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Hi, I'm new to all this, bought my first greenhouse over the summer. I've bought a parafin heater the correct size for my greenhouse so I can keep it warm over the winter. When do I need to start using it? I have a max/min thermometer in there. Once I start using it do I just need to use it over night or should I keep it going all the time?

Thanks in advance

Hi HS,

depends on what you are growing in there. If you have Orchids then you'll need it warm but if you are just wanting to overwinter tender stuff like dahlia tubers then it only needs to be frost free so you can turn it off on sunny days as the slightest bit of sun will warm it up . Line it with big bubble wrap and you'll save no end on the heating bill.

Hope this helps

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Thanks for that Nick, it's mostly Chilli plants, Twilights, Apaches, stuff like that, too many to fit on the one sunny bay windowsill I have. Guess I'll have to go in search of some bubble wrap.

Ahhh, OK then you will probably need to keep it a tad more than frost free but I don't know how they will cope with the shortened daylight - I've usually picked my chilli's by now and dryed them and ditched the plants.

Bubble wrap you can get from NA Kays and they will sell you 1m or up to 50m rolls

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Thanks again Nick, I only just started growing chillies this year but had been led to believe the plants would last several years if looked after properly.

I know it's probably difficult to say, but when should I start the heating, either by time of year or when the min temp gets down to what? Is it zero, or more than that?

Presumably if we have another mild winter I should only need the heater over night and can turn it off during the day?

Please tell me if NA Kays have a website and do you have it to hand please?

Thanks

DaveC

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DaveC,

Here you go:

Kays Discount Garden Supplies - N A Kays Horticulture

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There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't.

not sure how good they are in successive year HS but I bet someone on here has overwintered them. I don't really have the luxury of having space for over wintering things like chillies - too many other things ! so that is why I never bother.

As they are a tender plant I would be inclined to heat the greenhouse before it get to 0 - you don't plant them into the greenhouse bed till April May time. So I would say you need to maintain a minimum of 10c otherwise the roots will cease to be active so won't take up any water/nutrients and then you may have problems with root rots if the compost is wet for any length of time.

Personally I think it would be easier to just sow some more seed in the spring ( especially as you have a heat source) and start again with clean plants just in case these ones are harbouring pest or diseases - Red might is the favourite.

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Agree with Nick, for chillies you need to maintain somewhere around 8-10 degrees, which is hard to do unless you pump a lot of heat into the greenhouse.

For other plants, I aim to keep the ghouse ticking over at about 4 degrees. Unless you have a good thermostatic heater, that means checking the temp every day and lighting the heater as needed. Unless it is very cold, you can turn it off again in the morning.

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Growing in the Garden of England http://www.kentvegplot.blogspot.com

Thanks for that KVP, beginning to think that maybe I should keep a few of the best and overwinter them inside on the windowsill. Sacrifice the rest and keep seed from some of their progeny then start those early in a propagator next year. Shame though because I only started growing stuff a few months ago and some only produced half a dozen chillies this year but are showing lots of signs of new growth and I was hoping for a good crop from them next year.

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There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't.