Insulation blankets or thick curtains can help keep a greenhouse warm in winter. To keep the interior temperature above freezing, make adjustments to the heating system. Hotbeds can be created using composting materials to provide heat.
As winter approaches, it is crucial to understand how to heat a greenhouse without incurring extra costs. Proper insulation can make a greenhouse more comfortable for plants. Here are 16 DIY methods to keep a greenhouse warm during winter:
- Insulate your greenhouse with bubble wrap to reduce heat loss and block drafts.
- Use heaters like Grow Gadget heaters, Thermostats, Circulate Air, Ventilate Your Greenhouse, and Raise Plants Off the Cold Ground.
- Maximize sunlight reception by ensuring the greenhouse receives ample sunlight, allowing the soil to absorb as much heat as possible.
- Invest in a greenhouse heating system that is more energy efficient and heats differently than usual space heaters.
- Attach a layer of bubble wrap to the interior walls of the greenhouse to reduce heat loss and block winter drafts.
- Install winter insulation over glazed areas, such as bubble wrap polythene, cut to size and fixed on.
- Heat circulation is essential when using an electric heater, as moving the warm air around will prevent hot spots and their contrasting cold spots.
- Plant cold hardy plants, start a compost pile, or housing chickens in your greenhouse to add some heat during cold winter days.
📹 How to Heat a Greenhouse Without Electricity
This video explores how to keep a greenhouse warm without electricity, focusing on the concept of thermal mass. The presenter, Gardener Scott, explains how to calculate the amount of water needed for a greenhouse based on its size and climate, and demonstrates how to use water containers, concrete pavers, and gravel to create thermal mass.
How can I make my greenhouse warmer at night?
To heat a greenhouse and protect it from frost, install winter insulation over glazed areas using bubble wrap polythene. This is a fiddly task that may require multiple people to install and can be removed during warmer months for more light and cleaning. Greenhouse accessories often have clips to attach the insulating material to the glazing bars. Partial insulation is also possible, allowing plants to be protected in part of the house without cladding the entire interior with bubble-wrap.
This can be done by separating the structure with a polythene sheet or bubble-wrap curtain, and placing vulnerable treasures inside the enclosure. Greenhouse heating systems can range from providing background warmth against frost to constant heating, but with global concerns about carbon footprint, it is essential to use as little artificial heat as possible. Some ways to keep heating use to a minimum include:
- Installing a solar-powered water heater to heat the greenhouse during the day.\n2
How do you keep a greenhouse at constant temperature?
Maintaining greenhouse temperatures involves directing cooler air into the ground and warm air out through the roof to maintain a healthy leaf temperature. While carbon dioxide levels within the greenhouse don’t directly influence greenhouse temperature, leaf temperature is directly related to the amount of carbon dioxide plants can absorb. If CO₂ fertilization is included in your growth strategy, you may need to increase the greenhouse temperature.
Can you insulate a greenhouse in the winter?
Reflective greenhouse insulation is especially beneficial for the north side of a greenhouse, or cold wall, during winter when it collects the least amount of light and is most susceptible to heat loss. This insulation can increase thermal resistance without affecting plants’ sunlight access. Additionally, heat retention curtains can help reduce heating demand and energy consumption by reducing the strain on the heat source. These measures can help growers maintain a stable temperature and reduce the need for additional heating systems.
What happens if greenhouse gets too cold?
Freezing injury is a condition where plants are exposed to temperatures below freezing, causing damage that is more noticeable after a day or two of warmer temperatures. This injury can occur at temperatures above freezing and as high as 54° F. Common symptoms include water-soaked lesions on leaves, bronzing or browning of leaves, and wilting. More severe chilling injury can result in stem and leaf collapse. Young plants, including plugs and cuttings, are more susceptible to low-temperature damage than mature ones.
Some cold-sensitive crops develop temporary symptoms, such as pale green or yellow-green leaves at moderately low temperatures. Freezing injury is more obvious, with tissue dying and turning brown or black. Rooted plants can recover from mild to moderate chilling damage, but affected tissue may need to be removed and additional production time may be needed. It is generally best to dispose of and replace young plants with chilling or freezing damage.
How do I keep my greenhouse warm in winter?
This article provides 16 tips to keep your greenhouse warm in winter, especially in high-latitude and high-altitude areas where winters are typically colder. To ensure effective heat use and warmth, follow these steps:
- Insulate blankets or curtains with weatherproof materials.
- Windbreaks should be avoided.
- Use simple insulation materials, such as blankets or curtains, to prevent drafts.
- Use soil heat storage to maintain soil temperature.
- Install a greenhouse-livestock integrated system, which integrates the greenhouse with the livestock.
- Use a thermal curtain system to protect the greenhouse from the cold.
- Use double-layered plastic film for insulation.
How to add heat to a greenhouse?
Greenhouse heating is crucial for protecting plants from harsh winter temperatures. Solar-powered heaters, hot water heaters, and electric heaters are all effective methods for heating greenhouses. Finding a cost-effective way to heat your greenhouse is essential, as it ensures plants are kept at the correct temperature. Fuel suppliers offer multiple plans to help you find a budget-friendly solution while providing quality heating.
In winter, greenhouses need to be heated to protect them from the cold, as they often feel warmer than outdoor temperatures. While some believe greenhouses can produce adequate heat, many greenhouses struggle to provide the necessary heat for plants. To maximize the cost-efficiency of your heating system and greenhouse, consider using solar, hot water, or electric heaters.
