Happy Friday GPODers!
We’re back in Richmond, British Columbia to continue Cherry Ong’s series on her garden transformation and greenhouse build. Last week Cherry gave us all of the dirty details of what it takes to build one these prefabricated greenhouses, and today she’s giving helpful advice on what some might find the most fascinating part of this process: all of the bells and whistles that actually make these structures the ideal place to grow any plant you desire. From a fancy thermometer that gives you detailed readings via bluetooth and an app to an old-fashion box fan for additional circulation, these are the accessories that Cherry utilizes for successful greenhouse growing.
And if you’ve missed any previous installments of this series, check them out here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
Greenhouse Accessories and Add Ons
Electric Heater: We purchased this Forced Air Greenhouse Heater with Fan from Amazon (iPower Electric Heater Fan with Digital Cooling Thermostat Controller for Greenhouse). It has overheat protection wherein once the desired temperature is reached, the heater will automatically shut off. Since the greenhouse mainly stores succulents, we have set the desired temperature to 14°C/57°F. The heater is lightweight and portable. It sits on the greenhouse floor and fits under one of the plant stands (we switched the plant stands after this photo was taken). It has a high accuracy thermostat controller, is waterproof and can quickly heat up small spaces.
Extension Cord and Timer
An outdoor extension cord is connected to an outlet from the main house. The cord was ran through under the gravel and greenhouse base to supply electricity for the heater and the lights. A photocell timer was also added for the lights. It turns on at dusk and you can set the turn off time anywhere from 2 hours to 8 hours later in 2 hour intervals.
Hygrometer Thermometer
We also picked up an Inkbird IBS-TH2 Bluetooth Thermometer & Hygrometer from Amazon. It is a built in temperature and humidity sensor which connects via Bluetooth. One mobile phone can monitor more than one sensor, and one sensor can be monitored by more than one mobile phone.
The reports appear as such on the cell phone. The device is waterproof, cold resistant and rust proof. It is battery operated and battery life can be monitored through the app. One can add a WiFi gateway to the device for data and alerts via the internet, but so far I have not opted for this for the following reason: if there is alert and we are not home, there is nothing we can do to correct the situation in the greenhouse. Anticipating the weather and preparing in advance would be the best prevention for greenhouse alerts.
Temperature distribution chart from the Inkbird
Lighting
Hubby added a spot light for inside the greenhouse right after installation, but I wanted to add something pretty. I love the way the Europeans decorate their greenhouses with a chandelier. Our greenhouse has a lower ceiling with not much room for one, so we got creative and strung a long mossy branch with electric LED fairy lights and hung the lit branch with zip ties.
I know it won’t last forever so hopefully we will come up with another creative solution when the time comes.
Fan
For additional air circulation, we use an old box fan on a timer connected to the timer. The fan automatically turns on when the temperatures ≥ 14°C/57°F.
With all of these accessories in place, the greenhouse is equipped to house some of Cherry’s most precious and sensitive plants. However, there are a few more things that have made greenhouse growing that much easier. Next week we will cover more accessories, an upgrade that was made in the summer, and the flooring that was installed to make standing in the greenhouse a little easier.
I hope everyone has a great weekend! And if you’re planning on starting some spring projects or garden transformations this weekend, remember to take a good “before” photo as well as some photos along the way to track your progress. These can be helpful as you work on this project and as you reflect on your garden in future seasons, and can be super fun to share with the blog 😉 Follow the directions below to submit your garden photos via email, or send me a DM on Instagram: @agirlherdogandtheroad.
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