Hi! I want to first give some details about my set up. I have this small, 6’x8’ greenhouse and I am located in zone 6a. I have sealed my greenhouse and plan to build a short wall around the outside of it, possibly about 3’ high and insulate it to also help conserve as much heat as possible (i know this wont do a ton of help but it should help some as well as make it look more aesthetically pleasing). My big question is what would be the most economical and best heating source i could get or make to keep this warm enough (at least 65 degrees) through the winter? I realize that I’m probably going to spend quite a lot of money on heating costs and setup. I have lots of plants that can’t survive our winters nor can I bring them all inside as there is just too many and not enough space for them. I have been researching for days and days trying to find something that would fit best but I haven’t found something that seems realistic. Electric heaters scare me because of their reliability such as possible power outages. Wood/charcoal heating seems more reliable but I wouldn’t have the time to make sure its constantly being fueled as well as making sure it wouldn’t get overly hot inside, and then natural gas/propane I haven’t seemed too find one that allows me to set a temperature so it wouldn’t get overly hot and with propane there’s the possibility of it running out on me. As for the overheating I suppose i could install an automatic vent opener though. Anyway, thank you for reading and sorry for such a long post. If you couldn’t tell this is my first time having my own greenhouse so go easy on me 😂
by omnompancakes98
4 Comments
Why not just an electric heater with terra cotta (vegetable shortening) candle setups as a backup? You’d need to manually ignite or manage combustion sources anyway so nothing would change there. Whatever you do get enough thermal mass. lots of black containers of water is easiest. There’s a calculation for how many gallons you need per square foot somewhere.
My plan is to possibly use submersible Aquarium heaters. They’d be in water that acts as a battery and releases heat slowly over time radiantly. Heats to plant safe temperatures. Features depending on model include temperature adjustment (most heat to 78f which is fine imo), dry detection and overheat protection. Wineberry hill actually sunk water barrels with the heaters into his raised beds in his old greenhouse.
You can also line the wall opposite the sun (north wall in the northern hemisphere) with insulation and black to absorb heat.
Unless you want to babysit it, electric is the only way. How often do you get power outages?
Electric space heater with analogue dials. Get the ceramic ones with overheat and tip protection. Works like a charm.
Why does it need to be 65 degrees at night? Even the most tropical plants can tolerate 50-55 degrees F at night. I keep mine around 50 at night in the winters and don’t have any problems with my tropicals.
https://preview.redd.it/s7hhimv808wb1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b66b42aac94af175e2f5f95fb167737921b2ecde