Topic: Heated Greenhouse

[caseylee]

I am looking to grow veg all year long as I have many pets that live off lettuce.  What it the best way to heat my greenhouse.  I have been advised to get a parriffin heater, but also someone mentioned bubble wrap, any ideas would be great
Thank you
Linda

[saddad]

If you grow the right varieties of lettuce.. like Winter Density that are mildew resisitant or other leaves like Endive and Chicory then you won't need heat at all.
 8)

[cambourne7]

is your greenhouse all glass or does it have brick walls around the bottom?

[caseylee]

it is glass to the floor bolted onto slabs each corner

[Eristic]

Could you not feed your pets other leaves such as swiss chard? These grow outside from strong roots and you can pull leaves off pretty much all the year round without heat. Heating a greenhouse sufficiently to grow salads with success will cost.

[caseylee]

the lettuce unfortunately would not be for me myself to eat, We have certain animals that can only eat things like little gems and round lettuce, and to buy it each week costs me well over £15.00.  Some one said that if I get a paraffin heater it would cost £9.00 a week to heat my 6'8 greenhouse, which would save me some money and fresh food for my pets during winter.

[Old bird]

Do you actually need to heat the greenhouse though - surely if you have small plants they will grow without heat?

You could start the plants off in the house during the coldest part of the year!

Good luck anyway

Old Bird
 ::)

[cambourne7]

And you can grow winter salads which will stand the cold :)

[silly billy]

The bubble wrap makes great insulation and will last for several seasons and will greatly reduce the heating costs.It can also act as a shading.I always got alot of condensation from paraffin and it was messy so I switched to electric heating which costs more but is cleaner and easier to control.