Preparing for Winter

Teresita_2

I'm in Dumfries and Galloway too and its so dull today. I hate the inbetween stage when its too cold for summer stuff but too warm for the winter gear!!! We had frosts by now last year. I do prefer the cold to the wet though!!!

nicki_2

Well for the second day running I've woken up to condensation on the windows.....outside :rotfl: I think tonight I might put some heating on in the house just to warm it slightly :rotfl::rotfl:

Frugaldom

Despite drizzly weather with occasional flicker of sunshine, I'm still only having to light the fire to help keep dampness off house. DS has his storage heater set on low but none of the others have been needed yet. Temp has been lingering around the 14-15 degree mark but can get up to 18 in the hall when fire's lit in livingroom. Yeah to no heating before 1st November!

PennyPiggybank

Hi

I've been reading this post with great interest for weeks!

I popped into Primark today and picked up a Couch Cosy for £6.85 - similar to the the slanket mentioned earlier but much, much cheaper!

Now I've got it home and opened the packet it's great - really big and cosy!

We already use blankets on the settee but this will be great for me doing my cross stitch etc as my arms will will well wrapped up too!

Frugaldom

Is anyone growing anything for winter? I've just checked and my salad leaves are coming along nicely. I've also just read the tip about insulating a small part of a greenhouse and heating it using a candle light! Who'd have thought that would have been enough to prevent the frost? Has anyone tried this and do the candles burn for the full night? If it worked, I'd be tempted to get safe indoor burners and see if it's enough to keep the chill off the kitchen!

oystercatcher

nykmedia wrote: »

Is anyone growing anything for winter? I've just checked and my salad leaves are coming along nicely. I've also just read the tip about insulating a small part of a greenhouse and heating it using a candle light! Who'd have thought that would have been enough to prevent the frost? Has anyone tried this and do the candles burn for the full night? If it worked, I'd be tempted to get safe indoor burners and see if it's enough to keep the chill off the kitchen!

I often have a couple of candles buring during the day for warmth during winter. Be very careful though and never leave them unattended. This included sleeping! A couple of years ago two firemen were killed in a big fire in ablock of flats nearby and it all started from a tealight put directly on a TV and people sleeping.
Re the greenhouse it sounds worth trying, a tealight normally burns for 4-6 hours but if there was insulation that heat could linger for long enough to keep frost at bay.
I wish we had room for a greenhouse here, my pepper plants just need a bit longer to get decent sized fruits and a greenhouse would be just the thing.....

Am wondering about growing salad leaves in empty bedroom while son is at Uni, alongside the green tomatoes which are ripening nicely!

northwest1965

nykmedia wrote: »

Is anyone growing anything for winter?

Me ! Purple sprouting broccoli. Dont have a garden so I'm growing in a large tub.

jamanda

nykmedia wrote: »

Is anyone growing anything for winter?

Me too. In greenhouse have lettuce, salad leaves, spring onions (not ready yet) Christmas spuds, hopefully, and radishes. Also chucked some carrots in to see what happens. In garden have spring cabbage, broccoli, winter onions and garlic.

As the wise one says - "every little helps"

J

PS And sprouts

Frugaldom

Re the candles, I jave little candle lights, metal type with glass and hanger, but they seem fine sat on a ceramic tile pot holder base. Having priced candles that would burn for 12 hours and counting up how many hours it would take to see us through a winter without getting frost in the greenhouse, however... it's not within my frugal budget challenge. I used to leave a tealight burning during winter nights, though, as every little does help. Can't be all that much condensation produced from one small tealight candle, surely. And I do have a dehumidifyer.

I may move my radishes, salad leaves & spring onions tubs into the greenhouse but will need a big sign up somewhere to remind me to water them. I still have onions, leeks, beetroot, potatoes and turnips in the ground and hundreds of stunted carrots that are being used to supplement the guinea pig's rations.

PS - It's still pouring rain here with puddles and flooding starting to appear. Very mild, though, so it actually feels quite warm this morning after having had the fire burning until after midnight last night. Insulation works best, I'm now a complete convert to fleeces and bubblewrap

kingshir

Just a quick note to say that I bought 3 cheapo throws from Ikea and made full length 'inner' (on a wire practically against the glass) curtains for my big patio doors and I'm amazed at the difference they have made to the general warmth of the room. The curtains I have up already are lined, thick chenille with a woolen blanket inner lining and these are behind my summer thick cotton (also lined) curtains, so I didn't really expect such a difference. Thank you everyone for this brilliant idea!