How to build a warm greenhouse. DIY winter greenhouse - heating options

A spoon is for dinner, and a green cucumber is for the New Year. This addition to the Russian proverb is not controversial. No canned food can replace vegetables grown in your own greenhouse.

However, just the desire to create a “vegetable island” on the site is not enough. Heating a greenhouse in winter is the main stumbling block that causes difficulties for beginners.

What heating method is easy to implement and not too expensive? What technical innovations do greenhouse owners use to grow seedlings, vegetables and flowers? What are their pros and cons? We will answer all these questions in our review.

Types and methods of heating in greenhouses

All methods of heating greenhouses can be divided into auxiliary and basic. The auxiliary ones include solar radiation and biofuels. Everyone knows about the energy of the sun's rays, which creates the greenhouse effect. The use of biofuels should be considered in more detail.

The decomposition of organic matter is accompanied by the release of a large amount of heat. Knowing this, experienced greenhouse gardeners place horse, cow or pig manure under the beds during the cold season. To slow down the rate of decomposition, it is mixed with straw or sawdust. The homemade “bioaccumulator” is covered with fertile soil on top and plants are planted. After a week, the process of heat release by organic matter begins. It lasts for several months. As a result, the earth warms up evenly, and the seedlings begin to grow together.

Economical and environmentally friendly solar and biomass heating methods have their drawbacks. In early spring, the energy of the sun's rays is not enough to fully warm up the greenhouse. Biofuel begins to “work” only at a sufficiently high temperature, which must be created by another heat source. These reasons explain their auxiliary status.

Main sources of heating for greenhouses

Effective heating of a polycarbonate greenhouse can be created in several ways:

A stove operating on solid fuel;
Gas boiler;
Electrical cable;
Infrared heater;
Heat gun;
Heat pump;
Solar liquid collector.

Stove heating

Heating a greenhouse with a stove is an “old-fashioned” way of maintaining above-zero temperatures. Despite its advanced age, it is still relevant. The idea of the method is to lay a long channel from the furnace, buried in the ground, through which hot gases move. They warm the soil, and the hot stove body radiates heat into the air.

This method has several advantages:

Low price and availability of solid fuel;
System autonomy;
Minimal maintenance costs.

Stove heating also has disadvantages:

The process cannot be automated;
The soil warms up in a narrow area along the smoke channel.

A modern option for heating greenhouses with solid fuel is the Canadian Buleryan stove. In its firebox, the process of burning wood is slow. Thanks to this, the frequency of fuel loading is reduced (2 times a day), and the heat output becomes uniform.

The Buleryan stove is a good budget solution for heating a greenhouse

A gas boiler

This heat generator is used very often in winter greenhouses. There are two ways to transfer heat from gas boilers:

Radiator;
Duct ("warm floor" principle).

The first option is implemented by installing heating registers - steel or aluminum radiators - along the walls of the greenhouse. The heat from them circulates in the room, warming the soil, plants and creating the air exchange necessary for their life.

Heating the greenhouse with a gas boiler (radiators and heated floors)

The second method will be understood by everyone who has encountered the installation of heated floors in their home. In this case, the gas boiler is connected to a system of plastic pipes laid over the entire floor area of the greenhouse. The bottom of the pipes is insulated with dense polystyrene foam. A layer of sand and fertile soil is poured on top of them.

Laying a heated floor pipeline in a greenhouse

The soft heat from water circulating through the pipes warms the roots of plants and the air above them to a height of up to 1.5 meters. Energy in this case is spent more economically and efficiently than with the radiator method.

The two heating options we considered with a gas boiler are equivalent in terms of operating comfort. Automation maintains the required temperature conditions around the clock, without requiring human intervention.

Electric cable heating

Quite a new way of heating the soil. It works on the “warm floor” principle. Installation of a heating electric cable is similar to the installation of a liquid ground heating system powered by a gas boiler.

The advantages of this heating method include:

low installation costs;
simple controls;
automatic temperature control;
uniform distribution of heat over the soil surface.

The total recommended cable power for ground heating is small (from 75 to 120 W per 1 m2). This means that the load on the electrical network from a small greenhouse (up to 24 m2 in area) does not exceed 3 kW and does not require laying a powerful power cable.

Installation diagram of a heating electric cable under greenhouse beds

It should be noted that in severe frosts the electric cable may not cope with heating the greenhouse. Large heat losses through glass walls require the installation of an additional heat source - a Buleryan solid fuel stove or a gas boiler.

