Insulation

[alexkid909]

Hi All

A question on insulation if I may. Do you guys that insulate your GH leave it up all year round?

Here up north my Min/Max greenhouse thermometer is reading single figures some nights, and I read somewhere that my toms might not like anything lower than 12c.

I did have some up at the start of the year but then had a paraffin incident which turned everything black so I took it doen to give the GH a good wash.

I'm thinking I might put it back up to save me some dosh on heating overnight.

Any thoughts/guidance are most appreciated.

[Alison]

Where about are you? At this time of year round here there's certainly no reason why I'd insulate and the door is open most of the time but I do tend to put up polystrene sheets and bubble wrap before the first frosts to keep some semi tender stuff OK. Personally I very rarely heat my greenhouse as I don't think it's an environmentally or financially responsible thing to do but loads of people do and there's loads of ways you can do this but you shouldn't need to in the UK at the moment

[alexkid909]

Hi Alison,

I'm in Newcastle upon tyne. Its my first year with the GH so I wasnt sure if my Toms and Chillis would be ok with some of the single figure temps we've been having.

I'm trying to hold off on heating and have the heater on a temp controled socket, but I've decided to give it a go without tonight and just go with the old candle in a flowerpot trick.

Problem is, I doubt my candle will last the duration of the night.

[Two_Sheds]

I'm in Newcastle upon tyne.

If you put that in your profile, we won't keep asking you

The venerable Snadger is up your way

[Two_Sheds]

Do you guys that insulate your GH leave it up all year round?

No, because it's cuts out a lot of light

Here up north my Min/Max greenhouse thermometer is reading single figures some nights

Just a thought: is your gh in the sun? Or shady? (sun is best, natch)

[j r hilton]

I don't have insulation up and also leave my greenhouse door open all the time this time of year. All my toms are ripening very well and I have had a great crop of cucumbers and peppers. The night time temp has had no bad effects at all and with plenty of ventilation I get this way never suffer from blight.

[alexkid909]

No, because it's cuts out a lot of light

Just a thought: is your gh in the sun? Or shady? (sun is best, natch)

Two Sheds, apologies for the late answer. Its in the corner of the garden next to a east facing wall and a south facing fence. Its the sunniest spot in the garden, so most days I leave the door wide open and I also have an auto-vent opener.

I've put some shading up and thats really made a difference in keeping the daytime temps down. But its more the night time that concerns me, as I'm pretty far noth the temps even earlier in the month, have been getting as low as 8c without any heating on.

However since I posted my Toms have now begun to fruit. My only concern now is, will they ripen before the end of the season.

[Two_Sheds]

If they don't, you can make green tomato chutney

[lettucegrow!]

Candle in a pot trick, alexkid? What's that all about?

[Bigmallly]

Candle in a pot trick, alexkid? What's that all about?

The terracota pot holds the heat from the candle, usually used in the colder months. Tea lights are commonly used as they stay lit for around 8 hours.

[gojiberry]

Candle under a pot in a blow away g/house or cloche makes quite a difference but I doubt if it would make much difference in an 8'X6' greenhouse.

Ian