Thriving or Failing? First Month in our Rammed Earth Winter Greenhouse

Our first full month inside our Canadian winter greenhouse… and wow, it’s been a mix of thriving and barely surviving!
In this video, we share a real, unfiltered look at how our rammed earth, geothermal, year-round greenhouse is performing through early winter. From unexpected challenges to the plants that are absolutely loving the cold season, this is the honest first-month tour we wish we could’ve watched before building our own.

We walk you through what’s growing well, what needs tweaking, and how the passive solar design and thermal mass are handling Canadian winter temperatures—without supplemental heat. If you’re dreaming of a year-round greenhouse, planning your own build, or just curious how our sustainable homestead projects perform in real life, this behind-the-scenes look is for you.

In this video:
🌱 First-month results inside our geothermal, rammed earth greenhouse
❄️ How the structure is holding heat in Canadian winter
🌿 What’s thriving (and what’s struggling)
🔧 Changes we’re making moving forward

Predatory Mites in Canada: https://www.koppert.ca/

Soil Builders:
Vermiculite - benefits soil by dramatically improving water retention, holding several times its weight in liquid and slowly releasing it to plant roots, while also enhancing aeration, lightening heavy soils, and preventing compaction. It's excellent for seed starting, propagation, and container growing, as it provides a stable, moist environment, prevents "damping off," and slowly releases stored nutrients, making plants healthier.

Organic Worm Castings - a superfood for soil, enriching it with beneficial microbes, improving structure for better water/nutrient retention, boosting plant immunity against pests/diseases, and providing balanced, slow-release nutrients (like easy-to-absorb nitrogen and humic acid) that promote vigorous growth, higher yields, and better germination. They act as a natural pH buffer and can even help fix heavy metals, creating a thriving soil ecosystem for healthier plants.

Locally Sourced Biochar - significantly boosts soil health by improving water/nutrient retention, increasing microbial life, reducing compaction, and sequestering carbon, leading to better crop yields and drought resilience, especially in poor soils, while also cutting fertilizer needs and offering a way to use local waste like wood or crop residues. It creates porous structures that act as homes for beneficial bacteria and hold moisture, improving overall soil fertility and structure for long-term sustainability.

If you love greenhouse design, winter growing, or following homestead builds as they evolve, make sure to like, subscribe, and join us for the next chapter!

Thanks for being here!
James & Michelle