COLUMNIST: KAREN STEWART-RUSSELL
Right now, I am overwintering some more tender plants and autumn-sown seeds. I am fortunate to have electricity running to my greenhouse so I am able to use an easy heating system to ensure temperatures do not plunge too low. It means I can safely put late winter and early spring-sown seedlings out there, long before the outdoor temperatures have increased. Like many, I have such a busy life that if I had to rely on constantly checking the weather and going out to turn a heater on, it would often not happen, and plants would be lost. The answer for me lies in technology.
Our whole home runs on an Apple HomeKit ecosystem (other brands are available) so it made sense to add the greenhouse to that. My greenhouse heating system is a wall mounted electric tubular heater, these are available in different lengths to suit all sizes of greenhouse. It is the perfect solution for my greenhouse as it does not take up much space. The heater is plugged into a HomeKit enabled RCD (residual current device) protected socket for safety.
I also have a thermometer inside the greenhouse connected to a WiFi enabled HomeKit hub which makes temperature and humidity available in my Apple Home app, allowing me to set up automation so the heater will switch on when the temperature in the greenhouse falls below my desired temperature and will switch off when that temperature is reached. This means I can maintain a temperature within the greenhouse that will keep my plants safe and healthy. In the future I may consider installing an automated watering system as I believe it would be a very useful addition.
In addition to my greenhouse heating system, I also have a weather station linked up to an app on my phone. I can monitor the conditions in the garden very closely, checking rainfall, wind speed, and temperature. During the autumn storms I was able to see how strong the gusts of wind were and from which direction they were coming, this meant I could add extra stakes and protection where it was needed most.
It is so beneficial to have very local weather information rather than relying on other sources which are often based on the nearest town a fair distance away, and sometimes quite different to my location.
The information I can access and record also comes in handy for my child’s school projects and I can see how this could help engage older children, helping them regain an interest in gardening through technology. On a personal level I find it very interesting to compare changes in the weather, particularly temperatures year to year and I use the information to plan my garden and make changes if needed. The combination of greenhouse and garden technology definitely makes things a little easier and frees up some time.
Perhaps not the most crucial benefit of greenhouse heating but definitely a huge one for me, is that in the winter months I can linger in there a little longer than I perhaps would if it was unheated. I potter away with a cup of coffee and look out at the garden, it gives some much needed peace and joy in the long dark months and it is definitely my happy place. I am very glad I made this addition, it is definitely something I would recommend.
Karen Stewart-Russell lives in the heart of rural Fife. Passionate about the mental health benefits of gardening, she loves to share the joy of growing through her Garden Wall Seed, Plant, and Book library. Karen has a relaxed, wildlife friendly garden, full of flowers, and is a huge fan of roses. Her latest project is an apothecary garden as her enthusiasm for utilising herbs and useful flowers grows. Follow Karen on Instagram.