Last night my heater broke and it left my garden DEAD! I post this in memory of all my time and money.
Death to my Garden!!! :(
Fall
Recent
today...
most plants didn't make it and many are almost irreplaceable.
WOW, I bet you are just heart sick over this!!! So, so sorry for you and your plants!
TrueTropical, Sure am sorry to hear your news. Thats has to be a real heartbreaker. Hope you can salvage some of your stuff at least.
I am so sorry, but don't give up on them yet. Last year we had a 2 week freeze( we rarely get a freeze here let alone one for 2 weeks) I was so upset I called my garden a mini graveyard. Well much to my surprise a lot of the plants came back, such as bananas, cannas, brugmansias passions vines and lots more. So don't give up on them yet. Many came back from the roots.
Keeping my fingers crossed for you.
Linda
I'm so sorry to hear that! I agree with Linda though that you shouldn't give up yet. You might be surprised how much stuff comes back for you in the spring. I had some things that I thought I lost in our freeze last year but they came back to life in the spring. And I remember last year there was someone else who lives in a much colder zone than you who had the heaters go out in his GH for one night (might have even been more than 1 night, I don't remember), and even though his stuff got really hit hard by the cold he had a number of things come back (and I'm pretty sure his GH temps dropped lower than yours did since I think he was in zone 5-ish). So don't throw anything out yet, give it a chance, they may surprise you.
man! i'm sorry to hear that.... i'm working on getting my beginner gh and i've heard some aweful stories like that. i'm gonna be sure to keep an extra heater on hand. if i was u i'd bring in all the palms and things that can't come up from the ground in. anything with a bulb or rhizomes, or roots that can generate new growth like brugs would stay out. if its common and space inside is ltd, then its stayin out..... just my opinion
Very sorry to see this. I think like many others a lot of your plants will come back. You should just remove the dead leaves before they start spreading rot. We always keep two heaters in the greenhouse just in case we also have 5 kerosene heaters just for back up is something goes wrong.
OH Tropical.. howawful...if there are any you need and I can help you with..t of what you ar post a noe looking for when you get yourself squared away... I'm sure you'll find others sending piles of things...
It looks like there is lots of living in there now... and lots to come back in the spring I'd wager.. sure hope it at least also killed your greenhouse pests..
having a backup heater is great..as mentioned... but you're not always aware of the outage till after it's cold there.. at temperature alarm is a natural... noting a drop intemps... no always a heater malfunction.. maybe a limb through the window in the wind. I remember as a youth..a deer going through one one moonlit winter night... great moon lately here...
A friends brother was the manager [director ] at a large botanical garden..a long with living in a grand house on the grounds.. and it all being his when the public left.. his house was wired with hundreds of censor alarms..which kept him alert as to the condition of most everything.
hope you can continue through... great looking plants before... you can do it again..as you said..it's only time and money...
Gordon
TT,For what i can see the only one i worry about is the ROBUSTA. Get Rita to help!! If i can help give me a call tonite. What kind of heater do you have? Jerry
So sorry. I am with everyone else, dont pitch, hopefully a lot will come back for you.
We are going to have to check on an alarm system for when we lose heat. I have never talked to anyone abt. them, so dont know anything abt them, but sure sounds like a good idea.
Oh yes, if your heater is working turn it up as hight as it will go. Keep it as hot as you can. Next few days will be cold and bad, they do not need any more stress on them. Hope not many are lost. Lots of luck. Jerry
That is a real bummer, and what every grhouse owner fears. I am really sorry to see it, and I know it must make you sick to your stomach to see such damage. However, I agree with all that said that you probably did not loose as much as what you think. Like Brian said-cut all all the damaged leaves, except the palms-if they have any green on the leaves, keep those as it will help the palm to recover. If your heater can't be fixed before tonight, then I would heavily mulch the roots of the bananas, aroids, gingers etc and cover as much as possible-esp the palms and plants that don't grow from rhizomes with heavy blankets before tonight, and then unwrap them before it gets really hot tomorrow in there. Good luck.
Man what a shame, so sorry to hear/see that. It would have made me sick too.
Nature can be cruel sometimes...
I'm so sorry, Truetropical. I had the same thing to happen last year but I lost very little. This also happened yesterday evening but we were watching it because we had just purchased a new heater yesterday and installed it. We had to open the vents a bit because it was burning up all of the oxygen. Needless to say, I stayed up all night watching the thermometer but it did fine. I've been looking for an alarm that will reach 300 ft but haven't been able to find one. Has anyone seen one that will reach 300 ft?
well.. this one will go 300 ft wireless...but I don'tsee it with an alarm function..just the temperature. readout..you'd have to observe it .I have their weather station mounted... but after a few years it needs an overhaul ... love the wind readouts on mine.. it transmits wirelessly temps wind and humidity... and rain levels... down through the roof to the base.. but it's only 100 ft or so.. I got roof heat probes ... but never got them installed.. nor did I ever hook it up to the computer for charting... as is possible... just too busy finding new ways to kill plants..
Gordon
http://www.davis.com/Default.aspx?page=category%20search%20results&CatList=896&Parent=1090&tree=1080*Weather+Instruments*0@@1081*Weather+Meters+-+Sensors*0@@1090*Mannix+Long+Range+-Wireless+Digital+Thermometer*896@@
well.. this is my weather monitor... it says it will transmit 1000ft line of sight... it might have an alarm... I can't recall.... I don't use it myself... andhttp://www.davis.com/Default.aspx?page=category%20search%20results&CatList=877&Parent=1095&tree=1080*Weather+Instruments*0@@1094*Weather+Systems*0@@1095*Davis+VantagePro2+Weather+Systems*877@@ they have a wide array of addons..
