I do not know anything about this subject, but from what I can see I bet a lot of the heat is escaping from the top. I watch this woman on YouTube and she bubble wrapped her huge Poly tunnel. I wonder if you made a false ceiling with some bubble wrap to help keep heat escaping. Make the space smaller, and then just use your little heater.

Then you may be able to get rid of the heat lamps. That's were the problem is I think;). They just get too hot and fluctuate. So your plants get cooked. If you do use bubble wrap or something along those lines, get rid of the heat lamps. That just seems like bad waiting to happen;).

This is just a quick fix of course;). Who knows it may work. Hopefully somebody else with more experience in this department will help.

Thanks Kara for the suggestion I’ll have to look into that I wonder where I could get bubble wrap in store or if I’d have to order? I definitely think I’ll just leave the lamps on only when it’s extreme cold/night. I definitely don’t want to cook my plants! I tried to place them high enough above them to where they are not directly heating them but they are feeling the warmth from them if that makes sense. I may need to adjust even further away, just to supplement heat into the greenhouse-I kind of went into panic mode yesterday when I went in there and could see my breath!

Kara my jades are the ones looking the most ill from all this-maybe I should bring them in the house and put them in a window (problem is limited window space). Aloes, echeverias, anything spiny, and pretty much everything else look unharmed. Maybe a slight wilt to the leaves on a very few but I’ve moved those out of the “light path” could also be from the cold a few days ago too. Kinda hard to tell at this point!

Having such big fluctuations in temps may be a problem. I do not have GH, so maybe shouldn't talk :) But if I had one, I would try to make temps more stable. Problem with GH is that it will heat up during sunny days, even in winter - as you experienced already with temps being 110*F. It needs to be regulated somehow, and definitely ventilated. I don't know if heat lamps are good solution. I wold rather have heater (electric or gas), with a on/off switch to turn it on or off at certain temps, and a fan that would keep air circulating.

Keeping succulents in colder temps during the winter should be no problem. But it should be more stable, and plants should be kept rather dry. I don't think it would be easy to keep temps in less extreme range with your GH. I would aim for temps somewhere in 42*F low to 50*F high. Why do you want them to be in GH during winter if you have space indoors? It would be likely less expensive and much less hassle to get good supplemental lighting for indoors than trying to heat/cool GH. I am not criticizing - I would love to have GH! But it needs to be properly set up, otherwise it doesn't work that well.

I don't remember your zone - you probably mentioned before but who can remember!!! It really is the best to add that info next to your name. I know there are ppl in colder zones with GH, and they may give advice if they know you are in similar climate...

Rina my issue is I moved from an apartment with huge deep widows with window sills to a house with small tiny windows and no window sills and and will my collection may not look big, my house is very small, two bedrooms and while I’m obsessed with plants my other house mate is not as obsessed and probably wouldn’t appreciated 20 plus plants crammed in his window-plus I have three small dogs inside and no room to designate to a grow setup... but outside I have plenty of space!

I did SOME research before my purchase-see I was on a limited timeframe and also a budget however I do realize the method I choose is not working hence why I am reaching out for help and advice for people with more expierence while I continue to not only research online as much as I can but keep trying different things myself-sometimes that’s a way to learn-not always he best way but I do learn from mistakes and trial and error.

After I already created my account and didn’t realize the importance of putting your zone next to your name, I attempted to change it and the only thing it would allow me to update to is running a 7 into the end of it. I’ve emailed and everything and no help, so I’m stuck with it. I’ll have to remember for posts such as this zone 7a east TN is where I am located if that helps.

I’m purely a hobbyist, no expert (obviously) and you’d be surprised how little there is out here for supplementing heat for a very small greenhouses instead of getting creative. I also write a blog, so once I do get this all figured out, I’ll definitely be helping out some fellow hobbyist in the future hopefully!

The flucuation in temps can’t be good, that’s why I’m so concerned! I’m hopong I get everything sorted out. I have a thermostat that I ordered already and I’m guna ditch the panel heater and find one compatible with the thermostat-hopefully this will help-ditching the lamps too eventually but for now I have to work with what I have bc it will be 13 degrees tonighy... Brought jades inside btw.. only ones that look rough besides the big one...

Sounds like I need to be looking into the bubble wrap for sure! Thanks so much!

Kara's comment about creating a false cieliing fit along with my thoughts. Heating so much empty space/air is difficult, since air has no thermal storage capacity, which makes temps swing faster and further. Can you put in some large plastic tubs of water or similar? to take up space/hold heat?

Nicole

Bubble wrap should help. You can buy it in rolls. I would be interested to know how it all works out for you. I have small unheated space (similar in size to your GH) with large windows. It is too cold in there now, but I am thinking of overwintering some plants in there - using bubble wrap to insulate windows and use electric heater to keep some heat in there. This years winter is much colder than last few years, we have lots of snow and temps are really quite low (-8*F right now and going down!!!) But I do not want to heat it too much, so am not sure yet...

I have lots of plants, in 2bdrm house and not enough windows. Most of my plants are in the basement under supplemental lights.

May I ask what thermostat did you ordered?

Hope there will be some other suggestions for you - pls. post with your progress...

