A greenhouse enables growers to keep citus and tropicals in climates where we otherwise couldn't but greenhouses aren't a cheap or quick fix. The unit needs to be large enough to accomidate your plants with a bit of room to spare (try to avoid leaf contact with the greenhouse walls). It needs to be strong and sturdy. You need to be able to both heat and cool the unit by thermostats unless you can (physically) keep up with day and night temperature swings. A cool night that might damage plants can quickly change into an extreme heat chamber when the sun comes up and the greenhouse starts collecting heat and light. Air movement, moisture, light are issues that must be addressed, to be sucessful. I'm on my 4th one and I keep learning with each new one. E-mail me for photos or more comments. Good luck!

I would add that portable greenhouses are usually small, and generally speaking the smaller the greenhouse, the more difficult it is to control the temperatures.

The greenhouse forum has lots of helpful folks. SB

I'm also in the Dallas area (south Arlington). I simply move my 4 trees into the garage when the temps start to fall. I have 3 oranges and 1 grapefruit. Tonight I've moved them in, due to the fact that we are expecting 20's and there is, even now, new growth that I would be worried would get damaged. Last year, I moved them in just a few times, otherwise they stayed out in the yard, and survived just fine. I do need to get a cart though which would make it easier during the winter to move them in and out of the garage easier. I've contemplated the greenhouse too, and also feel that controlling the heat after sunrise would be a challenge, but not impossible.

Take care,
Chuck

Mroo, look at the domehouse from flowerhouses.com. It's pretty large (14' dia. 10' center ceiling height) and only $500 or so. You can get a 1500w electric heater at Wal-Mart that heats in a full circle around it ($20) and set it in the middle to take the edge off the cold. It is working nicely for me in South Alabama. Mine is filled with bananas and citrus. You should be able to fit 15 or 20 - large pots in a circle around it.

If you ever build a "real" greenhouse you can use the domehouse to cover a hot tub!

Here is a link that might be useful: Domehouse

Thanks for all the advice. I have 3 trees and 8 shrub sized citrus plants. Moving them in and out of the garage would work -- if my husband wouldn't kill me (I am pregnant and can't move them myself). I wonder if putting them in the garage and using grow lights would work for the winter. Thoughts?

MRoo,
I live just down the street from you nationally speaking. I have been very successful in overwintering all of my 36 citrus trees from the more cold hardy types like satsumas to the more tender Key Limes. I don't use heat either except on extremely cold nights. I think a greenhouse even a simple setup is the way to go because citrus craves light especially in the winter when day length and light intensity is less.

Well, I can understand now why you are considering a greenhouse. A greenhouse would be great once you figured out how to control the heat. If you are home during the day you could manually vent the greenhouse, I guess. Of course, it would be great to have everything thermostatically controlled (heater, fan and vents), but that might require a fair amount of money.

As I understand it, the requirement for artificial lights is considerable and may present you with a hefty electric bill per month, if you wanted to go the garage storage route. I believe you would also have to heat the pots (warming pads) to keep the root ball in an active state.
Search under "Heating Cables" in this forum for more info.

It would be nice to have them grow during the winter. Greenhouse is certainly the overall answer, but I'm content to just protect them during the worst cold (cover them and maybe use some Christmas lights to heat). Then just let them do their thing in the Spring through the Fall and Winter.

I guess everything will be based on the cold sensitivity of the trees you have.

Take care,
Chuck

Below is a link to pics of one of my trees. It spent the entire winter outside, except during the worst cold days (anything below 20). I brought it into the garage during those days, but could have covered it outside and strung some lights on a timer to heat. It did set fruit this year, and I think it could have done better, but this summer was brutal, and I think I underwatered.

Here is a link that might be useful: One of my Satsumas

Stumbled upon this greenhouse offered through Sam's Club. Seems pretty decent, with great accessories for vents, etc...

Here is a link that might be useful: Affordable Greenhouse