December greenhouse report

I just slogged through the rain and mud to the greenhouse to see how its occupants are getting along. Here's the update:

• Citrus trees -- all doing fine. The big ones are going through their third winter in my greenhouse, so I have no reason to expect any problems. The little ones I started from cuttings this summer are also doing well, so I should have some Meyer Improved lemons and Bearss limes to trade or sell at my church's annual plant sale this year.
  
• Snapdragons -- I dug some up a couple months ago to put in the greenhouse, hoping I'd be able to winter them over. So far, so good. Two or three died right away, but the rest are doing quite well. They even seem to have grown a little despite the cold.
  
• Impatiens -- RIP. I dug them up at the same time as the snapdragons, and they started looking pitiful before Thanksgiving. They're all dead now. It looks like they just turned to mush. Maybe I'll winter some over inside next year.
  
• Petunias -- I have a big pot of them in the greenhouse, and so far they're doing fine. I was able to winter over quite a few of them the last two years, so they should be OK.
  
• Brugmansias -- I lost my huge one last winter (no idea why), but the two I still have seem to be doing fine. They require more water than the other plants in the greenhouse, so I have to remember to give them a drink once a week or so, even during the coldest months.
  
• Cannas - doing just fine as usual
  

I also winter over some really tender stuff in the house: a cymbidium orchid, three begonias, and several pineapples.

That's about all the garden news from here. It's cold, wet, and muddy, so I don't spend much time outside these days.

Happy holidays, everyone!

Moving plants into the greenhouse for winter

I haven't posted about my greenhouse adventures in ages. I got my first (and only) greenhouse a year ago June. Last year I wintered over a bunch of tender perennials sold as annuals, with mixed success. Petunias did very well, but a lot of the other stuff died (partly my fault for going too long between waterings and having inadequate air circulation in the greenhouse).

Fast forward to this year. I spent most of today moving stuff into the greenhouse, since our nights here in Portland are beginning to get cold. We've had frost in some areas already, though what we got at my place was more like slush and didn't kill anything off. But why tempt fate? So I got busy.

In addition to the citrus and brugmansia from last year, I have some bouganvilla and mandevilla. Plus, this year I'm trying an experiment. I dug up my bell peppers and jalapenos, potted 'em up, and moved them into the greenhouse. I don't expect them to bear during the winter, since I don't provide supplemental light, and I only keep the greenhouse heated enough to keep things from freezing. But I'm hoping to keep them alive so they can get an earlier start next spring. Plus I think it'll be cool to have shrub-sized pepper plants.

My Greenhouse

In June I bought my first-ever greenhouse, which I got for super-cheap from a nursery that went out of business. It's 8x16', plastic with wood on the lower sides. It seemed huge when I first got it, but now it's full to bursting. Another nursery that's going out of business is selling tender perennials for $.10, and I bought way too many. I've decided to see which ones can be wintered over; .10 each is cheap enough to take some risks to further my horticultural education :-)

I plan to keep the greenhouse at a minimum of 45F, which shouldn't be too difficult given that Portland winters are usually mild.

I'll post updates from time to time. In the meantime, here's a partial list of what's in there:
Tender perennials - petunias, salvia, verbena, gazania, impatiens, coleus, and a few others usually sold as annuals
Fuschias
Brugmansia
Citrus - several types of lemons, oranges, and limes
Elephant ears (taro)
Cannas
Thunbergia (Black-Eyed Susan vine)
Basil
Lettuce

I have a wireless thermometer that records maximum and minimum temperatures each day. So far it averages 40-50 at night and 60-70 during the day. Outside temperatures at night are usually about 5 degrees lower than the temperature in the greenhouse. I haven't gotten a heater yet, but I plan to this weekend. Portland's average frost date is Oct. 15, so I'm on borrowed time.

I'd love to hear from other greenhouse gardeners in the Northwest.

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Posted by Janet to Rainy Day Gardening - Greenhouse at 10/17/2005 08:11:00 PM