What temperature is too cold for a greenhouse?
To maintain optimal plant growth, keep your greenhouse temperature below 3C (37F). Tender plants like pelargoniums, half-hardy fuchsias, and citrus trees prefer a minimum of 7C (45F), and safest at 10C (50F). This temperature is ideal for young plants and plug plants. If you have a conservatory, use it to overwinter delicate plants. Position heaters carefully, placing them in an open, central spot away from water and angling the heater to prevent foliage desiccation by direct airflow above nearby plants.
How can I protect my greenhouse from the cold?
As winter approaches, it’s crucial to prepare your home for the colder months by taking preventative measures to keep your greenhouse in tip-top shape. One of the best ways to generate heat in your greenhouse is to install a heater. Black painted barrels can be used to maintain heat, while pushing warm air down can help keep it warm. Reusing compost and insulating your greenhouse can also help prevent freezing.
Greenhouses are a great way to extend the growing season, but cooler temperatures can lead to slower growth. To keep your greenhouse temperatures above freezing, consider using a space heater or a more permanent option. Keep heaters away from flammable materials and ensure they are properly installed. LeafFilter offers tips on how to generate heat in your greenhouse, including using black painted barrels, pushing warm air down, reusing compost, and insulating your greenhouse.
What is the cheapest way to insulate a greenhouse?
Double glazing in a greenhouse is a cost-effective way to seal air gaps and reduce heat escape. Bubble wrap, a cheap insulation material, is a popular choice for greenhouse growers. Larger bubbles allow more light in and provide better insulation. Purpose-made horticultural bubble wrap has large bubbles and is UV-stabilized, making it last longer than online packaging. If you have a lot of bubble wrap, consider using it and recycling it when it degrades.
Attach the wrap to the inside of an aluminum greenhouse’s frame using greenhouse clips or a staple gun. Insulate the roof and leave the wrap hanging loose across the door. If you only use part of the greenhouse for overwintering plants, section it off to clad in bubble wrap or create a screen divide. Only use insulation if your plants need it to survive the winter, as it slightly reduces light transmission.
What is the cheapest way to heat a greenhouse?
Gas heating is the most cost-effective option for greenhouses, with an average efficiency of 80 percent due to heat loss through exhaust ports. Open flame heaters emit ethylene gas, which can affect budding plants and cause depleted oxygen levels in newer greenhouses. Gas heaters with a flu and power exhaust are best for greenhouse applications, but they need a hole punched into the side of the greenhouse for exhaust.
Electric heating is the most efficient, running at 100 percent efficiency, but it is expensive and may not be suitable for many gardeners’ budgets. Passive solar heat can offset some of the cost associated with electric heating, and 240V units are recommended for greenhouse applications. For 120V units, avoid infrared heaters or heaters that transfer heat to objects instead of heating the air. Oil-filled radiator-style heaters are the best inexpensive 120V heaters for greenhouses, which can heat small hobby greenhouses during winter months when placed near a fan.
Passive solar heat collects heat from the sun’s radiation during the daytime and releases it into the greenhouse during the nighttime. This is usually done with water or other thermal mass that can absorb and hold heat for a duration of time. One technique is to line the north wall of a greenhouse with black water containers, which absorb light and heat that passes through the greenhouse to the north wall.
When the sun sets, the heat held by the water slowly dissipates into the greenhouse environment. When combined with electric heat, passive solar heat can significantly reduce the annual cost of heating a greenhouse.
What is the most efficient way to heat a greenhouse?
Electric heating is the most efficient and cost-effective method for heating greenhouses, but it may not be suitable for many gardeners due to its high cost. To offset this, passive solar heat can be used. For electric heaters, it is recommended to use a 240V unit with ample heat capacity, as it is more reliable and cost-effective. For 120V units, avoid infrared heaters or heaters that transfer heat to objects. Oil-filled radiator-style heaters are the best inexpensive 120V heaters for greenhouses.
Passive solar heat collects heat from the sun’s radiation during the day and releases it into the greenhouse during the night. This is usually done with water or other thermal mass that can absorb and hold heat for a long time. Line the north wall of a greenhouse with black water containers, which absorb light and heat that passes through the greenhouse. When used in conjunction with electric heat, passive solar heat can significantly reduce the annual cost of heating a greenhouse.
Free supplemental heat can be achieved by stacking 5-gallon water jugs against the north wall of the greenhouse as passive solar heat collectors in the winter.
📹 10 Best Ways to Heat Greenhouse for Free, DIY Cheap Low Cost Heater Winter Growing Poly High Tunnel
CLICK THE ❤️SUPER THANK$ Button to show support ⤴ I completely disassembled this greenhouse just to rebuilt it step by …
I have a high tunnel (60 feet long) in Georgia. I dug a deep trench in the center of the tunnel. I get free wood chips. I buy 1000 pound rolls of “rough” hay for $10.00. I take chicken manure, hay and wood chips and fill the trench (then water it very well). My wife calls it chicken poop soup. I let my chickens roost above the trench year round but only fill the trench in the winter. The tunnel stays warm and toasty. The chickens love it when I dig the old compost out and spread it, so does my garden.
The only reason a compost pile would have an ammonia odor, is if there is not enough carbon added to the nitrogen stuff. Nitrogen is from animal or bird manure, or from green leafy plant material. Carbon is from woody materials. Rotting sawdust, wood chips, autumn leaves. And lime is not needed. Any time your compost smells like ammonia, find some rotting sawdust, and add enough to stop the odor. Well-balanced compost smells like fresh forest soil.
Had a late April deep freeze and used tea light candles for a few days until I ran out. Then I used an old crockpot filled with sand for a week or more until I got a 500 watt space heater, a temperature controller and a solar powered fan. Even still the overnight temperature drops to 40* and I have the controller set to come on at 45* and turn off at 62*. I wouldn’t try running all winter, but it has saved my investment in starting seedlings in mid-April and will let me extend the season into the fall for a few melon, pepper and potato plants. In a pinch, the crockpot saved the day.
I would like to add a comment about the heat lamps (bulbs). It is common in the greenhouse to have moisture build up, condense, and then cause water drops to fall from the ceiling. When these heat lamps are good and hot and water drips on them, I have had more than a few bulbs literally explode! Causing a mess of glass shards to clean up. Know I always make sure to have the aluminum hoods to be above them or have something over them to make sure water cannot drip directly on the bulbs.
I heat my greenhouse literally for free. It is a method not available to everyone but worth noting. I have a spring at the top of my property. The greenhouse is downhill. I ran the overflow pipe from the springhouse to the greenhouse and I have an unlimited supply of 55 degree water to heat the greenhouse with. It’s not a lot but a very stable heat for cool weather crops and extending the growing season in both directions.
Very cool vid ! Especially the water heat mass being heated for free by sun, then slowly releasing the heat overnight. How did I not think of this before !!!!Many people seem to think that candlelight is nonsense, but unless you have experienced -40 F/C cold storm in a car, you wouldn’t believe how effective two small candlelights can be. Of course, the volume of air in a car is nothing compared to greenhouse, but there’s a reason a can+tea candles are recommended as a winter survival tip, because it’s really simple, cheap and effective. Not sure it’d make a dent in a large greenhouse. Probably not even 0.1C, unless you burn two dozens… I also wonder, how much longer can you extend the growing season by using those tips ? We never used to plant anything in a greenhouse before May, due to frequent April freezing nights. But, this makes me wonder, if using these tips it would be possible to start planting stuff around April 01-15, and extending it till October 15-30 ? Meaning, full 7 months in a climate that dips below -40F in winter? Certainly, if one placed few solar panels, even with a small battery, that could run couple efficient 12V heaters (not the 1.5 kW nonsense) through the night for free (minus the initial cost for panels and battery). I’ve never heard of the wood stove in a greenhouse before, but that could certainly heat it even in March and November 🙂
Get fresh hay that horses eat. Stack a few bales around the perimeter and where you walk make it as deep as you can and surround the pots. I had a shed for horses and the hay area was always warm. When it was real cold used a heat lamp but if you use enough hay (not straw) it gives off heat from breaking down. If you ever saw big stacks of straw in mushroom country area in Kennet Square they give off steam and sometimes catch fire from combustion. Mix in horse manure and you get heat. Don’t use cattle manure cause of the ammonia.
Several good ideas here, I suggest setting up an exhaust fan system if you use the compost method to suck out excess green gases produced by the compost. I have my green house 8′ from my house and set up a 6″ fan in the wall of my house sucking out air from in the house through a PVC pipe that goes under ground and up into the green house. Keeps my green house at tolerable temps in the winter and comfortable temps for the rest of the year. The fan is powered by a 6v solar panel I bought for 10.00 on amazon.
All these ideas are awesome and somewhat different than the ideas of others, I like that originality. Check Robert Murray Smith resistant ink radiator. It heats to 60C and doesn’t pull too much power. Just make sure it’s isolated properly from moisture. The infrared lamps are genius. Supposedly solar panels absorb 80% infrared and only 20% UV so perhaps you could charge your panels even on cloudy days or even at night. I wanted to try this myself but couldn’t afford to. Anyway, the peace of God be with you always, the wind at your back and the Sun on your face my friends.❤
Method #1. Take black irrigation pipe of from 1″ to 2″ diameter. Cut into a length that will extend from near the baseboard to the ridge. leave it open on both ends. As the pipe heats up, the air inside rises cold air is drawn in the bottom and hot air exits the top. At times the circulation can be dramatic. Any garbage black pipe would work.
If your compost pile is giving off an ammonia or nasty smell then you probably didn’t add enough carbon to it. Compost piles also need oxygen so they can properly break down, generally speaking any part that is 1 foot away from air will go anaerobic and possibly start giving off bad smells too. I suggest the Johnson/Su compost method because it gives the best results.
The green or pink stuff in the water jugs is not mold – it’s algae. Also the terracotta pots with the tea candle won’t even heat a small tent. In my opinion, the best method in this article was the large barrels of water. As long as you have enough hours of good sunlight to heat them, they should give off heat for quite awhile.
A few more tips: 1. A slow cooker can output a max of 300w. Breakfast/dinner will be ready the next day. 2. A water distiller can output 750w. As always, use a thermostat smart plug to prevent waste. 3. Solar panels can output 12v to heat the water in the 65-gal barrels up to 100°c. 4. An off-grid solar system with LiFePo4 100AH battery ($265~) can provide free electricity.