Infrared heating

Using the same types of energy (electric and gas), this type of heater transfers it to plants not by circulating heated air or water. The bulk of the heat reaches the soil and plants instantly. It is carried by infrared rays.

The emitters are placed under the ceiling of the greenhouse or mounted on the wall frame. The option with electric infrared panels is suitable for small private winter greenhouses (12-25 m2). If you want to place them in a larger room, problems with the power supply may arise. A dozen panels with a power of 1.5 kW each will create a large load on the network. Without laying a powerful cable, it will not be possible to fully use them.

IR emitters with gas burners are better in this sense. Their total power is unlimited. For stable operation, a gas network or bottled gas is sufficient.

Infrared gas heater

Advantages of infrared heating:

Uniform heating of the room is achieved.
The air does not dry out.
The growth of dangerous viruses and bacteria is suppressed.
Optimal conditions for plant development are created.
Reduces dust circulation.

Heat guns

Despite their menacing name, these installations are ordinary fan heaters that supply heated air to the greenhouse.

Depending on the type of energy used, heat guns are divided into electric, gas and liquid fuel (diesel, oil, gasoline). Depending on the method of heat transfer, direct and indirect heating devices are distinguished.

Direct heating heat guns are powered by electricity. The fan blows through the heated spiral, directing the air flow into the greenhouse room. Indirect heating is used in installations that burn diesel fuel or used motor oil.

Indirect heating heat gun

Since the combustion of natural gas produces a minimum of soot and soot, gas heat guns, like electric ones, operate in a direct-flow manner.

A winter greenhouse with heating only by heat guns is a rare occurrence. The reason is high energy consumption. Reviews from greenhouse owners pay special attention to this fact.

Therefore, in practice, these heat generators are used as backup ones. They turn on heat guns in severe frosts and in case of emergency breakdown of the main heating system.

Heat pump

Heating plants with heat accumulated over the summer by soil or a body of water is not a very common topic. The main reason is the high cost of the heat pump and its installation.

If the owner has the funds to purchase such equipment, then it is used in a comprehensive manner: for heating the house and heating the greenhouse.

The heat pump is included in the liquid subsurface heating system. It is not suitable for supplying radiators with hot water.

Heat pump for a greenhouse - environmentally friendly, convenient, but still expensive

Working from low-grade ground heat, it cannot heat water to a high temperature. It is used as the main source of energy in the spring. In winter greenhouses, the heat pump works in tandem with more powerful heat generators: gas boilers or slow-burning stoves.

solar collector

Let’s say right away that it is impossible to heat a greenhouse with photovoltaic panels (solar batteries). The main task of this equipment is to generate electricity. Therefore, in practice, another type of equipment powered by radiant energy is used - a solar collector.

The principle of its operation is to heat water pumped through vacuum tubes laid inside a glazed panel. The water in them is heated to a high temperature and discharged into a multi-pipe pipeline laid under the soil.

On a sunny day, regardless of the ambient temperature, the solar collector provides heat to the greenhouse room. At night, you have to turn on another energy source - a gas boiler, a solid fuel stove or a heat pump.

Scheme of joint operation of a solar collector and a heat pump in a greenhouse:

Solar collector
Greenhouse room
Boiler
Heat storage tank
Heat pump
Circulation pump unit
Regulator valves
Soil heating circuit
Hydraulic accumulators
Soil temperature and moisture sensor
Controller
Automatic shut-off valves
Security automation
Geothermal circuit

As can be seen from the diagram, the operation of a solar installation paired with a heat pump is fully automated. Thanks to this, the desired temperature and humidity are maintained in the greenhouse.

Rating of greenhouse heating options

In conclusion, we will make a comparative analysis of the considered options for heating greenhouses.

The easiest way to organize heating is with gas boilers and stoves running on solid fuel. Gas installations are easy to automate and create a comfortable microclimate for plants without auxiliary heat sources.

Buleryan stoves are not very convenient to use (the need for periodic manual loading of firewood). Their main advantages are low fuel cost and high heat transfer.

In second place you can put infrared emitters, cable heating systems and solar collectors. They are relatively inexpensive, easy to install and operate automatically. However, in terms of the cost of energy spent on generating a unit of heat, they are significantly inferior to gas and wood.

