Winter light in mini greenhouse

Polytunnels, cold frames, greenhouses, propagators & more. How to get the best out of yours...

Moderators: KG Steve, Chantal, Tigger, peter

User avatar
Primrose
KG Regular
Posts: 8053
Joined: Tue Aug 29, 2006 8:50 pm
Location: Bucks.
Has thanked: 37 times
Been thanked: 281 times

Help please! Does anybody use a mini plastic greenhouse over winter ? (It's the only protection I've got so need to make the best of it). Mine is currently anchored against an east facing house wall so would get a few hours of daylight in winter (and a little sun if we have any) but is exposed to the full force of frost or snow in we get any.

In previous winters I've moved it, complete with its cover under a north facing Perspex alleyway between house wall and boundary fence which I use as a potting shed area where the light level is very low. The over wintering plants stored in it didn,t do well and most cuttings died of rot., even when I left the ventilation flap partly open.

Today I swapped the transparent plastic cover on the greenhouse for a thicker reinforced cover which has green fabric thread squares in it for winter and am contemplating leaving the greenhouse outside anchored to the house wall but was shocked ar how little daylight the greenish cover will now let in for my plants in there for the rest of winter.

Can anybody give me some words of advice on which the two location options will be best. Are the green reinforced covers stronger for winter use in frosty weather than the clear transparent ones?

Will the green reinforced cover retain more heat or would I still be better off moving the structure to an area of low light with no access to sunshine at all for several months but stick with the clear plastic cover?
Last edited by Primrose on Mon Oct 24, 2016 10:34 am, edited 2 times in total.
robo
KG Regular
Posts: 2808
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:22 pm
Location: st.helens
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 56 times

I used to have one of the green pollytunnels that seem to spring up on every allotment when I scrapped it last January I thought I had bought it a couple of years before on checking it up on Amazon I was surprised to find I had bought it just twelve months previously I had repaired the frame twice the green plastic around three times the fourth was impossible to repair it ripped in half although they look strong they are very weak
User avatar
Primrose
KG Regular
Posts: 8053
Joined: Tue Aug 29, 2006 8:50 pm
Location: Bucks.
Has thanked: 37 times
Been thanked: 281 times

What was the strength of winter light that penetrated it Robo? Was it sufficient to allow the overwintered plants in it to thrive? I was really surprised when I took the clear cover off and put the reinforced green cover on how much light was actually shut out. The light levels are much lower in winter anyway. I can't help thinking that a much thicker clear polythene cover would have been the best answer but they don't appear to make a really thick winter one for these greenhouses.
robo
KG Regular
Posts: 2808
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 10:22 pm
Location: st.helens
Has thanked: 9 times
Been thanked: 56 times

Hi primrose, it was not that good even in summer but it was not shaded it was out in the open, you will get clear plastic from most pollytunnel manufacturers
Post Reply Previous topicNext topic