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Aurora, IL

Hi. I live in N. Illinois and plan on setting up 2 green houses this week. There will not be any seedlings for about 2 weeks. Prior to and after transplanting, what temp should I keep the green houses at?

4/21/2012 8:05:20 PM

Rhode Island

hot as possible to help hatch any fly eggs and also to help sterilize the soil
after setting plants out? id try and keep the day time air temps no higher than 85-90 degrees.always err on the side of caution with young plants. to much heat will kill them quickly.
on hot days we just open the entire top of our small greenhouses and take no chances.

4/22/2012 6:54:23 AM

Aurora, IL

So I need to heat them even before transplanting? What do you suggest for a heat source?

4/22/2012 12:24:53 PM

Bristol R.I. USA

I close the hoophouses at night and add some candles in them to aid in heating the greenhouses.In the day I always open the greenhouses heat will cook your plants. A green house can get up to well over 100 degrees with the slightest amount of sun. You gotta remember that the greenhouses trap all the heat that thats in them. To much heat will kill your plants not enough will make them small to grow. I always tend to be conservative with the heat in the houses. Good luck.

4/22/2012 1:07:46 PM

valparaiso, in

I put my houses out a week or so before I plan on planting my plants.

4/22/2012 11:54:13 PM

Nottingham, UK

I'll second what Kenny Said.

The weather here is 50-55 degrees, overcast and raining but when the sun pops out of the cloud for an hour its more than enough to get the temperature in that greenhouse to 90 degrees and beyond.

Without it I couldnt have planted so early so it serves a purpose, but when the weather changes I'll have to do as Pap does and open her up completely during the day.

4/23/2012 5:48:58 AM

Aurora, IL

I'm still unclear if you heat the houses before transplanting and what to use for a heat source.

4/23/2012 8:36:24 AM

Rhode Island

yorunk

two weeks before putting out seedlings we prep the soil,adding whatever is needed,then till and put greenhouses out in just the area where the greenhouses will go.(we till and ammend and roto-till the rest of the patch weeks later so as not to leach additives out of the soil)

at the same time we put out greenhouses we put our electric soil heating cables into the ground and also place a light in each house ( cable to heat the soil stays on all the time (disconnect in mid-july) and the light is used on dark cloudy days or at night when its very cold -- bulb with metal shade facing down toward the ground)

we also have small wire hoops that we place over the young seedling on very cold nights ( we cover the wire hoop with a sheet)may not need them this years as the weather has been warmer than average. its good to have them standing by though just in case.

pap

4/23/2012 10:09:09 AM

Westford, MA

40-60 Watt bulb in a utility light.

Get the light at a box store cheap.
Light's usually have a plastic, or rubber handle, and a metal housing with a grill on a hinge to protect the bulb.

There's usually a hook on the top that I hang from 1 of the Hoop spines I make my tents out of.

I prefer 40 Watts

60 Watts keeps it warm enough to sleep in your underwear even on the frostiest of nights....

only happened ONCE!!!
(too many Bud Lights)

4/23/2012 10:13:51 AM

Aurora, IL

Also, what do you use to stake your greenhouses to secure them?

4/23/2012 11:19:57 AM

Aurora, IL

Wow, I was thinking of heat lamps.

4/23/2012 11:21:38 AM

Westford, MA

I use 4' rebars pounded at an angle
3/4" PVC tubing slid over the re-bars.
heavy clips (also found at HD)to hold 4 mil plastic in place.

If you've got a "Built house, you can use re-bars in the corners to secure it to the ground

hope that helps

4/23/2012 11:46:44 AM

Aurora, IL

Pap, so I only need to amend the soil where I am putting the greenhouses for now? I was planning putting the bloodmeal and sulfur on the whole patch then tilling all at once.

4/23/2012 12:09:13 PM

Aurora, IL

Klancy, it was probably the Bud Lights that made you sleep out there. Miller Lite would have kept you in the house and sane..

4/23/2012 12:11:15 PM

Roselle, IL [email protected]

If you put the houses up now, the "sun" does a great job of heating the area prior to planting..You could also add heating cables in the planting hill.

4/23/2012 7:17:26 PM

Massachusetts

klancy, i would like a photo of you in the greenhouse sleeping with your pumpkin, for the next video!!lol.

4/23/2012 10:46:42 PM

Aurora, IL

How large of hill do you make?

4/24/2012 8:45:00 AM

Aurora, IL

I'm going to roto-till my soil amendments in about an hour. Any thoughts on if I should do the whole patch or just the greenhouse area?

4/24/2012 8:53:31 AM

Eastern Pennsylvania

I would do the whole patch.

4/24/2012 9:02:30 AM

Aurora, IL

ok, thanks

4/24/2012 9:05:09 AM

Aurora, IL

I should have been more specific and state that I bought my greenhouses from a store, they are not ones that I am making.

4/24/2012 5:50:59 PM

Aurora, IL

How large do you make the mounds and what material do you use to make them? My greenhouse is 8'L x 6" W. and where do you place the house over the mound? With the mound at the door or middle of house?

I plan on buying any soil materials for the mounds tomorrow.

4/25/2012 6:46:17 PM