Greenhouse: Crickets Greenhouses 2008, 0 by CricketsGarden

CricketsGarden wrote:
I am growing my tomato produce sooner than I normally do. I am so scared that the heat is goin to go out during our winter months. I have no wood burning heaters for back up. Looking for one now.
Mean while, The tomato house will have two heaters. One is back up incase the thermostat goes out on one like it did last year. I lost 3 weeks of growing time due to thermostat goin out on heater.
The reason I am growing sooner is cause it is easier to Heat than it is to Cool. Our Spring is hot and Summer is unbearable.
Started my seeds Nov 23rd. Growing 480 plants They are 17 days old in plug flats and just about ready for transplant.
The plug flats are "288" cells. The reason I am using plug flats is so the tap roots have a lesser chance of being damaged during transplant.. This is best especially if someone is trying to grow a Giant Tomato on the vine. I am growing Big Beef, a garden variety as always. It has a much better home grown flavor than the greenhouse varieties. But also some greenhouse hybrids will produce better in lower light conditions of winter. (20% less light). New experience to find out how these Big Beef do in the dead of winter.
They should bloom end of January 1st of Feb. Our coldest winter dates are Mid Feb. I should have ripe tomatoes 1st week in April. We shall see.
I will start new seedlings mid Jan just incase something happens to this 1st crop.