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Winter Greenhouse

janhutchins20QqeMVvGyjanhutchins20QqeMVvGy Posts: 3
in The potting shed
Hi all 
in past years i have used an electric fan heater in my greenhouse to keep my plants safe,
but this year in chilly lincolnshire have decided to use no heat (thanks to Mr Putin and daft 
uk MPs) am in the process of lining it with bubble wrap.
May also cover my Fuchsias/pelargoniums ect. with some fleece to keep the frost away,am aware ill still have to ventilate often and remove and replace the fleece every day.
Would be very happy to glean any other handy tips from members.

many thanks Howard

Posts

  • parrotfeather*parrotfeather* Posts: 188
    I read recently that you can increase the heat in your greenhouse with a pile of decomposing vegatable matter...I might start a small compost heap in the border when my tomatoes come out!  Also, water acts as a heat sink so you could have a pond in there...but I just leave a few full watering cans which heat up if there is any sun during the day.
  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,496
    Never tried it, but I'm told plastic canisters, painted matt black, filled with water and stacked up in the GH will absorb enough natural warmth during the day to keep the chill off during the night.  The more elaborate version would be to arrange 4-6" pipes, sealed at both ends and arranged church organ fashion - again filled with water.
  • MikeOxgreenMikeOxgreen Posts: 804
    parrotfeather* said:
    I read recently that you can increase the heat in your greenhouse with a pile of decomposing vegatable matter...I might start a small compost heap in the border when my tomatoes come out!  Also, water acts as a heat sink so you could have a pond in there...but I just leave a few full watering cans which heat up if there is any sun during the day.
    You might want to research what gasses are given off from a compost pile.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 14,593
    The main gases released, will be Methane and CO2. I don't know what these will do to your plants.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • bertrand-mabelbertrand-mabel Posts: 2,585
    Plastic milk containers even not painted black filled with water and stacked up will allow heat into the containers and then over night gradually release this heat. It isn't a lot but doesn't cost...but then you need to get the containers.
  • janhutchins20QqeMVvGyjanhutchins20QqeMVvGy Posts: 3
    Hi all,think ill pass on milk containers,in the past i used to stand lots of my pots under the bench on very thick polystyrene  sheet as have a cold concrete floor in the greenhouse,some with soil based floors used to bury the plants and dig up in the spring.
    My greenhouse is a really old wood Alton glass to ground,so i boarded it half way up and filled the cavity with large bubble wrap before starting to line the inside.

    Cheers all
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,669
    Ooooh, don't mention the "W" word, its 25c here today!
  • HeartinthedirtHeartinthedirt Posts: 300
    Last winter we bubble wrapped our 8x6 greenhouse and also put a bubble wrap wall across the middle, so effectively created a mini greenhouse inside, occasionally heated with an oil heater on very chilly days (not that we had many). Stored my pelargoniums, fuchsias, a few others things, didn't fleece anything. started sweet peas, garlic and onions in there and had some seriously robust plants this year! It's a bit of a faff, but I'd say definitely worth it. Just make sure to ventilate whenever you can. 
    It's knowing what to do with things that counts - Robert Frost
  • janhutchins20QqeMVvGyjanhutchins20QqeMVvGy Posts: 3
    Hi All,nearly done with the bubble poly,onlt the ridge left.
    https://next.photobucket.com/u/hutchie76/p/c651d43e-e8a4-445d-aa22-bdc49756ac2d
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