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  • From: "Beth Spaugh" <lists AT rhomestead.com>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] best greenhouse temp
  • Date: Fri, 17 Mar 2006 23:10:14 -0500

No we did not see damage, and it was a kerosene salamander, not vented, in a small rather tightly closed hoophouse. I know we were supposed to get damage, but did not seem to. The plants looked great. Of course we are not supposed to crowd plants because of disease, but I had flats on the ground, on boards across low sawhorse supports under the benches, and on benches on top of the sawhorses. Maybe there were just so many plants that they purified the air ;-) 

 

We did not start until mid-March (zone 4) and kept the plug-in thermostat at about 40. With the new hoophouse we have a vented oil hot air furnace.

 

And thanks for the info on gnats. Between your post, the sticky traps, and last resort Gnatrol if it is allowed, I should be set. Your information confirms the source problem – I have aged manure in the hoophouse (it was supposed to be composted maternity pen manure, but after they dumped it off they said they were out of the 4 year old maternity pen stuff, so I got 6 month old sand with manure mixed in) and have row cover stretched over each side about 2 feet above the ground, for nighttime temperature moderation. The soil surface has actually gotten too dry, but I have been stringing hose out on above freezing days and watering pretty generously to overcome that (I have been seeding new salad in, so need surface moisture for germination). I also have “mushrooms” growing in a couple of beds, so there is moisture down there somewhere.

Beth Spaugh
Rehoboth Homestead
Peru NY
http://rhomestead.com


From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Shawnee Flowerfarmer
Sent: Friday, March 17, 2006 9:55 PM
To: market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] best greenhouse temp

 

Beth,

Did you notice any exhaust smoke damage when using the salamander for heat?  I have tried that during February and I think have seen some damage, or, maybe I'm being paranoid.  My salamander was burning diesel fuel in a 24x96 greenhouse.

Shawnee, zone 5 some years


From:  "Beth Spaugh" <lists AT rhomestead.com>
Reply-To:  lists AT rhomestead.com,Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
To:  <1corey AT bellsouth.net>,"'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject:  Re: [Market-farming] best greenhouse temp
Date:  Fri, 17 Mar 2006 19:40:07 -0500
>Reading these responses with interest. This is our 3rd year with heated
>greenhouse. We keep our thermostat at 40, which is as low as it goes, and it
>seems to kick on at about 50. Our purpose has been to keep things from
>frosting, but I wonder if it would pay to start plants later, wait later to
>turn the heat on, and then keep it warmer to accelerate growth. We have not
>turned it on yet, but I will run out of inside light space within a few days
>(depending on how quickly stuff germinates). We have not done bedding
>plants, just starts for our market garden. This year I am doing some hanging
>baskets and deck containers, and will probably have some extras as bedding
>plants. Our main farmers market doesn't start until mid-June. I am going to
>another market this year which opens mid-May, but they already have several
>folks doing begging plants. The plants for our own use have always been
>plenty big, or too big, even kept just above freezing at night.
>
>First year was in a small 14 x 20 hoophouse with a salamander on a
>thermostat. Then we built the 27 x 96 hoophouse. Last spring we draped
>plastic about 1/4 of the way down and just heated the one end. This year we
>are heating the whole thing, with salad greens in most of it. DH doesn't
>think we saved much by partitioning it (though we only used about 125
>gallons of oil) and I have cool season crops in the ground in most of it so
>I hope keeping it warmer will accelerate that growth enough to pay for the
>fuel.
>
>What I want is an insulated chamber with bottom heat for starting plants -
>it would save a lot of fuel and give good light. It would also reduce house
>mess from watering and rotating flats of seeds and seedlings among the 16
>flourescent lights. By the way, anyone have any experience using the compact
>fluorescents instead of long tubes?
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>Beth Spaugh
>Rehoboth Homestead
>Peru NY
>http://rhomestead.com
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Market-farming mailing list
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>http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
>
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