Heat guns occupy the third step in our rating. They are easy to maintain, can operate automatically, but are not economical. Heat pumps are located in the same niche. Despite the minimal cost of energy, the price of these installations is high and pays off for a very long time (8-12 years).

The construction of a winter greenhouse on a personal plot is a definite milestone in the practice of a gardener, when knowledge and experience in growing a variety of crops allows harvesting not only in the summer. However, you need to understand that the construction of a winter greenhouse is an event that requires knowledge, work skills, careful preparation of materials and a place for the future structure. Therefore, it would be a good idea to familiarize yourself with some options for winter greenhouse projects and useful tips from experts to make such a difficult but very exciting task as easy as possible.

Deciding on the type of structure

Today, there are so many different options for constructing winter greenhouses that in order to carefully describe the features and advantages of each of them, one would have to write a multi-volume essay. Therefore, to make it easier for the average person to understand the features of the construction of winter greenhouses, we note the most important differences between the main types of these structures.

The classic version of the construction of winter greenhouses has the following differences.

Functional Features

A wide variety of crops are grown in winter greenhouses. It can be not only traditional vegetables, fruits, flowers and mushrooms. It will be quite interesting to harvest exotic fruits and citrus crops in winter. The sequence in the construction and arrangement of the internal space of the greenhouse will depend on what is planned to be grown in the greenhouse.

Location of the building

The construction of winter heated greenhouses is divided into three types: built into the soil, built at ground level, mounted on specially equipped elevations (for example, the roof of a garage or barn).

Selection of building materials

Depending on the type of building materials used. All winter greenhouses can be divided into several groups:

built of brick;
built from wood;
mounted from metal or polyvinyl chloride profile;
glazed or covered with polycarbonate;
combined options.

Features of planting

The construction of a winter greenhouse should take place in such a place that the future building will be in direct sunlight for most of the day. After all, they are so necessary for the normal growth and development of plants. Also, a good location for building a greenhouse will help save a fairly large amount of money that would have to be spent on additional lighting. The best location for building a greenhouse is from west to east. It is this approach that will allow you to make the most of the beneficial properties of such a meager bright light of the winter sun.

Advice ! Future greenhouses should not be located in lowlands with a sufficiently high groundwater level. Such greenhouses typically maintain high levels of humidity, which can be detrimental to a large number of plants.

Choosing the type of heating

Properly selected and properly installed heating in a winter greenhouse is the key to creating a favorable microclimate for the successful growth and development of plants. Installation of a heating system is a rather labor-intensive and complex procedure, so its implementation must be approached with skill.

There are quite a large number of methods for heating a winter greenhouse. Each has both positive and negative characteristics. When choosing a heating system method for your greenhouse, you must take into account the technological features of a particular structure, the climatic conditions of the area in which the greenhouse is located, as well as the amount of money available.

Let's take a closer look at the most common heating options in greenhouses:

Choosing material for building a winter greenhouse

Materials for greenhouse covering are selected according to the following criteria:

individual design features of a winter greenhouse;
good sunlight transmission;
weather resistance;
the ability to maintain structure and integrity even with frequent temperature changes;
ease and simplicity of installation;
low cost;
duration of operation.

Let's take a closer look at the most common options for building winter greenhouses.

Glass

This material was previously used as the main type of greenhouse covering. Glass goes well with wood and metal. Glass surfaces have good light transmission and thermal insulation properties. However, today, glass as a covering for greenhouses is losing its relevance. A large number of more modern, lightweight, resistant to mechanical damage and, most importantly, inexpensive materials have appeared.

Polymer materials

This material is lightweight and has good transmittance for sunlight. However, polymer panels very quickly lose their original appearance and in the absence of ventilation indoors, excess moisture forms on the surface of the greenhouse.

Cellular polycarbonate

This material is the best today for cladding the structure of a winter greenhouse. He managed to combine the best qualities of glass and film.

We design a greenhouse

Once the materials for construction have been selected and the dimensions of the structure have been indicated, you can begin to develop a project for the future greenhouse. The easiest way to resolve the issue is to use a ready-made plan and adjust it according to personal preferences and construction conditions.

If you decide to draw up a plan for the future greenhouse yourself, you should adhere to a certain algorithm of actions:

We schematically designate the site plan and determine the location of the future building;
We calculate the size of the winter greenhouse.
We develop a scheme for laying utility lines;
separately indicate on the plan the type and dimensions of the foundation;
We calculate the required amount of materials for constructing the roof of a winter greenhouse;
We are thinking about ways to attach all structural elements to each other.

