The Deep Freeze

It snowed for about three days over a month ago. When the snowing stopped, the night time temperature dropped to over ten degrees below zero. I did not checked the greenhouse once during that time. It was dark when I tromped out through the snow. I opened the door and water was spraying all over. There was a valve right near the joint that had pulled apart. I quickly put a bucket over the spray and shut the water off. That joint has been leaking a little for a couple of years. I thought that the water pressure pulled the connection apart; no damage; I then went back to the house.

A few days later when the weather was a little warmer, I went to work. The fertilizer injector and all the piping to it were broken. The manifolds on the heating bench were broken. And the piping from the hot water heater was broken. The furnace pilot light had gone out and there was no heat for three of the coldest days of the winter. Most all of the tender plants froze. some of the tender cacti were not damaged. One of the surprises was the pomegranate bush. About three weeks later it started to bud and now there are four inches of new growth.

I lit the pilot light, ordered a new fertilizer injector, and a new manifold. I installed the new manifold and discovered that the circulation pump did not work. I ordered that Monday and got it today, Friday. It is hooked up and working. The seed trays on the heating bench must be happy. Things are beginning to grow again.

The pilot light has gone out before, but it wasn't cold enough to damage any of the plant material. I better get me an alarm to let me know when it happens again.