[Russell Atterbury]

DIY Cheap Winter Greenhouse Heating | Solar/Jean Pain Experiment | Over Two Months Running | 5a/4b

I don't know if many of the site followers have come across this idea above for winter heat in a greenhouse. But I find it fascinating, and most probably do-able. It is a title for a YouTube video that would have to be copied and pasted there to bring it up. I have just discovered that links don't post on this site. Merry days folks.

[Subversive_plot]

DIY Cheap Winter Greenhouse Heating | Solar/Jean Pain Experiment | Over Two Months Running | 5a/4b

I don't know if many of the site followers have come across this idea above for winter heat in a greenhouse. But I find it fascinating, and most probably do-able. It is a title for a YouTube video that would have to be copied and pasted there to bring it up. I have just discovered that links don't post on this site. Merry days folks.

Happy holidays Russell!

I've often thought that compost could be used that way.

One way to post a link is to copy and paste the link, then add square brackets at the beginning of the link, with the letters url inside the brackets and touching the link you pasted. Caps vs. lower case letters in the brackets not important.

Do the same at the end of the link with /url inside square bracket touching the end of the link.

Example (random link to a story on CNN):
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/24/us/doctors-patients-threats-coronavirus-treatments/index.html

[Russell Atterbury]

Subversive_plot. It is an interesting idea for what looks like a total fix of the conundrum regarding winter heating a greenhouse. With a bit of planning and a little more work that is. Thanks for the link tip. Maybe someone will explain why they don't just paste on the site as normal.

[mumofstig]

I have just discovered that links don't post on this site.

Most links do, but a few years ago we had a problem with Youtube links, so now you have to use the hyperlink  box just above the winking smiley face, above the reply box. Just clicking on that gives you  [url)(/url] you can then copy/paste your youtube link between the brackets 

[al78]

That is a more advanced version of having a pile of fresh horse manure in your greenhouse and letting it rot down over winter. I'm not convinced it would be worth the hassle of setting that up in the UK as it is not just the temperature that is the limiting factor for growth in winter, it is the lack of daylight hours as well. It would work beautifully whenever we get a ridiculous frostiest spring month for 100 years like we did this year.

[Nobbie]

As Al says, light levels are an issue over winter in the U.K. , so doubt much would grow well, but would be a useful way of overwintering tender plants. Probably easier to get the wood chip dumped in a pile and then build a poly tunnel over the top.

[Subversive_plot]

As Al says, light levels are an issue over winter in the U.K. , so doubt much would grow well, but would be a useful way of overwintering tender plants. Probably easier to get the wood chip dumped in a pile and then build a poly tunnel over the top.

**** CAUTION ****
Actually having a pile of composting wood chips (or other compost) in an enclosed space would use a lot of oxygen, probably depleting oxygen to dangerously low levels.

This is why composting facilities are open and well ventilated.

It's probably why the system in the video uses water and air tube systems to move heat into the greenhouse. The air tube most likely does not move gases from the compost into the greenhouse. Just the heat is moved as air in the tube is warmed.

[hasbeans]

All the passive heating ideas for greenhouses are fascinating but you have to be realistic about any gain for the effort/cost in an ordinary single glazed greenhouse which is effectively little more than a wind break in winter.  I imagine a few degrees gain is the best you can hope for, potentially extending seasons a little or protecting from a hard frost.  With compost I'd have thought burying half rotted compost in a greenhouse bed, with a cold frame of fleece over would be more effective as the heat is around roots, where you want it.  It depends how you use your greenhouse...and the plants are still at risk if theres a sustained hard frost.  Insulating the beds from outside temperatures, blankets, large thermal mass can all help but it's always small gains while the building itself is 95% glazing.

[Russell Atterbury]

What I found interesting about the video was that with an outside temperature of  minus 8 degrees, using the 'dual' system of underground water pipes in the beds, and the permanently working air blower, the guy says that over a full winter the greenhouse is always warm. He also answers one of the viewers questions by saying that the compost pile can be built to last up to more than 15 months.....I like the idea, and if it really works, then three cheers to the originator.