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Hello from Sussex (SE England).

I have recently began collecting carnivorous plants. So far, I have a pinguicula 'tempa', a N. 'Bloody 'Mary' (with loads of basals), two N. sanguineas and two N. ventratas. I also have loads of Spanish moss and am trying to get a greenhouse. Does anyone have any advice on tropical greenhouses during the winter?
 
Does anyone have any advice on tropical greenhouses during the winter?

Yep. Be prepared to spend sever hundred dollars (or pounds, as the case may be) on heating the space. I live in a Mediterranean style climate and it costs me about $700 a winter to heat the Nepenthes house.
 
What if I use polycarb, buble-wrap and a paraffin heater as well as an electric one?
 
Twin wall polycarbonate is what I've used in the past (my current greenhouse has a twin wall polycarbonate roof, but glass walls) and it's still not perfect: it leaks a lot of heat no matter what. Adding bubble wrap helps, but it also reduces light transmission, so you will likely have to add supplemental lighting, and that will cost $$ as well. It's going to cost you money no matter what.

And welcome to TF!
 
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Much cheaper to grow the temperate carnivores. There's plenty to choose from, some that our American cousins struggle to.
 
If only I lived in a tropical country. Then I could grow nepenthes in my garden. :drool:
 
dunno. still need a greenhouse/shade house of sorts. I have perfect out doors temperatures but have an over abundance of light and perhaps at time humidity drops too low. Might not need tropical, but as in my case subtropical and higher elevation. 1100 meters or so on the flank of a mountain in Maui .....
 
Lucky! I wish that England was tropical/subtropical. It's really humid here, however the temperatures can get very cold in winter, but not too cold because I live in the South-East. The best place to have a greenhouse in the UK would probably be Scilly because it is influenced more by the Gulf Stream, so although it may have slightly colder summers than the South-East, it has much warmer winters, so you can grow phoenix canariensis outdoors all year.
 
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Welcome to TF!
 
  • #12
Welcome! Ive found lots of helpful advice here and I hope you can too :)
 
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Lucky! I wish that England was tropical/subtropical. It's really humid here, however the temperatures can get very cold in winter, but not too cold because I live in the South-East. The best place to have a greenhouse in the UK would probably be Scilly because it is influenced more by the Gulf Stream, so although it may have slightly colder summers than the South-East, it has much warmer winters, so you can grow phoenix canariensis outdoors all year.

I had a phoenix canariensis pop up on the corner of my property. They are horribly weedy in the low lands near the coast, provided they get water. Dunno, maybe global climate change will help you. It has been the warmest summer on record. 5 degrees F higher than all previous years.
 
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Hi George,nice to see Another UK grower,hope you enjoy the forum
 
  • #15
Welcome to TF!

Ramon:D
 
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