Got the gas space heater up and running in the solarium. That means the night temps have remained above freezing. Unfortunately, not warm enough for the tomato plants. However, warm enough for cool weather plants.
The dogs are not helping the situation. They were pulling at the wire on the outside of the main door to open it. I eventually had to put a hook and eye latch on the inside. So, they started jumping against the door until the latch came loose. Some people would call this smart. Really? No. It's just destructive. Right next to the main door is a very generous size dog door which they only have to push with their noses to enter. They won;t use the dog door. In their minds, they are not opening the latch or the door, they are breaking it. When I latch it again, to them I am fixing it. So they would prefer to try and destroy the door rather than enter through a swinging door which offers little chance for destruction. If they but their heads against it, it just swings open. So I had to add a piece of duct tape to the latch.
Of course, the problem is that the heat is released when they do this.
These are also the same dogs that will not stay in the solarium in front of the heater. It's probably about 70 degrees right in front of the heater. Instead, they stay outside, huddled together while the temperature is as low as 12 degrees. That is regardless of whether they force the main door open or they have to use the dog door.
When I can keep the door closed, I'm still seeing gains of about 40 degrees. It reached 99 degrees today and it stays around 40 at night. Measured at an area behind the space heater.
Started seeds for spinach, purple carrots, cilantro, dill and cucumbers inside the solarium today. I think most of them should grow. Cucumbers are questionable but the rest all grow well in cool conditions. Plus the broccoli is already reaching the point where I can transplant it into larger containers.
If I make it through December without frost damage the ambient temperature should increase by late January. Then I'll be able to start getting a few long growing crops like tomatoes started from seed again.
The dogs are not helping the situation. They were pulling at the wire on the outside of the main door to open it. I eventually had to put a hook and eye latch on the inside. So, they started jumping against the door until the latch came loose. Some people would call this smart. Really? No. It's just destructive. Right next to the main door is a very generous size dog door which they only have to push with their noses to enter. They won;t use the dog door. In their minds, they are not opening the latch or the door, they are breaking it. When I latch it again, to them I am fixing it. So they would prefer to try and destroy the door rather than enter through a swinging door which offers little chance for destruction. If they but their heads against it, it just swings open. So I had to add a piece of duct tape to the latch.
Of course, the problem is that the heat is released when they do this.
These are also the same dogs that will not stay in the solarium in front of the heater. It's probably about 70 degrees right in front of the heater. Instead, they stay outside, huddled together while the temperature is as low as 12 degrees. That is regardless of whether they force the main door open or they have to use the dog door.
When I can keep the door closed, I'm still seeing gains of about 40 degrees. It reached 99 degrees today and it stays around 40 at night. Measured at an area behind the space heater.
Started seeds for spinach, purple carrots, cilantro, dill and cucumbers inside the solarium today. I think most of them should grow. Cucumbers are questionable but the rest all grow well in cool conditions. Plus the broccoli is already reaching the point where I can transplant it into larger containers.
If I make it through December without frost damage the ambient temperature should increase by late January. Then I'll be able to start getting a few long growing crops like tomatoes started from seed again.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment