Bananas.org - View Single Post - Christmas lights, frost cloth, how to keep them alive in unheated greenhouse.

Olafhenny · 11-15-2014, 06:45 PM

How cold can it get in HZ9? If the enclosure is small enough, just toss in a couple
of plastic gallon jugs with hot tap water before you go to bed, when the forecast
is for frost. The enclosure itself should keep it at least 5^F warmer than the outside
temperature, unless the wind can blow right through it. The ground exudes heat and the
enclosure prevents it from dissipating fast. Usually you only have frost in your zone,
when the nights are clear and that as a rule means that during the day the sun shines
into your cold frame and heats up the ground, which preserves some of the heat for
the night.

I got myself a couple of min/max thermometers, which I hang up in my shelters.
They will tell me in spring how cold it got in there during the winter.

You could use a couple of those to monitor how cold it got during the night inside
your cold frame vs. the low temperature outside. These min/max thermometers
can answer some questions for you, which are particular to your circumstances,
better than anybody here on this forum.

Best,
Olaf

11-15-2014, 06:45 PM	#4 (permalink)
Olafhenny Olafhenny's Photo Gallery Location: Penticton, BC, Okanagan Valley, Canada Find me on the map! Zone: Hardiness Zone 6 Name: Olaf Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 1,705 BananaBucks : 246,370 Feedback: 0 / 0% Said "Thanks" 2,050 Times Was Thanked 2,012 Times in 876 Posts Said "Welcome to Bananas" 77 Times	Re: Christmas lights, frost cloth, how to keep them alive in unheated greenhouse. How cold can it get in HZ9? If the enclosure is small enough, just toss in a couple of plastic gallon jugs with hot tap water before you go to bed, when the forecast is for frost. The enclosure itself should keep it at least 5^F warmer than the outside temperature, unless the wind can blow right through it. The ground exudes heat and the enclosure prevents it from dissipating fast. Usually you only have frost in your zone, when the nights are clear and that as a rule means that during the day the sun shines into your cold frame and heats up the ground, which preserves some of the heat for the night. I got myself a couple of min/max thermometers, which I hang up in my shelters. They will tell me in spring how cold it got in there during the winter. You could use a couple of those to monitor how cold it got during the night inside your cold frame vs. the low temperature outside. These min/max thermometers can answer some questions for you, which are particular to your circumstances, better than anybody here on this forum. Best, Olaf __________________ The reason I joined this forum was to share experiences, my own and those of others and to learn from them.