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Mini greenhouse question
Hefty
Posts: 370
Hi 
my mum got me this and I was wondering if I can start using it now even tho it's getting cold. Do these usually insulate against frost? Can I "overwinter" plants in it?
Manybthanks in in advance for any help
Last edited: 07 November 2016 15:55:34
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Posts
I wouldn't risk tender plants in it unless you live in an area which has very mild winters.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I had no option but to use a mini GH last winter (I have fixed GH now which is bubble-wrapped for the winter). It - the mini GH - gave a bit of protection, but I did lose a few tender plants. You can buy fleece liners, I believe, which would help, but I don't think I would rely on one, especially in the light of the current winter forecast!
Ok great - thanks for the info - I'll probably just leave it in the box till spring
cheeeeeers!!
It needs a bit of weight in it too. Not the first time I've watched my neighbour's somersault it's way past my back window.
I just put a few layers of fleece at the bottom of mine in winter and move the whole thing to a sheltered corner against the house. I open the zipper a bit every day for ventilation.
Mine is raised off the ground, against a sheltered wall.
I sit the pots in the bottom of a polystyrene box.
Well I was wondering the same thing Hefty as I also have one. Last night we had quite a bad frost and I checked inside the mini greenhouse this morning and most of the pots has frozen compost And some of the smaller seedlings had wilted.
Luckily when i got home from work they had defrosted and plants had picked up. The gh didn't have any cover over it and it wasn't in a sheltered position so I am moving it tonight to a more sheltered position. I am also having to cover it with a blanket for the next few days as when I tried to open the zip this morning it was frozen solid and snapped!
So no I wouldn't trust it to protect your plants however moving it to a sheltered position and covering it will give them the best chance of survival
Great thanks everyone for their input!!
I have a follow up Q - I'd like to grow some tulips and other spring bulbs in plastic pots with the intention of selling them at a car boot - so, is there any advantage in putting bulbs in pots and then in the mini green house?
big thanks
They will flower slightly earlier if you do that Hefty, maybe by a couple of weeks. The downside is that they would need hardening off by leaving them outside during the day and putting back in the GH at night for a week or so otherwise customers who planted them outside as soon as they bought them might find the flower stems flop over after a cold night. This is from my own experience.
Thanks so much that exactly what I needed to know!! maybe I'll do some in and some out
thanks again!!