Mike-
How big is your greenhouse and how is it heated?? I don't have a home greenhouse, though have worked in/managed some in the past. I am in NJ...a little south of you but the days are getting shorter too fast. The biggest problesm with home greenhouses is keeping the temps in range....either cooking in the sun or heating them in the winter. Always worried the heater will go out at a bad time.....good to have a back-up heater and/or an alarm if the temp drops too much. The research greenhouse I managed years ago was on the roof of a building. We had some supplemental lighting in the winter but the biggest problem was keeping it cool in the summer. Even with evaporative cooling and automatic vents it would get too warm for some plants in summer.

Yes, I hear you about worrying if the electricity will go out at a bead time,especially during a snow storm.

I have two small space heaters on two spererate circuits. Just in case one blows, the other will kick in. Beside I also cover the entire greenhouse with a solar cover keeping temps mild and steady during the coldest months.

If I should loose electicity all together, I do have a propane tank heater. The only problem is if the electricity goes out during a time at which I am not home, then I am in deep doodoo.

I do care for my mother at my home, whom is home most times, and have two remote thermometers going at once so she can keep an eye on the temps while I am away.
Once I was at my cleaning job when I lost electricty at 530a.m. My mother called and notifyed me it was 43 degrees in there and boy did I rush home. It was only a blown circuit.
Fortunately I get electricity from a city grid which hardly ever goes out even in the worst of storms while surrounding small town seem to loose it quite often.

Fortunately I only have to worry about that kind of extreme heat in June and July and even then all I have to do is open the main door and it never goes above 90 or so.
Then of course, my summers never get that hot. I think we only saw 90 degrees or better once last month and maybe 6 days in July. For those that hate hot weather, I guess I would say they would fit in right here in my area.

It is an 8x12 as posted above in my earlier writings.

Mike

Howdy,

I too have an 8x12 green house. Wish it was larger, or better yet, a solarium built to the house.

Inside are larger plants that no longer fit in the house. Citrus, Agaves, a few Aloes, Olive tree, variegated Ginger, and a few other odds and ends.

Plants are kept in the gh during winter months..once temps warm up, plants are set outdoors. With utility prices, why pay extra when plants do well outside, not to mention easier to manage...?

The first year it was erected, 'December, Christmas present,) on the coldest night of the year, the heater went out. In the process, I lost either 32 or 37 plants which froze. I cried, literally cried.

After that dreadful night, we figured the problem and made sure the gas heater was working. We added an electric heater in case something went wrong with the gas again.

We also purchased a temp/guage/alarm. The guage displays indoor, outdoor and gh temps and humidity. If temp drops to 45F, the alarm beeps. The guage is kept in the house.

Mike, although Feb is cold, 'usually the coldest month of the year,' the sun is stronger and will burn certain plants. I hesitate adding shading since most plants are sun lovers, and eventually adapt to strong rays.

During summer, gh temps reaches 117F+. This last summer, especially July, temps rose 140 and higher. Even with two opened vents and the storm/screen door ajar.

Although my gh is on the small side, it's great having extra space. Don't know what I'd do without the extra room.

It's a great investment, especially for those of us who have, more than a few, plants. lol. Toni