Alternative Heating for Greenhouses

Reflective Insulation

• The greenhouse should receive natural light throughout the day, and most light enters through the south-facing windows. To raise the temperature of the greenhouse, spread a sheet of reflective insulation over the interior portion of the north wall of the greenhouse. The reflection will keep more of the light inside the building during the shorter winter days and help raise the temperature of the building. The insulation also helps keep the warm air inside the greenhouse.

Greenhouse Insulation

• Simply insulating the inside of a greenhouse during the winter months, as with clear bubble wrap or some other type of insulation that allows light to enter the building, keeps the temperature up. Insulation stops warm air from escaping back into the surrounding environment, which raises the temperature of the greenhouse without the need for any central heating or electric heaters. Install greenhouse insulation according to the directions on the package for the best results.

Chickens

• Permaculture is a type of agriculture that encourages the use of plants, animals and environment in a way that reflects a naturally growing system. Adding a small chicken coop to a greenhouse and allowing the chickens to move around in the building helps raise the temperature. The chickens' waste also provides a nutrient-rich fertilizer for the greenhouse plants. The chicken system will not work well for gardeners growing plants that may be irreparably damaged or killed by feeding and scratching chickens, however.

Grow Lamps

• The use of grow lamps is a good supplemental heat-producing method for greenhouses that have insulation or stand-alone area heaters for winter use. Grow lamps provide a warm spotlight for a small area of plants or an individual plant; the light is also in the usable spectrum for greenhouse plants, which means that the lamp will allow the garden to continue being productive even in the winter months. A grow lamp heats only a small area of the greenhouse, however.