I’m using a BBQ grill on lowest setting with the lid closed, with the lower sides of the greenhouse open for air flow and reduced humidity. So far the greenhouse went from 57 degrees and 85% humidity to 62 degrees and 70% humidity in about an hour. Seems to be working, as it’s been cold and raining here for 5 days in a row and something had to be done to prevent fruit drop
Similar to your tealight idea, a kerosene lantern can provide steady unattended heat for days, depending on the model you use. Most 7/8″ wick lanterns will produce ~1400btu/hr on high – equivalent to ~14 tea light candles. The Dietz Jupiter will burn for a week on a low flame, and is widely purported to be designed for greenhouse heating, although – full disclosure – I’ve never seen Dietz themselves claim this. I recommend Dietz, WT Kirkman, Feuerhand, or other high quality lanterns. Avoid the cheap box store lanterns that are built more for looks and pony up for a lantern built to be used. Avoid lamp oil from the store, the larger wick lanterns won’t burn it as it doesn’t wick up fast enough, and it’s expensive. Your local small airport will sell you Jet A(just high quality kero) for much lower cost. Bring your own container and be prepared to sign a release saying you won’t burn it in your diesel truck.
I have a 12X8 greenhouse and I am kinda new to greenhouse gardening. I just got my greenhouse in July of this year. I have got 2 giant plastic barrels 50 gallon or more, and I have filled BOTH with water, I painted both black. I also have gotten a small mini- greenhouse that is 2X4 that is on a shelf in the greenhouse. I have just last night put a set of C-9 Christmas lights inside the shelter, the kind that is NOT LED, so, the bulbs put off some heat. I put them inside a metal baking pan so that IF they get too hot, there will NOT be a fire. It seems that the lights help to add about 10 F more heat. (I do have to do MORE checking to make sure that it is still 10 F more in colder temps) I have another set of lights I will add once temps get much more bitter. I have to watch out though, the greenhouse has been MUCH hotter than the outside temps through the whole summer. It would be 75F outside and 100 F or more in the Greenhouse. I have bought a fan to use to help make it a bit cooler in summer, BUT, now it is needing to be warmer. I have a small room heater, BUT, I think that the small shelter and using Christmas lights is good. I NOW only have 1 plant that is NOT hardy in my zone 6a, and that is a small “Windmill palm” it is zone 7b hardy since it is quite small now. The C-9 lights that are NOT LED lights put out a good amount of heat. Also the 1 set of lights will likely NOT use much electricity. I may try some other semi-tropicals IF the lights heat up the small shelter well enough.
@12:13 I incorrectly said a depth of 30 feet, I meant to explain that a Length of about 30 feet & a depth of around 5 feet so that it would be long enough to have sufficient heat transfer. (longer would be better, if you have the means, you could coil it as in the photo I showed to maximize efficiency)
Been a gardener all my long life but found this article really informative, who knew there were so many ways to heat a greenhouse! The cost of fuel in the UK is so high now that anything that reduces production cost is great, also I am very mindful of the environmental impact of the millions of us heating our greenhouses. Thank you.
I had tried the compost in the greenhouse method for my greenhouse/aquaponics system using cow manure/straw. Yes it did heat coiled plastic pipe and provided some heat to the water, BUT ammonia is a byproduct of composting and ammonia gas immediately dissolved into the water killing all of the fish, and extensively damaged the the leaves on plants. It either has to be compartment separate from the rest of the greenhouse or outside. Learn from my mistakes!
😮A friend of mine had a glass greenhouse with a brick floor. It had a small wood stove. There was a vent going into the home at the ceiling and one at the floor of the home. Patio sliding glass doors opened into it. She had plants in pots. The real gem was that the greenhouse heated her home in the winter with patio doors shut, a small fire on cold nights caused the air to vent into the home and circulate. This was cold weather country in Idaho. The Grand Tetons could be seen in the distance.
Gardening is very challenging where I live. It is zone 4B and at an elevation of 7,600 feet. Last frost is typically around the first week in June. First frost is typically Sept. 15. I’m thinking of digging an 8 ft. deep hole, filling it with waste river rocks from the potato fields around here and coiling as much perforated drain pipe as I can in the pit of rocks and build a greenhouse on top. Then I can pump the hot air during the day down into the rocks and pump the cold air through the rocks at night. My goal is just to keep my started plants from freezing at night and to grow lettuce and kale and other cold hardy plants. I don’t want to have to have a propane heater.
You do not EVER need to bury a line thirty feet deep to collect ground heat. I live in central British Columbia where it drops to minus 30 Celcius in the winter. Four inch dia Big-O pipe can be buried at 8 to 10 ft deep and successfully gather Btu’s for use in your home or greenhouse. Our off-grid super-insulated home has earth pipes, buried 4 inch PVC pipes at only 6 feet, which can deliver plus 7 to 10 Celcius air when the outdoor air temperature is minus 15 Celcius. A little deeper would have been better but overall we are very happy with the system.
In a hobby size green house 7x7x12 a 1500 watt milkhouse heater works well, set it on a wall timer 7pm to 7am and it will run you right aroung $50 a month in electricity, you can extend your grow season 3 months so to me the $150 a year is worth it, it can be free and easier then all methods listed if you sell starter plants to your friends and neighbors
Rock flooring is a good one. Take the heat from the very upper tip of the greenhouse and use a solar fan to move it to the bottom of a rock pit dug in the floor (hole filled with rocks). The Rocks slowly heat up through the span of the day and disperse at night. Do you smell what The Rock’s are cooking?