Thanks so much, Gordon. I'll check these out.
Thanks everyone for the support, after yesterday I wasn't sure if i even wanted to try it again. However, I'm trying to figure out what is wrong with the heater today, and if that doesn't work I'll just have to dig up bulbs. I will have a backup heater from now on, and am looking into an alarm. I was foolish enough to think that since my greenhouse was brand new i didn't have to worry about it for this year at least. I guess the moral of the story is Don't Assume Anything!! And yes jerry the robusta... well i don't want to talk about it. Although I do have to say i was very proud of here before she died, the latest leaf she put out was over 6ft tall!!! Oh well, I'll Just get one next year :-)
Thanks again everyone. It really does help.
Still so sorry to hear about it! I know I would be so sick over it, and mine is nothing compared to yours!
Keep the faith, this happened to Eclipse last year and he found it wasn't nearly as bad as he first suspected.
This was his first thread, I can't find the subsequent ones where he shows more of the horrible damage and then everything coming back.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/710953/
Oh, how awful! We dropped to 40 a couple weeks ago and I lost a sanchezia and a sour sop, but everything else did fine. When you're ready to get things replanted, let me know what you're looking for - I'd be happy to cuttings, bulbs, etc. of anything I have.
Sorry to hear this, I know you must be heartbroken! I agree with most on here though, a lot of them aren't finished yet, it's amazing how resilient things can be at the root. It will take time, but all is not lost.
MATT, DiD you dig up your ROBUSTA? IF not DO it now ! If it is not mush repot in small pot. I saved my last one doing that and put it under heat lamp and it's putting out a new leaf! And most of all do'nt give up! I looked back at your grhouse pics. noticed that black gas pipe, i use gas.If it is too tight the gas will use the oxygen and it will shut its self off. It needs more air flow. I'am going to get one of those A-L-A-R-M-S!!!!!!! I have gotten many a nite gone out and found the heater off! Ask Rita about sleepless nights in the winter. I know Rita will do all she can. You know she has 10 green thumbs! Jerry
Yes...hopefully we can restock some stuff for you.
My friend has had the same issue... The oxygen is consumed, which triggers the heater to shut off at the worst possible time. To get around this..he has elevated the heater, and piped a dryer hose to the heater to bring in the oxygen/ventilation. So far the changes have made a difference.
Rj
Rj, That is what i had to do with mine. It allways happen on the coldest nights with no breeze what so ever and BANG NO HEAT! Jerry
I hear ya...same exact thing on Wayne's...worst time , coldest night...It just seems that that sensor is set a bit sensitive..-- I kind of thought the plants would compensate by their o2 production...
was there a fan running... the burnt gasses are heavier than the O and will hang around the floor..bet your heater was there.... the dryer vent line... just ending at the air intake for the heater.. will do it.. code for fireplaces now require outside air intake in many locals now.. as houses are so much tighter that they ever used to be
Gordon
DH Used a dryer hose and installed a very small fan to bring in some fresh air. Even this wasn't enough for the new gas stove. We opened the vents up a little more. Yep, the coldest nights is when they decide to cut off. If any of you find the Temperature monitor with an alarm, please post where you found it. Best of luck for your plants Truetropical.
yes..a lower vent open will exaust cooler air along with the heavier gasses...in order for a passive vent to bring in new air for the burner.. there has to be air leaving.. also if there's a strong wind it can create a low pressure area on the backside of the greenhouse....as the air rises up to go over the house.. like an airplane wing..this low pressure will draw air out through the vent.. not introduce new air into it... this passive vent is best placed opening on the windward side of the house.. not the leaward side.. for maximum effect..
also heater sizecomes into play..if you have a heater on the smaller size for the real cold.. then it will burn all of the time..which doesn't enable the system to balance it's self.. a larger heater burning a shorter time will have the down time to excercise your passive systems..
you are after all.. creating a complete ecco system.. so you have lots to consider...and ther's lots of interaction with the one in place that you are dropping yours into..
http://www.homesecuritystore.com/ezStore123/DTProductList.asp?p=2_1_1_1_0_0_227
here'sanother one
http://www.temperatureguard.com/vm503.htm
ALL the best... Gordon
I am so sorry... I got so cold here too - but some things might suprise you. Keep an eye out and I am crossing my fingers for you that some of the plants make it.
He does have fans in the green house, including a proffesional exaust fan. The problem with the exaust fan is that it is installed to deal with our hot summers, and pretty much too powerful for this time of the year as it will suck out all of the heat in 30 seconds flat, while taking hours to re-heat.
Thanks everyone for all the helpful information, I'm trying to decide which route to take. I've been trying to get my heater fixed but it seems like it is going to take a couple of weeks no matter what i do. I have already dug up most everthing that had a bulb, and am finishing up the process tomorrow. Hope most of it makes the winter. I think I have to just give up on growing this winter...
Thanks for the links, Gordon. I'll have to check them out.
So sorry to hear that, but I do agree with some of the other's....don't pitch anything yet! You might really be surprised what will come back from the roots! The banana, canna, brugs, any corn plants, even the majesty palm. I lost several palms last year during our four freezes, but actually had about five that came back in the Spring and put out new leaves and are fine now.
If you had bought any of them from Lowes, some of their plants carry a one year guarantee, and they are very good about giving an instore credit. You do have to have the receipt!
Good Luck, but please do wait and be patient! It might just surprise you!!!!