reviewed by Christina Lopez
Small greenhouse gardening continues to rock more mainstream globally. People from all walks of life have realized that growing edible veggies and fruits is convenient and cost-effective in a greenhouse. The main challenge to small greenhouses, however, is the low temperatures during the winter months. Fortunately, this article focuses on how to heat a greenhouse and thus solving the low-temperature problems.
The greenhouse popularity has taken roots from down country to urban settings. Therefore, it is not a surprise that many vegetables available in the market, especially in American, are grown from the greenhouse. Check out the below suggestions and ways on how to keep a greenhouse warm when the temperature drops.
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Well, what sounds so good, like having a cost-free heating method? The heat sink is proven ideal, no cost, and eco-friendly method of heating a small greenhouse. The sense here is where the objects used absorb heat and releases it when the temperature goes down.
Plastic bottles painted black and then filled with water can work as natural heat absorbents. To tap this free energy, place many plastic bottles around your greenhouse or inside if space can allow. The bottles absorb heat during the day and release back when the cold hits. The method may not offer sufficient heat but can make a sustainable difference to your greenhouses.
Thermal mass is another reliable backup that serves as a heat sink. Some people use concrete slaps while others pave the inside of a greenhouse. Concrete slabs on the inside grant you more control over environmental conditions. Thermal mass keeps internal temperatures under control despite the extreme colds outside.
Even if you subject your greenhouse to high-temperature heat, it is in vain without proper insulation, as the heat will be leaking outdoors. Lack of insulation to some extent, especially during the daytime, sunlight is good for light. You should find ways to maximize heat retention without limiting how much light should get into your small greenhouse.
Bubble wrap is an efficient material for covering fragile items while on transit and makes an ideal insulator. Bubble wrap material can be attached to the greenhouse interior walls to block winter drafts and reduce heat loss. The approved bubble wrap insulating materials are found in horticultural stores. One advantage of buying from horticulture centers is that the materials have larger bubbles than ordinary types.
Greenhouse cover is one of the simplistic routes a gardener can go to keep the grow room warm. In this case, you only cover the unit during certain cold nights, and the crops will survive. Some common, reliable materials to use for greenhouse covering are horticulture fleece, row covers or sheets, and tarps, all of which work to retain moisture.
However, the covering method needs perfect discipline in that you should always remember to remove covers whenever necessary, particularly during the daytime or when temperatures are bearable. Otherwise, the humidity can rise too high, hurting your plants.
Well, sure, if you have some compost pile, that’s a win-win methodology. All you do is move the pile to the center of your greenhouse, and while the organism breaks down, they liberate natural heat. The compost is safe from adverse weather elements; decomposition gets accelerated and raises greenhouse temperature. So keeping the compost at the center is ideal while it can be placed anywhere and still warm the room. Therefore, composts work as lean for a greenhouse where the plants benefit from the heat produced.
Germination mats are a great idea for keeping the greenhouse warm during the winter. Although the mats are normally used at early stages to increase growth rates, they help maintain optimal temperatures. The germination mats decrease production time while keeping the root-zone temperature at a moderate level.
When you hear the fans mentioned, what lingers in your mind is the air circulation. While yeah, airflow is the common problems greenhouse owners suffer. In a greenhouse where the air is not circulating properly, the condition encourages the formation of mildew and molds. When there is no breeze in a humid environment, moisture collects on surfaces and foliage without evaporating. Electric heaters with fans help keep your backyard greenhouse warm and with sufficient air circulating even amid cold winter days.
Safely heating. For safety assurance, gardeners using electric heaters should invest in machines that have shutoff features. The automatic shutoff property is activated; in any case, the engine overheats. The heater can be ideal when used in rural areas where the feature switches off when tipped by animals or anything that hard interferes with the system. Automated cut-off devices induce peace of mind through a safety guarantee.
Solar energy taps free energy from the sun and utilizes in heating the greenhouse. The idea uses solar water heating cells that run through the greenhouse structure. Water lines fill a large hot water barrel. Then, heat from the water container radiates to heat the entire greenhouse. The greenhouse remains warm as long as water circulates from the line through the solar panels. In some cases, water lines are placed directly in plant beds to heat the soil.
Combustion heating involves using various options that burn some fuel to produce heat. Due to the closed greenhouse environmental status, the combustion heating system brings up the problem of dealing with carbon dioxides. However, with experienced professionals, you can install the heaters with safe vents through the greenhouse plastic structures. If you make up your mind to use fuel heaters, below are various suggestions in the market.
Here, you will need a sufficient supply of natural gas from a utility company. Commonly propane use for combustion. You buy a propane tank and connect it to your greenhouse. Additionally, safe venting is crucial to help expel fumes produced during the burning processes. Proper combustion also requires sufficient oxygen too.
These heater works using the wick lighting principle to draw fuel from holding containers. However, they consider as potential fire risks due to their highly explosive nature. When purchasing the gas heaters, ensures they are inclusive of premium fire extinguishers. Again as they run, the fuels produce air pollutants inform of fumes and thus should be located where there is sufficient ventilation or outside airflow.
Many large greenhouse gardeners utilize this system as it is proved to be reliable energy efficient. Rocket mass heaters are part of the entire structure right from the foundation. They incorporate high-energy chambers that involve big wood beams combustion. The hot combustion gases released are generated into the structural masonry. The whole thermal mass heats and radiates heat for quality time.
Why should you generate high temperatures than your plant needs? It is folly to waste energy and your hard-earned money to maintain high heat status than the plants even need. While this is also a lose-lose situation, using lots of money to achieve high temperatures that use more fuel. At the same time, high temperatures may hurt your plants in so many ways.
Greenhouse for winter gardening should have a minimum temperature like 3C (37F). Also, plants determine the amount of heat needed. Some plants are delicate and require minimum heat. If you are under financial constraint to afford a quality heater, planting cold-tolerant crops is better.
If you follow closely all the options outlined in this article, no doubt your gardening game will take an upper level. When you know how to heat a greenhouse, your plants will not suffer the spells of weather elements during winter. Moreover, cost efficiency techniques like hot water heating, electric, gas, or kerosene heaters can combine with other free suggestions. For instance, mulching, planting the right plants, and thermal mass can help plants thrive in the winter months.
Above all, I must tell you always prioritize environmental concerns. Where possible, use eco-friendly heat energy sources such as solar, wind, pumps, etc. The more we use safe, chemical-free, and renewable energy; we make our planet a better place.
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About Christina Lopez
Christina Lopez grew up in the scenic city of Mountain View, California. For eighteen ascetic years, she refrained from eating meat until she discovered the exquisite delicacy of chicken thighs. Christina is a city finalist competitive pingpong player, an ocean diver, and an ex-pat in England and Japan. Currently, she is a computer science doctoral student. Christina writes late at night; most of her daytime is spent enchanting her magical herb garden.
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