We are building a polycarbonate greenhouse

Polycarbonate is the best material for the construction of winter greenhouses.

The list of advantages is quite wide:

provides good transmission and dispersion of sunlight;
has high levels of heat retention indoors;
the lightness, flexibility and strength of the material allows you to very quickly build a greenhouse that can perform its main functions for a long time.

It is quite possible to build a winter greenhouse from polycarbonate with your own hands. The location of the future building is determined according to the basic rules for arranging greenhouses.

Laying the foundation

In order to lay the foundation of a future greenhouse, you can use a wide variety of building materials: timber, stone, brick. As practice shows, the best type of foundation for winter greenhouses is a strip foundation.

Sequence of foundation laying work:

It is necessary to mark on the ground the parameters of the future construction.
Dig a trench according to the markings. The depth of the ditch should not exceed 50 cm and the width -20 cm.
Formwork made of wooden panels is mounted along the side walls of the trench.
The bottom of the trench is lined with sand, the layer of which does not exceed 30 cm.
The prepared concrete mixture is poured.

Advice ! To strengthen the structure, it is necessary to reinforce the concrete screed.

We build the frame

After the foundation has completely hardened, the frame construction stage begins.

Along the perimeter of the foundation, profiles are vertically attached, which are connected by reinforcement ribs to strengthen the structure.

The finished frame of the winter greenhouse is sheathed with polycarbonate sheets. They are very easy to trim with a saw or jigsaw. The panels are attached to the profile using self-tapping screws.

Important ! In order not to compromise the thermal insulation and tightness of the structure, all connections and joints of materials must be treated with perforated self-adhesive tape.

To create a healthy microclimate inside the greenhouse and prevent the formation of condensation, do not forget about installing vents, windows and doors.

Conclusion

Building a winter greenhouse with your own hands is a difficult task, but quite realistic for those who approach the matter responsibly and seriously. It is enough to make some effort and spend a certain amount of time to have fresh vegetables and fruits on your table all year round.

How to build a stove for heating a winter greenhouse, we will find out in the next video

A heated greenhouse will really enhance your yield. And its construction is simple and inexpensive. Therefore, its construction will not require special skill, but only the desire to enjoy the harvest, fresh salads and berries. Moreover, a year-round model would be ideal. However, a heated greenhouse is also a winning move.

It is only important to correctly determine the location of their placement. This will reward the owners with an early harvest and save on heating costs. Therefore, it is advisable to do it where it is as calm and sunny as possible. Often, prudent gardeners prefer to attach a greenhouse to the always warm wall of a heated house. At the same time, the costs of supplying heating to it are further reduced. Although this wall must be insulated from greenhouse moisture.

The biological method heats the greenhouse in winter through the exothermic reaction of biological fuel and air. For example, when rotting, horse manure retains +60ºС and retains it for up to six months. Sawdust, straw and their mixture with composted household waste are also used. This cheap way to heat a greenhouse is also the most beneficial for plants.

Technical heating is more diverse:

stove;
hot water;
electricity;

They prefer to heat the greenhouse with electricity Installing heaters or cable circuits along the foundation is an option for heated floors. Although excessive humidity and the high cost of electricity are dangerous here.

You can arrange stove heating yourself. For example, lay a brick firebox in the vestibule and run the chimney along the greenhouse. Then a heated greenhouse with your own hands will always be heated by carbon monoxide rushing towards the chimney. At the same time, a safe distance from the chimney to plants and walls is maintained - at least half a meter.

Here, the water heating boiler and the pipes connected to it circulate heated water from above and along the walls, then again to the heater (gas, electric or stove). And the expansion tank at the highest point guarantees the required pressure.

After all, greenhouses heated with gas are heated by burning it in a boiler. Pros: uniform heating of the air, enriching it with carbon dioxide, which increases productivity.

A greenhouse heated by a home boiler is economical if it is attached to the wall of the house or near it. By the way, insulating external pipes will reduce heat loss. It is clear that the boiler’s power should be enough for this warm greenhouse.

