gas or paraffin - the best way to heat a greenhouse?

[goodlife]

Code:

putting a candle under a up sidedown clay pot and it warms up and keeps the frost out

Usually I do use paraffin heaters..much easier. But I bought LOADS of candles for couple of pounds from Ikea. They were all ex-display with wick cut out, damaged or totally broken. But it was ok for my use..broken down ones I just stuffed into plant pot with whole one in the middle and it all melted into one big one. I did get funny looks on till as I had couple of carrier bags full of them..
Otherwise candles are not cheap option.
Its nice to be mean sometimes..

[claybasket]

Ithink you got a great bargain,Iwould have done the same,I do save the old candles and do similar mean things,as they say thriftiness starts at the neck of the sack I feel like Ive just confessed to real mean secret  anyone else want to confess to a mean thing?

[rugbypost]

I bought a new Parrafin heater off Ebay a few months ago nice clean heater that works well, but the price it costs to run more than a litre of petrol  £1-90 a litre from B/Q. I have bought a small electric heater cost £12 from argos set it to frost control and I find it cheaper to run

[green lily]

Claybasket,thankyou for the clay pot tip I put a pack of nightlights in the poly this afternoon with a couple of Ikea candle lanterns but then had visitors......
But I like the clay pot idea much better as I don't have electricity except in the shed. Candles at the ready it is!

[claybasket]

I don't know if this would work ,but if your setting your early seeds away, you could line a cold frame with polly styren balls and put a hot water bottle with a cover on it,then and put polly wats its on top, like a sandwiche then put the seedtray on top, I think this may work in a greenhouse with no heating,I think I must have to much time on my hands roll on the spring!

[Ellen K]

I don't know if this is actually going to work but I have been saving used cooking oil with a view to making bushcraft lamps to warm my polytunnel on frosty April nights.  When I get the polytunnel up, that is 

I've got the frame, just need tp buy the cover and assemble, which is planned for March.

As others have said, paraffin is blooming expensive these days.

[claybasket]

MY OH has got fed up with me going out to the GH to do my candle thing in the plastic G H) was told i was crazy enough to burn it down he bought me a paraffin heater today in Wilkinson's half price £12, he's not a bad old stick,now aim thinking how many candles could I buy for £12 and the paraffin??aim so mean

[davyw1]

You could try this saves an awfull lot on fuel

A Greenhouse within a Greenhouse

[banksy]

Davyw1,  whats the average temperature delta between your normal greenhouse, and the 'greenhouse within a greenhouse'  Do you see a noticable difference?

This reminds me of seeing Bob Flowerdew's 'tunnel in a tunnel' many years ago where he was growing all sorts of exotic fruit in there(although I have no idea how successful that actually was!)

[Poppy Mole]

When I worked at the nursery we used parafin burners to increase the co2 ratio & make the plants on the outside of the beds (the smallest were put there) grow faster to catch up with the others.

[davyw1]

Davyw1,  whats the average temperature delta between your normal greenhouse, and the 'greenhouse within a greenhouse'  Do you see a noticable difference?

This reminds me of seeing Bob Flowerdew's 'tunnel in a tunnel' many years ago where he was growing all sorts of exotic fruit in there(although I have no idea how successful that actually was!)

Banksy I could not tell you the photo is of a mates, what i can tell you that he is getting good germination so it has to be above 60deg i will try and catch him tommorow and find out.

[banksy]

Banksy I could not tell you the photo is of a mates, what i can tell you that he is getting good germination so it has to be above 60deg i will try and catch him tommorow and find out.

Thanks, that would be useful to know, as it could make or break my purchase of one.

[Hi_Hoe]

Davyw1,  whats the average temperature delta between your normal greenhouse, and the 'greenhouse within a greenhouse'  Do you see a noticable difference?

Did this last year in my poly tunnel. I was getting 10 - 14 degrees  celcius in mini house wheras polytunnel was not much over freezing. Germination rate very high.

THIS DEFINATELY WORKS!!! No money spent on parrifin or or candles for me. Ill be doing it again this year, then the next, then the next, then the next..........

Also, i have sown directly into the polytunnel borders and cover with cloches - did this with beetroot and carrot last feb as a tester and sure enough IT WORKED!!! Again, temp inside cloches was way over ambient poly temp.

You can get mini tunnel/ cloches from poundland - It'll cost you a quid to prove me wrong!!

[banksy]

Did this last year in my poly tunnel. I was getting 10 - 14 degrees  celcius in mini house wheras polytunnel was not much over freezing. Germination rate very high.

THIS DEFINATELY WORKS!!! No money spent on parrifin or or candles for me. Ill be doing it again this year, then the next, then the next, then the next..........

Great! Looks like i'll be treating myself to one of those cheap mini houses this week 

[Hi_Hoe]

@ Banksy

"Friends always welcome on the plot, weeds by appointment only."


Motion seconded!!

[claybasket]

Is it just our paraffin thats STINKS or dose it all do it?

[davyw1]

Is it just our paraffin thats STINKS or dose it all do it?

The only way that you would get to much of a stink is if you have the wick turned up to high

[farmer,steve]

Neither, the best way to heat a greenhouse to whatever temperature you want is to build a heat sink. Yes there is an initial out lay of £60, but then it will run itself for life. Also consider the fact that burning paraffin feeds your plants.

[darkbrowneggs]

Neither, the best way to heat a greenhouse to whatever temperature you want is to build a heat sink. Yes there is an initial out lay of £60, but then it will run itself for life. Also consider the fact that burning paraffin feeds your plants.

I liked the idea of some sort of heat sink.  How does yours work?

[Ananke]

Good to know the greenhouse within a greenhouse works.  I spotted a walkin plastic greenhouse with shelving for £20 and thought about getting it to put into my greenhouse, parafin was costing way too much.