How to Heat a Greenhouse Without Electricity

Keeping greenhouses warm at night and in cool weather can be a challenge without electricity and heaters. Gardener Scott shows how he is using thermal mass to warm his greenhouse. (Video #452)

Planta Greenhouses:
Use code "GARDENERSCOTT" for $150 discount

Get special perks and join the Gardener Scott Community. Click the "JOIN" button or link here:

To support the channel, you can click on these affiliate links:

Use code "GARDENERSCOTT" for a $10 discount.

Forever Garden Beds for metal raised beds.
Use code "GARDENERSCOTT" for 10% off

Use Promo code "GARDENER" for 10% off

T-shirts and mugs at the Gardener Scott Store:

Use code "GARDENERSCOTT" for 10% off

Harvest Right Freeze Dryers:

Use code "GARDENERSCOTT for 10% off

#EnjoyGardening #GardenerScott

Links included in this description and referenced in videos might be affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you purchase a product or service with the links I provide, I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you for those affiliate links and your support allows me to provide free content every week on the Gardener Scott channel.

Thank you for your support!

[shineyrocks]

I use hotbed method inside my greenhouse. A thick layer of manure and organic material topped off with compost. It works awesome and when it's done heating I just take out the old stuff which now has composted itself. I recharge the bottom with fresh manure and toss that old compost back on top and amend as necessary, it's sustainable and works well for me. I can't speak for everyone else. I know what works for me cause I live with no electricity at all none nada no electricity. Improvise is my first name. It helped to grow up around Amish communities when I was a young person. I heat my water with the same method as well. Water barrels work good but here they would freeze solid in winter. I also added another layer of plastic to the inside of my greenhouse and brought my grow zone up another zone. I believe for each layer you add to it the more the zones jump up.
Basically all your doing the way I do it sheet composting in a deep raised bed. I also added logs to the bottom similar to a hügel bed. That includes all sizes of branches logs and rotting wood. It's great for water retention and slow release of nutrients into my soil. I'm no expert but I pay attention to the know people in sustainable permaculture and Scott is one of those who knows. Biomass, mulch, compost, and I have no doubt Scott is gonna rock this greenhouse and pump out the maximum potential and capacity it's capable of producing.
Until next time enjoy gardening ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thanks Scott
Zone 4 Black Hills mountains near Custer South Dakota waving at you neighbor 👋🏻

[stickerscat]

I have a 170 gallon stock tank with goldfish in my cattle panel greenhouse. Im planning to put a stock tank heater in soon and maybe adding a second tank. Its also pleasant to watch the fish as i have my morning coffee!

[mutantryeff]

In the late 1970s, I took a tour of a community in Davis, CA (west of the University). The entire community used a variety of techniques to heat and cool these houses. One house had an entire wall that (if my memory is correct) was built using aluminum and held water similar to the blue barrels in your video. In the summer, this water was inline to the circuit used to water the yard and shrubs. What this did was put cold ground water into the wall to help cool. The wall was only hit by the sun during the winter months. There were a massive number of unique techniques as each house was different.

[lynncarter]

In my polytunnel, I use black dustbins full of water to hold heat on sunny winter days and then use the water on winter veg plants so they don’t have cold water shock

[danielmarkleblanc]

We have a similar style green house. Our green house is 8x16 and we live in Atlantic Canada with cold and snowy weather from around Late November to around late March. We use a large heavy duty transparent plastic cover which we put over the green house during the late fall and winter months. This plastic cover also protect the green house panels from harsh winter winds and snow loads. The plastic comes in a large role and we cut the plastic to fit the desired space required. The main floor is a mixture of patio stones and gravel and our main planting area are in large black bins which sit on the gravel floor with its soil contents. We get around a 6 to 8 degree temperature deference (warmer) using this method and we are able to keep below freezing until sunset. The front face and back face of the green house is not covered. It seems that this method helps keep the warm air in longer without compromising any of my interior space.

[glgardener]

Got a green house this summer and had black cement put in for the a lot of heat. I will see what this winter brings.

