03/01/2024
We've started viewing our first climate battery greenhouse as a bit of an experimental greenhouse, seeing how far we can push zones and seasons. With only two nights below freezing (30F) we've been able to overwinter some more sensitive subtropical like lychees, one variety of banana, monsteras, cherimoya, white sapote, yellow dragonfruit, longan, and even some slightly protected mangos. Our peaches started blooming around the third week in February so we're hopeful to have fruit by late May or early June (Rich May cultivar).
We did have electric backup heat (small space heaters under limited row cover for the smallest or most tender plants) on the coldest of nights amounting to the heat equivalent of less than 5 gallons of propane for the whole winter. Other than that, we're just using recycled sunlight through our climate battery!
Oh, and for you fig fans, our figs are waking up right on schedule.
