Unheated Greenhouse

[Nyboy]

Other then starting seeds in sprng, what uses do unheated greenhouses have?

 

[so lucky]

I would think you could extend fall season crops quite a while. I believe I would have to have a heated greenhouse. I have visions of sitting out there in the middle of January having a cup of tea and smelling the flowers.

 

[digitS']

I don't start many seeds in the greenhouse before I get the heater on out there, NyBoy. Not too many after that either.

Oh, I am overstating that! What I am trying to say is that I keep most seedlings here in the South Window for a couple of weeks. The greenhouse will only be a few degrees above outdoor temperatures during early morning hours. That is, unless the heater is on out there.

Notice the date: As of just today (link). March 28, 2013. The heater was on by that date but I've only got the onions and rosemary in the unheated hoop house. The peppers and some other things were over a month old but it was in no way warm enough to leave them without heat at night.

There were many more nights of frost through April and without the heater, the overnight temperature would be just a few degrees above the outdoors. I guess I already said that but it bears repeating.

Only through the days, until it is well above freezing overnight. Warm-season plants overnight, only when they are just a few weeks from being set out in the garden.

. . . then, I've got cool-season greens in there right through the winter !

Steve

 

[Masoud]

I would think you could extend fall season crops quite a while. I believe I would have to have a heated greenhouse. I have visions of sitting out there in the middle of January having a cup of tea and smelling the flowers.

So Lucky,
For that, it is best to plan for a heated greenhouse. It is always easy to turn the heat off, if not needed. That said, in mid-February in a sunny afternoon my greenhouse warms up to 70 + degrees without extra heat. At night, everything will freeze without heaters running.

I love the flowers in your avatar. Ranunculus is an almost perfect (perfect if one does not care for fragrance) flower for a cool greenhouse. I planted them in the fall, they are all blooming now. Here is a yellow one for you.

 

[catjac1975]

I have used my tunnel greenhouse to extend my growing season on both ends of the season. It did not add more than a week or 2 at each end. It grows fantastic weeds though. It became more than I could keep up with. I do harden off my seedlings in it.

This winter I used it for potted daylilies that I will try to sell at a farmers market. I potted up around 500 plants. It was a small financial investment re: pots and potting mix, but a fairly big time investment. I was not sure if the daylilies would make it through the winter in pots. My original plan was to bury them at pot line but it was more work than I had time for. I lined the tunnel greenhouse with a black fabric mulch. The plants were kept outdoors through the fall and when the real cold was on it's way I put them in the greenhouse. One of the things I read was the plants would freeze if water got into the top and froze the crown. So I left them on their side in the greenhouse because a light snow had fallen on them. In time it warmed up enough to melt the snow and I uprighted them. We have had night temperatures get into the single digits. The plants appear to be alive and doing well. One benefit, that is, if they live through the winter, will be that they will be blooming earlier than my daylilies that are in the ground once the warmer weather comes. I am hoping this will create an interest in trying to sell them because mine will be blooming before anyone else's. I will let you know if I have any success!

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

I've left some potted daylilies and hostas out during winters and haven't had issues with them being killed off. I do make sure to mulch them with leaves as a precaution.

 

[thistlebloom]

[quote="catjac1975,] I am hoping this will create an interest in trying to sell them because mine will be blooming before anyone else's. I will let you know if I have any success![/quote]

If yours are blooming and nobody elses are I'll bet you sell out Cat!
When I worked at the farmers market for the nursery, we always sold the plants that were blooming. It's like putting candy in front of a kid.

 

[digitS']

And, there's the reason so few gardens have China asters. I am convinced of it!

They do not bloom while they are in the packs. Even the zinnias may have a tiny bloom. Of course, they are a good one to direct-sow. Do that with China asters here and they won't amount to very much. Give them a 6 or 8 week head start and come late summer - boom! As a plant in the nursery, they don't look at all colorful.

Steve

 

[catjac1975]

I had repeat customers last summer. They got out of their truck , shovels in hand ready to dig, though I did the digging. They said "We are addicted to plants." I said, "well you've come to the right place. The third time they came the husband, who I could see was hyperventilating at the thought of more beautiful daylilies, picked out a spent daylily from the day before that just happened to look fairly good. I found a photo of it on my IPAD and that was all he needed to see. Actually he would have bought it anyway. I buy plants that are just a bit in bloom to be sure I am getting the flower that I want. But I go for ones with a long blooming time ahead of them.

 

[baymule]

I have some plain orange daylilies around my crepe myrtle tree. They originally came from I house I rented when I was 19. I dug up some and took to my parents house. My parents sold that house and dug up some of the daylilies and took to their new house. I settled in this house and went to my parents house, dug some daylilies and planted them here. DH and I will move to be closer to our daughter some day.......and I'll dig some of the daylilies and take them with us.