skip to main content

Greenhouses & Garden Structures

Sealing up GH for winter..........

16 years ago

Just how tightly do you seal up your GH for winter? Wont the plants soon run out of CO2 on a nice sunny day? What then? How do you supply them the carbon dioxide they need to photosynthesize? Since I checked my GH during the day last winer I'm sure plenty rushed in when I opened the door - but that's a small GH. Also, it wasn't very airtight as it will be this winter. What about the larger GHs that we insulate like crazy, like my 8X16' Rion?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (9)

jbest123
16 years ago
Living in TN i asume that you use electric heat with TVA near by. Some thing like a Bunsen Burner (eBay) using propane would work. John
ole_dawg
16 years ago
Well, this might be very scientific, but I would recommend that you spend at least two hours in each GH breathing deeply. That way you get the Oxygen the plants give off and they get the CO2 you exhale. It should balance out
IMH tongue in cheek opinion. LOL

1eyedJack and the Dawg
Related Discussions
Worried about heating Rion GH for winter...
Q
Comments (13)
Hi All, Thanks for your response. Cactusfreak - where did you purchase your pool cover? I have been planning on getting one of those eventually. When I bought the greenhouse I thought it was much more insulated and a lot of people (including the distributor), told me it would be more than warm enough with two oil radiators. It sounded like I would need more heat than that, but I thought it would work out. I think what I will do for this winter is insulate the greenhouse like crazy, get a good heating system and hope for the best. I'll have to look up Pittsburgh's weather records as well for the winter. If it doesn't work I'll just use it as a cold frame. I will be growing a bunch of orchids in the greenhouse and a handful of 'annuals' including Fushia, hibiscus, mandavilla and more. Some of the orchids are probably the most sensitive to the cold.
...See More
Getting the GH ready for Winter
Q
Comments (3)
I do precisely what your friend told you to do. I seal the intake louvers with 1" rigid foamboard. I have a wooden box I built to go over the exhaust fan, and I install that sometime in November. I leave the roof vents alone and then there is a small bit of infiltration around the sliding glass in the door. FWIW.
...See More
rion gh44 door seal issue
Q
Comments (10)
Hi! I have a Rion but I can't suggest anything concerning the doors without seeing a pic of them. Mine seal OK except for along one bottom corner. We left that for some fresh air. When it gets into the teens at night I'll stuff some of the crappy insulation Rion provides in the opening. Another place air comes right in is where the roof rafters meet the wall uprights. It's a poor design so Rion supplies cheap thick gray insulation to stuff there. Also along the roof where the caps go is far from a seal. In fact the caps were so loose we "glued" them on with silicone. I lined the north wall and side walls with Bubble-Wrap from a local packaging Co. Don't order from Charlies as he's several times the price and it's the SAME stuff. Here you can see the bubble-wrap attached with self tapping screws and fender washers. A closer look at the north wall and two spiking orchids that refused to bloom in the sunroom.
...See More
More Winterizing ideas for GH
Q
Comments (13)
Yes, I have seen the solar greenhouses from farmtek I get their mag every quarter or so. A nursery I used to work at used them fairly regular so I got on their mail list to keep up with new ideas as best as I could. I will continue to look for bottom heating as viable and cost-effective way to reduce air-heating and still get get good growth and lower fungal spore formation. I also use seaweed as a foliar feed to help with overall health, disease resistance and quality growth. The channel I have for the wiggle wire looks too shallow for a double layer but it might work. The shade cloth will I think need to be tied down without the use of the wiggle wire or I will need a deeper channel. That's the way it looks for now. Too bad when they installed the white poly they cut it too close and will make it hard to put back on. It did work fairly well for the summer without shade cloth. I figure only if I go more than 55%PAR (say 70%PAR) will I need to consider a shade cloth. The problem is with this (55% I am not getting enough quality light for the Nov-Feb time period. It seems OK for the Mar-Oct time frame. Still mulling options. Thanks for all the thoughts and feedback to all. Happy Growing David I am lucky being here in Central Texas because there is some sales albeit not a lot. I am working on the premise of covering my labor cost as being good enough between now and Mid- Feb.
...See More
jbest123
16 years ago
ole dawg , if you are going to get scientific, you could eat beans or chilly and run the Bunsen burner on methane while you are in the greenhouse. John
greenhouser
Original Author
16 years ago
Is that what people are using? I sure didn't want another thing that had to be checked several times a day.
greenhouser
Original Author
16 years ago
ONLY two hours? :) ONLY? I'll probably be in there for awhile every day but with the amount of plants crammed in there now.... I'd have to move out there and there's no room for one more.
stressbaby
16 years ago
Don't worry about it.

If you are in and out of your greenhouse every day, there will be plenty of CO2 in your GH. The GH will only become deficient in CO2 if it is sealed up for several days at a time.

More important perhaps is that you have good air circulation. Still air creates a thin layer of CO2-deficient air surrounding the leaves of the plants. Good HAF will prevent this and assure good growth.

SB
greenhouser
Original Author
16 years ago
The two HAF fans run 24/7. Even in winter I opened the vents and door a crack. Our days here are usually sunny in winter. They'd get loads of fresh air. I was wondering more about those cloudy days we get, sometimes several in a row. But yes, I'm in and out of the GHs at least twice a day. They're like my sanctuaries so there would be fresh air going in. :)
gardenerwantabe
16 years ago
greenhouser Worry about a meteor hitting your GH because that is more likely to happen than your plants dying from CO2-deficient air
jbest123
16 years ago
The plants will do fine without supplemental CO2, but they are enhanced with the additional CO2 in a closed greenhouse. John

Related Stories

FEEL-GOOD HOME Stop That Draft: 8 Ways to Keep Winter Chills Out

By Laura Gaskill

Stay warm without turning up the thermostat by choosing the right curtains, windows and more

LIGHTING 10 Ways to Make Good Use of Winter's Light

By Shawn Gauthier

Take advantage of the sun we still have with light curtains, window seating and heat-capturing accents

HOLIDAYS Vintage Sleds Bring a Dash of Winter Nostalgia

By Mary Jo Bowling

Antique sleds add a rustic touch to holiday decor — and can evoke fond memories too

LIFE 6 Ways to Beat the Winter Blahs

By Alison Hodgson

Snow and dark days dampening your spirits? These ideas will have you looking on the bright side

MONTHLY HOME CHECKLISTS Your Winter Home Maintenance Checklist

By Laura Gaskill

Keep your home and yard safe and running smoothly as temperatures drop and activity moves indoors

PORCHES Give Your Outdoor Rooms a Cozy Winter Makeover

By Laura Gaskill

If you live in a mild climate, enjoy days and evenings on your porch or patio with these tips for staying warm and comfortable

HOUSEKEEPING Protect Your House From Winter Water Damage

By Buckminster Green LLC

Avoid costly repairs by learning to spot potential problem areas before water damage is done

GARAGES 8 Tips for a Supremely Organized Winter Garage

By Shawn Gauthier

Snow and mud make a disorganized garage even worse. These ideas for storage and planning will keep your space clean and dry

PATIOS Patio Details: A Shaded Patio Opens Up the View in Wine Country

By Annie Thornton

A Douglas fir and metal pergola offers shelter from the hot sun on this scenic California property

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING How to Make a Pond

By Mitchell Parker

You can make an outdoor fish paradise of your own, for less than you might think. But you'll need this expert design wisdom

Sponsored

NME Builders LLC

2 Reviews

Industry Leading General Contractors in Franklin County, OH

More Discussions

Thoughts on this as a greenhouse / sun room?

2

Greenhouse Orientation, which way to angle an odd shape?

0

Gazebo structure help

1