IT'S A COLD, CRUEL WORLD KEEP PLANTS GROWING WITH A GREEN HOUSE HEATER

You built your green house so you could grow plants year round. So, in the winter months it only makes sense that you would heat your green house with a green house heater. The temperature of the green house can vary as much as the temperature outside and tender plants cannot survive in those extremes. Insulation alone is often not enough in colder climates and so a green house heater is a wise investment.

Several types of green house heaters are available, from electric to gas and each have their own special requirements. The size and location of your green house will also play a determining factor in what sort of green house heater you need. No matter which style suits your needs, the important thing is keeping your plants warm, alive and your green house a green house.





Give 'Em A Little Air, Will Ya!
Use of ventilation in conjunction with a green house heater will also help reduce condensation build up and reduces frost building up on the covering. Of course the efficiency of the heater will be determined by the insulating qualities of the outer walls.

Many growers are against using a ceiling mounted green house heater since heat rises and would probably be lost going out the top of the green house. The more efficient is to use a baseboard green house heater as it starts the heat out at the base of the green house and allows it to rise, warming the interior from bottom to top.





Another consideration is the placement of your green house heater and how many trays will be in the center and how many will be along the walls of the green house. There seems to be agreement, however, that if a blower is used on the heater, it doesn't blow the warm air directly onto the plants. Adequate ventilation is also required to keep the heat flowing through the green house. It won't help to have the best green house heater if the air isn't circulating properly and reaching all the plant areas evenly.

Oil and gas fired units are also shied away from as those types of green house heater have to be properly vented to avoid damaging the plants by exposing them to hazardous exhaust. On a bright sunny day the natural sun can be used as a green house heater, but a thermostat on a mechanical heat source can help maintain constant temperature inside the green house.