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It’s past mid February here in Ocean County, New Jersey and we’ve had more snow this winter than we’ve gotten in many years. This Rutgers snow map isn’t showing our most recent storms yet, but they claim to be updating it frequently – so check back if you don’t see totals that include the storms we’ve had in February.
Snow Seems to be Reducing Heat Loss
Today, the day after a few inches fell on our property – the sun is shining and the greenhouse is heating up, significantly! The temperature outside was 30*, but I checked the monitor inside the house that receives the temperature reading from the greenhouse and it said 48*. Woah!
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On cold, rainy days, the gap between inside/outside temperatures is never that high. Sure the sun is out, but the roof is completely covered in snow. Maybe that’s the difference!
I think the snow is insulating the roof and reducing the heat lost through those polycarbonate panels. With the roof padded by snow, the double paned windows and slider doors are keeping the heat in really well! Keep in mind that this greenhouse isn’t even caulked yet because I was concerned that the outdoor temperature wouldn’t allow the caulk to set up the way it should. I do intend to fill in all the gaps in the corners and between the studs in the spring, when the weather warms.
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Here’s what I’m considering… what if, during the winter months, I were to use some poly film to create a layer an inch or two below my roof inside the greenhouse? Would this reduce heat loss, even on overcast days? I think I want something that I can take down in summer when I need to vent the greenhouse well.
Slow Seed Starting This Year
I moved a few containers of seeds out there today. I just started some lettuce, artichokes, kale, dill and parsley so far. I’ll put them into individual cups once they have a couple of true leaves.
Every year I make the mistake of starting seeds too early. I get everything going at approximately the same time, sowing everything in large flats. Some germinate quickly, others take longer, and I’m always jockying seedlings around trying to keep everybody happy and losing lots of plants. In the same flat I would have some that haven’t germinated yet and want to be covered, while others are already long and leggy. This year, I’m starting a little differently – grouping crops with similar needs. Also, I’m waiting to start tomatoes till next month – I can’t handle babying them for as long as I usually do, especially since it doesn’t seem to improve my result.
Bringing electric into the greenhouse
I’m going to want to keep those seedlings from freezing after the snow melts, so I need to get some electric in there. I’ve run a couple of extension cords around the perimeter of the back yard (until I get an electrician to come take a look at the setup). I’ll drill a 1″ hole in the bottom corner of the back wall and feed the plug inside, surrounding it with a bit of insulation.
A surge protector with a timer should be helpful to keep my little space heater going through the night. I’ll be putting up some string lights out there too to decorate.
Looking forward to spring when I can put a gutter on the front of the roof. The icicles are pretty though.
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