So, you have yourself a greenhouse but you’re still worried that it may not be enough to keep your plants warm and growing. Everyone knows that one of the most important things when it comes to growing plants is the temperature. Temperature affects the growth of just about every plant on the planet. There are very few plants that can grow in harsh environments. Those that do work with special devices to help them survive. So just how do you have a substantial environment for the plants you want to grow?
As it turns out, there are a lot of factors in determining what the temperature is in your greenhouse. The climate surrounding the greenhouse to what season it is will affect how hot or how cold it is inside. Even the amount of sunlight present in your area will greatly affect how hot or cold your greenhouse can be. You can’t just put together a room and hope that the plants will keep themselves heated. Luckily for us, there are plenty of farmers who have figured out just how to easily keep control of the temperature in their greenhouses. There are a lot of things you can do in order to keep the frost out and the warmth in.
First off, humidity is a huge factor in the temperature inside of your greenhouse. If you have too much humidity in the greenhouse, it can be muggy and it can even be hard for your plants to breathe. If you have two little humidity, you have a bad chance of it getting way too cold in your greenhouse. There always needs to be a certain amount of water in the air within your greenhouse. This, of course, always depends on what type of plants are growing but it may be smart to keep a few open barrels sitting around. Water can absorb heat during the day and will hold on to it faster than most of your plants. Some people even use water as a pretty solid heating source in their greenhouses.
Is It Permanent?
The major reasons you would want to control the temperature in a greenhouse is because you’re trying to grow plants in the winter. In this case, you have to decide whether you want your greenhouse to be a permanent fixture or temporary one to last you through the winter. If your greenhouse is permanent, then you’re probably not going to want to put too much money into trying to heat it. This is where you may want to try cheaper alternatives for temperature control like tarps. A lot of farmers will pull tarps that are known for an absorbing heat over the greenhouses. When properly covered each night, they can help keep a ton of heat. This only really works with smaller greenhouses and it takes a little bit of work to put the tarps up every day.
Next, it is even possible to wrap your greenhouse in materials like bubble wrap. That’s right, bubble wrap is an insulation method many farmers use the help warm their greenhouses. Due to the fact that bubble wrap is clear, sunlight can go through it so people don’t have to constantly remove it from their greenhouses. It also is a great packaging and insulation material, making it keep in heat. On top of that, it is pretty cheap to get a bunch of bubble wrap from the dollar store and cover your greenhouse with it. While this may not be the most efficient or long-standing idea, it is by far one of the cheapest and most cost-effective things you can do if you don’t want to keep reapplying other materials daily to the greenhouse.
You’re going to want to look into getting something like a heating system that comes with a thermostat. By installing a heating system in your greenhouse, you can more effectively control the interior temperature. While this makes the greenhouse run your electricity bill a bit and maybe a more expensive installation, if you have a greenhouse you want to use for years then it is the perfect way to make sure your plants are always at an ideal temperature for growth.
Balancing Act
If putting in a heating system is just way out of your budget, then think about adding some heaters. By placing several small heaters, you can help control the temperature throughout the greenhouse without going overboard. It may take a little bit of tampering but soon you’ll learn to switch settings that are best for your greenhouse and where to position the heaters to get the most out of them. Just don’t put them altogether, place the heaters in different corners to make sure that heat is being evenly distributed throughout it. If possible, also make sure to get the same brand of heaters, as different brands may have different heat output in different settings.
The most important thing you can remember no matter what you choose to do with your greenhouses is that it has to be balanced. If you try to mix together a bunch of different ways to heat the greenhouse, then it may cause the greenhouse environment to become unstable. Plants can be fickle creatures and they need some sort of stability in their environment. If you have a heater on one side and are using the water method on the other to try and save money, then you’re going to end up losing half of your crops.
To take a step even further in making sure you’re greenhouse stays at the right temperature, think about investing in a thermometer. To my surprise, these little gadgets are actually pretty cheap and help you keep track of just what’s going on inside your greenhouse. Spend only a little bit more money and you can even get an electric one that can digitally keep up with what temperature it currently is in the room. If you’re doing well and taking care of your greenhouse, then everything should stay on a regular schedule.