Okay Dude, nice article, BUT, as I’ve already asked where are you ? What zone are you in hardiness wise? How big is YOUR GH, the one you are speaking about heating? I am NEW to GH gardening, I want to overwinter a hardy palm tree, it is zone 7a hardy BUT I am in zone 6a, and, I am going to overwinter some Live oak trees that are zone 7a hardy and I am zone 6a. It IS only a full zone in hardiness, 10 degrees to be clearer about that, BUT, I do wish to be able to possibly overwinter some MORE tender plants IF possible, I mam trying to see just HOW warm I can make my GH this winter, maybe I will NEED to have the tender plants under a “shelter” or MINI greenhouse. I have one that I am going to set up inside my GH. It is small shelter. it is about 2 feet by 4 feet, and I may have to put my most tender plants under it at the worst part of this winter IF my GH cannot stay warm enough. I am NOT very worried since most of my plants aren’t REALLY that tender or tropical. I think that the “Windmill palm” being a zone 7a hardy plant, it will be fine, I will likely put it into that “mini shelter” along with my small Live oaks, and all will be fine. BTW, as for Live oaks, I have a Quartz mountain Live oak tree growing in my yard, without protection, in my zone 6a yard. SO< anyone that is a bit up North and wants to grow a LIve oak tree, You CAN, You just need to find the RIGHT type of Live oak tree. I would talk MORE about it, BUT, most Northern folks are surely like, What is a Live oak tree anyway? ANYHOW< keep telling us about how to heat a GH cheaply or free.
In todays world, a 25gal tank lasts about 6 hours in my shop heater, which is an outdoor heater that goes up and radiats below with a shield. If it were running to keep even only a small 200sqft garage decently warm, it would cost $50/day to run. 24/7 it would cost closer yo $85. Propane is definitely not a good efficient route to take at all. Unless you have a cousins uncles brothers friend who hooks you up with free propane
I use a 20,000 btu ventless propane Mr. Heater in a RIGA9 Greenhouse. In conjunction with Black 30 gal. plastic barrels filled with River Rock. But I have a thermostatically controlled electric heater as primary heat. Here in Central Montana the temps can get -40° so being ready to add heat as needed is important.
The black color for the heat sink water jugs certainly makes sense. You can also paint a jug black with a can of spraypaint. Just let the paint dry thoroughly before using it, so you don’t fill your greenhouse with paint fumes. The best thing is that all you have to do is remember not to throw bottles and jugs away when the original contents are gone. Then you will have plenty of them, while not spending any more than you normally do.
Great Vid! Just FYI to readers – no such thing as more efficient electric heaters. Electricity gets turned to heat in both ceramic and other types of electric heaters. It is just the reality of electric to heat thermodynamics. Set amount of energy in = thermo energy out. No way around it. Please DO NOT buy one electric heater over another because you think it is more efficiently creating heat cause that is impossible. You can buy heaters for other features of the heater but not for being more efficient in creating heat.
Double up the outside walls for winter💯 gonna cost ya like 30 bucks for the set up (pvc& plastic)and some cheep dollar store duct tape will seal it…(this will create an air barrier) that will benifit you more than you would think apx. 4″ spacing would do it for you if you wanna go insane on it the outside barrier use 2 inch pvc and wrap and seal both sides before placing outside and sealing it to the original structure it provides an insane amout of thermal layering
at 8:00 you said using propane heater.. i have got good 2 years of experience using that, i will share my experience and mind with everybody who would like to know. i tried in my small green house (custom build 6m x 3m), in deep of winter, depend on the temperature u want, it takes 2 tanks of 11kg propane for a month with temperature set at about 10deg c.. i use a garden propane heater with thermostat.. after 2 years of using it : 1. first year with a thicker bubble plastic wrap both sides and roof of the green house, it appears to be warmer then no wrapping, but what a cumbersome to install and take off) the big issue is that when outside id cold, inside is like raining.. dripping all over. hence after sometime mold on my over winter tree is a big issue. if i vent it, then the heater will come on again (i am living in uk weather, even day time during winter is freezing cold, with no sun, so i can’t just leave the door open during day time ).. so propane heater is not that good unless insulation is good, so that it wont condense moisture all over the interior. 2. one more critical point on propane heater with thermostat. with thermostat, the heater is pretty much set and forget.. BUT not so also. i set the thermostat at desired level, but after some time deep in winter i found out that some tree or plant being frozen to death. the reason are: a. when the temperature dipped fast in middle of night of deep winter, the heater fail to sense it in time, by the time it senses the temperature dipped, it have to turn on fire; by the time the air is heated up to temperature, it has being half an hour already.
Yes theirs many ways to heat greenhouse but perhaps a combination of digging out your greenhouse floor to a depth of 4 or 5 feet deep where the earth’s temperature remains a steady 40 degrees and have compost bins as well, I seen an old man that done this and the lower walls of greenhouse was made of wood or some type of heat absorbing materials, the dirt floor of greenhouse was lined with gravel stones and painted black to absorb heat as well
THERE ARE TWO TYPES of geothermal piping. The horizontal layout (pictured on vid) would be laid approximately 6-8ft deep, while the vertical layout, what LTGL was referring to, would be dropped down a vertical hole dug around that 30 ft depth, but the horizontal (across the land) footprint would only be a couple (or just a few) feet across. STILL a great vid though, thanks for posting!
