Grow Your Own Magazine

hi everyone
what's the best way to heat a greenhouse. thinking of a heated tube much like flourescent light? any other ideas very welcome. just want to keep frost of in winter
xxxmillyxxx

My first greenhouse this year and I first of all tried a paraffin heater, which wasn't at all succesful so OH put a 5' heated tube in for night time and days when it was frosty. This was from about March onwards and although it wasnt warm it just took the edge off, not sure what the temp was though. Don't think it used much electricity and served its purpose.

try to insulate the green house with polythene as well,but leave an inch gap between the glass and polythene.this autum i am going to install the victorian style hot water pipe system[watch this space]..

Milly, I think an electric fan heater is probably best. You can set it to "frost free" or any other temp you like. 5 degrees is a growing temp and will keep your plants growing . The fan will help with air circulation and can be set in summer without heat to help keep temps down and the humidity under control.
But have a think about it Milly.
What is it you are going to keep the frost off in winter - and is it worth the cost.
I think most of us grow without heat.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

I have one of those flimsy frame greenhouses with a plastic sheet cover that I put in my conservatory, put all the plants in it, and put a light bulb in the bottom (best to put the light bulb in a metal box with ventilation holes, which keeps the water off).

A thermostat to control the light would be good, plus a max/,in thermometer so you know if you need to add more lights in parallel

In my small greenhouse (6x4) at home, I have an electric heater with a thermostat, and in the lottie greenhouse I have a gas heater. But I don't use either of them over the whole winter (the few salads etc that I grow do ok with no heat). The heaters come into their own from March onwards, when the tomatoes, chillis & peppers all come out of propagators. They move to the small greenhouse first, then when that gets crowded I move them down to the allotment. The temperature has to be 10°c for toms etc, so it could get exhorbitant if it was for longer than a couple of months of the year

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Sarah

“Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”