An interesting thought...

[lithopsman]

I wonder if it would work? Heated at 55*F, cooled at 80*F. Could I grow lowlander neps, some highlanders, and VFT's as well as some drosera? Or should I go with one or the other? Which would you suggest to grow the most variety, must include lowland. I'm leaning towards a hot house... Anyone know which would work best?

thanks,
J

 

[Tony Paroubek]

Unless you have your heart set on growing a particular plant. I would decide what temps to run a greenhouse based on your local climate. For example it would be a bit silly to run a lowland house in the arctic unless you had free gas to run the heaters! The opposite would be true on trying to cool a greenhouse for ultrahighland plants in the deep south.

Look at your winter time low temps and your summertime high and and low temps.

Once you decide what is an acceptable range for high and low temperature you can pick plants that will do well in that environment. This is assuming you mean to run it all year. Growing plants that have a winter dormancy and the greenhouse can be used more as a cold frame during the winter so heating is much less of an issue.
Tony

 

[lithopsman]

how about a hot house in north texas?

For lowlanders...

 

[Tony Paroubek]

I can't say I am intimately familiar with the temperature range in North Texas. How cold do the winters get?
Tony

 

[lithopsman]

28*F last winter, but that was unusually cold, summers average 94*F up to 103*F, but a coupla days ago 1 minute of 111*F

 

[Tony Paroubek]

Ok lets have a look at it this way...

If you want to do a lowland house. Heating at night during the winter is your biggest issue.

If you want to do a highland house. Cooling at night during the summer is your biggest issue.

Which would be easier or cheaper Beats me... depends on the type of greenhouse, method of heating and cooling, cost of the systems, cost to run them etc
T

 

[lithopsman]

probably a 8.5'x6.5' glass/plastic, a swamp cooler, electric or space heater