Lisa sounds like a good weekend project, it’s like the concept just clicked haha. I’ll just have to watch some videos and locate my material but that 100% makes sense. As of now, I just have 4 gallon jugs sprayed black lined at the base and I’m collecting. I haven’t thought of anything larger that I couldn’t easily get in and out of my door, but possily could find something! Thanks for the great ideas! :)

Rina I will definitely post my progress, it has certainly been an experience so far! I do think it will be worth it in the end! The thermostat I ordered is Lux WIN100 Heating & Cooling Programmable Outlet Thermostat I am currently researching a compatible space heater for it. It’s tricky bc it has to be grounded (3 prongs) and not electronically controlled. So it can’t turn on and off automatically. I think I’ve finally found one though so in the mean time it’s guna be a lot of me turning stuff on and off and checking every chance I get and trying to regulate the temp myself.

Rina and everyone else gave great ideas and advice!

Do you plan on using that greenhouse year after year?

Why don't you call the company for an 'auto vent' which they do sell or at least they should and replace one of those panels with it. This way once it reaches what ever temps you get in there, it opens and lets the heat escape..I have one myself.

Then you should invest in a good space heater, one that you can set the temps at, a good small fan to keep the air circulating, and what I got that has lasted years and well worth the investment, a 'solar pool cover' clear plastic, one that will drape over the entire greenhouse during the coldest months so that you can save on heat and electricity and the temps in there will stay more stable. It will not allow heat to escape at night and will not allow your greenhouse to get that hot or that fast by day.

You mighty want to consider installing and electrical outlet out in that greenhouse verses using long extension cords for safety hazard..

Make sure that water does not drip on your plug fro condensation in there or it will strip the fuse or outlet.

For your area, that is what I would do. For my area, that is what I have done, but I keep orchids and warm tropicals in there requiring much warmer temps and a BIG FAT electrical bill until I can replace my space heaters with a gas one..

P.S.

See where your extension cord is going into the greenhouse and keeping your door open? What don't you dig until you reach the bottom of the frame from the outside and stick the extension cord under it to go into the inside? It's much neater and then you can completely close that door.

If you need to see any pics of mine to see what I mean, just let me know, it's no problem)

Mike

I was about to suggest buying "heat activated window opener" that Mike mentioned above = auto vent. I have seen them in quite a price range from approx. CD $38 (probably less in US) to well over $100; least expensive one will open small window (up to 15lb).

It is very, very cold now, we had temps of -29*F for couple of hours overnight!!! I think that may be record low for my area...I am thinking about ppl in colder areas than mine - hope everyone is able to keep warm.

Eta: just changed 'low' price - found them on Amazon for less...

Wow -29 deg F - thats about -34 C - that is a temperature I have never had to contend with here in western Europe, nowhere near. Gives me a whole new perspective on what some people have to deal with. RESPECT to you guys. And what happened to global warming ??? But I always did think that was a load of bollocks. Made up by Al Gore - the hypocrite whose personal electricity bill was 10 times the American average.

I was thinking along the same lines as Mike and Rina. The problem seems to be (mainly) too much heat versus not enough. A closed greenhouse like this will boil in sunny weather. Vents are a good idea.

Mike thanks for all the advice! It’s funny how you don’t even think of something as simple as digging for the extension cord! Haha! A picture would be great for a visual but I think that helped a lot. Also as far as ventilation-you can’t really see it in the photo but one of the ceiling panels “pops” open for ventilation. If I create the false ceiling mentioned above that may create an issue for that finctionaitly. However, I thought about on the sunny days even prolong the door open-when weather permits. It’s not typically this cold. Also I’ll only be using the greenhouse in the winter. I’ll be scattering my lovely cacti and succulents ported throughout my patio etc in the summer-this is strictly for the winter. I might keep my propagation projects in there but I don’t want to cook my plants in the summer. We’ll see what happens but I feel they will get better airflow and I’m more accustomed to the natural environment. I do plan on getting a small oacalting fan as well to add to the setup-just kind of dealing with one issue at a time. I definitely feel once I get the thermostat/heat source situated I’ll be able to open the door/circulate the air/pop the vent during nice sunny winter days. I ordered a thermometer that syncs to my app and you put different “sticks” (idk the term) I’m spots and it tells you the temp on your phone so I can literally monitor from anywhere so that will definitely come in handy! Thanks for the additional help Mike!

Nicole your welcome. I will take some pics for you tomorrow as my greenhouse sits among the snow!

I have that stick! It's called the temp stick and it warned me that my greenhouse temps fell below 55 degrees 5 times before I got home. By the time I got home the temp was 44 but only for a few hours. Thank God it warned me since most of my plants in there require temps above 55 degrees!

Please take more pics. I want to see what it looks like after you have pushed the cord under the greenhouse and have the door closed nice and tight. You really should get the auto vent! You never have to worry if you can not get home one day to open it or if it's too cold in the morning before you go to work to open it or close it before it gets too cold. It's a God send!

Mike

Nicole, as promised..

This is the 'pool cover' I am talking about.Let's plenty of light in since it's see through and keeps the temps stable, even preventing you from having to use a space heater on colder nights.

The auto vent many were talking about. I'd be ;lost without this.