Grow House

Can anyone help, I have a small wooden grow house which I have been trying to overwinter various plants and cuttings.  Just recently I have noticed a lot of the plants are rotting. I haven't been watering so could this be caused by condensation? And if so how do I overcome this problem.

I would love a proper greenhouse but unfortunately don't have enough room.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Damp and humidity do more damage to plants that actual cold-overwintering under cover is susceptible to these conditions

That is the basic problem-happens in cold greenhouses too

Unless you can provide the right conditions it is doomed to failure-this is where windowsills come into their own.

A cool spot indoors is preferable-but not always possible

What plants are we talking about here?

This mild weather I have my greenhouse door open in the day. I only shut it at night to keep the early birds from scabbling in the seed pots before I'm up. It's not heated. There's some seeds, a couple of fuchsias and other things I couldn't rely on, a lot of fancy thymes I split up late autumn. glad I brought those in, they'd not be happy with the weather we've had. Also various recently purchased perennials that never reached the garden and one of the garden benches for coffee time on sunny days

Nutcutlet is right, you need to regularly open the doors/lid. I had mould on my seedlings as well. It was been mild and damp and I have not had time to open the doors. You need to keep the doors open as much as you can. I plan to keep mine open until it gets below 0C now.

Hi Eddie R, I don't have a greenhouse either but have a couple of homemade coldframes which are fantastic. I leave them open for ventilation unless it get's very cold. I'm over wintering some larkspurs for the first time in there and they seem to be doing ok.

They aren't the traditional type ie boxes on the ground, with a top opening, but more of a sturdy mini greenhouse affair. Great for when space is limited.

Thank you all for your advice and comments.

I won’t lust after a greenhouse quite so much knowing they can have the same problem.

I think poor ventilation is part of the problem, as I was opening the top and doors on a daily basis, but during a very wet spell I thought I needed to keep the plants protected.

Most of the damage is on the top shelf, where the condensation has been forming and dripping back on the plants.

I will make sure I keep it open unless it gets very cold.

I can see a warm windowsill maybe be a good option and will look at using them in the future.

Sotongeof, the plants are mainly fuchsia and scented geranium cuttings I took in the autumn, which were all doing well until I stopped opening the lid!!! I also have a variety of plug plants mainly perennials that I was bringing on ready to plant out, plus quite a few strawberry plants which are on lower shelves which aren’t so badly affected. The plants worst hit are nemesia, perhaps I should have left them out to fend for themselves? They are so say hardy.

It’s my first winter with a wooden grow house so all a bit of an experiment

Eddie

The scented geraniums are not hardy-nor may be some of the fuchsias-they might be better if indoors-cool windowsill rather than a warm windowsill- the strawberries could go outside they are hardy- and also the perennials -just watch out for really hard frosts

Could give you a lot more space and that would help?

Hi Sotongeoff

So could I still put the strawberries out now, bearing in mind they have been protected and the weather is so say due to get colder?

I do have other plant plug perennials outside (at the side of house on a storage box) and they all look ok, other than the ones the slugs have got.

If I were to put the strawberries out it would give me much more space.

Is it too early to start off seeds in a grow house, or best wait a while.  The sun is out here today and it makes me want to do something, though it will be dark by the time I get home from work!!!

It is too early to sow most seeds-especially tomatoes half -hardy annuals etc-worth waiting for a few weeks

If you intend to plant the strawberries in the ground I would do it now-they should be ok-they would be better outside than inside-but if if the ground is waterlogged or frozen then wait

All to easy to get carried away with a drop of sunshine

I grow the strawberries in pots and hanging baskets.

Do you have a fair size garden SotonGeoff?

Ours is like a postage stamp!

I would still plant them up Eddie and keep them somewhere sheltered for a few weeks

It is a fair size not the sort you get with modern builds- that is definite-but am just putting house on the market-a good selling point

I will get them sorted and keep you posted.

Good luck with selling the house.

Appreciate your help