Overwintering in a greenhouse?

[WNC Bonsai]

Thanks for the heads up/reminder to check this thread.

To reply to this post, I will happily say that I’ve noticed good things in terms of early dormancy and protection.

I feel that having The trees on the ground and mulched in with wood chips, Has done a good job At regulating the rootball temps.
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I’ve made sure that they were moist before freezing, and have watered them when warmer temps come around. The mulch gets watered as well at this time.

Currently, I’ve been keeping an eye out for anything starting to push.
We’ve had abnormally warm weather for the last three weeks, And so far so good!

55 degrees tomorrow! February in Minnesota.

Thanks for the update.mI see you installed a solar powered fan, Nigel has at least one of those in his greenhouse in Canada but he also runs an electric heater and an electric fan off an extension cord. How did you eventually end up managing the temps during daytime? Do you leave the vents and door open? It also looks like you may have shade cloth on the roof. Since I am mainly interested in using a greenhouse for wintering over I plan to put it under some tall trees in the yard as a means of reducing the heat load. However to prevent freeze damage in late spring once trees bud out I do plan some form of space heater.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Thanks for the update.mI see you installed a solar powered fan, Nigel has at least one of those in his greenhouse in Canada but he also runs an electric heater and an electric fan off an extension cord. How did you eventually end up managing the temps during daytime? Do you leave the vents and door open? It also looks like you may have shade cloth on the roof. Since I am mainly interested in using a greenhouse for wintering over I plan to put it under some tall trees in the yard as a means of reducing the heat load. However to prevent freeze damage in late spring once trees bud out I do plan some form of space heater.

You know, I haven’t found midday temps to be an issue unless it’s going to be sunny all day. That said, here in Minnesota it’s USUALLY pretty dang cold.

I think the 50 gals. of water in here also helps. The more thermal mass the better.

We have recently had very warm weather, temps in the upper 50s.
I am a little concerned this year. But so far nothing has pushed.

 

[Eckhoffw]

Just a photo of the greenhouse on a snowy evening. Very fun lighting. No filters

 

[Eckhoffw]

A shot in the greenhouse this evening.
More than happy with wintering in this greenhouse so far.
Zero deaths, but my ginkgo hasn’t started to leaf out. maybe one death, we will see.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Looking like you really got a handle on the operation of the greenhouse!

FWIW my ginko is still barely pushing.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Eckhoffw]

Looking like you really Ally got a handle on the operation of the greenhouse!

FWIW my ginko is still barely pushing.

Cheers
DSD sends

Thanks! And thanks again, the ginko seems flexible and alive. Maybe it’s fine.

Yeah, the greenhouse has proved to be a nice buffer and added protection. I don’t think it gets too hot for too long in the winter months to pull trees from dormancy. It’s usually pretty darn cold here.

So happy to have it. To be able to look at/ work on trees in the rain is wonderful.

 

[Jrmcmich]

My ginkgo just starting to push as well and looks like a bit warmer zone compared to MN.

 

[Eckhoffw]

So this is year three of wintering many of my trees under the benches in the greenhouse.

I think, so far so good.

I was looking at the 5 gallon pails of ice, and wondering if it would be clever or a nuisance, to pop the 5 gallon ice cylinders out of the pails and place them on the bench above the trees.

This way, If it gets very warm in the greenhouse, -enough to melt the ice-. The plants would get some water.??

Also, I would refill the buckets. almost double the cold mass in the greenhouse.
Hmmmmmm….

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

- That’s Great!

- Now you are thinking outside the box!

- Since we drink lots of milk in this house there are a lot of empty gallon milk containers around. They don’t crack when frozen like 5 gal buckets sometimes do. Anyways we have about 24-30 gallon containers full of water in each green house. Easier to carry around and use for water when they aren’t solid chunks… not often this year. Thank goodness!

-Regarding deciduous trees in the greenhouse. Would be a good idea for two reasons.

- First they should gain at least a month of extra growth (2 months here)

- Second and perhaps equally important these trees will be protected more from the ravages of weather and critters. Firmly convinced the darn varmints actually chose the most ramified deciduous trees to chow down on!

- Keep up the good work.

Cheers
DSD sends

 

[Eckhoffw]

- That’s Great!

- Now you are thinking outside the box!

- Since we drink lots of milk in this house there are a lot of empty gallon milk containers around. They don’t crack when frozen like 5 gal buckets sometimes do. Anyways we have about 24-30 gallon containers full of water in each green house. Easier to carry around and use for water when they aren’t solid chunks… not often this year. Thank goodness!

-Regarding deciduous trees in the greenhouse. Would be a good idea for two reasons.

- First they should gain at least a month of extra growth (2 months here)

- Second and perhaps equally important these trees will be protected more from the ravages of weather and critters. Firmly convinced the darn varmints actually chose the most ramified deciduous trees to chow down on!

- Keep up the good work.

Cheers
DSD sends

thank you. Very good points you’ve made! I appreciate it.

Yeah You may be able to see in the picture that I have added a screening around the trees for the last couple years. On warm days I’ll leave the doors open.
The first year more than a few got mowed down hard.


Pretty sure it was the rabbits.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Danged rabbits!!!

My neighbor calls them bunnies and gets mad at me when I toss stones at them. Gotta get a pellet gun this year.

Best
DSD sends

 

[Gabler]

Danged rabbits!!!

My neighbor calls them bunnies and gets mad at me when I toss stones at them. Gotta get a pellet gun this year.

Best
DSD sends

Be careful of cross-dressing rabbits.