Just wondering what you were doing to winterize it. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

You didn't indicate where you are living. I live north of Houston, Texas, and we winterize by putting two layers of plastic on the greenhouse, closing up every vent and covering the exhaust fan opening with foam. Two electric heaters will keep my 8x12 greenhouse at 55 degrees down to about 30 outside.

I live in northcentral Arkansas. Not so far from you! <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> I haven't closed my vents (auto's) yet, though. It's cold here one day and ever so warm the next. I do have the plastic put up (partly) That's a job I'm still working on.

It gets a bit colder here, I think? We sometimes drop down to near 0 but then have winter days in the 70's. Lately, the humidity has been jumping around a lot, too.

Right now it's pouring rain so you can guess the humidity. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> But last week it was hardly there. Around 20% a day or two. I had to turn the foggers back on. This is my first full winter growing in a greenhouse. For years I've grown in my sunroom in the house. So I still have a lot to learn.

I have been growing orchids inside for about two years. My collection is getting too big and I need to build a greenhouse and transfer my orchids there.

I live in West Texas where summers are 100+ and winters are well below freezing at times.

Does anyone have a good set of plans and list of equipment for a greenhouse that would work in this area?

oilman

..."Winterize....?"

I've heard of over-wintering, but winterize...?

Ohmygoodness!!

I believe what we're referring to is "getting ready for winter" when we say "winterize." In my case, I make sure that all the paneling and plastic on my greenhouse is in good shape; make sure my heaters are working; bring in plants that have been outside during the summer.

I live in Hamilton, New Zealand. The winter is cold and wet. In my record, the highest temperature is about 15ish the lowest can go down to minus 4, which the frost occurs.
Although I choose most plants as cool grower specices, some ideas are from people in local orchid society to overcome the winter coldness. (Because I do not have the power supply to my glasshouse.)
Bubble plastic wrap for packaging is used inside of glasshouse from under the roof to about 1 feet above the ground. The idea is to keep the heat through the night.
Also combined with...
Collecting the lawn clipping to make a compose heap and store the heap inside the greenhouse. The heap will creat heat through the decomposition; or,
Filling up the black stained water in clear soft drink bottle to absorb heat during the day and release heat after sunset.
Other similar idea is to have stones or gravels laying above the black weed matt. The stones release heat during the night.

Of course, the vent is shut in the evening. But it can be half open for air circulation during the day time.

Catt Lady,

I have just comp[leted an 8'W x 16'L x 8' t greenhouse. For cold protection I put 6 mil plastic on the outside and 4 mil on the inside. The house has a concret floor, so I covered this with the red colored mulch that is made from rubber. This helps insulate from the cold floor.

In West Texas it can go from 30 at night to 80 during the day. So I placed a 4' x 2' vent in the top that has a thermally activated opener. I also placed a 2' window at one end with the same type thermal opener (Harbor Freight).

Fo heat I installed a central thermostat that controls two 1500 watt heaters. Unfortunatly, these are 120 volt and really consume power.

Dows anyone know where I might find an affordable 220 volt heater?


oilman

I am in Indiana. We heat our greenhouses. The plastic hoop houses I do not do anything special too. Eventually we are going to build a greenhouse over the plastic hoop houses so they are enclosed. I hate walking in the snow to get to them and then when I open the door all the heat escapes!

Sheri