Topics

Need heater advice for winter shed

You wouldn't think the desert would get so cold but Albuquerque happens to be the highest elevated city in the nation. So warm days but frigid nights during the winter months. I happen to live in the Rio Grande River valley which can get down into the single digits sometimes.
Anyway I store a majority of potted figs in an uninsulated shed outside and would like any recommendation on a small economical heater with a thermostat to help keep temperatures a little warmer during these cold spells.
Any specific heater models would greatly be appreciated. Thanks.
Quote

Leon, there are two types of heater, the resistive type and the type that uses heating kerosene. From what I member both are good for use inside. I take it you just want to keep it from freezing? Homedepot's site is down so I will add more detail when it comes back up..

Quote

Leon,

Take a look at "winter prep underway" thread to see if this gicves you some ideas. good luck.
Quote

I would recommend a heater with a blowing fan. Here's one that you can use small heater
here's one that I use to heat my 20' greenhouse with, it keeps the greenhouse above 40 Degrees on the coldest nights. You'll need to provide 240V power source.
http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/prodinfo.asp?number=HT-2001
Quote

Thanks all for your recommendations. The greenhouse website is really neat.
This helps me greatly.
Quote

Leon,

Consider adding some insulation, even if it is blankets or bubble wrap, or whatever.  Caulk the joints, doors, etc. to minimize drafts and reduce heat loss. Paint the roof black to pick up some solar heating, or put some black plastic over it. Little things add up and and make our heater more efficient and cheaper to run.
Quote

Great advice Jon. Will do!
Thank you.
Quote

Leon,
 
We've been using reflector foil barrier (with or without 'bubble' between layers) in different applications, under the porch around the walls and across the floor joists, and inside the porch on the walls and ceiling and also the house attic.  This has made a great difference in summer and winter.  There is also a reflective silver paint that can be used.   
 
Reflective foil barrier or paint won't give the advantage of adding heat from the sun, but it will keep the heat you supply from escaping as much, thus giving 24 hour help instead of just daylight hours, with the added benefit of keeping it cooler in the summer. 
 
You could also build a small solar heater if you have a south facing window.  It could supply heat on sunny days with minimal cost of just building materials incuding a small fan.  See: http://www.jrwhipple.com/sr/solheater.html  One of these days I am going to print that off and request that my husband build a couple for the house -  when he gets done with all the other projects I already have him working on, and maybe a few of his own.   :-)
 
Elizabeth
Quote

Elizabeth, i have heard of that solar heater many years ago or one similar , its a good concept that looks like it should work,
them honeydew list are always a pain by the way.  ; )
Also its in mail.
Martin
Quote

I successfully stored many potted figs in my detached 'unheated' garage for 2 years.
Here are my main points:

Dormant figs NEED  to be maintained between ~20 - 40 *F; below 20 they
may die (at least the tips, trunk/roots can go lower); above 40 they may break dormancy.

I used a thermostat; set  at ~ 32*F to control a small cheap electric heater and it
did the job. A very good investment is a MIN/MAX  monitoring thermometer;
mine just hovered above the target 20*F Min over all the wintering time.

My original thought was to keep the garage just above freezing temperatures;
a rather very  hard task to do and is NOT required. Actually freezing/thawing is
a VERY bad plant/root killer. Sooo, the best solution is that when the garage dips below freezing;
is to KEEP it that  way, but prevent  it from going below the safest low temp
(20*F was my goal). Also, some green belle $$$'s are saved here!
Some tweaking/experimenting for your local garage conditions may be required.

Some minimum ventilation is also required (mine is the leaky door), otherwise one
may get water condensation and the killer mold.

Every 1-2 months, check the soil and water/snow them accordingly to prevent
from becoming BONE-dry.

Also watch for rodents (mice/rats, etc.,) that are known to chew on bark when winter hungry.

Hope this helps.
Quote

Martin,
 
My husband seems to enjoy my joy of growing in the hoophouse.  And once in a while he gets something yummy to eat, like five fat strawberries on Sunday.  He doesn't particularly care for figs but does appreciate the salads all winter.  And when there are cherry tomatoes, only the grandkids take rank over him.  I will soon be eating the Oriental persimmons, only ten, but I am looking forward to it.  Seems that most of the time we like different fruits, so that makes it fun to grow so many kinds.  Next on the list is grapes, he likes those and raisins a lot!  Those go outside.  Mainly he puts up the structures, trellis or posts or whatever, lugs the heavy things around and I do all the planning and most of the harvesting and preserving.  Once in a while he makes a variety decision or vetoes something.  I call him Mr. Muscles, I sure couldn't do all of this stuff without him and am thankful he is willing.  He is also the brain behind figuring out technical things like the irrigation system we will be installing.
 
