Zone 8b Heating ?

Those of you that are in zone 8 or 8b.What is the average heating cost of your green house? I would also like to know what size is the green house that you are heating and the temp that you are trying to keep it at .

I live in zone 7, but my GH is about 12 by 24. We use a kerosene oil heater, but only on the coldest days and nights. The rest of the time the sun will heat it up. In fact, my hus. just filled the kero jugs and kero was almost $5 a gal. If it gets too much, then I will just move the plants that I really want to keep into the house and let the rest of them freeze. We live on a fixed income and with the prices of everything going up daily and expected to keep going up in the future, a GH will become an expense that we cannot afford. Good luck with yours. LIZ

I was jsut reading that kero was a no no.So are your plants doing well ? I don't have a greenhouse yet but my hubbie sais that he would build one for me. So now I need to decide on a size that I can afford to heat.Maybe I'll use our house as one wall. Not sure how much that will help out.

thank you
linda

Linda, I am getting a 6x16 Leanto on Wednesday. I am going to use electric heat but that may not be right for your project since your area is so much larger than mine. Go back through this forum and there are a lot of discussions on heat. I have been doing that and have learned much from reading the older forums. Elaine

Congratulations Kamkid

Thank you and I will keep up with you to see how you are doing on your greenhouse. Elaine

.Linda ..I use an attic fan for venting...2 heat lamps & a walmart ceramic electric heater that has a high & low setting it was pluged into wall plug timer...kept the temp around 50 on the coldest of night...and 4ml plastic which only last on season. Which the heat doesn't run only during coldest of night below. The gravel help's hold heat also..... I'll have to keep record of the temp this winter & acurate exp.........as for expense less that $50 per month..(I think)..... we have separt meter's for our barn, which is normally to run $100 per month.....but I did have 3 GH's keeping warm.

Hope this helps!
Donna

this GH is 16 x 12



This message was edited Nov 9, 2007 4:36 AM

another pic.

Linda kerosene is bad if you are growing things like tomatoes. It's not bad for all plants. What are you planning on having in your greenhouse? I grow daylilies and hostas. I have a kerosene heater I used the whole month of October. Now that it's colder I'm running a propane heater (more btu's). I'll use the kero as backup if something happens to the heater or it gets so cold that's not enough. In the spring I shut the propane off and will run the kerosene heater only.

MollyD

Gapeahen those are some nice green houses .your electric bill soesn' seem to bad. I noticed that you are in Ga.
I am right beside youin Alabama. I am right on the state line of Ga,and Fl. So our winters are pretty mild.
Molly I am not sure what I want to grow as I just stared gardening this year.

Hey Linda, You every go to Eufuala, we've got a place on the river across the Lake on ga. side. I was thinking of having a Round-Up at our palce on the Lake sometime in 2008. Would you be interest in coming?

If you are just trying to keep plants from freezing like a cold frame that I baiscly use the middle GH from. Just use heat lamps and put them on a electrical timer, which I'm refering to the kind you use on indoor lamps, they run under $10.

Are you running water to your GH? If you have a gravel floor it would help hold the heat also. Best of luck to ya,

Donna

My DH said that he would build one for me so we are trying to gather information.We looked at Lowe's for plastic 6m,but not sure if that would be Ok ?
Yes I would enjoy driving to Eufuala for a Round Up. I think that it is only a 45 min. drive.Just D mail when you get ready. I'v never been to a round up before. I just moved last year from Dallas,Tx,so this city girl has gone country and loving it. Goodby nails,hello dirt....lol

Linda and anyone else,

The problem with buying plastic at places like Lowes is that it is not suitable for the constant exposure to the sun's rays. The film sold specifically for greenhouse use is treated to resist UV exposure and last a bit longer. If you don't mine replacing your film every year (or at least every other year) then it's not a problem. The ones treated with UV protection are rated for 4 years use. Film breaks down in sunlight getting a yellowish look and becomes brittle, cracking open. The treated one is much slower to do this.

MollyD

Molly, I'm in z8b and would drive to Eufuala for a Roundup in'08. I live in Thomasville and its not that far. Let me know. The greenhouse is almost finished. I am cleaning out the inside floor and waiting for the rock to arrive next week to put in it. Look for information on landscape material to put down before that rock. Is there a certain kind I should look for? Any certain size rock also. Elaine Will send pictures when my GD returns my camera.

Kamikid I'm not sure what you mean by "let me know" ?

MollyD

Please "let me know'when you are going to have the roundup, if you do. What kind of floor do you have in your greenhouse and have you ever used landscape material in the greenhouse? Sorry sort of a mixed up message. Elaine

Elaine I'm not the one doing the round up! I live far away from you in the Fingerlakes region of New York State.

MollyD

I'm sorry, you can tell this has been a mixed up day for me. Thanks anyway.

gapeahen, you will probably read this thread and I would like to be notified when you have your roundup.

Molly I realize now what happen, you replied to my writting and maybe didn't read the note from gapeahen up above, and that was the one I will asking the questions of. No problem maybe it is straight now. Elaine

Oh, I'm sorry Ladies.......
Yes it's me, gapeahen - Donna who is planning the Round Up.
I'm thinking of host one in the spring & fall. One in Georgetown, Ga. and the other in Douglas, Ga. If you are interested just d-mail an I'll put you on my list.

Georegtown, Ga. is across the river from Eufuala Al.

MollyD is right about the 4ml plastic it will only last one season. I will have to replace my 4 ml plastic again. I don't use plastic in summer instead I change over to shade cloth
for my cuttings and newly potted perennials to harden them off. When it rain's it does rain through the shade cloth, which is ok with me.

It really depends on what you are going to use your GH for.