Grow Your Own Magazine

If I insulate my greenhouse with bubble wrap will it keep it warm enough at night to put my toms in it now and would it shade it enough so as not to have to white wash the glass in the summer?

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Belgrave-allotments.co.uk

Not really!

Do you have a max min thermometer? If you check you may find that the glass gives enough protection and you don't need to insulate. The bubblewrap will cut down the light as well as increasing the heat so you may get leggy growth. Also the extra insulation may overheat the house during the day - not really ideal. If you don't want to paint with whitewash, grow a screen! I know that sounds daft but if you grow something like beans next to and parallel to the green house the plants will shade the side of the house and they died down just as you need to increase the light levels again. A screen of plants could be sweetpeas, climbing beans or anything which grows to about 6' in a season (Morning Glory?)

I have a neighbours walnut tree which casts shadow over the greenhouse in summer - but they are very late to come into leaf so not a problem fo me.


Terry

Thanks TP I will have to invest in a max min thermometer, before I risk taking the seedlings down to the greenhouse. What a great idea to grow beans to shade the greenhouse.

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Belgrave-allotments.co.uk

Most people are taking their bubble wrap off now because of rising temperatures and better light levels. Putting it on in summer could mean excessive daytime temperatures which because of it's insulating properties will persist over a longer period.


You could use bubble wrap in a localised fashion though, similar to using fleece, on a night time only, until temperatures warm up a bit!

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My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

I don't think I would be of any use at all.
Thin polythene inside might help & would not cut down on the light too much

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I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.
W. C. Fields

LOL

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Belgrave-allotments.co.uk

We plant tomatoes out into the tunnels any time from now to the end of April PP. If a hard frost is forcast a bit of fleece as extra protection works for us. Just make sure they are well hardened off before planting out.

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Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs

Thanks piglet, how many days would I need to harden them off for?

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Belgrave-allotments.co.uk

If the weather is good, start putting them out in the day and bringing them in at night for a week or so. You can then put them in a greenhouse but may need to cover them if a frost is forcast. Whilst we get frosts they are not the hard biting winter frosts and dissapear quickly so fleece will be adequate.

You will need to be able to open up the greenhouse on warm days so that they dont cook and close it on cool nights.

__________________
Kindest regards, David.

http://pigletsplots.blogspot.com/
updated - Sunday 19th at 2100hrs

Thanks Piglet I will start putting them out in the morning.

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Belgrave-allotments.co.uk