Mother's Mini-Manual: Greenhouse Gardening

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

6. You can hang a sheet of heavy-gauge aluminum foil or other reflective insulating material between the source of heat and the outside wall of your greenhouse. The foil will reflect the heat into the greenhouse where it can be used, instead of letting it be absorbed by the outside wall.

7. Properly insulate all heating supply lines.

8. At night, hang black cloth horizontally from the greenhouse ceiling as close to your plants and benches as possible to confine the hot air in the growing areas and prevent it from escaping up through the roof.

9. If your greenhouse has vents that open automatically and are controlled by their own thermostat, set this thermostat 5° or 10° higher than the heater thermostat to make sure that the vents won't open when the heater is on.

10. Don't let a cobweb rob your greenhouse of heat! One single strand of cobweb on the contact points of your thermostat can throw the thermostat's accuracy off. Be sure to clean out the mechanism; just blow on it or rub a piece of paper between the points to wipe off the contacts.

11. Install an alarm system. One called a Thermalarm, when connected to a battery and doorbell, will sound an alarm when the temperature goes above or below the safe range or when there is a power failure. Be sure to hook it to a dry cell, not to house current.

12. If you have a large greenhouse, consider installing a fan jet. It will keep the air moving and make more carbon dioxide available for the plants. The fan jet creates turbulence which causes the heat that has built up in the top to be mixed with the cooler air in the lower portion or crop level in the greenhouse. The result is less heat loss through the ridge (top of the greenhouse where the roof peaks), resulting in a fuel saving.

13. You can take advantage of the heat coming from your electric clothes dryer by running the vent into your greenhouse, if it is nearby. This not only gives you extra heat but also extra humidification.

14. Trees can save energy in your home and greenhouse. Nurseryman William Flemer III says that a shelter belt of evergreens to the windward side of a greenhouse can reduce fuel consumption by about 25 percent. This can be an impressive saving over the years for a modest investment in plants.

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS ON HEATING¹

Consider these guidelines while planning the greenhouse heating system:

1. Choose a heater that is automatic in operation and requires minimum maintenance.

2. Select a heater large enough to heat the greenhouse. Check with your local weather bureau to find out the coldest day during the past twenty-five years. Use the lowest temperature as a criterion when establishing BTU requirements for a heating system to do the job.

3. A windy location results in a greater heat loss, so provide a windbreak as previously described to help cut heating costs; otherwise order a heater one size larger than necessary.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print

GET MORE INFORMATION ON THIS TOPIC:

MULTI-PURPOSE GREENHOUSE BLUEPRINT'

Blueprint

Our Price: Price: $10.00

• Browse DIY Garden &Yard Project Plans

BACKYARD GREENHOUSE BLUEPRINT'

MEN Plans

Blueprint

Our Price: Price: $25.00

• Browse Blueprints