Hello, I have been thinking about buying a greenhouse to over winter some new grafts, but I am not sure what I should be looking for. Do I just need a cold frame or would I be better off getting a full scale greenhouse with all the trimmings? My main concern is that the greenhouse may lead to the maples leafing out too early. Any suggestions on brands, type, or other information on what I should be looking for would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Scott Hamilton, NJ
Coldframe, no greenhouse, or you will run into the problems you've mentioned (plus having to fork out a lot of money!).
Scott, Rima is correct in her choice of a cold frame for keeping your new grafts safe over the winter. They are less expensive and will work fine for this task. Another alternative is an unheated greenhouse. These are sometimes available used in local papers and can typically be adjusted to the size you need with little effort if you are handy. George Okken, an old time nurseryman in North Jersey is closing his nursery and selling all of his hoop houses for $100 each. They need to be disassembled and moved but this option offers alternatives for larger containerized trees and the ability to walk into the house to work on the plants if needed. I have been using an unheated greenhouse for about 10 years and have decided to add heat this year to try my hand at grafting. If you decide to go with a new product feel free to send me a email and I should be able to get you some names of NJ distributers of greehnouses and associated products. Good luck with your search Ed
Thanks for the advice. Do you how I can contact George Okken about those frames? Also what type of greenhouse do you have, I was looking at the Sunshine and Rion brands, but I was not sure what is the best in relation to price? Thanks Scott
Hmmm... maybe I have a different perception of a cold frame than others do. Mine has plexiglass panels that typically face the southern sky. I've had it hit 100[super]0[/super] in late January on a clear day while I wasn't here to pay attention (skiing has priority over gardening in January). Bottom line, I wouldn't put potted maples in my cold frame to overwinter. Not unless I had it situated where the sun couldn't get to it and I could be assured that temps would remain low enough to keep the trees dormant(e.g., < 40[super]0[/super]F). I let a few of my prized, potted cultivars spend the worst of the winter months in an unheated, insulated garage and leave others simply heeled-in to cope with the cold.
