The greenhouse effect! non-political

[jeff kushner]

I am very close to making a decision to install a small 6x4 greenhouse for Matilda in an corner where my attached garage, meets the front to back wall. I am about 60% sure that I'd be buying it for me and my peace of mind, not for her- .cause I'm "helicoptering" with her....full disclosure! LOL I'm sure there are a million ways I can do it cheaper and there will be a time for that but this isn't one of them, it's Sept-3rd wk and I need to come to a conclusion so ordering it won't stress me, it will have the opposite effect.

I would place this on the opposite side of the deck steps from where Matilda's outdoor home is now. My concerns in her present home for the winter are the false wall on one side as she could borrow under but mainly the lack of space she has to choose a place to nap for winter, of course helping her from the worst temps and biting winds. I have local predators that would consider my little girl prey so I've got to keep her safe while giving her a lot more space than her 12-15 sf she has now. I do NOT plan on heating it but I think I should have some source of available heat........but mom-nature doesn't have local heat sources...what do you guys think? The garage is on one side so electricity is easy to get....lights, heat? I've read a bunch of threads but they are mostly for Tortoises. I'll listen to advice. You guys that have been here for 100 years have seen a lot and you know I respect the talent here, I'm just asking to relate if you think this "be a bad idea" LOL...save jeff, from jeff!


Something like this....


For reference,
I don't know anything about these things other than the intuitive stuff....alum better than steel, a door that closes may close better than a slider....and that's about it. The little canopies I installed for the lawn mowers last year have the same polycarb panels and they have been bulletproof, deflecting some decent sized branches and carrying a ton of snow when it drifted on both over a foot. Where it would be installed is very protected, branches never fall there and wind in any direction gets deflected by a leading wall before the corner so it never gets too windy in the corner. I'll run the gutters to the inside to refill her water feature. I'd caulk the panels save 1, concrete the corners to a support buried so I think even I can erect it! LOL


So I'll toss it out and see what say ye, great and talented folks? I have a lot of faith in folks.....cause most deserve it!

 

[wellington]

@Yvonne G
I don't brumate/hibernate anyone. But wouldn't a small shed/outdoor storage box work better? Sturdier and probably wouldn't heat up off and on and build up dripping humidity like a greenhouse will when its sunny out. Smaller would be easier to place in shade.
I used a pop up greenhouse years ago to extend my leopards fall time and when the sun was out, it was dripping wet inside. Not sure that would be safe.

 

[Yvonne G]

Matilda's a box turtle, right? Greenhouses get mighty hot inside when the sun shines on them. Matilda doesn't need hot when she's brumating. They do perfectly fine deep down under a layer of dirt and leaves, even with snow over the top.

 

[jeff kushner]

Thanks guys, that's what I was looking for.....the peace of mind when someone who knows, says it.....
We'll relook at her home and maybe loosen the dirt and put in some more leaves....I've got millions of them in the fall....LOL

My caiman's DNA was roughly 240 mil yrs old and relatively unchanged, so I'm guessing Matilda's is too, or older.....................and I'm worried about nature working? I must be awful full of myself, huh? I keep grabbing that steering wheel when I know my life is better when I stay far from it!!! LOL

thanks again

 

[SuzanneZ]

Did you get yourself a greenhouse?

 

[jeff kushner]

Did you get yourself a greenhouse?

No I didn't, and if you see the dates of this, you will see that I was stressed about leaving her out last year too!

I won't be stressing over this again.....Matilda is now officially designated as a Snowbird! Outside in the summer, inside in the Winter!

 

[SuzanneZ]

Forget to check the dates.