baby How COLD is it ?qwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww wwwwwwwwwwwwwww
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Barbara
Guest
It's been a very nail biting month so far for the greenhouse. I looked at the climate control station in the house and it said the greenhouse was down to 10degrees in the coldest area and that's with both electric heaters maxed out. So out went the mini propane heater, and 20 minutes latter it up to 14! Earlier this month I went out to find frost on the inside of the metal frame. Poor orchids, I really don't like winter!
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Barbara
Guest
Yes. It was down to -15 outdoors last night, rather cold! I'm very grateful that we have 5 wall polycarb.
wow, I've never even heard of five-wall! almost worth just putting up a cheap building with skylights and putting some lights in it
This weather is crazy,it's supposed to go into the 40's midweek here!
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Barbara
Guest
The 5 wall is fairly new technology I believe, and it’s supposed to provide better insulation. I guess that it does since our heating bill for the first month was only $50 more then usual and those heaters were going nearly non-stop. But I found that we had to cover all the vents and the door with layers of heavy plastic and bubble wrap. We even taped the gutter along the inside eve closed to cut down on those drafts. We wait and see what the cost of heating will be for this month, I have a feeling that we will be in for a rude surprise.
Yes the weather is getting crazier and crazier every year I think.
Yes the weather is getting crazier and crazier every year I think.
Yoyo_Jo
Catt's Meow
Global waming!!! 
Right wingers are saying, "see there's no such thing as global warming." meanwhile ignoring the steady weather changes, drying and warming trends, etc. I guess it will take the water flowing out of the Potomac and up to Capital Hill to to convince them.
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Ernie
Guest
"Global warming" is out; "climate change" is the new term. Seriously.
-Ernie
-Ernie
I was looking at the triple wall, but the five wall looks like the better buy in spite of the higher price. The difference in the 'R' factor is 16mm triple wall:2.4 and 25mm 5 wall: 3.7 . The one downside is the light transmission of 5 wall is listed at 44%, which is great for summer, but might be a liability in winter. What's been your experience Barbara?
SlipperFan
Addicted
Right wingers are saying, "see there's no such thing as global warming." meanwhile ignoring the steady weather changes, drying and warming trends, etc. I guess it will take the water flowing out of the Potomac and up to Capital Hill to to convince them.
I'm not a right winger (for sure), but I'm a little skeptical about "global" warming. There certainly has been polar warming, and the glaciers on mountains have been melting at faster rates than in the recent past. But in the midwest US, we've had winters and summers the past couple of years that are colder than normal, and the recent cold wave is down into Cuba! I think Europe, also, is experiencing colder than normal temps -- England was covered in snow which is very unusual.
I prefer Ernie's terminology: climate change. That certainly is happening.
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Kevin
Guest
Yes, like Ernie and I have said, it's climate change, not global warming. Extreme weather of all sorts is the norm now.
parvi_17
Well-Known Member
I agree with the above. It's about 6C here right now, but it was around -40C two weeks ago. The fact that it has warmed up so much is what is so crazy, and so harmful to the plant life. It would have been better if it stayed 40 below!
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Kevin
Guest
Aren't you in a Chinook zone, though (or at least on the borders of one)? We are supposed to be near or above zero for awhile now, starting tomorrow. That is unusual for us. We have snow cover, so if that doesn't all melt, the plants should still be fine.
parvi_17
Well-Known Member
Not really. It's like that in Calgary but not here; we Edmontonians usually envy the Calgarians and their chinooks. It isn't normal for it to warm up like this here. It did this last year though too, and there were many botanical fatalities.
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Kevin
Guest
Remember too, that we are in an El Nino year. Predicted results (among other things) are cold and wet in the southeast. That's what they have, with the snow and cold. So, you could say this weather is 'normal' - for an El Nino year, anyway.
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Barbara
Guest
Yes the light levels are lower then expected, which is a life saver when the plants all first go out there, but it would reduce the chances of spike production. Many of the orchids are still too small to bloom, but the one's that are preparing to flower are continuing to develop. I'm having more problems with the soft brown rot showing up due to the damp weather that we've been having. The metal frame just drips with condensation, which is only minimized with the coldest temperatures of winter. I'll be sure to keep you posted about the spiking habits in the 5 wall. We only moved the plants out there a few months ago in late autumn so I think it too soon to know for sure. We still plan on using the 50% shade come spring as it still gets quit bright in there on the sunny days and I'm sure that we will have some serious damage as the days grow longer.
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Clark
Guest
Expected 49F today!
can't believe that this monday it was over 50˚F and raining, and today it was around 8, and -2 tonight and breezy
