Tomatoes in the greenhouse

Fri Mar 18, 2011 3:21 am

The greenhouse sits unheated but, for a few more days . . .

Right now, I'm carrying tiny seedlings out and carrying them back. Mostly, ventilation has been easy since the days have been cloudy with rain, graupel, hail . . . sunbreaks were so brief today that the greenhouse never warmed above 72Ã‚Â°F.

But, yes -- spring weather and a lack of automation means being chained to the greenhouse. And as it is, mornings and afternoons - I am dancing between the greenhouse, the table in front of the good south window, the utility room, the top of my fridge . . . must fire up the furnace out there soon.

Steve

Fri Mar 18, 2011 12:55 pm

DoubleDogFarm wrote:8)

what happened to the link?

Fri Mar 18, 2011 4:30 pm

The poll was axed!

Sat Mar 19, 2011 3:02 am

rootsy wrote:I am jealous. Still in the teens and 20's here at night. May actually make 50 for a high today but consistently in the 30's and 40's. I have about 2500 seedlings struggling along in the basement with the heat of the wood burner. As well as a lot of 4 foot shop lights... I hope to move them to the greenhouse in the next week or so as the forcast is looking UP.

Don't be jealous you have an advantage over us folks in the south you can grow things I can only dream about. None of the cold weather crops do very well here it gets too hot too soon. When I lived in Michigan many years ago I had the most amazing garden. Soil there was excellent and things would grow like magic and 1000s of butterflies would come to pollinate the blossoms.

Sat Mar 19, 2011 2:41 pm

Sounds like everyone's getting their gardens ready to go. I've yet to start my seedlings....I will any day though.

Quick question for you guys with last frost middle of May: Do you have to supply supplemental heat to your greenhouses from like the middle of Feb. onward? Or, do you just get by with using water, block, etc. storage?

Sat Mar 19, 2011 3:24 pm

garden5 wrote:Sounds like everyone's getting their gardens ready to go. I've yet to start my seedlings....I will any day though.

Quick question for you guys with last frost middle of May: Do you have to supply supplemental heat to your greenhouses from like the middle of Feb. onward? Or, do you just get by with using water, block, etc. storage?

Good question, I hope someone will answer it. My greenhouse was still below freezing, at night, untill about two weeks ago.

Sat Mar 19, 2011 3:35 pm

Gary350 wrote:
rootsy wrote:I am jealous. Still in the teens and 20's here at night. May actually make 50 for a high today but consistently in the 30's and 40's. I have about 2500 seedlings struggling along in the basement with the heat of the wood burner. As well as a lot of 4 foot shop lights... I hope to move them to the greenhouse in the next week or so as the forcast is looking UP.

Don't be jealous you have an advantage over us folks in the south you can grow things I can only dream about. None of the cold weather crops do very well here it gets too hot too soon. When I lived in Michigan many years ago I had the most amazing garden. Soil there was excellent and things would grow like magic and 1000s of butterflies would come to pollinate the blossoms.

Gary350, I agree. By the end of May my cool season is over, and all of the cool weather crops struggle, then die. Then we get a heat wave, and the tomatoes and peppers won't produce, till it cools off again.

Sat Mar 19, 2011 4:24 pm

Quick question for you guys with last frost middle of May: Do you have to supply supplemental heat to your greenhouses from like the middle of Feb. onward? Or, do you just get by with using water, block, etc. storage?

I'm finding out the more you stuff into your greenhouse the longer it stays warm into the night. Everything holds a little warmth. My propagation chamber loses a little heat to the greenhouse.

Eric