Using a rocket stove to heat up water that can be websiteed via copper lines or stainless steel or another type of piping through the soil for the roots as long as it’s not too hot as well as having a radiator combined with a fan to circulate the air would be a good idea too . However most importantly make sure to insulate wherever you can to reduce the amount of heat being lost or the amount needed to heat the building . Using mulch or compost on the exterior is a good way to go or using styrofoam panels along the perimeter of the structure is another way of retaining heat . Even using a combination of both would work out well . Also using a liquid such as vegetable oil in barrels retains the heat for a bit longer than water alone .
I’ve used a wood stove then switched to a rocket stove. Beware of the bellows effect on windy days, sometimes when opening the door the stove would belch smoke out the damper. And the rocket stove would throw embers out the feeding hole. Be careful, you can pipe a flew duct into the stove from outside to avoid the effect.
Creating barriers cuts down on heat loss during the winter months. Heat can be trapped by using a thermal blanket hung overhead at night( heat rises), black bags filled with dry wood chips on the north side protected from rain by using plastic( N. side doesn’t receive sunlight during winter), wood chips can be bought from city parks at a low cost which makes the best compost-place in a sunny area to break down faster and no smell.
a) Carbon Monoxide doesn’t harm plants. Carbon Monoxide binds with the hemoglobin in your blood, but plants don’t have blood. They just oxidize it to Carbon Dioxide. B) geothermal: you need at least 3 feet of soil to act as insulation. Once you go below that the soil doesn’t freeze. If you go 4 or 5 foot deep then it can keep your greenhouse above freezing. The deeper you go the hotter it gets. If you go down 30 or more feet then it’s heated from below and can keep your greenhouse much toastier than “just above freezing”. Bonus points if you hit the water table, which works even better than soil.
The best way is to dig a trench about eight or 9 feet deep and loaded with around hundred foot of flexible tubing that’s about eight or 9 inches in diameter depending on how large your greenhouse is. How many of these trenches you’ll need it’s not cheap to build but once it’s done it only requires a fan to bring the temperature up to about 60° inside your greenhouse. I’m assuming, of course, that you’ve partially dug into the ground for your greenhouse and that you’ve insulated the north side. You don’t need to get any light from the north side if you live in the northern hemisphere because there is no light coming from that direction. There is a YouTube website about an elderly man in his 90s who built one of these in Nebraska – kcur.org/post/check-out-these-oranges-and-lemons-grown-midwest#stream/0. The farmer’s name is Russ Finch, and he can grow all kinds of tropical fruit but he builds rather large greenhouses, and he uses the heat from the ground to heat and cools the greenhouse. Mr. Russ Finch has a heat exchanger in his own home next to the greenhouse that he is able to heat and cool with ground heat also. But to build one of his greenhouses does cost about $25,000 to build quickly from scratch. His was thrown together and built piecemeal over a while which he had because he had just retired from the US Postal Service 20 or so years ago. He spilled some more recent ones for other people, and I think he says it takes about a year, but I may be wrong. read the article find out still use the same system to heat a small greenhouse just don’t need as many of those underground flexible tubes.
Seen a coment talking about how the propane turns to co2 that comment is correct, it does turn to co2 and plants thrive on it if you don’t over do it! I have used it in a lot of grow rooms for marijuana! Five gallons of propane is about 14 dollars here but you can go through it pretty quick here! I have a greenhouse with a wood stove but I’m going to build a couple more using GEO thermal heating by drawing air through the ground and allowing the ground temps about 8 feet down to heat the greenhouses and then a couple of rocket mass heaters just incase! Sure I won’t have any problems with the GEO thermal as long as I set it up correctly! There is a guy who grows citrus in a GEO thermal greenhouse in Nebraska at temps that are 35 below zero F using this method! That alone says it all and tells me this method is the future of greenhouses in cold areas!
If you install a wood stove at the very least run the chimney pipe across the room before it goes outside. Better yet run the smoke pipe across the room under the floor and then up and out. This will make starting it more difficult but I found that tossing a burning gas soaked paper towel down the chimney will get the air moving in the right direction without filling the room full of smoke first. You can also add a waste oil burner to a wood stove to increase you fuel options.
I live in sw fl a few nights a year we get a cold snap I use frost blanket and a string of size 9 Christmas lights saved tomatoes and peppers got light on clearance after Christmas I think 3 bucks and doesn’t use too much electric the big user of electric here in winter is when the heat strips in ac go on in this case space heat works as only 1 or 2 room then a week later gets hot again
Easier to just use food coloring to turn the water in the 1 gallon jugs dark then it is to paint the jugs. While it doesn’t change the total heat absorbed by the jug it does put more heat into the water instead of the plastic of the jug which causes the heat to be released over a slightly longer time period.
I would like to add: A rocket stove mass heater is very cheap (you can build it in a weekend) and one of the very best ways to heat your greenhouse (and your home). The heat pipes can be above or under ground, or any way that works for you. (I am not talking about one of the tiny rocket stoves you can buy.) Google “rocket stove mass heater”. Also, make sure when you build your green house that you insulate underground. Thanks all. Love the film.
