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Post by roofgardener on Sept 24, 2015 15:57:55 GMT
I'm sure this is a daft question, but....
"INSTRUCTIONS: put seeds in soil. Water, and beat with stick. keep at 150 degrees centigrade until seed germinates (normally within 2-3 years.. "
All well and good... but... do I have to keep them at 150 degrees 24 hours per day ?
Presumably "in the wild", the seeds would expect a day/night variation in temperature ?
Thing is... its not so bad NOW, but as we move into Winter, keeping my Polytunnel heated to 150 degrees overnight is going to be potentially quite expensive.
Sooo... can I allow it to cool down a bit overnight, or do I need to keep the temperature up ?
It's not THAT bad I guess, as they SHOULD germinate within a couple of weeks. But even so....
Thoughts ?
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Post by Cherry on Sept 24, 2015 16:53:57 GMT
What are you on Roofy?
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2015 18:28:01 GMT
I'm sure this is a daft question, but.... "INSTRUCTIONS: put seeds in soil. Water, and beat with stick. keep at 150 degrees centigrade until seed germinates (normally within 2-3 years.. " All well and good... but... do I have to keep them at 150 degrees 24 hours per day ? Presumably "in the wild", the seeds would expect a day/night variation in temperature ? Thing is... its not so bad NOW, but as we move into Winter, keeping my Polytunnel heated to 150 degrees overnight is going to be potentially quite expensive. Sooo... can I allow it to cool down a bit overnight, or do I need to keep the temperature up ? It's not THAT bad I guess, as they SHOULD germinate within a couple of weeks. But even so.... Thoughts ? You're going to have one heck of a gas bill Roofie, I'd start saving up if I were you!
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Post by roofgardener on Sept 24, 2015 20:58:27 GMT
What are you on Roofy? Well, I may have exagerated the temperature requirement. It's 15 degrees, not 150. So sue me ! But... under the humour (??)... the question remains. Do I REALLY have to keep my PolyTrouble at 15 degrees round-the-clock for 2-3 weeks ? Or can it cool down a bit overnight ?
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Post by SueA on Sept 24, 2015 21:27:22 GMT
I think you might have to have some kind of heating on overnight Roofy if you leave the seeds out in the polytunnel because the temperature is starting to drop quite a lot at night now, it's about 7 or 8 degrees here outside now so probably not much warmer in your tunnel. It's not the same as in nature because if the seeds were 'in the wild' they probably wouldn't be germinating outside at this time of year as it's not generally warm enough, you could try your propagator set up again or take them indoors overnight until they've germinated maybe?
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Post by roofgardener on Sept 25, 2015 10:11:55 GMT
OK, that makes a lot of sense SueA . In effect, I'm operating the seeds 'out of warranty' .. e.g. not in a natural way. AOK.... this will cost a bit, so I'll have to economise. I guess I can put off buying any new clothes, and eat cold tinned food for the next few weeks. And use BOTH sides of the toilet paper. Twice. After all, its only for a few months. Presumably (though the seed packet isn't explicit about this) I will need to maintain the heat WAY after germination, and until the plants are sturdy enough to start gently 'hardening' them ? Thanks again
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Post by SueA on Sept 25, 2015 20:11:40 GMT
I think once they've germinated Roofy the plants will be fine as long as they are kept undercover & above freezing for a while & then hardened off gradually. It's just the actual germination that they need a constant temperature for. You'll just have to live off your stored produce from the roofgarden Roofy, ration yourself to one potato, one tomato & one onion a day!
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Post by daitheplant on Sept 26, 2015 19:07:08 GMT
What are you on Roofy? He`s on the roof, Cherry that`s why he`s called Roofy. Roofus, you could always insulate the tunnel with bubble insulation.
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Post by roofgardener on Sept 27, 2015 8:54:44 GMT
Heeeey.... good to see you again Daitheplant.
I guess I COULD bubble-wrap the greenhouse, but then no light would get in ??
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Post by daitheplant on Sept 27, 2015 18:43:20 GMT
Heeeey.... good to see you again Daitheplant. I guess I COULD bubble-wrap the greenhouse, but then no light would get in ?? Bubble wrap is relatively transparent so shouldn`t do much to reduce light levels over winter.
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Post by roofgardener on Sept 27, 2015 19:25:15 GMT
Hmmm... it's a thought ? Where can I get huge sheets of big-bobble bubblewrap ?(try saying THAT after four pints of lager )
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Post by daitheplant on Sept 27, 2015 20:07:44 GMT
Go to your local B&Q and buy a roll of greenhouse insulation and a roll of double-sided tape.
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Post by roofgardener on Sept 28, 2015 12:02:26 GMT
Good call daitheplant. I've found some on e-bay that claims to be triple-glazed, and it's very reasonable priced, so I'm going to give it a try. Early results indicate that it will cost something like £5.00/day to keep the PolySauna heated, even against moderate overnight temperatures, which is totally unsustainable. Hmm.... £20 for a 30m long roll, at 750mm wide... that should be enough to do the 'tunnel, with about 8' left over. I wonder what I could do with the leftover stuff ? Hmmmm......what to do with it ? What to do..... RoofNet Productions present... 2015 Festival of Roofs A fun-packed day for all the family, featuring traditional Roof Games such as....
- Pin the Dahlia on the Donkey
- Egret Flinging
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**** New Game for 2015 **** HERON WRAPPING (wrapping provided... bring your own Heron)
Free entry with this ticket ! 31st September, at a Roof near You.
Hmmm......
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Post by daitheplant on Sept 28, 2015 19:36:20 GMT
Oi, ratbag. Leave the Heron out of it. He is saving you £`s.
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Post by sweetpea on Sept 28, 2015 22:16:36 GMT
Maybe this is a daft questin too but what seeds are you intending to sow? Your average polytunnel will only raise the temperature at night about 4 degrees above the ambient temp. never found the need to heat my 20ft one when I had it.
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