Anyone use this type of greenhouse before?

I just bought it and this is my first time trying seeds in it. I live in CA and its about 50-60 degrees during the day, drops to upper 30's at night. I have 10 trays in it that I started the seeds in last weekend. 2 trays (5 dayers) are already germinating. There are no lids on the trays inside the green house. it is set up outside, and the germination rate on the seeds are different for each tray. some start in 5 days, some in 15 days, etc.

My concern is that the seeds that have already germinated need to have the 'lid' removed, but that would mean unzipping the whole house and the other trays arent ready yet.

I usually start the trays indoors and just take the lids off the trays that have germinated...I dont know what I was thinking when I filled this thing!

Any helpful ideas?

Did you happen to get that at Lowe's? I was very disappointed in mine when I learned it had two holes in it!!! I thought they were suppose to be tougher, but I guess the snow and ice got the best of it.

Are you seeing lots of condensation on the inside of the plastic? If not then I wouldn't worry. It's not as airtight as the domes that you put directly on the flats, so chances are some air is getting in there and keeping the humidity lower than you probably think it is. I have a full size greenhouse, and the humidity inside it pretty much matches the humidity outdoors.

I bought it at target.com $40 thought it would be a great idea. There are NO holes in it.

There was alot of condensation on it, so I unzipped it a little. It still gets cold here at night, so I dont want to open it much more. it is set up outside, so I dont want to freeze the seedlings.

You could try unzipping it to vent a bit during the day and then zip it back up at night.

thanks, you dont think that will effect the other 8 trays from germinating? the ones that are germinating now ar allyssum... and I have a million more allyssum seeds... its the other 8 trays I'm more worried about.

Oh I didn't buy it with holes, the wonderful (NOT) weather we are having caused it. :(

You don't have to unzip it all the way, just enough that the condensation goes down a bit. I think your other trays that haven't germinated yet would be fine under those conditions.

LOL Misty, My Aunt moved to MO a few years ago, she sent me a picture of her new home, it was completely buried in snow! She keeps inviting me to come visit her, but I remember that picture and suddenly realize that I have other things to do (like sit in the sun?!) I can only imagine what your weather is like. I go visit the snow when we go to our cabin in the sierras, after 2 days... of 3 inches of snow on the ground, I wimp out and want to come back home :) I wonder what life will be like once we move to WA ! LOL!

HA HA HA I can't say as I blame ya there! My Dad will be coming in from California the first week of April, but thankfully he is a MO native and can handle it! LOL Now his GF is another story altogether! :) He did get her to spend a couple years in Alaska, and one day she said I HAVE TO GO HOME! LOL

ooooh! alaska is a whole different story! We have gone on vacation there for the past two years. I would LOVE to live ther in the summer time, but not the winter. I love the idea of have a full 20 hours of daylight, but would hate having 20 hours of night!
We are moving to the Olympic peninsula, so we can be closer to my mom, but also because we will be closer to Alaska :)

I have over 10,000 pictures of Alaska sunsets and over 5,000 pictures of plants/flowers in Alaska. If I HAD to live there for a full year, it would be worth it :)

Oh yes, it would be beautiful to visit, but not to live there! My Dad goes occasionally to help out a buddy that owns one of those large fishing boats, so he is there several months when he goes, but that would get pretty boring fishing 12 hours a day!
Missouri to Alaska is bad enough, but a girl from Cali, I can see where that would be very hard!

WOW, that is a TON of pics! LOL I have a bunch of seeds that a very generous DGer sent me from there, so that is my little 'piece' of Alaska! :o)

I bought wild rose, fireweed and forget me nots and then forgot to plant them last fall, I am hoping they will still be good this next fall. will have to wait and see. If your dads needs more help in Alaska- My DH would love to fish for 12 hours a day! LOL! He went fishing on our Honeymoon! Guess he thought there were more fish in the sea? :( LOL

OMG WAY TOO FUNNY! Sounds like my EX when he went fishing on my very first mother's day, but maybe that is one of those "heres your sign"! LOL
He hasn't been for a few years, so donno when he will be needed again, but I bet your DH would get sick of fishing after all that! :o) I think he mainly goes when mechanic things need to be done to the boat, then stays and lends a hand.

My DH wants to get a job on a fishing boat up there! He's close to retiring, I dont think his body could handle being on a fishing crew! :)

12 hours a day is a LOT of fishing! And oh man would that ever stink! :o)

I bought 2 of these on sale from Lowes for $12 each. I presumed that they are not the sturdiest greenhouses, so they are still in their boxes downstairs. In March I will assemble them, and move out the hardy annuals and perennials that I have started inside, thus creating more room for starting tender annuals under lights and with heat pads.

