Hardy Tropicals UK

Shame about the Mekong , Mike. On the upside, plenty of firewood if you use a log burner.

the mekong will be fine I'm sure just have to start from the base next year..I had to pull the cover off my other the new roller was pushing it off anyway. Have to cut it back again. I was thinking about getting a wood stove to heat a greenhouse in the future but I still don't want to cut all of that tree up!

miketropic wrote: I was thinking about getting a wood stove to heat a greenhouse in the future

Maybe a brick / block kiln would be a better option. All that bulk would slowly release all that stored heat for far longer than a cast burner,

like a kiln they dry pottery in? I would have to find a wood fired one as the new eletric company I am going on has rates almost double what my current one is. I really have to try and keep the eletric off as much as possible and that's the only kind of kiln I have ever seen

If you can pick up a log burner cheap, use it and surround it with a brick chimney breast or similar. The bricks will absorb the heat like a massive storage heater and throw it back out for many hours after the fire's gone out. A log burner alone will cool down a lot lot quicker. By kiln, i mean something like an open fire but with a door ..............
The log burner we have in the main lounge ( as per pics i sent you the other day) heats up all that stone and its still warm the next day. Its usually still 20 deg in there , even after the coldest night. Obviously the greenhouse is a more outside environment but it'll still throw heat out for hours thru the early morning. No shortage of wood where you are , i'd guess.

Those trichs should be hardy in a zone 8 winter, no? As long as you keep them dry.

I put mine in a plastic GH to keep the rain off. Last winter the pachanoi got mite-infested, I sprayed it with a neem oil solution which sorted the problem after a few applications. The bridgesii didn't get infested at all.

otorongo wrote:Those trichs should be hardy in a zone 8 winter, no? As long as you keep them dry.

I put mine in a plastic GH to keep the rain off. Last winter the pachanoi got mite-infested, I sprayed it with a neem oil solution which sorted the problem after a few applications. The bridgesii didn't get infested at all.

They SHOULD be hardy in zone 8 if dry, they are really tuff. I bring mine in only due to the extreme cold. I have 2 decent size pachanoi in pots which will be planted out next year, the var torch will stay potted till it gets bigger and I am lookin at getting a monstrose bridgesii. all will come in each winter and be store dry in the closet on a shelf.


As for the Kiln I see what you are saying now. I was reading a mans blog and he has a regular poly tunnel but the end had a large cinder block square on one end with a wood burner in it..he would fire it all day and when he went to bed it would let the heat out all night..he was in a much colder zone than I with temps of -20 easy each winter so I might try his design if I ever get around to it...


Temp of -8.8 already anyone got me beat?

miketropic wrote: Temp of -8.8 already anyone got me beat?

I think you might qualify for the "sub zero" topic in the weather section........

-8.8, you have my deepest sympathies ...

miketropic wrote:I was thinking about getting a wood stove to heat a greenhouse in the future but I still don't want to cut all of that tree up!

Might be worth a Google for e.g. "Rocket Stove" - some useful videos on YouTUbe.

Rocket fires are a great idea but to leave it unattended , especially with an open hopper , could be suicide imo. I'd rather have a door to shut and keep it safe. The other good thing about a decent log burner, is you can put a load in before bed and do a night burn. Together with the stored heat in the brick breast, it would keep the greenhouse toasty all night and probs into the next day.

It would not be a true American shopping holiday if I didn't get a plant Got this today first because I had never seen one before and second it was cheap.. I guess third cus its "English" ... Really like it and when its mature should be a stunner..

Silver Variegated English Holly

I always have to buy new plants

miketropic wrote:Silver Variegated English Holly

That's usually Handsworth New Silver (which is the Female) or Silver Queen - which believe it or not is the Male

Picture looks to be that variety too, but we call it "Silver Variegated Holly" over here, so I suspect the addition of "English" was just the marketing people ... YOU'RE A SOFT TOUCH MIKE !!!

My favourite, if you happen to stumble over it, is Ilex Ferox Argentea known as "Silver Hedgehog". It has much more prickly leaves (hence "Ferox")



I also particularly like "Perry's Weeping Silver" or some name like that. Saw one at Westonbirt Arboretum and have hankered after one ever since.

This happens to be the first one I have ever come across but I will keep an eye out for those others. It says there hardy here but it will need to get a bit bigger before I plant it out.it came in the house plant section and had a few fake berries stuffed in with it, how sad.. Soft touch... maybe I am just trying to embrace my new found mates on the HTUK..actually if its variegated I'll take it home.

In other news I was sent some monkey puzzle seeds by a board member and I have 5 of 9 starting to stand up. from what I hear that is a good rate and pretty fast. now the 30 year wait for a real tree is going to be the killer!

I did grow the female Ilex Golden King once. Make what you will, Mike, of English gender bending. (There was a boy called Holly - famous singer)