How to Keep Your Greenhouse Warm In the Winter

If you have a green thumb, you’re probably an expert in plants. Keeping your plants safe and well-tended to is a huge labor of love. Some plants die out before the first frost. However, there are plants that you’ll want to keep safe year-round, and seed starters sometimes need to be planted when it’s quite cold. So, having a greenhouse is necessary to take care of your plants. However, keeping your plants warm in a greenhouse might seem like a challenge. While there are many ways to go about this, here are four ideas to help you keep your greenhouse warm in the winter.

1. Electric Heating

There are always electric heating options available that can be added to your greenhouse. You’ll need a way to plug it in, and you’ll have to take precautions to ensure it’s used safely. So, be sure to read all of the heater instructions carefully. Also, take the warnings seriously and keep those in mind as you set everything up. Electric heating is actually one of the best ways to heat a greenhouse because it will not put extra moisture into the greenhouse’s air. In addition, if you want to ensure less cold spots form in your greenhouse, consider a fan heater.

2. Thermal Mass

Another way to keep your greenhouse warm without a heating system is with thermal masses. Thermal masses can be a variety of things. For example, bricks, tiles, and concrete can all be thermal masses. One of the most prevalent and best ways to create thermal masses is with large barrels of water that are placed inside your greenhouse against a wall that has direct sunlight. What’s neat about them is that they are things that absorb the heat from the sun during the day and slowly release it at night. This is a very inexpensive way to keep your greenhouse warmer too.

3. Composting

You can also use composting to heat a greenhouse. There is a specific method to it, so you’ll need to do your research to make sure it’s successful. However, the basic idea is that you need to get the compost to steam from certain points of decomposition in order to generate heat. While this can be a good option, there are more efficient ways to heat a greenhouse.

4. Insulation

Another way to keep a greenhouse warm is by utilizing insulation. Many sources agree that bubble plastic (basically the bubble wrap we all enjoy popping) is the best plastic insulator for a greenhouse. Larger bubbles are rumored to be the best since they let in more light and hold in heat better. You can put this around the sides of the greenhouse and even a light layer over your plants, for additional protection.

These four ideas are just a jumping-off point. There are many, many ways to heat a greenhouse. In addition, if you don’t already have a greenhouse, and you’re looking for another option, these medium size sheds from Keter can be adapted into a greenhouse with some modifications. With any kind of new thing, it’s always good to do your research and make sure you understand the implications of using certain materials or structures to create a warming effect and or greenhouse. However, once you figure it out, it can be a game-changer when it comes to gardening.

Jesse

Jesse Ortiz is an avid home blogger, with the goal of helping his readers find inspiration and ideas for their next project. He writes about everything from small design projects to large renovations. His goal is to help people transform their homes into something that reflects who they are.