Wintering in conservatory vs plastic greenhouse

DD265 · 9 September 2019 at 8:06PM

Starting to think about what to do with my plants over winter - they're all potted. I'm mainly concerned with the young dwarf peach and nectarine trees, and two bay saplings.

We have a conservatory which gets very cold, so the door to the house will mostly be shut over winter. We'll warm it up for meals only, so I'm not sure how big an issue the changing temperatures will be. Alternatively, I can get a plastic green house - no where to put a full size one and I don't think I can stretch to a small wooden framed one this year.

Will the conservatory be OK?

Davesnave · 9 September 2019 at 8:34PM

The conservatory will be warmer than a plastic greenhouse due to heat loss from the house itself, and although widely fluctuating temperatures aren't good, they happen anyway with small greenhouses on sunny days.

The fruit trees might have their pots wrapped with bubble plastic if you are in a cold area, like a frost pocket or at altitude. The bay will probably be fine. Both could be covered over with fleece on really cold nights, which is all I use in my polytunnel.

unrecordings · 9 September 2019 at 8:36PM

I think the conservatory would be better than a plastic greenhouse. You could get some fleece or something to insulate the plants and/or get one of those really cheap electric heaters and leave on a low setting when needed

unrecordings · 9 September 2019 at 8:37PM

i'm going to have to get quicker at typing...

DD265 · 9 September 2019 at 8:38PM

Thank you both, will put extra bubble wrap and fleece on my shopping list!

Morbier · 10 September 2019 at 3:49PM

Don't forget to keep an eye out for insects, creepy-crawlies etc that are currently living in your pots. I once bought some geraniums indoors for the winter and the resident family of slugs and their babies decided to pop out and have a look round when they felt the warmer temperature. :eek:

Never bought an outdoors plant in again - mine all go in the garage/shed now.

Alternatively, you could put your outdoor plants into new pots/compost just before you bring them inside?

Primrose · 10 September 2019 at 5:36PM

Your conservatory may be cold in winter but I think it will still offer better frost protection than a plastic greenhouse. I would go along with having some sheets of fleece to drape over your more vulnerable plants on cold nights. If you don,t really have permanent space for a plastic greenhouse it could end up being more of a nuisance than a long term benefit so better to make use of the facilities you already have.

Try and keep the plants away from the cold glass at night though if you can.

Davesnave · 10 September 2019 at 6:49PM

Morbier wrote: »

Alternatively, you could put your outdoor plants into new pots/compost just before you bring them inside?

I swap-out the compost of many vulnerable potted plants as a matter of course in late autumn. It's not slugs that are the greatest menace here, but vine weevil larvae.

Linda32 · 10 September 2019 at 10:43PM

The conservatory will be much better than the plastic greenhouse. Keep a thermometer in the conservatory, so long has it doesn't drop below freezing it will be fine.

Wintering in conservatory vs plastic greenhouse

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