how do you heat a greenhouse properly?

[leah]

I have a parafin heater, which I can get parafin for cheaply, so I'm not woried about costs..

but I haven't got a clue what to do Does it go on most of the day and night? Just at night? Can the fumes damage me or the seedling?

Are there any general rules I should follow?

Is ther anything specific I can sow earlier? Does it mean that after I have seedings started in the propegater indoors, I can transplant then into the heated greenhouse?

Sorry for all the questions

[Snadger]

The size and number of paraffin heaters combined with the external temperature and internal space of the greenhouse are what limit the temperature you could attain.
If you can just keep the frost at bay certain plants will thrive. If you could keep a minimum night time temperature of 50 deg F even more plants could be grown early and late season.
You need to get a maximum/ minimum thermometer and try and ascertain what temperatures you can actually sustain.
When parrafin burns it gives of CO2 which is good for plants. Unfortunately it also gives off a lot of water vapour which in coolish conditions could cause moulds and fungi to grow.
Ventilation is the key, but the knack is regulating the ventilation without losing too much heat.
A minimum temperature of round about 60 deg F would allow you to put most things that were started in a propagator......straight into the greenhouse.

[Alison]

If you really feel that you have to heat your greenhouse then do it on a thermostat so that it only comes on when it's needed. As said, ventilation is really important but so is insulation so that you don't lose heat unnecessarily. Bubble wrap and polystyrene are good as is just heating a partial area.

[leah]

thank you for the advice

I might section some off as I have quite a few varieties of chillis, pepper, aubergines, strawberries and toms that are just popping up and I have more to get started. I haven't got enough room on my window cills, so they will have to go outside!

I'll have to put a wanted add for bubble wrap on freecycle and buy a
min/max thermometer

Can't wait to get started properly in there

[Snadger]

If you really feel that you have to heat your greenhouse then do it on a thermostat so that it only comes on when it's needed. As said, ventilation is really important but so is insulation so that you don't lose heat unnecessarily. Bubble wrap and polystyrene are good as is just heating a partial area.

But just remember........there's always a trade off with insulation as it reduces light to plants at a particularily vunerable time in their growth cycle!
Heating a small area within a bigger area is the best option I reckon!

[binley100]

How about a mini plastic greenhouse inside your greenhouse . Would that work?

[Snadger]

How about a mini plastic greenhouse inside your greenhouse . Would that work?

I did that last year and it worked fine. This year I've just got a polythene curtain seperating heated area!