I seen rocket stove made of cob, and made of cement with perlite. That is real cheap, but it takes intelligent design and maintenance to prevent burning the whole place up. And the wood is even cheaper, free, because it burns limbs not the trunks, and you can get everywhere free. The burn chambers made of insulated concrete(perlite and cement), with the ground, and cob as the chimney running thru under the beds, then the part o the chimney that goes up thru the roof is a real piece of stove pipe with an insulation piece where it goes thru the roof to prevent it from catching the place on fire. Cob is really the wrong word, but it is just clay and sand, no straw, just a website under the beds dug into the clay with cement planks on top covering the trench, and more clay thrown on top of the planks at least 8 inches, then above that was the compost, etc… so you end up with websites under the beds that heat the whole thing from within. And that dirt mass holds the heat like water barrels do. And there is water in the beds anyway, that will help hold heat from those websites. This design is on a semi wilipini(partly underground). So it works good. In other words the whole stove system is buried in dirt, made of dirt and concrete, with a legitimate stove pipe running to and thru the roof with the legitimate insulator. I think a his website is green shorts, he likes to experiment it cost him nothing. lol
These are just ideas, you pick the best one for your needs, they all work but depends on what your growing ( root veggies more cold tolerant then say tomatoes) and what size of greenhouse, I use Inkbird smart controls (wi fi) more fun and 250 watt heaters staged at 5 degrees apart works for my 6×4 gh wont come like 1500 watts then off/on stuff and more even heat
There are some very small LP catalytic heaters that don’t give off much CO but gives off CO2 that is what plants need! A small camping catalytic heaters should not give you troubles on low with a small fan to move the air around. Air moving also helps keep frost from forming. Many groves have used fans to help stop frost damage. Putting a small LP camping heater on low could let it go out if it get cold enough that it pressure in the LP tank drops to low for the low setting you set so care should be used. I don’t know if there are small camping heaters with regulators in them. I know that there are LP gas lights with regulators in them so you can turn them down and they don’t change when the tank heats or cools. The pressure in the tank can change a lot with the temperature. The wormer the tank the more pressure in it.
What about healing? I know people who have dug down the inside earth of their greenhouses they build steps inside the entry door and step in and descend 4′ to the new central lowered walkway. The sides are only 10″ lower this creates a ergonomic work station with no stooping. Actual cost = sweat and stairs lumber. Also once done it is done forever.
Solar panels connected to electric heaters are a bad idea. Better use of the sunlight is a solar water heater. Photovoltaic systems max out at about 20% efficiency and are expensive, DIY solar water heaters are cheap and can be as much as 95% efficient. Another option is to line the north wall with cob (clay/soil/straw) painted black. It works like the water barrels, but cheaper.
I have been wondering what would be a good way to heat my greenhouse besides leaving the door from my house to the greenhouse open to heat it, raising my heating bill. I’m wondering if I bought a few heating elements and getting a pot for each element and like you said, boil a few pots and let it go over night would be enough… My greenhouse is a room attached to my house (which is great in the summer) but the windows are not really sealed nice like they are in the house and are single pane windows. So, I wonder if any heat made would just escape anyway…. Hmmmm…. Perhaps that plastic you can put on the windows would work… I want to begin using this greenhouse all year, if possible now that I bought 4 huge (too big) window boxes and realized that I’ll not be able to afford to fill them with beautiful flowers unless I grow the plants myself. That’s my plan for my greenhouse anyway. Now, I’m typing out my thoughts. HAHA What ideas would you guys have?
Hook up water heating panels to the thermal mass barrels and you‘re good to go. It‘s either that or geothermal, everything else isn‘t economically viable. Unless you have a free supply of firewood AND like to get up 3-4 times during a cold night to hike out to your greenhouse and stoke that wood fire because a plain metal stove actually has about zero thermal mass and will turn freezing cold quickly when the fire is out.
Brother… here’s a tip… a Rocket Mass Heater you can make yourself… You could keep your green house 70 plus degrees all winter long on less than a cord of wood if you were located in northern New England… and if you are industrious… you could get hard wood pallets and cut them up and they are free just about everywhere… Good Luck thanks for the article..
May I suggest a survivalist type of a greenhouse we use in Siberia. Use an inner high density heavy duty chain link fencing material on the inner side and place a thick silicone resin plastic or a thick silicone rubber over it and place a high density heavy duty metal mesh over it. The aim is to harden and strengthen the greenhouse against hail stones and heavy snow and heavy winds and heavy storms while the silicone resin plastic or silicone rubber prevents either extreme heat or cold from passing through.
The problem starts when you build a conventional greenhouse that is too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. A shed with south-facing windows is a better solution for winter. You can have insulating shutters to reduce heat loss at night. Bone up on passive solar to learn a better way to do this.
Kerosene Lanterns give off about 1,000 BTU’s and consume 1 oz. per hour. 3 lamps are equal to a 1kw electric space heater. The metal type Hurrican Lanterns are easier to handle, but they give off too much pollution for in home use. The all glass kerosene house lamps burn SO clean, I can use them to heat my home on cold winter nites when all the grid power is down. I’ve run 10 of them and cannot detect any pollution like the metal lanterns which burn my eyes and choke my lungs with just 2-3 of them running.
