The fruit wall... forerunner of the European greenhouse

[margali]

This is a really neat article I stumbled across about Mediterranean fruit production in Europe before greenhouses.
https://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2015/12/fruit-walls-urban-farming.html

 

[digitS']

I believe that there is no good reason to have a glass north wall in a greenhouse used mostly during the winter and spring. The only exception is if it stands in a range of greenhouses with another structure built on the north.

The further north the greenhouse is, the better the reason is for not only an insulated north wall but an insulated north slope for the roof.

Energy conscious, keep in mind that bricks and concrete required heat for their manufacturing. Control of temperatures throughout the life of a protective growing structure - oh yes! Despite all that can be spent on glazing, there isn't all that wonderful of choices for material that allows good light passage while stopping heat loss. It points to sensible use of interior square feet.

No, Paris is not in the "South." If that city was in North America, it would be as far north as the northern border of Maine! When I lived near large commercial peach orchards, it was near the northern border of California. I continue to think that more "north-friendly" apricots and plums are under-appreciated ... but, that is a little off topic .

Somewhere on TEG, I have some pictures of an old greenhouse wall that looks somewhat like the heated fruit wall of Croxteth Hall Walled Kitchen Garden in Liverpool, pictured in the article. Great attention can be placed on a flue running horizontally through those walls. It's like those masonry stoves. I like this idea but it had probably better be backed up since weather conditions can change fairly quickly and something like those walls are probably very slow to heat and slow to cool.

This area would probably be good for building walls because of all the rocks around here. I don't imagine that they would have kept my alien Canadian grandfather from going south in the previous century. He was something of a sun worshipper and recognized that ♪ ♫ It never rains in southern California ♪ ♫ .

オ Steve ツ

 

[thejenx]

@margali Thank you for sharing, I really enjoyed reading this history of the greenhouse and of my country.

It also brought back memories from a previous job, where we restored one of those fruitwalls which were partly with attached coldframes. I even found the photos online:

 

[baymule]

Real good article. In my own experience, at our old house, I had beds up against the house and between the sidewalk and driveway. The brick wall of the house gathered heat and warmed the cabbage I planted there. I planted broccoli and cauliflower, lettuce, greens and other winter crops in the beds between the driveway and sidewalk. The concrete mass also gathered heat. I have pictures of ice caps on the broccoli heads and snow cupped cabbages. They survived. I planted in the fall and had produce all winter.

We moved 160 miles north. It is colder here by a few degrees, and my fall plantings are frozen mush. There is no concrete, no brick wall of the house and no cover for the garden. I'm still figuring it out.

Red cabbage, notice the brick behind them.

Broccoli

collard greens

A picture of our old house. Being in town, other houses kept the wind knocked off, the street also radiated heat.

 

[ninnymary]

Those fruit walls not only served a purpose but they were beautiful as well. I would love to have one of them.

Mary

 

[AMKuska]

What a wonderful article to share. Thank you!

 

[flowerbug]

i've not checked out the article yet, but the conversation reminds me of some readings i did a few years ago from a guy named Sepp Holzer. some of what he writes can apply to similar ideas, but instead of using brick walls he used rocks and also used water to reflect light to rocks to gather more heat. like most things you read it is always a good idea to take it with a grain of salt or two, but on the whole interesting enough if you have the time.

ah, ok, i see the criticism of greenhouses there. and yes, i agree that they can suck a lot of energy.

with modern LED lighting i'm wondering though if it is now economical to do things underground instead so there isn't any exposure to the sun or elements. you can use the earth to insulate and LED lights. then you only need heat for the warm loving crops (if you insulate even better than using the earth this can save a lot of energy)... we'll see what happens...

 

[AMKuska]

I haven't researched it in anyway, but I believe that's actually a thing @flowerbug here's a link: https://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/build-underground-greenhouse-garden-year-round.html

 

[flowerbug]

I haven't researched it in anyway, but I believe that's actually a thing @flowerbug here's a link: https://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/build-underground-greenhouse-garden-year-round.html

i was thinking even more underground where all light is from LEDs and heat would be via geothermal or heat pumps of some kind. depending upon the crops and locations it would not have to be that much of an expense.

eventually we have to figure out how to do a closed system anyways in like an asteroid or such... can use some materials to reflect light from outside inside, but there would need to be some sort of very good seal/vacuum to provide insulation.

 

[ducks4you]

FASCINATING!!! I always wondered about those really old backyard walls in the UK that you see in their programming, and now I know why!