I'll reuse the reflective insulation from last year, but have to order clear insulation. More $ out the door now in an attempt to save $ in the long run.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Greenhouse Update
From what I've read in various sources, it sounds as though I should put reflective bubble insulation on the North wall and the wall facing prevailing winds (in my case, the West wall, and clear bubble insulation on the other walls. That's what I'll try, and record my success here.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Home Greenhouse in Michigan
I've been looking for sites or blogs about greenhouse gardening (home gardening, not commercial gardening) in Michigan, so far with little luck. I would appreciate any suggested links that DO provide such information.
I have a 16x24 double-wall polyethylene hoop greenhouse with a pea-gravel and flagstone floor. I love the size (big enough for over-wintering tender plants, propagating both indoor and outdoor plants, and seed starting in the spring, as well as providing winter-housing for my pond goldfish), but have trouble maintaining the heat level I'd like to be able to keep in an affordable way. My greenhouse is heated in the winter by propane and that has proven to be way more inefficient and costly than I had been led to believe when I purchased it.
The first winter I did not do much in the greenhouse, since we'd only installed it shortly before winter set in, but I did learn how quickly indoor plants die when introduced to that temperature drop. Sigh.... I also learned how well a few such plants recover from cuttings or root sections salvaged from a nearly dead plant. Yay!
Last winter I was more ambitious and overwintered and propagated a lot of cuttings for my spring garden, started seedlings, and learned that some tender houseplants actually do quite well in the colder environment if properly acclimated. Part of that may have been helped along by the reflective bubble-wrap insulation I placed on the bottom couple of feet all around the interior of the greenhouse (though that darkened the greenhouse noticably).
This summer I covered the pea-gravel floor with flagstones from the old dog-run in an attempt to provide more surface in the greenhouse to retain the daylight heat from the sun during the night. I've also added several large containers filled with water to act as heat-sinks, for the same reason. I'm still debating about whether to use the reflective insulation from last year again this year, or whether to invest in clear bubble-wrap insulation instead. Any suggestions?
My goal is to use the greenhouse for some overwintering, quite a bit of propagation, and some seed-starting in the spring. I welcome advice, suggestions, or conversations with other Michigan home-greenhouse enthusiasts.
-LMG
I have a 16x24 double-wall polyethylene hoop greenhouse with a pea-gravel and flagstone floor. I love the size (big enough for over-wintering tender plants, propagating both indoor and outdoor plants, and seed starting in the spring, as well as providing winter-housing for my pond goldfish), but have trouble maintaining the heat level I'd like to be able to keep in an affordable way. My greenhouse is heated in the winter by propane and that has proven to be way more inefficient and costly than I had been led to believe when I purchased it.
The first winter I did not do much in the greenhouse, since we'd only installed it shortly before winter set in, but I did learn how quickly indoor plants die when introduced to that temperature drop. Sigh.... I also learned how well a few such plants recover from cuttings or root sections salvaged from a nearly dead plant. Yay!
Last winter I was more ambitious and overwintered and propagated a lot of cuttings for my spring garden, started seedlings, and learned that some tender houseplants actually do quite well in the colder environment if properly acclimated. Part of that may have been helped along by the reflective bubble-wrap insulation I placed on the bottom couple of feet all around the interior of the greenhouse (though that darkened the greenhouse noticably).
This summer I covered the pea-gravel floor with flagstones from the old dog-run in an attempt to provide more surface in the greenhouse to retain the daylight heat from the sun during the night. I've also added several large containers filled with water to act as heat-sinks, for the same reason. I'm still debating about whether to use the reflective insulation from last year again this year, or whether to invest in clear bubble-wrap insulation instead. Any suggestions?
My goal is to use the greenhouse for some overwintering, quite a bit of propagation, and some seed-starting in the spring. I welcome advice, suggestions, or conversations with other Michigan home-greenhouse enthusiasts.
-LMG
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