Construction materials

To build a greenhouse structure, you will need coarse aggregate (crushed stone) and fine aggregate (sand). The cement will also ensure the strength of the foundation.Optimally, this is a strip foundation more than half a meter deep: after all, the structure itself is light. You also need to make a heat-insulating “cushion” of expanded clay and sand.
Ceramic (red) brick is needed for the plinth above the foundation. It is usually laid out in 3 rows. By the way, moisture-resistant brick is less susceptible to deformation from steam and temperature.
Film structures retain heat poorly and are broken by wind, snow, and icing. Then the crop will die. Therefore, they prefer to cover the winter greenhouse with more reliable material. For example, double coating with an elastic special film with a guarantee of more than 8 years.
Glass is a traditional coating. Moreover, double glazing is mandatory. After all, a layer of air between 2 glasses will save precious heat and money for heating. When thinking about how to build a winter greenhouse, you also need to design ventilation transoms.
Cellular polycarbonate is the latest coating for greenhouses. This year-round greenhouse is the most reliable. Factory samples are equipped with an improved, powerful design and are easy to assemble with your own hands.

This material retains heat better, so the problem of how to heat the greenhouse is simplified. After all, heating such a polycarbonate structure is less expensive: this polycarbonate will retain heat even at -40ºС. For greater protection of plants and saving money when insulating, an additional internal insulating layer can be made from film.

Heating a greenhouse in winter with a diesel gun (video)

Heated structure design

The frame for the winter greenhouse should also be durable: made of metal or wood.

Glass, cellular polycarbonate or film are attached to it. Pipes and a boiler heat the winter greenhouses.

Already when designing, we are guided by energy saving and expediency.

Therefore, projects with a pitched roof facing south are popular. Then the sun's rays hit it almost at a right angle and heat the greenhouse as much as possible. Let the northern vertical wall be opaque, and insulated from the inside with an insulator covered with foil, which ideally reflects heat and light onto the beds.

It is better to make the frame and its racks from thin pipes: they are light but reliable. Although high-strength plastic is also good. The correct shape of the frame will increase energy savings and yield. Therefore, when building a greenhouse with your own hands, make the roof slope more than 30 degrees. Then the snow will not linger, as, indeed, on the popular arched greenhouses. After all, a snow load can destroy a winter greenhouse. Nowadays, the most in demand are frames constructed from a profile pipe by welding. The arch is formed by bending pipes with a cross-section of 20x40 mm. But a year-round arched greenhouse will become stronger with corner posts made of 40x40 pipes.

Lighting affects the yield. And a winter day is 3-6 hours, and this is not enough for plants. Therefore, plant growers recommend taking care of artificial lighting that is comfortable for the crops being grown and beneficial for gardeners. The range of lamps is large: from ordinary light bulbs to LEDs. Their rational arrangement will especially increase the harvest of light-loving plants that will be close to light sources.

So, many are interested in how to build a heated greenhouse. It will increase the amount of harvest. After all, the goal is to build a winter greenhouse at a minimum cost, and the season for collecting vitamins will become endless.

Almost every summer cottage and garden in the private sector has a greenhouse. They are used mainly in the spring and summer for growing seedlings and summer heat-loving vegetables. And sooner or later, every greenhouse owner begins to think about its profitability. You can increase its efficiency only when you use it all year round, or when growing very early products, when everything is very expensive on the market and in the store. Now it has become fashionable to create winter gardens and grow greens, radishes, cucumbers for the New Year and flowers for March 8 during the cold season. Of course, it’s great to have fresh produce from your greenhouse for the holidays in winter, but for this you need to make it heated, because our winters are long and harsh.

- means increasing its efficiency

But for early or year-round use of the greenhouse, heating is needed, because it is severely frosty outside in winter, and sub-zero air temperatures are not uncommon. And then the question arises of which heating to choose, which is personally acceptable for your household, because any of them requires a financial investment. Here you need to figure out what you have enough money for and which heating will be less expensive to maintain. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the durability and efficiency of the selected type of heating.

Heating a greenhouse is the most important part of the microclimate in the life of plants, as is watering. It is advisable to think about what it will be like before construction begins. It’s better to do it right away, as it should be, so as not to have to redo it later. Let's consider different heating methods, the pros and cons of the selected options and choose what is most convenient and least expensive.

How to heat a greenhouse in early spring?

It is not necessary to use any heating to grow seedlings and early summer produce. To do this, it is enough to make greenhouse beds on rotted manure. It is necessary to remove the fertile layer of soil; instead of beds, you will get trenches. It is advisable to make the sides for future ones from boards or other available materials. Place a thick layer of rotted manure mixed with straw or peat on the bottom. Pour a fertile layer of soil on top. Manure rotting below will release heat and moisture. Plants planted on high, warm ridges will feel comfortable.

