What did you do in the garden today?

[politicalcenter]

I forget where you are. What's your planting zone? How big is this green house? Is there room for a black water barrel in there to act as a passive solar heat sink? Or line the walking path with black paving tiles. My green house is just a cattle panel frame, 8 x 8 x 6' high. So, it has been moved a number of times, not a permanent set up. Though I'm hoping that it's current location becomes a permanent spot, until the bottom rots out, and i have to do a partial re-build. So, I don't worry too much about insect infestation. IMO, bugs will happen in that sheltered environment, whether you're introducing manure or not.

I am in zone 8 so we have very few really cold nights. The real problem is temperature fluctuations. It can get 120 to 140 during the day and below freezing at night. The house is 18 foot long and 10 feet wide and over six feet high. My small house (already built) is 10 feet wide and twelve feet long. I covered the north side with chip board and painted it with asphalt paint. The south side is covered with plastic. The coldest it has been is forty degrees.

The new house (in process) is 18 x 10 x 6 feet. I just don't want to waste money on something that doesn't work. I need to keep the temperature and humidity right. I am going to start selling plants in the spring and they have to be near perfect and I have to keep them growing all winter. The small house has plants that just sit there. They don't grow and they don't die. They just sit there. They need more heat at night.

But I do have Angel Trumpets, roses, creeping phlox, crepe myrtle. and fig trees that look like they will make it. I just need more room. I am trying to start cardinal flower hibiscus, and butterfly weed and they need more heat....I guess.

 

[3goodeggs]

Do you have double poly?
If the poly is inflated it can hold a lot of heat. Also a fine mist of water on the cold nights will keep it warm.
The hard part is keeping it cool during the day. If you can drop the ends and add a fan or use a swamp cooler it would help.

 

[lazy gardener]

I am in zone 8 so we have very few really cold nights. The real problem is temperature fluctuations. It can get 120 to 140 during the day and below freezing at night. The house is 18 foot long and 10 feet wide and over six feet high. My small house (already built) is 10 feet wide and twelve feet long. I covered the north side with chip board and painted it with asphalt paint. The south side is covered with plastic. The coldest it has been is forty degrees.

The new house (in process) is 18 x 10 x 6 feet. I just don't want to waste money on something that doesn't work. I need to keep the temperature and humidity right. I am going to start selling plants in the spring and they have to be near perfect and I have to keep them growing all winter. The small house has plants that just sit there. They don't grow and they don't die. They just sit there. They need more heat at night.

But I do have Angel Trumpets, roses, creeping phlox, crepe myrtle. and fig trees that look like they will make it. I just need more room. I am trying to start cardinal flower hibiscus, and butterfly weed and they need more heat....I guess.

I think that you actually may need more light as well. We often forget that when looking at the plant's needs. Water, light, heat, fertility. Where ever the weakest link in the chain of those 4 elements is, the plant growth will be "dumbed down" to that level, no matter how optimum the other elements are. I know that here in the north, light is often a missing element in the winter scene. Of course... there is also the lack of heat!

 

[politicalcenter]

Do you have double poly?
If the poly is inflated it can hold a lot of heat. Also a fine mist of water on the cold nights will keep it warm.
The hard part is keeping it cool during the day. If you can drop the ends and add a fan or use a swamp cooler it would help.

I don't have the poly on the number two house yet. The first house has only one layer. I thought heat would be a problem during the day but where it is situated overheating is not a problem. The only real problem seems to be lack of light and I just put an LED bulb in there.

I had a volunteer tomato seedling come up and I am using it as a canary. It is greening up pretty well so the light seems to be working.

I think I am going to use vents and fans for cooling and maybe a mister.

When it gets real hot the plants will be moved outside.

 

[politicalcenter]

I think that you actually may need more light as well. We often forget that when looking at the plant's needs. Water, light, heat, fertility. Where ever the weakest link in the chain of those 4 elements is, the plant growth will be "dumbed down" to that level, no matter how optimum the other elements are. I know that here in the north, light is often a missing element in the winter scene. Of course... there is also the lack of heat!

It gets dark here about 4:30 in the afternoon this time of year and the sun is way south in the sky. I thought I could keep the heat down where I put the first green house and it does do that. And as the sun moves north it will get more sunlight hitting the house. Right now trees are in the way but that will change as the sun moves. The next house will be in full sun all the time.

 

[lazy gardener]

You might check out "4 Season Harvest" by Elliott Coleman. He actually gardens in my area, but his material will explain a lot about managing heat and cooling, and light needs. Even though the green house has full sun, the lower angle of the sun in the winter can have a negative impact.

 

[lazy gardener]

Hubby and I put in the last of the firewood today. Glad to have that taken care of for an other year. Supposed to rain/snow for the next 2 days. We raked up about 7 WB loads of debris left behind, which went onto the growing HK mound. It's shaping up nicely, and is now about 14' x 5', and about 3' tall. The area I started with is settling nicely. In the spring, I'll top it off with some top soil, and some wood chips, and plant it to cucurbits. Have about 25' more to go before it reaches the wood line.

 

[politicalcenter]

You might check out "4 Season Harvest" by Elliott Coleman. He actually gardens in my area, but his material will explain a lot about managing heat and cooling, and light needs. Even though the green house has full sun, the lower angle of the sun in the winter can have a negative impact.

Thanks for the advise. As I said before I put a light in the small house and the plants are picking up. I potted six rooted roses today and hibiscus seeds are coming up. I am going to run a light 12 hours a day. It is raining pretty hard here so the other house will have to wait at least till it quits raining. Day length is something I didn't figure for hibiscus.

I am also going to get some heating pads for seed starting. I have one in use now and it is working well. Now it is just a matter of room. I will take more time and design on the next one.

 

[thebesticanbe]

I looked at the snow on top of all my garden beds.

 

[hennible]

Me too