Re: CULT: unheated porches

Donna - I have the same kind of unheated, poorly insulated porch (new
last winter) - house on two adjacent sides, mostly windows on the other
two sides, facing east and south, more or less. There is a door from
inside the house that leads to the enclosed porch.  I open or close the
door and outside windows to regulate the temperature.

I have an inexpensive, large (easy to read from inside the house)
thermometer in the porch room.  It is in the shade on the floor leaning
against an outside wall to measure lowest temperatures.

I've found that leaving the door open a few inches keeps temperatures
above 50oF at night, even when it's windy, when temperatures drop as low
as mid to low 20os outdoors.  Perfect for germinating TB iris seeds.
Bigger problem is keeping it from getting too warm on warm sunny days.

I suggest buying a thermometer and experimenting with how much you need
to open or close windows & doors for a while to achieve the temperatures
you want before moving any frost sensitive plants out there.

--
Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8

This year's young whooping cranes are now in Florida at their winter
home.  Last year's cranes, released to the wild for spring migration
last year and on their own ever since, are also there.  Except for one
that seems to like it here in Tennessee.  It was still at Hiwassee
Refuge yesterday - haven't checked to see if it's still here today.

American Iris Society web site <http://www.irises.org>
iris-talk/Mallorn archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-talk/>
iris-photos/Mallorn archives: <http://www.hort.net/lists/iris-photos/>

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