TORTOISE WINTER GREENHOUSE

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wellington

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This is the 7.9x7.9x7.9 pop-up greenhouse i purchased to be able to allow Tatum to graze during the winter. With the colder temps we are having right now in Chicago, 60-66, it is holding temps in the upper 70's and mid 80 range with no added heat. Humidity feels high, remote temp/humidity gauge is on its way. Can't wait to see what temps are held at during our night time temps of high 40's low 50's. This greenhouse will eventually be attached to a insulated tort house for year round outdoor living. So far is working great for getting him outside during these fall temps.
I am also looking into portable solar for taking care of the eletric for heating in the winter time. I will post about that when I recieve the info.
Hope this helps all who live in the colder Northern states.
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Momof4

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great idea. good luck with your winter project. Keep us updated.
 

Jacqui

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I am very interested in how this works for you, as your temps and mine get close to the same. This way I learn without the money investment if it fails. ;) :D
 

wellington

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Thanks everyone, keep fingers crossed. It is around 64 out right now and I just checked the temps. Varies, 78-90. I actually opened a vent to keep it from going above the 90. The plants in there does give shaded areas and cooler areas.[/b]
I will keep you all informed. The only problem I see for now, is when I don't get any sun on it. That does happen at some point during the winter, I just don't know when or for how long. This winter, I wil be keeping a log of the sun location. I will also be having a couple tropical plants in it, for this winter, so I am hoping to be able to get the solar to work for heating, so I don't loose them.

Jacqui said:
I am very interested in how this works for you, as your temps and mine get close to the same. This way I learn without the money investment if it fails. ;) :D

No problem. No sense both of us spending the money and having it not work. Just hoping we don't get a terrible winter like a couple years ago, when the whole city was almost at a stand still. I don't need no record snow fall:( I will be reinforcing the roof with a PVC support pole just incase:D
 

Jacqui

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When we used PCV for a roof support on an outdoor Russian enclosure, the weight of the snow snapped them.
 

tortadise

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Excellent. I hope they work for yall up in super frozenville states. I would use galvenized pipe instead of PVC its too flexible as well the UV rays deteriorate PVC so sun exposure will make it very week. I know those work great down here for the few cold months we have. Hopefully it works great. You can also try some soil heating cables dig them in the ground to warm the ground as well as the ambient air. You can find them online for pretty cheap for how well they work.

http://www.littlegreenhouse.com/accessory/heaters3.shtml
 

lynnedit

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Yup, I used the soil cables on the ground in my greenhouse.
Actually connected two underbed containers (cut ends off) and settled those into the ground, on top of some 2" rigid insulation. Zip tied Big apple herp waterproof cables to plastic fencing and set this on the bottom, then backfilled with soil/cypress mulch.
Length about 6 feet. Cable is on a thermostat, probe is next to the cable.
Even in really cold weather, doesn't take long to warm the soil up.
 

DeanS

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OK! We're a month from Spring...what's the verdict on this thing for winter use? What adjustments did you have to make concerning heat/humidity?
 

Cowboy_Ken

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To help stabilize temps. small water jugs or barrels painted black, filled with water will warm, then slow release the heat at night.


And I'm with DeanS here. What were the results over the winter months? Inquiring minds want to know!
 

wellington

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Sorry, didn't see this until now. Once the temps got really cold, had to forget putting Tatum in the green house. The heater I had purchased, that should have been able to heat it, just couldn't. I think if it wouldn't have been so tall, 8ft. i think it would have heated better. Also, around mid November, i loose all sunlight on it, which doesn't help. If he were older/bigger, I would have been able to make it work. He is just two in March won't chance it until he is around 6-8 inches or so. Then I will try again with an added mvb and will heat the dog house I have inside the green house. Then he will get three temps variations. Basking-100, dog house-78-80 and the rest of the greenhouse will be cooler at 50-60 hopefully. That's the only temp, I will have to work at and experiment with different heating options. However, if I can get the solar panels I want to install and have them hooked up and working the way I am hoping, the whole greenhouse will be heated to 75-80 with an mvb basking spot. If I do his whole permanent winter outdoor enclosure this year, I may not use the greenhouse at all. That all said. The greenhouse did extend his outdoor time in the fall by about a month and a half. Which to me makes the purchase well worth it. It also should allow me to put him outside earlier in the spring then normal, as the sun is coming back to hitting the greenhouse and with the heater, I will be able to put him out when temps are 55+. Right now covered with snow. The inside, as I don't have a pic. Has two Rose of Sharon trees and a large Hosta plant in the summer that is.


Not a total fail. But will have to add another heat source for using it during the really cold winter months.
 
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