Unheated greenhouse

10 years ago

I live in Washington State (western half) near Issaquah. I mentioned in my first post how many peppers I have going (over 100 plants at this point). I am out of room without having to buy more grow lamps and build another PVC frame.

I have a small greenhouse that I can erect outside that I set up last year with a drip system.

What I am wondering, is it too early to start putting some of these out in a greenhouse?

I also have tomatoes I can stick out there to make more room (which I think are more hardy than the peppers).

Any advice is appreciated!

Comments (15)

t-bob
10 years ago
seems a bit early to me, I live in the San Juan Islands and the last frost date for us is April 15 and I am betting yours is at least the end of April if not later. I know you say in a small greenhouse, but still a bit chilly. Can you put a small heater in there? Good luck with that, I understand the problem of getting too big and etc.....I planted later this year so that I won't have the same problem
siouxzin
Original Author
10 years ago
Well I decided to erect the greenhouse and put a min/max thermometer in there for a few days. The low got down to 32 (high was 81 in there!!) So I think you are right, I will have to wait it out.
Related Professionals
Simpsonville Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Edmond Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Barrington Hills Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Salem Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · South Orange Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Costa Mesa Landscape Contractors · Downey Landscape Contractors · Englewood Landscape Contractors · Fort Myers Landscape Contractors · Fort Payne Landscape Contractors · Kettering Landscape Contractors · Lakeville Landscape Contractors · Mount Sinai Landscape Contractors · Quincy Landscape Contractors · Tehachapi Landscape Contractors
kclost
10 years ago
Can you put a heater/fan in there like t-bob mentioned?
esox07 (4b) Wisconsin
10 years ago
I put up a small green house on my deck each spring about 6 weeks before I am able to plant outside. I put a small thermostatically controlled fan in it for the nights. During the day is the hard part as it will go from 40 to 100 inside in less than an hour on a sunny day once the sun hits it. I have to be around to open it up in that case and then close it again when the sun goes away.
seysonn
10 years ago
I am also in your neighborhood, in Sammamish.
I also got crowded inside as my seedlings got bigger.
I have built a cold frame and 2 potable hoops ( 3' by 5 by 3 1/2 ft high) . Right now all my tomatoes and most of my peppers are in the hoops and our nightly low tonight is going to be 38F. So I think my maters/pepps are safe in there. The next 10 days(per forecast) our lows will be 42F or higher. Probably Issaquah will be about the same. So your plants should be fine in your greenhouse.

Good Luck !
siouxzin
Original Author
10 years ago
Well I have been monitoring the min/max temps and the greenhouse has reached a high of 91 and a low of 41 the last few days. I may try it out in a week or so, I would just hate to lose them all.

The problem is I am not home all day so I will be unable to open it up during those really high points.

Thank you for the input! I really appreciate the responses.
seysonn
10 years ago
You can control the temperatures in your greenhouse. What you need is a cheap smallest bathroom fan, plugged into a thermostat ( to kick in at high, shut off at low) set at a desired temps( say 95F). a small 110V CPU fan also will do if your greenhouse is small.

I will investigate this for my cold frame today.
siouxzin
Original Author
10 years ago
Oh its small, and cheap

:)
esox07 (4b) Wisconsin
10 years ago
No, Here is small and cheap. It can't even hold one of my seedlings.
Bruce
siouxzin
Original Author
10 years ago
actually, that is the same one, you just add water and it swells to the one shown in my photo!

heh
esox07 (4b) Wisconsin
10 years ago
Ohhhh, I will have to set it up just before it rains this spring.

Bruce
seysonn
10 years ago
Ok. I figured it out how to control heat in a small greenhouse or cold frame cheap.

1) a Honeywell C30 series thermostat with cooling option. COST = ~$20.00 (basic non-programmable)
2) a small bathroom exhaust fan ; COST = ~ $15.00

Total about $40.00 withe tax. It is worth it if you don't want to cook your seedlings

When the thermostat is set to COOL, set temperature real high, like 95F. The fan will kick in at 95F and will shut off at around 85-90F
SOURCE: HD

I will install the system in a few days. I have ro run a wire or extension chord tho.
willardb3
10 years ago
Just blowing air around in a control volume will not increase/decrease its temperature much..
siouxzin
Original Author
10 years ago
"Just blowing air around in a control volume will not increase/decrease its temperature much.."

wouldn't it if it was set up to exhaust out the door? you would need a place for the cooler air to come in to replace the warm air being pulled out.

That is definitely a cheap setup (do-able setup).
bham_gardener
10 years ago
I'm up here in Bellingham and I moved all my peppers out to the greenhouse on 4/1. Average last freeze date here is also 4/15, but it's looking like the freezes may be past this year.

I use electric heating mats with a lot of thermal mass (water bottles) around the peppers. They seem to be pretty happy, and the lowest nighttime temperature I've seen in the greenhouse is 47F (with the sensor at the stem of a plant, about one foot above the base of the pot which is on the heating mat).

I've done it this way for several years, and always had good results. I generally plant the peppers out under plastic covers around 5/15. Can't believe that people actually wait until June here to plant out!