Design composting bins with aluminum siding with aluminum gutters inside the walls with finned copper heat exchange pipes filled with gallium and fitted together to absorb and conduct the heat from the composting bins. Then connect the bins and use drafting to move the air through the system without the need of electric fans. You can heat a home or green house using this concept. 😊
Self heating and cooling greenhouses thecorehome.com/ C.O.R.E. Continuous Omnidirectional Radiant Energy System. The genius of the design is the geothermal is built into the structure itself. With a very basic geothermal heating recall, and grotto for cooling in the summer. A depth of 24 inches has been enough for us to grow for over 10 years without a penny of power spent. We have been down as low as -14 outside in the winter, and still easily maintain a wide verity of crops and temps above 60 degrees. The cooling in the summer is actually the most difficult for greenhouses, but with this system it is a breeze, “well technically a breeze over water achieving a evaporation cooling effect”. With with a 20 degree difference in the summer between the top of the structure and the grotto a natural convection current forms freely cooling the structure. This is how greenhouses will be built in the future, not only from the heating and cooling aspect, but it is where I go when the tornado sirens blow, with multi-walled polycarbonate it is safe, strong, and simple to build. We are preparing for our mass production roll out in 2018-2020. The logistics of tooling costs for specially designed hub are epic, but I have devoted my life to this project and hope all will benefit from it very soon. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or would like to be put on the mailing list.
Plants: Carbon monoxide does not poison plants since it is rapidly oxidised to form carbon dioxide which is used for photosynthesis. Water: Carbon monoxide is only slightly soluble in water. Depressurizing the compressed gas quickly leads to the formation of explosive mixtures over the surface of the water.
I wouldn’t use a heat lamp for Reptiles just because you would need a high wattage bulb and usually the highest they go is 150 watts sometimes if your lucky you can find a 200 watt. But with my experience with Reptiles lights (btw I own Reptiles) they dont last very long. And higher the watt the more the bulb will cost if you looking at getting a 150 watt your looking at anywhere between $15- $30 depending on brand. I would use a heat lamp used for chicks, they last a lot longer and only cost like $5.
I recognize those jugs, I buy the unsweetened ice tea from Giant eagle, all the time, BUT, I haven’t used them in MY GH, I have bought 2, 50 gallon barrels and plan on filling THEM with water and I have all ready painted them black, my GH is full of gravel as a floor material. I just need to drill a nice big hole in the barrels so I can fill them up with water. I have a small electric heater also, BUT< I am sure that that heater would need to run a long time to actually heat my GH, I have purchased a small shelter that will make a small area that a few especially tender plants can stay within my GH and I can then keep those plants warm without having to heat the whole GH.
#1 choice for heat is a “wood stove”? I guess if you have wood for free, and don’t mind chopping down trees, cutting to size, splitting to fit the stove, stacking and storing, then having to revive the fire every few hrs, going to bed late, and getting up early to renew the fire. Course we’re talking about the northern states, and winter time, but why else would we need heat? My choice, (if it had to be a stove) burn coal. It doesn’t require the same effort, makes more BTUs, and it lasts longer.
Me again, I have 2, 50 gal water barrels painted black, and a small heated (electric) and may use a couple of heat lamps IF I can get them to have a lamp that can handle the wattage. What else am I missing? I have extension cords that I have in the GH with NO spaces that have cold air coming into the GH. Any other tips?
Thanks for the article. Jugs have nothing to do with the efficiency of an electric heater though. Thermal mass helps stabilize temperature swings. It will take longer running a heater to get your greenhouse to temperature because the jugs absorb the heat. It will take longer for your greenhouse to cool back down because the jugs release the heat. There is no energy gain because of them, just a more stable temperature. Same to be said for the clay pots on the candles. In all heating situations I would run a fan to help normalize the air throughout.
having a compost pile in your greenhouse will become a problem, it will be a breeding area for fungus gnats and they lay eggs in plants and the larvae eat plants especially seedlings . But if you’ve already started and have made this mess, look up mosquito drunks for killing gnats for small greenhouse
If y have mushroom blocks while innoculating, it will create heat, and co2, and plants love them. but not human. but once it finishes colonize, it cools down, and starts another cycle, of light, air, and lower temp. which is not likely what u want. but about co1 or carbon monoxide. i think that plants love it too, just not human or animals. plants exchange it to oxygen gas. that’s how the world goes round.
I just built a 4× 8 heat box. One inlet pipe at bottom and one outlet at top. Put an old black granite countertop inside instead of cans. The granite becomes very hot and releases heat for 3 hrs after the sun goes down. Looking to install 2 solar powered fans, one to push air in, one to pull air out. The box is made out of 2″x6″ steel stud website painted with Rust Rust-Oleum black paint and insulated on sides and back. Has plastic front will change to glass when I find a big enough piece. Floor has a layer of Styrofoam then a layer of Wolmanized plywood and black concrete patio blocks as thermal Mass. The styrofoam and plywood insulate from ground frost and the patio blocks transferring their heat to cold ground. I plug up the vents and bungee cord a sheet of plywood to the front that is stained white, because it will become a too hot and roast anything during the August construction. I found most of material in construction site dumpsters. The plastic was $100.00 at Menards it’s double wall with 15. Yr. guaranteed not to turn yellow. The black patio blocks were $1.89 each 18″x18″×1-1/2″ thick.
Does anyone do the solar heat system diy . I hear my house with it And green house put tubing in it and pump water through it. My greenhouse can get up to 100 degrees in winter 70 at night. I’m self efficient have aquaponics solar power wind and water power. Everything is powered by those and heated by them. Look on YouTube
The wood stove is a great idea and you can put a coil copper tube inside it, and rout it into a large tank, such as a 30 gallon tank or bigger depending on the size of your greenhouse, but you can also place a stone pile around the woodstove, which will increase the thermal mass of the stove, just use your imagination, and you could place a temperature detector in the green house and set off an alarm also, if you live in an urban area, you can pick up old pallets behind grocery stores and such for free wood