Annette,

Those misters are a way of life here in the south. You see them everywhere people congregate outside such as amusement parks and outdoor patios at restaurants and of course, on home patios. There are days when we would die without them. They are WONDERFUL for cooling and I'm sure would work well for a greenhouse!

I either start seeds indoors on my kitchen windowsill, or direct sow. My 2 attempts at winter sowing were not worth the trouble since we can have temperature in the 60's and 70's during the winter months and often the sprouts would either fry or outgrow their containers. I have found that I have better luck just by direct sowing.

Last winter my neighbor was remodeling and getting rid of 2 glass shower doors. They were clear glass and in perfect shape, so I took them to experiment with. I propped them up against the south facing side of our brick house. Our back and side yards are enclosed with a 6' wood stockade fence, it made a nice micro-climate.

I put a few potted plants behind glass, including a petunia and 2 mini-roses that had been on my patio during the summer. All continued to grow and went into bloom very early behind my makeshift greenhouse. It worked so well, that I am going to do more this year.

I like to re-purpose whenever I can, and this very simple idea worked like a charm! Plus since it was frameless and the glass was clear, it "disappeared". All you could see were petunias, roses etc. starting to bloom in early February. :-)

Marilyn

I wasn't successful with the winter-sowing method either.

I have a 12-flat plant light stand on the back porch that I start everything in. I have had it several years now and absolutely love it.....that being said, I have my in-laws old windows from their recent new window installation and have plans to build a simple greenhouse this winter. I won't heat it but will use it to transplant the seedlings started inside under the lights to larger pots for growing on.....starting mid to late March and April.

I germinate seeds on top of the fridge then move them to a cold frame. For more than 10 years I used a cold frame that dh made, but time finally took its toll. Bought a collapsible frame and use that every January through March, then it gets packed away till the next year.

I do alot of the WSing and have good success with that but also use those mini 4shelf greenhouses on my screened in porch - I have 4 of them. We keep alot of the tender plants in them and just cover with a heavy blanket if temps get real low. Most of the winter the greenhouses are enough with no other protection on the porch....

Lynne

I swing the night blooming cereuses from the rafters in the laundry room. We put up a small greenhouse last winter. Unshaded, it's too hot for any summer activity. It's for starting early transplants, and a great place to play when the wind blows cold or there's winter rain. Before I had the greenhouse, I started plants on an old kitchen cart I could drag in and out of the tool shed before the threat of frost was over.

I'm glad to know about the misting fan for later on; too humid here now. You do use a ground-fault outlet? I like to take cuttings in early fall to see what I can hold over, like persian shield, pentas, tender salvias and such.

Nell

Nell, this fan has a ground fault circuit interrupter plug with ground pin and it is plugged into grounded outlet. I'm just loving this for the greenhouse and the plants love it also :o).

Annette

This year (Feb-May) was my first experience at winter sowing and for perennials it is the only way I will go from now on. But for annuals I was disappointed in how long it took for germination and blooms (many wsn annuals are just starting to bloom now) so I will do them in the sun room on my 4 shelf metal stand with shop lights. Oh my goodness....I can hardly wait.
Bonny

"Where do you start your seeds and winter you tender plants"

I have two light stands in my laundry room, where I start all my seeds. As the seed starting progresses and I start pricking out seedlings into trays.......there are to many trays so I have to switch them out every 12 hours.

By May most of the window sills are usually filled with one gallen pots. Any bare root plants or bulbs are started there.

About mid May, I start moving stuff out to the greenhouse, when the temps with the heater make it safe to do so. I took some rose cuttings and spirea cuttings this summer and started them in the greenhouse. I don't find it necessary to use a fan in either the greenhouse or on the seedlings in the laundry room.

I winter tenders, again in the laundry room or under the basement stairs. I don't over winter plants, just bulbs, tubers and rhizomes.

Sierra