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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2006 7:41:07 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2006 19:34:19 GMT
I stopped insulating my greenhouse a few years ago, as I found no matter what I did I was loosing a huge amount of plants to botrytis.
A friend of mine who, like me, uses the greenhouse to overwinter tender bulbs and plants advised me not to use bubblewrap but ventilate even on the coldest days (closing the vents/windows at night) and when it gets really cold just drape fleece over the plants. I tried this method and I didn't lose one plant last year, even though we had the worst winter for 30 years with snow and frost on many occassions. Captain Cabbage can vouche for it too - takes some nerve to try it, but it really does work.
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Sept 18, 2006 19:55:43 GMT
Here...I've got an humungous musa basjoo potted it up into a minormous pot this year and now can't possibly move it into it's customary position in the GH overwinter....I've seen photos on bananas wrapped in straw with chimney pots stacked over it...can't afford all them...will straw and fleece do the same job do you think (sorry to ask a question on your thread mrskp...) On the subject of bubble-wrap...I would echo what Dee said...not that I have a vast amount of experience you understand. I used bubblewrap a few years ago and everything wrapped in it got mushy!....it's difficult to use as an insulator on the actual windows as well..it all peels off and you get in a terrible state!...However it's amazing how things manage to survive just in a cold GH with a bit of (daytime) ventialation... good luck
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2006 20:54:32 GMT
I think straw and fleece would do the job very well
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2006 21:23:22 GMT
Cheers peeps, you've just saved me loads of trouble (and a bit of cash). I've enough fleece to wrap round the whole flat, never mind a couple of little greenhouses.
I washed down the mini g/hs today and have stuck the small one inside the smaller main g/h a) to create some space in the garden b) to stop it blowing away c) add a little bit of protection to some cuttings - i'm hoping it will just act like a big propogator-ish !
I'm still thinking that I'll heat at least one of the g/h but still haven't gone in search of the parafin as I keep reading that the heaters should only be used as a last resort. There's no way I can get mains electric to either house, but will have a few teracotta pots going spare relatively soon and intend trying out the old candle trick that I read about somewhere.
Hijack away CPB !
;D
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2006 21:44:27 GMT
The candle will be far better as paraffin puts out a huge amount of water (for every pint of paraffin burnt 1 pint of water is prduced as byproduct), Unless you ventillate very heavilly (which rather negates the process of heating) everything will be sopping wet in the morning. Small nightlights work well, specially combined with fleece - but be very careful of the risk of fire - plastics (pots etc) + fleece burn very well.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2006 21:49:43 GMT
I think the basic idea was sit a church candle in a terracotta pot filled with sand, light, invert second pot over the top. Nice, heavy, and steady and I guess the terracotta would hold and radiate the heat for a bit even if the candle ran out. I'm probably talking balderdash there !
;D
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2006 22:38:16 GMT
Sounds good to me
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Post by Cheerypeabrain on Sept 19, 2006 23:37:49 GMT
OoOooOoOooOoh good idea! never heard of that one. OH will no doubt panic ..so I'll get my mate the fireman to do a safety check.....
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2006 14:08:08 GMT
I've stopped trying to insulate too, I just throw some fleece over when it is really chilly & wrap some things up in fleece for the winter, they dont seem to go mouldy that way. Fern & braken are quite good instead of straw as they dont seem to hold on to the moisture the same.
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