Winterizing The Garden

This blog is for Leta, a family friend, who emailed me recently asking me to tell her what I do to heat my greenhouse. No matter how much I know in advance that winter will be around the corner, I am always panicking at the last minute to winterize my garden.  I get the 7 day forecast and it says chilly arctic air blowing down in our area and temperatures will drop, I start to panic. I think, "Do I have my garden and greenhouse ready for the cold?" Here is a short list of what I try to do every fall about this time. The funny thing is I am totally aware that winter is coming the entire summer and fall. However, when that forecast is aired, it is as if  I didn't know it was coming. I jump into action like it is the gunshot at the beginning of a sprint. So, I usually try to complete this list in a panicked stressed out 3-4 days...impossible right?

1) Take all the clippings of plants that I can let root in water. (ie sweet potato vine, coleus, confederate rose, ivy, any running plant or vine)

sweet potato vine

coleus

2) Get all the cuttings that will require a moist medium. (ie begonia, coleus, impatience, sedum, geraniums, hibiscus, jade tree, tomato and herb clippings, succulunts and most perennials)

perlite and sand with geraniums and going to be impatience

 

another technique of sand and soil with tomatoes, strawberries and impatience

 

soda bottle seed starter

3) Dig up anything that won't last through winter (ie caladium bulbs, impatient plants, volunteers that might be too small)

gardenias

4) Mulch. I am a fan of just good ol' pinestraw. I have used plastics, bark, weed barriers, rock, peat, cedar and pine and all have had some negatives. I have found a good 3 inches of pinestraw lasts longer, covers better, still degrades (but slower), adds nutrients, cheaper and harbors less bad bugs. I cover the begonias, strawberries, bulbs and anything else that could use a little warmer soil, more moisture and frost nip protection

5) Greenhouse: Apply bubblewrap to ceiling to reduce heat loss, close all windows and holes along the top and bottom, set heaters up and make sure ventilation is adequate constantly on plants.

2 foot sections. layered and stapled to the ends.

This is the second year I have used this bubble wrap. I bought it on Amazon under shipping supplies. The bubbles help insulate with air and  provide light to still shine through. This technique helps heat up the greenhouse during the day and keeps it warm at night. At the end of the year, just take down and roll back up for the next year. I am anxious to see how many years I can get off this one roll. ( I believe 100ft roll).

I bought these utility heaters at Lowes last year. My requirements were that they were rustproof, tip shut off (in case they tipped over they would shut off vs burn down the greenhouse), most BTU's I can afford, thermostat ( my top priority). These were around $25 and worked better than the high powered high priced "Greenhouse" heaters.  I place 2 of them in the greenhouse in front of fans for circulation. The second picture (below) is how I control the temperature. I found this outlet online and I think paid around $30. I set the temperature I want the heater to turn on to and it automatically pops on when it gets below that temperature. The utility heaters do this as well, I will turn the knob at the temperature I like (right now it is 58 degrees) and when it gets below this temp they pop on too.

Lastly, I have a wireless thermometer I set up next to my plants. It has a high/ low temperature for that day, a humidity level, inside and outside temperature reading. So at night, I put this beside my bed and I can keep up with the temperature in my greenhouse in case something goes wrong. Last night, It got down to  the 40's and the low in the greenhouse was a consistent 58 degrees. This shows my thermostats were working perfectly. My next addition will be a ceiling fan or rotating fan/heater placed on the ceiling facing down to push the hot air down and improve circulation further.

Last year when we would have a hard freeze, I would drape a frost blanket over the plants just in case, but never lost any to the cold. I only lost  plants to other things like diseases, etc. Make sure you continue consistent watering, especially during cold spells. I hand water once a week till I see it coming out the bottom (avoiding the leaves). When I potted the plants, I used water absorbers mixed with the soil to keep it moist longer and I ALWAYS use miracle grow potting soil for containers.

Right now in the greenhouse I have avacado, pineapple, cherry, mexican lime, lemon, kiwi, pineapple, tomatoes, lettuce, broccoli, spinach, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, papaya, strawberry, onion, basil, green pepper, thyme, parsley and all my perennials I am attempting to start for next year.

So far so good. If you have a question about how I do things in my garden, just leave a question in the comment section below or email me. Until then...

Happy gardening!
Nicki