Holiday greenhouse

[David]

hi all,

Just organised a bit of a spring holiday at the end of April but now the sun is out I'm a bit afraid all my lovely seedlings will get scorched or frozen in the new greenhouse when I'm away (its very sunny down here in Salisbury).

My mother will be staying at the house but I wonder if there are any tactics you employ for minimising the risks. I'm thinking about a heater with a frost setting and an automatic vent opener......?

Any advice gratefully recieved,

David

[Jenny Green]

An automatic vent opener is an excellent investment no matter what the circimstances. Mine's an absolute godsend. I can even tell how warm it is outside (roughly) without going outside be looking to see if the vent's opening. But of course the most useful thing is avoiding having all your hard work ruined by forgetting to open the vents one morning.
A heater is also going to be essential if your seedlings are at all tender - tomatoes, peppers etc. I'm still bringing mine in the house at night at the moment. They can't even get cold, let alone frozen.
Sorry, but you've chosen a bad time of year to go away!

[David]

Thanks Jenny,

Its very warm in the daytime here - very sunny but I fleece everything by around 4pm to make sure they dont get chilled. From your comments on Tomatoes though maybe I should be bringing them in too.

I have lots of toms and peppers as well as peas in gutters and cabbages and calabrese. I guess its just the Toms and peppers I should be worrying about at the moment though?

[Jenny Green]

Yes, toms and peppers. Calabrese is a bit tender too. Also anything like courgettes, french or runner beans. The cabbage and peas should be fine.

[Guest]

i try to ensure that any plant in a pot is stood in a tray of water. it seems that a lot of plants suffer from roots drying out before the heat itself is a problem. its also easier for the holiday caretaker to see the level of water in a tray than it is to assess the dryness of the contents of a pot.

[David]

Thankyou.

I got the vent opener today, what temp do you usually have it set at?

David

[Chantal]

When I bought mine it said it should be closed at 60F and I had to keep any eye on the thermometer and then screw it down to close it. Seems to work.

[Colin Miles]

I have 2 auto-vents on my greenhouse, plus 2 manual and a louvre, also manual. I am also going away Sunday for 10 days - not planned either - and am going to have to rely on neighbours for watering. Fortunately I decided in any case that I would wait until Easter before doing anything much, so the only tender plants are Tomatoes. Unfortunately, last Saturday the continuous sunshine scorched them, despite the 2 auto-vents so I would suggest that you tell your mum to open the manual vents that I presume you have as well if it is all sunny.

[David]

Thankyou all for you kind help