Heating Green House
Discussion
My wife does. It's a fairly standard sized greenhouse - alu frame, 4 glass panels long, 3 wide etc etc. She did have 'The Big Red' which was a paraffin heater (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Parasene-The-Big-Heater-Red/dp/B001MZ58KY - I think it was 2.5Kw) but I've since bought her a 4Kw gas heater similar to this one https://thegascentre.co.uk/lifestyle-4kw-greenhous... It runs off propane (orange) and I've also run it off butane (blue) gas canisters - the most cost effective ones being the large 47Kg propane bottles. It has a thermostat so will sit on the pilot light until the temp drops at which point it runs the burner until the thermostat clicks out again, when it goes back to the pilot.. It will chew through 1-2 each winter (could be as low a one, or might get through most of the second one as well) depending on how much heat you want/need and how cold the weather is. My wife also bubble wraps (inside) the greenhouse over winter time to help keep the heat in.
Armchair Expert said:
Does anyone here heat their greenhouse?
If so what heater do you use, how much does it cost. Looked at paraffin heaters today, guess they do not have any form of thermostat?
I use this which can get my 6 x 4 greenhouse VERY toasty. If so what heater do you use, how much does it cost. Looked at paraffin heaters today, guess they do not have any form of thermostat?
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CS52QQG
Just being nosey, we are 3 month into greenhouse operations having recommissioned a 40+yo 8x6ft job and after getting some excess tomato plants and cucumber plant from a friend. Mum is a keen gardener but has never heated hers.
I guess if you have access to it electric is cheaper per unit than bottled gas and less faff, but the gas doesn't need the cable!
What do you grow in your greenhouse with the heater on? Is it overwintering non-native pot plants, extending the end of the season, or starting off early's without having them litter up the window cills of the house?
Daniel
I guess if you have access to it electric is cheaper per unit than bottled gas and less faff, but the gas doesn't need the cable!
What do you grow in your greenhouse with the heater on? Is it overwintering non-native pot plants, extending the end of the season, or starting off early's without having them litter up the window cills of the house?
Daniel
dhutch said:
Just being nosey, we are 3 month into greenhouse operations having recommissioned a 40+yo 8x6ft job and after getting some excess tomato plants and cucumber plant from a friend. Mum is a keen gardener but has never heated hers.
I guess if you have access to it electric is cheaper per unit than bottled gas and less faff, but the gas doesn't need the cable!
What do you grow in your greenhouse with the heater on? Is it overwintering non-native pot plants, extending the end of the season, or starting off early's without having them litter up the window cills of the house?
Daniel
Tends to be overwintering plants that can't take the cold but then as spring arrives it can also be flower seeds for germination. Any tomatoes and cucumbers are grown in the 'cold' greenhouse. We don't have power available where the greenhouses currently are but when I get around to building a new greenhouse (closer to the house), I'm hoping to wire in some 240V so an electric heater could be an option.I guess if you have access to it electric is cheaper per unit than bottled gas and less faff, but the gas doesn't need the cable!
What do you grow in your greenhouse with the heater on? Is it overwintering non-native pot plants, extending the end of the season, or starting off early's without having them litter up the window cills of the house?
Daniel
Jambo85 said:
Lining the greenhouse with bubble wrap makes a real difference in spring if you can be bothered... It's a right faff though.
S6PNJ above said:
My wife also bubble wraps (inside) the greenhouse over winter time to help keep the heat in.
But last year (and this year so far) it has been 'wrapped' all year round as we've both been busy with lots of other things, so when the sun comes out it can get quite warm in there even with the door open.48k said:
I use this which can get my 6 x 4 greenhouse VERY toasty.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CS52QQG
Expensive compared to something like a Lidl ceramic fan header which is basically the same thing (likely from the same Chinese factory), and probably about as 'splashproof'. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CS52QQG
It's not like you need anything too clever, just ideally something that only runs when needed and acts quite quickly.
dhutch said:
Just being nosey, we are 3 month into greenhouse operations having recommissioned a 40+yo 8x6ft job and after getting some excess tomato plants and cucumber plant from a friend. Mum is a keen gardener but has never heated hers.
