Buying a greenhouse kit...do I need any accessories right away?
I bought a greenhouse kit for the wife for Christmas this year. It's a 6x10 kit by Greenline.
We will assemble it, but will be moving in about 6 months, so it will have to be broken down and moved across town to a new home....so I don't want to make things too permanent with it.
It has a sliding front door, and a roof vent. Are there any necessary accessories that we may need? I'm thinking a heater, a fan, and then some gravel for the floor? I am planning to build her some shelving and tables for the plants.
We live in coastal North Carolina....gets in the 20's and 30's for the lows at night during the winter, and into the 90's in the summer....moderate humidity.
If your purpose is to keep plants from freezing, this will work, but you must have a heater for the nights the temperature is below 32. You seem to be in zone 8; I'm in 8b, and a ceramic space heater is enough for my greenhouse. I only have to use it for a week or two each year.
Gravel is okay for the floor, but you'll need to use sand around the edges to "seal" the greenhouse to the ground if by gravel you mean pea gravel. I have decomposed granite, which has been ideal since it packs like sand.
The single best greenhouse accessory you can have is a watering system. Mine is homemade. It's just a length of 1/2 inch flexible piping you can get at Lowe's or Walmart, attached to a short hose that's on a spigot. One short hose goes into a battery-operated timer, also from Wal-mart. I've got another short hose running out of the timer overhead into the piping, which attached to the roof joists with cable tie. I've got 1/4 inch piping coming out of that with micro-sprayers on the ends over the plant shelves. All this stuff, including the fittings and sprayers, is readily available and is easy to disassemble and move.
Everything gets watered twice each day for 5 minutes, whether I'm there or not. I can root up cuttings, even in the winter, and all my plants grow beautifully. This system actually uses less water than I do with hand-watering, too!
One really nice "extra" my husband gave me last year is a radio-signal thermometer. The base unit is in the greenhouse; a second display is in the house by the back door. This magical device tells me the outside temp and the greenhouse temp . . . when I'm inside and warm!
My husband built my greenhouse. For a plant-crazy woman, this is the best gift ever. Your wife and I are very lucky to have such thoughtful menfolk!
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Temperatures have definitely been falling in the northern states and Central Great Plains as winter approaches. Even many southern states have experienced some cooler weather than normal. As the mercury drops it becomes increasingly more difficult for birds to find open water. In some areas a mid-day sun may melt enough snow to fulfill a birds requirement for water, but there is no guarantee of this as the icy grip of winter slowly sets in.
During the winter, birds survive through the night on the energy of the foods they forage for throughout the day. With little or no body fat, birds do not have the ability to store energy reserves as mammals do. Chickadees, which weigh 3/4 of an ounce, the equivalent of three pennies in your palm, have developed a unique adaptation for conserving energy. At days end when they go to roost their metabolism slows down to conserve precious energy. Not all birds have inherited that ability.
The dilemma for birds becomes a matter of choice. They can fly a considerable distance to locate open water, expending valuable energy needed to get through a cold winter night, or they can eat snow, which lowers their body temperature requiring more food to raise their energy levels.
What can the backyard birder do to help? Provide a daily source of open water for the birds visiting your backyard. The old saying is you can attract more birds with open water in winter than you can with bird seed alone. There are several ways to do this.
1) Heated Bird Baths: There are several bird baths on the market with built-in thermostatically controlled heaters which provide the most convenient method. They come with a multiple year warranty and do a good job keeping a large area of open water for the birds.
2) Bird Bath Heaters: The Nelson Blue Devil, which has a four year warranty is probably the best bird bath heater for your money. It is thermostatically controlled and works great when placed in an existing bird bath providing a large area of open water in sub-freezing temperatures. Bird bath heaters constantly cycle on and off, attempting to keep water at a specific temperature. They work best at keeping the bird bath completely ice free.
3) Bird Bath De-Icers: They are thermostatically controlled and work fantastic down to about 20 degrees. But the principle factor is that below 20 degrees the de-icers continue to provide a small area of open water for the birds. You may get some icing up around the edges. These products turn at water temperatures of 32 degrees, and shut off at 34 degrees, using less energy than a 60 watt light bulb.
4) Solar Sippers: A self contained bowl with a lid that has a small opening which allow birds access to the water. The construction is much like a coffee thermos with an air pocket between the outer structure and the inner bowl providing insulation. Since it relies on solar energy, it is brought in the house at night and placed back outside during the day. Although it requires no electrical energy, it will keep an open water source down to approximately 15 degrees.
5) Avian Ponds: Winter is not exactly the season to install this type of water source, but avian ponds with a meandering stream bed are probably the best year round fresh water source you can provide. With a heater placed in the reservoir it will continue to flow, even over several waterfalls, at temperatures well below zero. There are several on the market that are pre-molded and work well. Others are constructed using pond liners.
When using a heated bird bath, bird bath heater, or de-icer, keep in mind they all require electricity. An extension cord is usually required. Make certain to use only an outdoor approved extension cord and avoid excessively long cords as they may affect the function of the heater. These appliances have been approved by the Underwriters Laboratory and are safe to use and are safe for the birds. When it comes to the four components of habitat required for sustaining life; food, water, shelter, space, it is water that becomes a rare commodity for birds and other wildlife during the cold winter months.
Dave Titterington of the Wild Bird Habitat Stores. Providing bird enthusiasts with quality backyard bird feeding products and information since 1993. With two locations in Lincoln, Nebraska and on the web at
http://www.wildbirdhabitatstore.com
