they eat whatever has been eating my leaves.

Hello T'Mater,
Ya, those look like the same large caterpillars we would often see on our large tomato plants back in California. I just used to pluck them off, and flush them down the toilet when I saw them. We had large plants, and they didn't seem to pose much problem when just hand picking them off. But if you have a more severe problem and want to use beneficial insects, I also agree that I don't think the Mantis will work well. I understand the Mantis eat just about everything they can catch (smaller than they are), but the horn worms are quite large for them to eat (unless they eat them before they get that big).

But I have read about parasitic wasp in the past. Parasitic wasps range in size from the size of about aphids (even as small as white fly's), to over an inch long. They don't actually sting, but use their so called stinger to inject insects with their egg/s. Those eggs then feed on the insect, killing it (even insects much larger than the parasitic wasp). There seems to be a species of parasitic wasp that kill most insects. In the article you posted they mention "braconid wasp" as a species that kill the horn worm. I know parasitic wasps are generally host specific, that is they infect specific insects (hosts) with their young, and I don't know the names of species that kill the horn worm. But I would contact company's that sell beneficial insects, and ask them if they have a parasitic wasp for horn worms. There are many places that sell beneficial insects online, and ship them directly to you.

Ya, i've been making run's on my plant's. For the most part i'm catching them when they are itty bitty and that's why i thought about the praying mantis. But i have to say at the rate they are eating i'm going to have to dust or spray the plant's like Fresh mentioned.

I'm right there with you Mater, I am holding off right now as well...but I might have to bite the bullet and spray too. :(

For the record, a tomato worm will eat through a foam cup like you get at sonic to get out.

So things for the most part have been going really well thanks to you guy's. Now i have a couple of tomatoes ripening early on me.

I think it was due to the heat but i'm not a 100% sure. Between that and somehow my system got shut off for that day.

Temp ended up being something like 113 that and no drink i think my plants got badly shocked. WOuld this be a reason for the tomatoes to ripen early?

If not what else could it be? Only reason i believe they are early is mainly they're no bigger then a golf ball sizeish. And i'm growing Burpee Organic Beafsteak. Supposed to get roughly 1-2lbs.

Besides that got my worms killed off, had to go with a spray :(.

Hey Mater,

Good to hear things are going well. I'm not sure what it is either, but I had the same thing happen on the 5th of July...we had a couple-few really nice hot days here, and I had 40-50 tomatoes ripen in that time span.

Kinda sucked to tell you the truth, I much prefer the slower 2-3 ripen a day harvest. Bato bucket res. would have saved you from any lack of water failure if it was just one day I think. But then again I don't deal with any temps over 90...ever.

I had to spray too, but remember the "Safer" brand product is still organic, and is an edible enzyme I think.

I would love to see some pictures ;)

Todd

Well i thought the Bato Bucket Res would save me. But when i got home and turned the pump on. It took a bit to fill them back up. Letting me know that the plants had either used it all or it dried up.

Ya the tomatoes themselves are ripening slowly like they are supposed to. They are just not of the size. I"ll try to get some pic's and show ya.

Here is what is going on and you can see how small the tomatoes are.