Difference in temperature (Shed vs Outdoors)

last year

last modified: last year

For years I have overwintered dormant perennials and JMaples in our unheated, basically uninsulated, attached to the house, garage. Today I remembered to check the temp of the garage as compared to the outside.

-10C/14F outside......-6C/21F in the garage

As well these potted plants benefit from being protected from the drying winds associated with winter weather.

Featured Answer

mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)

last year

Attached garages benefit from heat loss from the house.

When I was overwintering a lot of roses (a LOT of roses) in the garage, I kept a min/max thermometer out there. I don't think the garage ever went below 20F, while outside was, umm, let's just say it was a little bit colder, like -25F.

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Comments (8)

rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
I have some dahlias in our downstairs "cold cellar" (a small narrow room located directly below our outside porch). Today at -10C/14F outside it is 4C/40F in this cellar. (In all the time we have lived here I think the coldest I have ever seen it in that room is 2C/35F)
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Gawdinfever Z6
last year
I've been using one of those 4 area Kalawen weather stations to track temps for a couple of years now. Pretty helpful. I'm a dork and keep a spreadsheet because I do a lot of cuttings and overwintering.
rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked Gawdinfever Z6
rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
Original Author
last year
last modified: last year
Great "work" @Gawdinfever Z6. This past Fall I purchased waterproof temperature sensors which I can monitor via my phone and can store highs and lows (for the previous 60 days).
Gawdinfever Z6
last year
Very nice, rouge! I started doing this when I first started getting more serious about propagating. I was paranoid about losing my babies lol. I have a lot of critters that love to dig in my things & knock things over as well. I do cuttings year round, so have a lot in my unheated garage & some warmer zoned plants & many cuttings in my family room under grow lights. Now I can monitor temps in 4 areas while sitting in my office ordering more plants! lol
rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked Gawdinfever Z6
mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
last year
I had remote sensors in the dark ages. They didn't connect to the computer, but to a monitoring device of their own. The problem was the batteries in the remotes hated cold weather. So they tended to stop working just when things were getting interesting.
rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
suzy jackson
last year
My greenhouse is really no warmer than the garden, especially since football playing kids broke a couple of windows... But it is dry and does a good job of preventing plant death from winter rains.
rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked suzy jackson
41 North (Zone 7a/b, NE, coastal)
last year
I over most of my hardier tropicals in a minimally heated detached, two car, loft garage (two small oil heaters). It faces due south and get a LOT of winter sun, and we do get a lot of winter sun here.) Used to have a remote temperature monitor to check, but no time anymore. I still overwinter huge Queen palms, Citrus, Cycads, Oleanders, agaves, and other subtropicals. An interesting thing I noticed is that the more the garage is stuffed full of plants, the warmer it gets. Something about thermal mass and physics. It may drop drop down to 27 F on the coldest winter night, but they always pull through the winter.