Does anyone in this group keep tropical plants that are in a cold climate?

[Guest]

I'm looking into building a greenhouse to start my tropical house plant business, but winters here get pretty cold so I'm trying to look into all of my options.

[Katie]

I am in zone 7a and kept rare tropicals in my greenhouse over winter. With lows of 30 outside the greenhouse would be around 60 degrees. I have a heater that kicks on mainly at night for a couple hours. I used styrofoam along the sidewalks to provide insulation. With that being said we had a winter storm with freezing and power outages. I lost a good amount. I am expanding the greenhouse and will not be keeping my tropical plants in it overwinter.

[Katy]

I have lots of tropical plants in my house. In zone 5b eastern Ontario.

[David]

We are in zone 6 and find it cost ineffective to heat our greenhouse from November to March, but we live on the plains where wood is very expensive, if you have a inexpensive line on wood and the time for the up keep it can be done but the return on investment is not worth it in my opinion.

[Edward]

Will depend greatly on what your winter temperatures are. Heating is going to be your biggest on going expense. Will want double or triple wall greenhouse panels. Some people use geothermal heat, large upfront costs. Look into idea of “sand battery” really just depends on how much upfront cost weighed against ongoing cost for heat…

[Debbie]

I do, but my greenhouse is heated and I supplement daylight.