And after our daughter-in-law passed away almost five years ago, things became more mellow around here for both of us.   Some things aren't so important, and other things are more so.   Those strawberries smelled so good and to see my husband enjoy them was great.  He offered me one, but it was so much better to see him enjoy them.   Just sitting in the extra warm hoop on a winter day is a true joy for me and a fun place for the grandkids to play.  Guess what I am trying to say is that 'honeydews' for both of us become more of a joy than a pain after you have seen truly deep pain (and I did see your smile and wink - not being quarrelsome, just observant).  We have learned to be more thankful for each other and considerate of the other and willing to give more than take.  God is still working on me - often I think my husband is much more giving than I am.  Forget fifty-fifty rules.  We need to find the joy in giving as much as we can find strength to give. 
 
Elizabeth
Quote

Gorgi,
 
In our hoop, it only got to a low of 30 degrees on the cool side last winter but daytime temps might soar to 80 degrees or more on a very sunny day.  The trees had gone dormant late in the fall, but there wasn't any breaking of dormancy until what you would normally call Spring.    So, I didn't see the fluctuating temps being a big problem with our fig trees.   The fact that trees might get several degrees below 30 in a shed or garage might make it more of a problem though.  I know what freezing and thawing does outside the hoop, so I am actually surprised by the lack of problems inside our hoop.
 
At the farm show we went to, I was told that a fellow with a heated greenhouse cut his fig tree back after it finished fruiting and it regrew and the following April or May ripened new fruit.  That is early fruiting wherever you are!  I will try that next year.  I had been keeping all mine on the cool side so they would go dormant, but now have brought a couple back to see if they will start to regrow and put on fruit earlier than what I had this year.  My Italian Honey had Breba figs on June 11 this year, I like the idea of figs even earlier.  I am left wondering if a dormant period is even necessary.
 
A lady with a greenhouse attached to their home in Colorado said her Petite Negra fig is almost continually in production.  She has figs flush in Feb., June and Sept. to Oct.  That sounds good to me.   She grows all her trees in pots and also has pomegranates, lemons, avocados, etc.
 
So, for those who can't put up a big greenhouse, maybe a simple lean-to sunroom on the south would suffice.  Even if you could only fit in one fig tree, that could be quite a nice thing to enjoy.  After building our first 9x16 ft. hoop several years ago, I realized that putting it off for many years was a big loss.   Check http://www.growerssupply.com/farm/supplies/cat1a;gs1_hobby_greenhouses.html 
for reflective barriers.
 
Elizabeth
Quote

moshepherdess,

I do NOT own a hoop-house; so your advice is well taken.
I do own a small GH (maintained at min. ~60+F).

BUT the original question was about (them) COLD shed/garage(s)-fig-storage.

>>In our hoop, it only got to a low of 30 degrees on the cool side last winter but daytime temps might soar to 80 degrees or more on a very sunny day. The trees had gone dormant late in the fall, but there wasn't any breaking of dormancy until what you would normally call Spring.

In guess that there is a time-lapse/accumulation min/max where figs DO/OR-NOT
break dormancy... Wonder what that actually is?
I have heard of figs stored in a 'cool-dark'
basement (probably above ~40*F) that eventfully either grew very twiggy,
and/or sprouted 'them' roots all-over (if somehow covered).

I still say that 20*F is the safest (and cheapest)  way to keep dormant
figs (tips) in a garage. Anybody  willing to experiment;  pushing for a lower temp;
I'll be very interested to hear good results.

 
Quote

Gorgi,
i think but not positive in my attached garage temps have dipped below 20 degrees during a real cold spell here, i have had tips turn black as i just throw old sheets over them and put containers on 2x4s to keep of cold cement. I need to buy a thermometer now you have me curious and set near the tree's to see this winter what the temps are when we do get a cold spell the dreaded deep freeze as out weather man calls it.

Elizabeth, your so right about things you say especially about things not being so important as they once were, my neighbor once said when i use to work, Martin once you retire you will have time to smell and enjoy the flowers and appreciate them more, you know he is absolutely right long as i can smell them above the ground!
Martin
Quote
Reply Cancel
Subscribe Share Cancel