I don't think they would be strong enough to survive snow and ice.

I have a bunch of these - some more sturdy than others, and I love them. However, I start my seeds in the basement, and use them to harden off my seedlings as soon as the weather gets a little better, and to hold them until frost danger passes. I keep them in a mostly shaded spot, with the doors open until evening. Then I zip them shut at night. I don't think they are the best for starting seeds, but I don't live in CA anymore so they may work perfectly fine for that. I wouldn't (and don't) trust them to keep my babies safe from really cold temps... they get moved into the garage at the first hint of frost.

I was worrying about the 'sturdiness' of them today. We are supposed to have a 'devil of a storm' (well for us Californians it will be LOL) we are expecting 2 inches of rain and 30-40 mph winds tomorrow afternoon. I think I just may move mine into the garage for the night. I just dont want all my hard work to be blown all over the yard tomorrow.

I did have more seeds germinate today, Blackeyed susans and agrostemma are up now. I've been unzipping it during the day and then closing it back up at night. keeping my fingers crossed!

I normally tie mine to the porch railing, although I hadn't done it yet in the photo above. I have had them blow over in the wind, so you are right to worry. They are a bit top heavy when filled.

Ah - good point about being top heavy; hadn't thought of that.

strapped and tied on my back step......just waiting for the winds to come now :)
Of course now that I have done all this work, the storm will probably blow right past us :) LOL

I don't think you have to worry about that--the storm is definitely coming. Maybe the winds won't get quite as high as they were warning, but I think there'll be enough wind that you'll be glad you strapped it down.

why cant these storms only come on the week days? I have work to do in the yard on the weekends! LOL!

Start all of my sedlings in the basement, and move them to mini greenhouses like zarfabeth. I dont' trust them outdoors without heat though. I use a mini heater to keep them warm at night and during the day when it is very cold. I have used them for many years now with much success.

"Stay Happy and Keep Gardening!"

Ironsides --

What kind of mini heater? So do you use the little greenhouse mainly for hardening off or for growing on, too?

Seandor, I am SO jealous of your $12 purchases right now!!!!!

The basement room where I start my seeds happens to be on the southeast corner of the house. Outside the south window is the space under the deck that comes off the bedroom upstairs. Two sides -- west and north -- have "walls" of the house; there is a deck support post at the southeast corner. It's probably 10' x 10' with a very high "ceiling" of the deck. I am wondering whether I could use clear plastic or panels of some sort to create a greenhouse in this space, with relatively easy access through that window. I'd need a "ceiling," too. Thoughts?

I use Dakota and Pelonis heaters in my mini greenhouses.

"Stay Happy and Keep Gardening!"

Misty, if you are concerned about your holes in your cover you can tape over them with duck tape, I have several of these, big lots sells them for 19.99, I use mine mostly to harden off plants and we have a LOT of wind here, I have galvinized poles and I put one in the ground just behind one of the sides under the little arch of it so I can still put the cover on over it and put tape over the top of the pole so it doesn't make another hole lol then I tie the pole to the pole on the shelves and put the cover on then tie it around the middle just in case and it works for me, a lot of times I use these to start seeds when it's too rainy in the spring when a good storm comes I can put the cover on so the seeds don't wash out, I love these little greenhouses! I bought two at the dollar store for 9.99 at the end of the season :)

Be careful with your zippers, that's where I have my problem at, they rip from the side stiching. I even have four of them out back up against the house and my gutters run over on to them so I put a small rug on top when the covers are on so it doesn't hurt them.

wow! 19.99! i could have bought a bunch of them! I think I'm gonna go searching for more now! I've been waiting for the trays I have to be planted so I can start more.... they just dont hold enough trays for all the seeds I have! :o)

I try and buy a couple at least each year to add to my collection lol I have 21 of them now counting the two I go in the fall, I take them apart and use them for shelves when I have seedling in pots that I haven't gotten into the ground yet, I love'em!!!

Good Luck!

This message was edited Mar 3, 2008 8:26 PM

wow! I definitely need more than 2!

I'm up to 5, and I just bought one that is about 3X the size, walk in with shelves on both sides! C'mon, SPRING!

wait... a bigger one?! Zarabeth, where did you get it? I really really need a bigger one!

Fleet farm - don't think you have them there. I will look and see if they are available online somewhere...

oh gosh! that would be great! I was thinking there must be something I can put up, and then take down when I'm not using it. My DH wanted to build one, but we arent planning on staying here that long and to me it just seemed like a waste of money (money better spent on flagstone patio or more plants!) but if its something I can take down, and take with me when we move...well then I could definitely use one of those! LOL! let me know if you find something on line, or if you know the name of the one you bought or have a pix, I could google it....
Thanks!