It's attached to the south side of our pumphouse. It doesn't get morning sun because of a huge old eastern red cedar but beginning about 10 AM and throughout the day it gets pretty good direct sun that will get better as the oaks and pecans finish dropping their leaves
This one's a little better than what I used keep perennial habañeros going for years (until I forgot to turn on a light on the wrong night). But still, except for the lath strips and a box of T25 screws for the lath, it's built out of garbage, miscellaneous shop supplies and recycled crap. I built it so I can remove four screws and haul it off to the barn after the winter.
I have two TS cardi and two carolina reapers in there. I started whacking off branches after pod picking a couple months ago so they would fit. By mid-winter I expect to have them trimmed down to the 4 forks.
It's "high-tech" :-) I got me a $15 data logger to learn how much heat and external insulation I'll need to keep these plants alive and decide if I want to bother with keeping them warm enough so they continue producing . Temp ranges so far are 46.2 to 80.8 with an overall average of 65.7. Low outside temp since I put the plants inside the shelter two weeks ago was around 37.
Once I get the plants cut back some more I'll slip some foil backed foam insulation against the already inner insulated wall of the pump house and throw more black stuff and thermal garbage on the floor. I also have some of those cheap mylar thermal blankets I want to try as roll-ups on the outside under my regular blanket covers.
Since I'm not really interested in keeping the plants producing all winter, it shouldn't be too expensive to keep them alive. If we have our normal lows in the 20's and I get them cut back far enough to cover them at night with an inside thermal blanket, about a nickel a night for the nights when heat is needed should do it. I have two more scorpions I'll probably stuff in there after things are cut back a ways. Right now those are parked in front of a south-facing window in our 5th wheel and still producing very well.
If we have some seriously cold weather come in this year (below 10) , I have a 250W IR "french fry" light and 500W halogen worklights I can use. I also have a thermostatic 1500W electric heater but that's kinda overkill. Regardless, I'll probably test it out anyway.
Assuming they make it, I'll re-pot in the spring and these plants should quickly turn into bushy little beatches that will give me a bunch of pods right quick next year.
This one's a little better than what I used keep perennial habañeros going for years (until I forgot to turn on a light on the wrong night). But still, except for the lath strips and a box of T25 screws for the lath, it's built out of garbage, miscellaneous shop supplies and recycled crap. I built it so I can remove four screws and haul it off to the barn after the winter.
I have two TS cardi and two carolina reapers in there. I started whacking off branches after pod picking a couple months ago so they would fit. By mid-winter I expect to have them trimmed down to the 4 forks.
It's "high-tech" :-) I got me a $15 data logger to learn how much heat and external insulation I'll need to keep these plants alive and decide if I want to bother with keeping them warm enough so they continue producing . Temp ranges so far are 46.2 to 80.8 with an overall average of 65.7. Low outside temp since I put the plants inside the shelter two weeks ago was around 37.
Once I get the plants cut back some more I'll slip some foil backed foam insulation against the already inner insulated wall of the pump house and throw more black stuff and thermal garbage on the floor. I also have some of those cheap mylar thermal blankets I want to try as roll-ups on the outside under my regular blanket covers.
Since I'm not really interested in keeping the plants producing all winter, it shouldn't be too expensive to keep them alive. If we have our normal lows in the 20's and I get them cut back far enough to cover them at night with an inside thermal blanket, about a nickel a night for the nights when heat is needed should do it. I have two more scorpions I'll probably stuff in there after things are cut back a ways. Right now those are parked in front of a south-facing window in our 5th wheel and still producing very well.
If we have some seriously cold weather come in this year (below 10) , I have a 250W IR "french fry" light and 500W halogen worklights I can use. I also have a thermostatic 1500W electric heater but that's kinda overkill. Regardless, I'll probably test it out anyway.
Assuming they make it, I'll re-pot in the spring and these plants should quickly turn into bushy little beatches that will give me a bunch of pods right quick next year.
