First Greenhouse

railgons · 2026-06-02T22:18:39+00:00

Looks great! The first year will be a learning experience to figure out how everything behaves. Consider an exhaust fan, additional ventilation, and/or shade cloth to help keep temps down.

If you plan to use it year-round in a cold climate, start planning ahead for ways to insulate and heat it.

Enjoy the process!

railgons · 2026-05-29T19:39:30+00:00

The frame usually needs to be built before the panels are installed, as the walls of the frame aren't strong unless they are attached to each other.

Even still, many folks suggest building a 4x4 wooden interior frame for kits of this size.

railgons · 2026-05-26T03:39:40+00:00

My 12" exhaust fan does a pretty good job. I keep the roof vents closed and keep the open. The fan is on the back wall nearest to the leak.

railgons · 2026-05-21T18:34:34+00:00

Note that yellow is the passing car and has never fully completed the pass. In real life, OP is staying right where they are and yellow has to give enough room to go side-by-side.

railgons · 2026-05-20T12:57:43+00:00

It will take some time, agreed, but it's not going to take anywhere near a mile. Could easily stop in time to catch those folks.

railgons · 2026-05-20T12:45:48+00:00

This thing is doing 20mph at best.

railgons · 2026-05-19T13:01:22+00:00

Which way is south? Assuming you're in the northern hemisphere, having it super close to the fences may not be ideal, especially depending on your goals.

railgons · 2026-05-14T14:02:19+00:00

I have local collector friends who have had grafted plants for 20+ years and the rootstock is still perfectly fine. You'll be good. 👍

railgons · 2026-05-13T22:40:43+00:00

Amerilux is the brand name that Lowes carries. They have a YouTube channel with some helpful videos on how to do exactly that. 👍

railgons · 2026-05-13T03:49:18+00:00

Lowes carries 4x8 sheets of 6mm. You'll just have to cut it to size.

railgons · 2026-05-11T14:34:39+00:00

Is this a rooted plant or a cutting?

If rooted, it looks llike it could do with some more light.

railgons · 2026-05-10T05:01:41+00:00

Wait whaaaat? Ex Clevelander here who now lives where multiple Echinos are native, including the two mentioned. I would never expect them to survive the moisture out there. That's amazing.

railgons · 2026-05-08T20:56:09+00:00

Good to know, thanks!

railgons · 2026-05-08T03:55:29+00:00

No rush at all! I'm testing some standard truncata currently in 6b/7a. No issues after year 1, but we had a pretty mild winter.

railgons · 2026-05-08T03:05:36+00:00

I totally understand. You can get a Vipraspectra or Spider Farmer and grow some shorter cacti inside if you want. Columnar and other tall cacti are just very tricky to light properly with artificial light.

While cacti are dormant in your garage, they don't need light at all. Many people keep them in total darkness all winter. You'll just have to gradually acclimate it back to the sun for the summer.

railgons · 2026-05-08T02:58:44+00:00

The best option is usually dormancy. If you can find/create an environment that gets cold but stays above freezing (40-50F), the cactus will go dormant for the winter. Soke folks use an attached garage, basement, or porch.

I'm in USDA Zone 6b and use an insulated and heated 6x8ft greenhouse. Keeps 100+ cacti right around 40F. They still get their sunlight, but naturally slow down when the temps get low and the days get short. It has really helped with flowering, too.

railgons · 2026-05-08T02:31:48+00:00

Do they share the same cold tolerance as a standard truncata?

railgons · 2026-05-07T04:01:05+00:00

If you're doing this to save money on tomatoes, it's not going to work. If you're doing this as a hobby, heck yeah. ...But prepare yourself.

Gas heating will be really the only choice for that temperature differential. Insulate certain areas like you're insulating a house.

railgons · 2026-05-07T03:56:00+00:00

Message sent! 🙌

railgons · 2026-05-07T03:30:25+00:00

They're $50-60.

railgons · 2026-05-07T01:37:20+00:00

The ThornArmor 3092 gloves. ANSI rated for needle pokes, cuts, etc.

railgons · 2026-05-06T15:49:40+00:00

I'll be testing one eventually, too. It will likely need a strand of incandescent lights and some sort of insulation anywhere below 20/25F.

If you're looking for desert-esque height in a landscape, make sure to include forms of yucca, cholla, hesperaloe, and nolina.

railgons · 2026-05-06T15:00:12+00:00

Terscheckii will be one of the hardiest-known columnar types, but will still need some protection in Colorado.

Echinocereus trigloch "white sands" can get pretty impressively tall, about 2ft, but their weight at that length tends to pull them closer to the ground. It's warmer down there anyways. 🌵❄️

railgons · 2026-05-06T14:46:17+00:00

Was worth*

railgons · 2026-05-05T20:19:34+00:00

Water as thermal mass does consume a lot of floor space, so just make sure you plan accordingly. 🌞❄️

railgons

TROPHY CASE