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overwintering Greenhouse in a Cold Snowy Winter?

PrairieChilihead

PrairieChilihead

Hello Gardening Experts --

I have often (just about every Fall, really) thought about what it would take to set up a greenhouse in my backyard and raise Peppers in it year round. Winters here are very harsh, though...with tons of snow and temperatures down into the -40's (and worse) on a fairly regular basis. Am I living in a dream world? Or would the heating bill be too ghastly to make it worthwhile? I set up a "Grow-Op" in the basement a number of years ago and kept that going for a couple of years but the wife complained that the plants attracted bugs (which was true and hard to control, really) and she is very resistant to my starting that again.

Have any of you people had experiences like mine? What options are there, really? Do I need to build an actual little house with insulation and heaters, etc? Or would a commercially available greenhouse, with polycarbonate walls be able to retain heat from the sun? I am almost desperate to do something.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks.
 
I couldn't possibly heat my greenhouse in the winter, its touch enough in the spring. You're probably better off starting plants indoors and moving them outside when its warmer and more hours of light.
Otherwise you'll be trying to grow in something like this
 
Yeah, I'd say it's impossible unless you want to spend thousands on heat! I like chiles, but there is a limit of cost vs. usefulness. Know what I mean?

Chris
 
Yeah, I guess I do. I've been reading the descriptions the manufacturers include with their greenhouses which indicate that they can be used year round and are perfect for growing delicate plants in the winter...and wondering about it. It's all just hype...unless by Winter they mean the cool but not deadly winters that the lucky folks in the Southern half of the US get.

Oh well, it's a nice dream. Maybe if I buy the wife something nice to distract her I can set up my plant room in the basement.

Thanks for the replies.
 
POTAWIE said:
I couldn't possibly heat my greenhouse in the winter, its touch enough in the spring. You're probably better off starting plants indoors and moving them outside when its warmer and more hours of light.
Otherwise you'll be trying to grow in something like this
Click to expand...

Sometimes i carnt belive you get the results with your plants after seeing the type of winter and summer you put up with POTAWIE :shocked:
 
shayneyasinski said:
I have paid 3 grand for 1 month of heat for a 20 x 30 greenhouse.

I suggest a few growlight and some bug spray
Click to expand...

YIKES!! That about kills the dream. I wouldn't be able to have a greenhouse that large - my yard couldn't take it. Maybe 10 x 10, but still, the heat would have to be going 24/7. That would still be an enormous expense! And what if we had a power failure? All around, I guess it would be a bad idea. Thanks for your input.
 
My winters aren't nearly that cold, maybe -20F at most. I wouldn't want to try to keep even a 10x10 heated warm enough for peppers for 5 months.

I did manage to keep last years plants alive in the basement, but the brought in bugs too. I had fungus gnats and spider mites. The spider mites got really hard to control by the time spring came around.

I'm still trying to figure out the best way to keep a few of them alive this winter.
 
You know what though, I guarantee that somewhere there is some chilehead heating a greenhouse to 85F in the middle of the winter to keep his peppers warm while his/her house is at 68F. Bunch of crazy people we are.
 
Poisonette said:
My winters aren't nearly that cold, maybe -20F at most. I wouldn't want to try to keep even a 10x10 heated warm enough for peppers for 5 months.

I did manage to keep last years plants alive in the basement, but the brought in bugs too. I had fungus gnats and spider mites. The spider mites got really hard to control by the time spring came around.

I'm still trying to figure out the best way to keep a few of them alive this winter.
Click to expand...

What is it that attracts the bugs? Is it the buds? The pods? We've had houseplants forever that haven't attracted insects, but once I started carting the plants in several years ago (carefully, painstakingly cleaned, of course) the insects started to appear. What if no pods or flowers were allowed to form? What if the plants were just kept alive over the winter without allowing them to form peppers? Would they still attract bugs? I'm determined to bring my plants in this winter and would prefer to not have an angry spouse.

Thanks.
 
JayT said:
You know what though, I guarantee that somewhere there is some chilehead heating a greenhouse to 85F in the middle of the winter to keep his peppers warm while his/her house is at 68F. Bunch of crazy people we are.
Click to expand...

That's hilarious, JayT! I totally agree. If I were a "bachelor" I'd likely do that as well. Or at least build a room just for the plants. Maybe once the kids are out of the house, I can snag one of their rooms. But...the bugs. What about the bugs?
 
Aphids are probably your biggest worry since they breed super fast, and there are usually no natural predators in the winter. I never seem to have a problem with mites on peppers, but tomatoes and eggplant always get infested. Make sure when bringing plants in the house to treat the plant and soil with soap or insecticides or you'll be bringing in lots of nasties.
 
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