I need ideas for heating a wood/plexi greenhouse this winter. It is 10x12 and only needs to be kept above freezing to protect some plants I want to overwinter. Ideas? Electric vs propane?
Heating a north Texas greenhouse
I can't help with the heating, but that sure is a pretty greenhouse, Congratulations!!
Did you build it?
jlkapps, I have almost the exact set up you have. I have two 55 gallon metal drums filled with water. I use them as "legs" for a potting bench and in the winter to collect solar heat to disperse at night. For the most part that works well, but once the temps plunge below 32 degrees I augment that with a simple electric, oil filled radiator type heater. It does get cold in there, but haven't been completely frozen yet. I should way that I also insulate the windows with bubble wrap. When I first tried this, as recommended to me by a kind soul here on Dave's, I though it wouldn't do much--but couldn't hurt. But the bubble wrap does keep things a few degrees warmer while still letting sunlight in during the day.
During winter I use the greenhouse for storage, overwintering some potted plants, hospital for an occasional chicken, and winter sowing. So far, so good. I think you all may get a few degrees colder than us, but the above works well for me so far.
Thank you, Josephine! My husband built it last winter and I love it! Has room to store all my gardening supplies and extra pots, plus will let me overwinter plants I really like. The picture was taken when it was first finished but there is landscaping all around it now.
I appreciate the tips, Terri! Will get started finding barrels and bubble wrap!
Beautiful Greenhouse! So much fun to have a place for all the tenders
I'm envious. That is a beautiful greenhouse!
You all are too kind! Here's a few more pictures so you can see what it's really like. The landscaping is all about 2-3' tall around it now and all filled in (picture was when it was first planted this spring). He's very proud of the job he did on it and it's been soooo nice to have all year to keep my supplies handy and organized!
It's beautiful and could be in a magazine! I admire how well organized your tools and supplies are.
It's pretty easy to keep it clean and organized since I'm the only one that uses it ;) There is nothing I hate worse than needing a tool or jug of something and wasting valuable gardening time looking for it so organization and good storage was top priority for me. I've added a few more things and a cabinet on wheels since the photos were taken, too, for smaller gardening items. We went way over budget building it but it's been worth every dime!!
The greenhouse and the landscaping are both beautiful.
Mine isn't as organized as your, jkapps.
LOL, every time go in and organize DH or a worker comes in after me and, well, I guess you know what happens. But my chickens do help to keep the grass around the GH trimmed short ☺. I don't know if I really can landscape around it. I think the hens would make short work of that. Just the occasional egg left in front of the door. I don't know who is responsible for that!
But thanks for posting photos of the interior. I am printing them out now. I think I will tack the photos up on the inside of the door and see if anyone gets the idea that I would like to be that organized someday.
LOL, Terri! I have silkie chickens that run loose in my "courtyard" area where the greenhouse is located. I chose them for out there because they don't fly (my other chickens are all penned with 6' fences and I only have that area fenced with a 2-3' fence) but wanted some for bug control and just because I like them. They dig around the plants but haven't bothered the landscape as a whole, even my newly planted iris rhizomes and such. Sure do help keep the grasshoppers and bugs under control, though, and I like their company when I'm working in the garden.
very nice. I have not had to heat my Fort Worth greenhouse yet, but it has a big black stocktank full of water and fish that don't tolerate temps below 55, so if I had to heat it, I would probably just stick a 300 watt heater in that stock tank and that would take care of everyone. Mine is on the southside of my garage, attached to the garage, and has a 6 ft privacy fence blocking the west wind. The southern side of my house is always 10 to 15 degrees warmer in winter if the sun is out, and I have a chicken run under my work bench so if it is too cold for my hens I can bring them in where there water doesn't freeze.
no photos because mine is an absolute mess right now.
That sounds like a great setup, Gypsi! I have a 300 gal stock tank pond with goldfish but they survive the winter without heat just fine. Maybe that would be a good excuse to add another fish tank to my life, though ;) Hubs is very patient with me about all the ones in my house but think he'd like part of them to move to the outdoors ;)
110 gallon stock tank runs about $80 at the feed store, heavy dark plastic. stick in some fish, a small pump, grow lettuce and greens all winter. I will have baby tilapia in mine along with mosquito fish and algae eaters.
What direction are the windows facing ?
It is beautiful.
How did you come up with a design ?
The big wall of windows face south. The west side also has some windows in it but also gets some shade from a tree at this time of year.
The design came out of a book we bought at Lowes with some modifications to add the extra windows. There were some major errors in the directions in the book that gave my poor husband fits as he was building it, though, and it turned out to be a very complicated design as there are a lot of angles in cutting the boards due to the design. Luckily, he has some building experience and was able to figure it all out but it wouldn't be a good one for a beginner!! LOL!
my green house isn't as fancy love yours am jealous ...mine is corrugated fiberglass with insulation board around the bottom and I use a milk house heater( purchased at lowe's) to keep it warm enough for the tropicals I have
What is a milk house heater?
"Fancy" isn't as important as functional!
I'm quite fond of corrugated fiberglass. Like cattle panels, it is quite functional. I use it to make wind protectors for my winter garden. Which reminds me, LOL, I need to get mine out and hose it off and get it ready for this year. Still too warm to use, but cold weather comes on overnight around here.
Milk house heater is just a square metal housing heater with a thermostat ...its easiest to just say do a search for milk house heaters and it will bring up photos and such on them
Thanks! I'll go looking....
Gosh, I am in awe and envy. We're moving back to Massachusetts next year. We've been sort of mulling over the idea of a greenhouse, warm room, plant room, something.
You'll need one up there! Brrrr!!!!! I wanted it more as a storage/potting shed where I could keep all my gardening supplies organized and in one spot, instead of mixed in with my husband's tools, the critter feed, etc in our other shed. It's worked out beautifully for that, looks cute in the yard and will let me overwinter some of the plants I really like that aren't hardy here in TX. Has been worth every drop of sweat and dime we put into it!