MountainWitch ⛤

During the unexpected cold snap, with the temp going down to -14C last night and the night before, I wasn't sure what I would find in my greenhouse. Double covering some seedlings out there has worked! Under the seedlings still in containers, I plugged in a small heat mat as well. The ones on the other side planted in the soil are fine also. Malabar spinach and reg. spinach, corn salad and some broccoli form before, turnip and onion in the containers. Nothing is growing very fast but staying alive. Now if we can get through one more night of extreme cold then a week of heavy snow.. should be golden. 😬

#greenhouse #LocalFood #gardening #Homestead #WinterGreenhouse

Feb 24, 2023 at 7:19pmWeb
Show threadAI6YR BenFeb 24, 2023
@mountainwitch I think a greenhouse is becoming more and more necessary with the wild swings in weather we are seeing, it definitely buffers crops from some of the issues of extremes (provided your greenhouse isn't swept away in some wild weather event). I haven't made that step yet, but have been looking at it.
Show threadMountainWitch ⛤Feb 24, 2023
@ai6yr
Yeah, I've never done a greenhouse like this before. I've only had a small one to extend the seed starting season by a month or so. This is an experiment to see what can be done in a high tunnel for all 4 seasons. For summer, it will be about shade and ventilation. Keeping stuff alive in there without a ton of electricity or other heating is my goal.
Show threadAI6YR BenFeb 24, 2023
@mountainwitch I did the same a couple of seasons ago, just a small greenhouse. The heat buildup was a significant issue for me (80F would drive temps inside to 100F+, heatwaves it was scorching even with the top off). Right now my thinking is greenhouse in winter/spring, but remove the greenhouse and put up shade cloth during heatwaves w/foggers.
Show threadJim HubbellFeb 24, 2023
@mountainwitch @ai6yr
High tunnels work well in my part of northern Utah. They extend the growing season for crops like spinach that normally bolt in summer heat, and of course, growers can start crops earlier when there is still a risk of spring freezes.