Just ordered my Farmbot Genesis 1.6… based on its measurements around 5ft x 10ft I am wondering what the best size would be for a greenhouse to put it in?
Im in Central Missouri USA and hope to grow year round by either adding some thermal mass like water or similar to the greenhouse.
Im not terribly handy so I am considering the Yoderbilt greenhouses and getting a 12ft x 20ft model so my Farmbot could sit in one end. Allowing the room around it to be used for raised beds of taller vegetables like Tomatoes, etc… that I read would be difficult for FarmBot. We also want to try some fruit trees in there too.
Does anyone have any pointers or suggestions on things I need to look for in a greenhouse to go along with the FarmBot?
I had a local person build mine for around $5K, I have a genesis 1.5, adjusted its size to 8’ x 18’. Had the greenhouse built 10’ x 20’. I only have a walkway around 1 side, iI would recommend having access to both side. I used 4x4’s 30" in ground with concrete to ensure the rails would remain straight. I can use the end of it for taller plants but that defeats the purpose of the farmbot for watering etc. I installed a water barrel and have a pump controlled by the farmbot to water, I installed automatic openers for the roof vents, it gets real hot in the summer. Here are some photos.
I tried using water barrels for heat but it wasn’t enough so I used electric heaters up until the end of December here in Cleveland, Ohio. I also installed a fan exhaust. During the summer, it gets well over 100 degrees inside. I would be interested in what you come up with for heat. Good luck.
Another thing, because it gets real hot, you need to protect the computer. I put a shield above it to block any sunlight and added a cooling fan that blows across the box.
This is great information, thank you so much. So my challenge will probably be more with heat than with cold it sounds. I better do some real looking into what sort of ventilation I can get… if I install Windows on the sides that might help… but as hot air rises I would think those top vents you have on yours would be the best cooling method… perhaps the addition of a soffit around the sides thats open in the summer to pull in cooler air. I am going to do more research… thank you!
Hey! How are you and what did you decide to do? Thx for sharing. What exactly do you want to grow? As far as I remember you have big temperature swings
