Gardening Under The Dome
While gardening in winter may require some diligence the payoff is definitely worth it. If you are using a thermometer to monitor the temperature be mindful of the afternoon sun. Depending on what I am growing I usually try and stay in a range between 40 and 70 degrees during the day. On normal clear or sunny days I remove the cover around ten in the morning or once the temperature gets close to 40 degrees. This allows light, heat and air to circulate and it gives you a chance to water if necessary.
If I am not going to be home or can't get someone to help I vent my dome. By venting I mean I open part of one side to keep the daytime heat from building up. The only time I freak-out is when I get busy and forget or get distracted and keep my food dome closed during a nice sunny day. There have been days when the internal temperatures had reached over 100 degrees. If this happens on a consistent basis vegetables like Broccoli or Brussels Sprouts may bolt.
There are no hard and fast rules as to when I close my dome, it's usually around three hours before sunset which is around 5 in zone 6B. This gives the dome time to trap enough daytime heat to carry it through the night.
Night temps in the mid thirties are fine as long as your plants are established. Seedling and more delicate plants need to be kept off of the ground even with a ground cover because the temperatures are colder especially at night. I bring mine in because on some nights if the weather is good I don't use the dome at all. Last week there were a few nights when the night temperatures were in the high 40's That means less opening and closing also less concern about overheating the next morning.
On my next blog I will post a list of what I am growing and the temperatures I try and keep those plant at. #thefrugalgardener
Grow Your Own Food This Winter
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