Best temps for...

Greeley, CO(Zone 5b)

What is the best night and day temps for the following plants:

Geraniums
Annual Bachelor's Buttons
White Dasie's

I just got my gh up and put my plants in last night. I set it for 60 degrees, but when the night temps get below 30 it is going to take too much electricity to keep it that warm. I am using water jugs to help and will be using bubble wrap soon too. It just seems that 60 is going to be expensive to maintain.

St. Louis County, MO(Zone 5a)

My geraniums did fine at 50º, don't know about the others for sure but both are hardy.

Greeley, CO(Zone 5b)

Thanks Cathy. The lowest I have let it get is 55*, but if they will do fine at 50* then I will drop the temp.

Johns Island, SC

I grow a lot of tropicals in my GH onyxwar---everything from orchids to citrus---and never had any noticeable problems with a nightime temp above 50°. Everything flourished, although the growth rate slows down on some of the more temp-sensitive plants (which I viewed as a positive, considering the limited precious space within a heated GH!). No "damage" occurred on anything, with the exception of Key Limes, and there was no real "damage" to them, either. They just stopped producing flowers and fruit. Logee's recommends temp minimum for Key Limes of 60°. So this year, I put all my Key Limes in the "big GH", set the minimum temp at 60°, and one of the trees is already flowering. But really, for 95% of temp-sensitive plants, 50° will do just fine in my experience. I've lived in both Colorado and South Carolina and trust me, it's a lot less painfull to maintain a 60° GH in South Carolina!

Greeley, CO(Zone 5b)

Yeah...60* is a bit high to try and maintain here, unless I want a really high electric bill! I have been keeping it between 50 and 55 at night. I put my seeds on a heat mat so it keeps them around 70*. The heat mat seems to make a big difference, I don't know how I ever lived w/o it. I am planning on getting some more in the spring.
BTW- Everything seems to be doing really well at those temps and I keep the Martha Washington Geraniums in the "cold spot" so they are blooming like crazy!

St. Louis County, MO(Zone 5a)

My geraniums are doing well, too, and surprisingly the mandevilla are blooming, too.

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