It’s the time of the year where you start to move all your plants in the greenhouse to protect them from the cold and frost. The down side of this the eye watering energy costs! Lucky for you, this blog will identify the key tips on heating a greenhouse during winter and to keep the energy cost down.
Insulating the Greenhouse
Start off by sealing any cracks or corners. This is to ensure that all draughts are covered and to make sure as much heat stays in the greenhouse as possible. Next thing you’ll want to do is insulate the greenhouse with bubble wrap. Bubble wrap is the best option due to its strength and it withstand UV light. This will act as a double glazing so make sure you don’t put too many layers on as this will reduce light transmission. And remember, the bigger the bubble, the better!
Only Heat Greenhouses when needed
To be efficient with your energy cost, only turn on your greenhouse heater when needed. It is important to know what temperature your plants need to be at as this will help reduce the money you are wasting maintaining heat that may not necessarily be needed. Most electric heaters can help with this as many are built with a thermostat so that way, you can set your heater to only produce heat when the temperature drops below a certain point. Talking about electric heaters…
Electric Greenhouse Heater
Now, electric greenhouse heaters are a great option as long as you use it efficiently as mentioned above. The advantage in using one is it doesn’t put extra moisture into the air. This is important as too much humidity can cause bacterial growth and fungi and mold will form. and is beneficial when spreading the warmth throughout the greenhouse and reducing cold spots especially if you have a fan heater.
Use a Gas/Paraffin Greenhouse Heater
Electric greenhouse heaters aren’t the only option; gas/paraffin heaters can reduce energy cost as gas can be cheaper to maintain than electric. They are great if you don’t have access to a mains. They aren’t as powerful as a electric greenhouse heater but will show do the job at keeping frost at bay! There are plenty of 7 day to 14 day paraffin heaters available if you choose to purchase.
Fleece and Cloches are Great Options at Night
During the cold nights, you are less likely to keep a heater on in case of any danger to your home and also to your plants. This is why it was a great idea to place a layer of fleeces and cloches over your plants. Fleeces and Cloches are very effective against frost as they give your plants a few extra degrees and protection. Make sure you remove cloches and fleeces during the day to make sure that your plants get enough sunlight.
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Tyler works in the Primrose Marketing team, mainly working on Social Media and Online Marketing.
Tyler is a big fan on everything sports and supports Arsenal Football Club. When not writing Primrose blogs and tweets, you can find Tyler playing for his local Sunday football team or in the gym.