[amymorales]

Thanks for this video. This was my first winter with a greenhouse, and I knew to put lots of water in it, so I built an aquaponics system in it. Plenty of water, but it still got too cold at night without a heater, and too hot during the day (lots of sun in my high elevation southwest US location). Now that it’s warmer outside, I had to put a tarp with “windows” cut in it over the greenhouse, and a large canopy of shade-cloth over both that and the chicken coop, so that it stays cool enough during the day. I also run fans inside. Before next winter, I will put insulation on the north wall.

[maureenodonnell]

Wow! This is the video I’ve been waiting for! Thank you so much and I’m glad you have done the math on water storage. I’ve been tossing around getting a greenhouse and this video has moved the decision forward by leaps and bounds. Looking forward to see what and when you plant in it, especially this Fall. Thank you, Gardener Scott😊🌺👍🌹

[Athabina]

I have been using milk jugs painted black in my hoop houses for three years but I need to add more insulation of some kind because they do not hold the heat at night and it gets down to 12 C here at night even in summer in Victoria, BC, My hoop houses are just curved 10 foot long 3/4 inch PVC piles held in place and cover with plastic sheeting

[gabrielleannacormierart]

This was exactly what I needed to watch! My husband and I just assemble our greenhouse and much to my dismay, I was shocked to see the temperature is fluctuating as much as it is from day to night. You’ve given me so many ideas on how to better control the temperature so I can hopefully get planting my seeds soon. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us ☺️🙏

[simpsonken]

I use galvanized cattle water trough painted black put it on sheet of foam insulation and paint it black. I heat the water with a drain back vacuum solar collector powered by solar panel. 👨🏻‍🎨❤️

[TerryMcGearyScotland]

I can actually pick up lots of intriguing ideas from the knowledgeable people making comments here! Thanks everybody.

[shandysgarden]

Great video! I'm going to have to rebuild my Greenhouse by fall and you reminded me of some things I need to be looking for throughout the summer... I always think of inventions so maybe somebody needs to create Greenhouse tables that hold water! Basically fillable tanks and black. Of course they would be super light to move once you drain them, but otherwise, they are dual purpose. Just like an umbrella weght, or a basketball hoop weight. Same concept 😊

[dmdartfx]

I’m in the Midwest near Lake Michigan and it gets cold here, I’m growing simple vegetables that can handle the cold, however, I have a layer of bubble wrap & an emergency blanket on my north wall, along with a compost bin and some water jugs painted black. It got pretty cold the other night and the day wasn’t much warmer it snowed. The green house was pretty warm because I forgot a jug of water that was on the floor and it wasn’t frozen . It’s a very small greenhouse, 2 1/2 ft by 4ft & 6 1/2 ft tall. It works for small & simple plants that I want to grown in the winter months. I have no electricity out by my greenhouse. Wasn’t sure about how to go about this, I have a few ideas to try & build a thermo heat sink infusing a solar powered heater. Just going to try an idea & see if it works with the water heating & releasing heat at night.

[TerryMcGearyScotland]

Subscribed Scott! You're talking my kind of language. A friend recommened this video when I discussed my idea of hanging up solar showers bags of water to keep my greenhouse above freezing in our bitter Scottish winter. I can see I've underestimated the volume I'll need even using a couple of 5 gallon plastic bottle and having concrete slabs for a base! He has encouraged me in my project by gifting me a thermometer that beams the greenhouse temperature into my living room. This means I won't upset readings by even opening the door! As for cooling the greenhouse, My small one heats up to fairly dangerous levels very quickly when the sun comes out. How about a solar powered fan to blow the hot air from the loftier parts down to the base of your water containers?

[lostpony]

Ha i just finished putting my current greenhouse together with 3 pavers wide path between the doors just like that only to make it nice in there.

[cwiskus]

Could look into an ibc tote. A bit bigger then a 55 gal barrel but holds alot of gallons for less foot print area

[isabelladavis]

Excellent …thank you for sharing this valuable information

[eliandkate]

It took me a few views of the video to take in the details. I have 48 sq ft of floor 😊
Must admit, I’m really surprised at the difference being 10 degrees. I absolutely wasn’t expecting it to be that much.
I’m guessing it works better or rather heats the water more when you have direct sun rather than cloudy. Lots to think about. Thank you for a really interesting one

[elizabethbenton]

I am in the process of building a 20x12 ft green house. Because we are in a cold area i calculated that it would take me 960 gallons. (I used 4 because we can start with frosts in April/May and go through to Nov/Dec some years)