[mickwood]

Just wondered, what do folks think about greenhouse heaters? worth it? not worth it? essential?
I grow on an allotment rather than my own garden, no electricity. Any advice?
Do they just get put on at night then turned off again in the morning? do they have timers?
Cheers  :happy:

[DD.]

I've got some electric heating in the greenhouse at home, this time of year, just enough to keep the frost off some of the slightly delicate plants in there. I'll wind it up a bit later in the year when it comes to flower seed time.

Toms, cues, peppers etc are started off indoors and then moved to the greenhouse when I've cranked the heating up.

It's contolled by a plug in themostat.

[mickwood]

Anyone know if that level of control can be achieved with a paraffin heater?

[DD.]

Only if you visit the greenhouse every 15 mins, I think!

[mickwood]

*.... lol!

[stompy]

There is a guy on our site that uses paraffin heaters.
You wana see his greenhouse, it stuffed with hanging baskets, all different types of flowers, He propogates fuchias, bergonias and allsorts of other things through the winter, so they deffinately work.
I dont know how much it cost him though because they're not cheap to run.

They are easy to control though, they give off a set amount of heat thats all but you can increase or decrease it, but once set you have to manually ajust it.

[Hey Jude]

As far as I know parrafin heaters have only one temperature as I found to my cost last year when I turned the wicks on mine up, only to find a layer of soot over everything the following morning...........!!!!

[stompy]

Mines one of the twin wick varieties.
I only light one in a normal winter, this year isn't exactly a normal one so far though 
If i need more heat i jut light the second one.

[RichardA]

I dont heat the greenhouse itself but I made a propogator about 6 by 3 foot by 18inches high out of shower screen panels and ply with soil warming cables in a sand bed and thermostat. Great for getting seeds started and cuttings and gentle care of anything that is ailing. With the lid on it provides a useful space for trays outside but on top of propogator just after pricking out to bring them on a little. Very useful at accelerating anything that is a bit behind BUT BUT BUT need to very careful about avoiding any abrupt changes when moving stuff out of propogator and about stuff getting leggy if light levels low.
Have been pleasently surprised how warm the greenhouses and polytunnel have stayed with just snow on roof and weak occasional sun. Mental note to self -- get glass cleaned earlier next year so sun can get in better !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
R

[strangerachael]

As far as I know parrafin heaters have only one temperature as I found to my cost last year when I turned the wicks on mine up, only to find a layer of soot over everything the following morning...........!!!!

Me too 
You need to keep the wicks really short and after that I had to go out and check every few minutes to make sure it didn't happen again. It takes a bit of getting used to. I didn't find it particularly uneconomical though, I'm still on the original bottle of parafin. The obvious benefit is you don't need electric power.

[Hey Jude]

It's a mistake we'll only make once Strangerachael! I've only got a lean-to (small but I love it dearly!) so the paraffin heater works really well normally, though it's perishing here at the moment and I'm not sure it's doing much good!

[Kristen]

For my money I would go with bottle gas. Thermostatically controlled, much less condensation than Paraffin, and probably cheaper than Electricity (which is probably out of the question anyway if the greenhouse is a long way from the house).

Electricity in the greenhouse has other benefits though - under soil heating can reduce the amount of air-heating required significantly; electric control of irrigation, mist-propagation, and fan-ventilation.

[sunshineband]

I'm with DD on this -- electricity, used carefully means that my orchids overwinter successfully.

Given the current conditions I have move some of the more tender plants inside too, like my lemon and orange trees (small ones  )

[strangerachael]

Maybe not significant at this time of year, but I heard that burning parafin produces ethylene gas, which might help peppers and toms ripen in those chilly autumn days?