I guess if you have access to it electric is cheaper per unit than bottled gas and less faff, but the gas doesn't need the cable!
What do you grow in your greenhouse with the heater on? Is it overwintering non-native pot plants, extending the end of the season, or starting off early's without having them litter up the window cills of the house?
Daniel
In my case the latter - I only grow stuff I can eat and I use the heater to cut down the number of propagators and trays in the house, and to even out the swings in temperature - mine was still operating in April this year as we had some quite cold nights. The handy thing is it's a fan too so you can configure the thermostat to put the fan on if the temperature gets too high.I guess if you have access to it electric is cheaper per unit than bottled gas and less faff, but the gas doesn't need the cable!
What do you grow in your greenhouse with the heater on? Is it overwintering non-native pot plants, extending the end of the season, or starting off early's without having them litter up the window cills of the house?
Daniel
pquinn said:
48k said:
I use this which can get my 6 x 4 greenhouse VERY toasty.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CS52QQG
Expensive compared to something like a Lidl ceramic fan header which is basically the same thing (likely from the same Chinese factory), and probably about as 'splashproof'. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CS52QQG
It's not like you need anything too clever, just ideally something that only runs when needed and acts quite quickly.
It's something i've been pondering lately due to it being so cold and wet and watching how plants grow - or don't!
I'm in the grim wastelands of the North contemplating a move to somewhere with land and a South facing outlook.
So to sum up some of the various points of mine and those mentioned:
If you're heating a greenhouse and paying for it you're basically throwing money away, you might aswell burn a fire of £10 notes to heat it or just go to the supermarket. So it has to be cheap or free.
Do tomatoes ripen with heat and no sun?
There is Winter veg you can grow, carrots is one, there are plenty more.
In order for it to be cost effective the heat has to come from a free and/or renewable source. As it's Winter solar is possibly out of the question, or at least, less effective. Or would it work?
Wind could be useful, but expensive to buy and service.
Running water from a stream etc could easily be utilised.
My thoughts were a used oil heater, but it's not for most people. Difficult to seal the chimbly against a poly tunnel. Dirty. Will only run for X amount of time before needing cleaning out.
You can utilise a heatsink like a storage heater - heat it during the day and it will give some of that heat back at night to keep the cold out.
Anything else?
I'm in the grim wastelands of the North contemplating a move to somewhere with land and a South facing outlook.
So to sum up some of the various points of mine and those mentioned:
If you're heating a greenhouse and paying for it you're basically throwing money away, you might aswell burn a fire of £10 notes to heat it or just go to the supermarket. So it has to be cheap or free.
Do tomatoes ripen with heat and no sun?
There is Winter veg you can grow, carrots is one, there are plenty more.
In order for it to be cost effective the heat has to come from a free and/or renewable source. As it's Winter solar is possibly out of the question, or at least, less effective. Or would it work?
Wind could be useful, but expensive to buy and service.
Running water from a stream etc could easily be utilised.
My thoughts were a used oil heater, but it's not for most people. Difficult to seal the chimbly against a poly tunnel. Dirty. Will only run for X amount of time before needing cleaning out.
You can utilise a heatsink like a storage heater - heat it during the day and it will give some of that heat back at night to keep the cold out.
Anything else?
Evoluzione said:
Do tomatoes ripen with heat and no sun?
Anything else?
Tomatoes ripen by producing ethylene gas. Once the tomato starts going red you can remove it off the plant and store by putting it into a box and adding an apple or banana to it quicken the process, so does wrapping it in paper.Anything else?
Although I believe that below certain and above certain temperatures the tomato will stop producing the gas I think it is something like above 85f
Armchair Expert said:
Evoluzione said:
Do tomatoes ripen with heat and no sun?
Anything else?
Tomatoes ripen by producing ethylene gas. Once the tomato starts going red you can remove it off the plant and store by putting it into a box and adding an apple or banana to it quicken the process, so does wrapping it in paper.Anything else?
Although I believe that below certain and above certain temperatures the tomato will stop producing the gas I think it is something like above 85f
On the plant tomatoes turn red because of lycopene.
All of a sudden it gets quite complex and needs more in depth research!
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