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Whether you are building a huge luxury greenhouse to escape to, or a simple lean-to greenhouse several considerations go into choosing a contractor.

First, Greenhouse construction is unique to the industry. You should not hire a company that does not have experience in building greenhouses. These greenhouses are costly and you will want them to be constructed by true greenhouse craftsmen. Some of the pitfalls with building a greenhouse lies within the contractor working on the site. There are special clips, bolts, corners, and working with glass or polycarbonate is also a true skill so don’t try to cut corners by hiring a local builder unless they are truly skilled at working with greenhouse construction.

Next, the construction of a greenhouse is woven into the knowledge of the manufacturing arm of the greenhouse. It is something the qualified greenhouse builder has grown to study and know well. Basic design and uses of the greenhouse are common knowledge with the qualified greenhouse construction team. The materials used in different parts of the country are also important to the builder and whether the structure needs vents, doors, full sun, how much drainage, misting systems and how certain equipment can be used in the greenhouse. There is no room for mistakes or error in the design, manufacturing and building of a greenhouse.

Third, greenhouse construction needs to be done with a knowledgable team of crew, workers, manufacturer, and owner all working together to make sure all of the parts and pieces arrive at the site early and ready for installation. This will move smoothly but could be a major problem if not installed by knowledgable craftsmen. Imagine missing a piece only to learn the part came from China, and will take two weeks to be delivered. This can be costly and the project hindered.

Fourth, the greenhouse builder knows more than the average general contractor in drawing out a plan, knowledge of details, how the air will flow and in what type of climate needed to put in humidifiers or misting systems or what issues could arise. Qualified greenhouse craftsmen work hand in hand with landscape architects and engineers first, before you even get to the planning process.

As you can see, greenhouse construction comes with many considerations and the builder qualified to work in this field will be able to sit down and talk to you about many more things to make sure your gardening dreams are met.

Before you build a greenhouse, avoid many of the pitfalls of Custom Greenhouse Construction at Southern Greenhouses You are welcome to reprint this article – but get your own unique content version here.

Mycelium Running by Paul Stamets has been the perpetual best-seller on popular mycology since published in 2005. It’s an indispensible reference book for anybody working the land, especially foresters, farmers and environmental cleanup contractors. It’s also a great book for anyone interested in growing their own food mushrooms.

Mycelium Running is filled to the brim with useful tips on things such as using mushrooms to improve soils and boost productivity in forestry and farming (gardening) with decreased use of expensive fertilizers and pesticides; filtering waste-water (mycofiltration); and clean up toxic waste from the land (mycoremediation).

As an example, a method for building a mycofiltration bed to filter waste water is described in exacting detail. Dimensions, depth, layers and recommended materials and mushrooms are listed. This mycofiltration is useful, among other things, for filtering manure enriched farm runoff.

An added benefit of using mycofiltration beds on farms include the production of delicious food mushrooms, which sprout out of these beds. And every 2-3 years, the material in the bed can be dug out and used as a rich fertilizer on the fields of the farm.

Another piece of useful information for farmers and gardeners found in Mycelium Running concerns the no-till farming method as opposed to the conventional method of plowing the fields after harvest. No-till farming helps promote saprophytic fungi (decomposing fungi), which break down organic material at a pace better suited to plant-life than the rapid and heat producing breakdown by anaerobic bacteria, which are the primary decomposers when stubble is plowed under. The mycelium of saprophytic fungi also binds the soil to prevent erosion and loss of valuable nutrients.

For forestry, not only do saprophytic fungi help break down and recycle organic matter. They also help combat many parasitic fungi (blights) that may kill large numbers of trees. Stamets gives useful suggestions on how to seed beneficial saprophytic fungi in blight infested forests as a natural “fungicide,” fighting fire with fire, so to speak.

The symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi can also be seeded in forests to promote healthy trees. Or they can be protected and naturally promoted through wise and informed forest management.

Most plants form symbiotic relationships with mushrooms. The mushroom mycelium more effectively absorbs water and nutrients, exchanged with trees for sugars, making the trees healthier and more drought resistant. Mycorrhizal fungi also provide trees with natural antibiotics against pathogens.

Mushroom mycelium can also be utilized to clean up toxic waste sites through a method known as mycoremediation. The term was invented by the author of Mycelium Running, Paul Stamets, but was in common use before the publication of this book.

Synthetic toxic compounds including petrochemicals, dioxins, neurotoxins, toxic industrial waste and much more can be effectively broken down by fungi into harmless compounds. Bacterial contaminants such E. coli can be killed by anti-bacterial compounds excreted by the fungi. And toxic levels of heavy metals may be absorbed and concentrated by mushrooms, which can then be harvested and safely deposed.

Mycoremediation has also been shown to be the most economical method of cleaning up toxic waste sites, up to 95% cheaper than some common conventional methods.

This plethora of information is merely the first half of this 300-page tome. Part III, which makes up the second half of the book, is an instruction manual on how to cultivate your own mushroom mycelium, which can be used for the above listed purposes, or to grow your own medicinal or culinary mushrooms. And seriously, who doesn’t love gourmet mushrooms? In other words, this is a reference book for every household.

Dr. Markho Rafael has worked in natural health since finishing Chiropractic College in’96. He currently specializes in medicinal mushrooms, frequently consulting two reference books: Mycelium Running by Paul Stamets for medicinal, biological and chemical properties of mushrooms, and Mushrooms Demystified by David Arora as the most complete identification guide of American mushrooms.

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