Hobby Greenhouse built...question on winter use

Hi –

I am just completing by hobby greenhouse (see photo) and have been wondering what plants I can put in the greenhouse during the winter months . I am using a 6mil poly covering and I would be able to keep the GH above 35 degrees with the use of a small ceramic heater.
I’m just not sure whether the plants will benefit ( grow) in the greenhouse during the cold months. They will have better light than inside, but it will be much colder.
Here is a list of the plants I would want to put in the greenhouse:
- Eucomis (Pineapple Lily)
- Colocasia
- Alocasia
- Jatropha Podagrica (Buddha Belly Plant)
- Epiphyllums
- Hosta
- Helleborus
Any advice welcome!!
I live in Zone 7b (upstate SC).

Pete

I'm sorry I have no advice for you in that area. I am in AZ. But my Coleus and some tender starts bit the dust last night. One Coleus survived and it is in the house now. We had to bubble wrap the inside walls and insulate the ceiling and we are in AZ , 3,500 feet. But a cold front is coming through and I would not be surprised if we get snow on Monday and Tuesday. I bought a digital thermometer for $10 at Wal-Mart. You put a piece in the greenhouse and the digital part in your home. It will read the temps in your greenhouse and in your home and you can see it inside. They had others that went 300 feet, but mine only went 100, which was plenty. You might want to go to the thread, Greenhouses out of old windows, lots of people there helping me or soon you will get some answers I hope.
Linda

They should all do fine as long as the temp will stay above 50. An lower and they will go dormant but should return next year. I would bring the alocasias in the house, as they can be sensitive and expensive to repurchase.

Hosta and Helleborus don't need to be in the greenhouse--they're plenty hardy in your zone. I don't grow either one so I don't know if they need a cold period during the winter, but if they do then the greenhouse (or indoors) would not be the right place for them. I seem to recall something about Hostas needing some winter cold but since I don't grow them I'm not really sure about that.

Pete,

I like your greenhouse. I kept alocasias and colocasias alive last year in mine. The top green parts died down but the roots were fine. They sent out nice new leaves in the Spring/Summer again. That was with no heat and a few below freezing temps.

Pam

Pam- Hey, that's great to know...
I am going to put a solar pool cover over the GH and install a small ceramic heater. Once that is done, I think I will move the colocasia and alocasias into the greenhouse. Thanks for the reply..
Pete

Depending on what kind of alocasias you have, some are tender and some are not, I think that I would just bring it all into a basement and let them all go dormant and save on the heating bill. If you can't keep them above 55-60, they will go dormant anyway, and you may have problems with rotting unless you let them dry out. If you have tender alocasias, they will not do well in the grhouse at those temps, but I don't know about letting them go dormant either-I always keep them in a heated grhouse (60 degrees at night)-they might be best in the house in a window somewhere, and they don't need tons of light either. I think the jatropha needs more heat than 35.

you might be able to avoid the heater if you line with large bubble wrap and put in xmas lights, but sounds like it gets cold there. WE EVEN GOT TO 20, THAT IS WHEN WE INSULATEDE THE ROOF AND PUT THE BUBBLE WRAP UP. yOU CAN ASK FOR FREE BUBBLE WRAP ON FREECYCLE. tHE LARGE ROLLS AER NOT THA EXPENSIVE AT HOME DEPOT. cHECK FURNITUR STORES TOO.