Greenhouse heating

[highlander]

what kind of heating do you use for your greenhouse, and how long would you expect to use heating in a greenhouse? i have seeds started off in the kitchen and greenhouse is nearly finished being built, plz can i get some answers to this questions. Thank-you

[Victoria]

There is all different types of heating availble - depends on how much you want to spend and what utilities you have to hand.

I cant tell you how long to use for as I dont live in your neck of the woods so it would be different.

here is some good advice about different types of greenhouse heating.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile...se_heaters.asp

you might also want to consider making a 'hot bed' using a bale of straw or a raised bed using manure (as the material breaks up it releases heat) - I have tried this and have found it very effective

[stevep]

There was a really good system I saw on It's Not Easy Being Green that used crushed glass that acted as a heat sink and a small fan driven by a solar panel. Not entirely sure how it worked but very cheap to set up and run. The details are on their website.

[stratman]

There was a really good system I saw on It's Not Easy Being Green that used crushed glass that acted as a heat sink and a small fan driven by a solar panel. Not entirely sure how it worked but very cheap to set up and run. The details are on their website.

From memory it sucked hot air, by solar driven fan, from the top of the green house into an underground heat store of glass that gave it's heat of during the cooler periods.

I am interested to here that Victoria has had success with straw bales. I have been considering building a tomato house and having an internal compost heap. I think I can produce, or my garden can, enough compost fairly early on to produce some heat to bring on toms and chillies, peppers etc. any comments. I realise it may smell, but not offensively if it is working properly.