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sugarbee03110

outdoor temp for unheated portable greenhouses

sugarbee03110
11 years ago

Hi all I really need some help! I have searched everywhere to try and find an answer. I recently bought 7 mini portable greenhouses. What a deal at Ocean State Job Lot, $20 each!! They have 4 metal shelves and a plastic cover with a zipped front door. My question is when my flowers are in the inserts and ready for the greenhouses what would the minimum outdoor daytime temp need to be for me to put them out? I would bring them inside at night as the greenhouses are not heated and I do not plan on heating them. Please email me with answer. I tried to post this several weeks ago but cant find where my post is or any answers. Thank you all!!!

Comments (3)

  • fruitnut Z7 4500ft SW TX
    11 years ago

    My greenhouse and sunroom both heat up 50F or more above ambient on sunny winter days. Yours sound much smaller so many not heat up that much. But with sunshine anything above freezing could mean a warm structure.

    Also add 50F to a warm day say 70F and you are at 120F. Do you have a plan when that happens?

  • dowlinggram
    11 years ago

    I use a combination of cold frame and greenhouse now. I started out with cold frames which were basicly a frame covered with heavy guage plastic. I can tell you that it can be 2 degrees below zero and be 80 in the greenhouse if the sun is shining and I'll have my vents open. I have 2 mini-max thermometers in my greenhouse.

    It doesn't matter what the temperature is outside. It will vary according to how much sunshine you have. I can tell you though that even on a cloudy day the sun can heat a small space very fast and very hot. The best way is to put a thermometer in a box open on one side and facing north and put it in there. The thermometer will be shaded from direct sun and give you a true reading of the temperature in there.

    I am not a big fan of those upright shelves with cover. The cover does not come right to and lay on the ground so cold air goes up them at night and they are very tippy. My son bought one and after oit blew over for the third time he ditched it. I suggest you put it in a protected place if you have wind at all or somehow secure it so it doesn't blow over. My cold frame is a pop-up cold frame that sits low to the ground and I leave my plants in it at night as long as the temperature is close to freezing or above. But then I get the benefit of the ground heated in the day giving off heat at night.

  • sugarbee03110
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I have done a bit of research in regards to the greenhouse and based on reviews I will definitely be securing the greenhouses to my chain link fence. My plan is to bring them in at night and line them up outside during the day. I also plan on cutting some holes in the plastic cover so that it can vent better. It has a zipped front door that I can roll up so that it is completely vented if needed. Thank you for the info on the min max thermometer, never even heard of one before so now I will pick one up!