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Salem, OR

How many of you heat the greenhouse/cloche? I'm really thinking that I should have this year, but didn't. Maybe it's just the early season jitters Pap was warning against. Patience, patience. It's hard, and the imagination can run wild and convince you that everybody else out there is starting to get ahead. I still might head off to Goodwill to pick up a used space heater

5/13/2008 3:54:16 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Yes, I use a small heater with fan and thermostat. In previous years I had it set to 50 degrees for overnight and this year I ramped it up to 60 degrees and the plants are very very happy about it.

5/13/2008 4:40:09 PM

Dallas, Oregon

Hey Matt, Unless you think we might get a late freeze I would'nt bother at this point, you would only be heating the air around the plant not the soil itself. Warmth of the soil is what we need to get these punks moving. Weather forcast is looking good for warm temps., maybe too good. Temps. in the 90's might be a little hot for the young plants.

5/13/2008 4:42:42 PM

While I agree soil temps are the key year long for growing these freaks, I also feel that a 20-50°(or more) temperature variation between daytime highs and overnight lows isn't beneficial. Cold weather growers use both inground cables and some form of heat for the hoops. Far easier to baby these things now when they are starting out, and that first few weeks can make a big difference for the end result,,imo.

5/13/2008 6:41:00 PM

Utah

I use passive solar heating in the form of 1 gallon milk jugs filled with water around the plant- 10-20 of them per plant. I think it helps.

5/13/2008 7:22:53 PM

Pembroke, New Hampshire

Space heaters above and heating cables below. My plants are as happy as...well...a pumpkin in a heated hoop house.

5/13/2008 7:28:50 PM

Sort of Sunny Sometimes, WA

I have good sized hoop houses and in each I have a 1500 watt heater running full blast from 7:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. The warmest a heater has been able to keep one of these greenhouses so far is in the low 50's overnight (and that was last night!)Monday morning we had another frost, and I'm very glad I invested in them. My plants are chugging along nicely and in the hoop with the heating cables they're chugging along even better!

5/13/2008 7:50:36 PM

Sort of Sunny Sometimes, WA

oh. . . and my electricity usage meter is chugging along too!

5/13/2008 7:51:23 PM

Cheshire,Ma

I heat mine. With temps getting to 30 sometimes it's nice to keep it a bit warmer at night. I also use soil heating cables.

5/13/2008 8:32:16 PM

Ohio

I close my hoops about a hour before the sun goes down to start heating them up a bit, then Ill turn my shop light on with 100 wt light bulb. My hoops are only about 3x4 feet and this keeps them pretty warm during the night. I found that a smaller hoop house is all I need for about 3 weeks untill I can uncover my plants completly , I found it helps in keeping them warmer then using the bigger hoops I used to use.

5/14/2008 6:45:07 AM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Digital heaters in each house. A little pricey, but well worth it. Next year I will add automatic openers for the hoop houses.

5/14/2008 11:29:16 AM

Joliet, IL

joe richards gave me some great advice 3 years ago to buy pelonis (not sure if spelling correct) ceramic disk space heaters that have thermostat control. they work great. i set to 57 at night and turn up to 85 during the day. i open my vents on my greenhouses at 6 am before going to work and leave running on chilly mornings knowing once the sun warms things up they will shut off. with this crappy spring they have been working overtime.

5/14/2008 1:55:59 PM

Ohio

Shazzy, are you talking about the heaters that can be bought from like walmart? I never could seem to find the ones that had a temp setting next to the knobs.

5/14/2008 4:24:37 PM

Ohio

I found what your talking about Shaz

http://www.shopping.com/xPO-Pelonis-Usa-Ltd-Pelonis-Ceramic-Disc-Heater-HC-451

5/14/2008 4:29:23 PM

Joliet, IL

i bought them on line brooks. they are sold various places on line. not cheap, but already worth the money in my eyes this spring. and you will have them for many seasons to come. next year try to make hoophouses large enough to cover 2 plants back to back and you will not need as many heaters that way or hoophouses. hope you can get them corn maggots too brooks, best of luck,
shazzy

5/14/2008 6:15:59 PM

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

This is the one I use: http://www.todaysconcept.com/honeywell-hz341bl-ceramic-heater-with-remote.html

Different colour, but same one.

5/14/2008 11:40:20 PM

Kakabeka Falls,On. Canada.

I use a 100 watt spot light in my 3'x4' small greenhouse,the light reflects off a small plate of shinny tin that I screwed to the top of the greenhouse,reflecting the heat towards the plant.The greenhouse also gets covered at night with blankets and a tarp.

5/15/2008 10:18:16 AM

Bristol,RI,USA.

My mini greenhouse is 5'x8' and hole heat well this year i have been using a candle in each it keeps it at about 58 it also adds a romantic glow to the back year that the plants really love.

Calcubit

5/15/2008 11:22:59 AM