When it’s still cold outside, you can put a second layer of film over the greenhouse. An air pocket is formed between the main layer and the additional layer, which will also retain heat. The greenhouse should be positioned so that it is exposed to the sun as long as possible. The sun's rays will penetrate the film or cellular polycarbonate and heat the surface of the earth in the greenhouse. Thus, natural heat will condense in it. This is how you can “naturally” heat a greenhouse, just don’t make the roof too high, then it will warm up more. Experience has shown that greenhouses with an arched structure have the highest efficiency in terms of heat retention.

But there are some disadvantages. If you don’t have your own manure, you will have to buy it, and this is now quite expensive. In addition, it must be stocked in the fall. And make the ridges anew every spring. This is a very labor-intensive process. Making heated greenhouses with your own hands is not easy. And in winter such “heating” will not be enough.

Stove heating

How to heat a greenhouse without gas and electricity? One of these methods is to make an ordinary stove, and run a chimney from it horizontally along the walls of the greenhouse. It should gradually rise up and finally come out. This way the greenhouse will be heated. The firebox must be made so that it opens outside the greenhouse, because soot and smoke cannot penetrate into it. Then the quality of vegetables will suffer.

You can install a stove with a boiler in which water will be heated, and then it will circulate through pipes that will be laid on the ground along the length of the greenhouse. Hot water will heat the air.

While the efficiency of such systems can satisfy the user, the complexity of the process is very tiring. The point is that you need to constantly monitor the temperature and add solid fuel frequently. Not everyone can quit their job and be a fireman in their greenhouse all winter. And is it worth it?

When building heated greenhouses with your own hands, you should keep in mind that film and glass do not retain heat well, and therefore they need to be heated better. Cellular polycarbonate, due to its design, retains heat well, and therefore heating costs will be lower.

Heating with heat generator boilers is also a good option. Unlike simple stoves, a heat generator with solid fuel needs to be charged no more than 2 times a day. Diesel fuel systems are available. The efficiency of such heating is not the highest.

Gas heating

Gardeners are interested in how to make a heated greenhouse using gas. If it is small, then you can use bottled gas. If the greenhouse is of an industrial scale, then you need to take a permit and use a natural one. For this purpose burners of conventional heating and infrared are used. A conventional water heating system based on AGV is also used. Gas, of course, is profitable because it is cheaper than electricity.

When using such heating with burners, it is necessary to provide ventilation, and this already reduces the heating efficiency. If you make water heating based on heating water with gas, then the system can be fully automated. Without constant human control, the microclimate in the greenhouse will be maintained. The main thing is that it is profitable from a financial point of view, and the costs can soon be recouped.

Heating by heating air

How to heat a polycarbonate greenhouse by heating air? This heating can run on liquid fuel or electricity. Most often used in large greenhouses. The unit heats the air, which is directly blown out in the center of the greenhouse and circulates through polyethylene perforated hoses laid out along the length of the building. Thus, the air inside is heated.

Convectors will also work

You can heat the greenhouse with electric convectors. They are installed on the walls of the structure and on the floor. Convectors heat the air well, they have timers that can be set to a certain temperature, and they will turn on and off themselves. One drawback is that they are quite energy-consuming, and electricity is now expensive.

Hot air heating

There are many other ways to heat a greenhouse in winter. Some heat with portable heat guns (fans) or heaters. These devices actively blow out hot air, quickly heating the room. The main thing is to arrange them so that they do not dry out or burn the plants. It's good if they are equipped with thermostats. Then you don’t need to constantly monitor them, just set the desired temperature that they will maintain.

Warm floors in a greenhouse

A do-it-yourself heated polycarbonate greenhouse can be made with complex heating. After all, it is necessary to heat not only the air, but also the soil in which the plants grow. To do this, some use the “warm floors” design. A sand cushion is laid, a protective mesh is placed on it, then a heating element or cable, then a protective mesh again and a sand cushion on top. Then the soil is poured in a layer of up to 20 cm. It is necessary to install a thermostat so that the soil does not warm up more than 45 degrees, otherwise the roots of the plants may be damaged. This method of electric heating is very economical, with high efficiency. The sun warms the greenhouse from above, and the cellular polycarbonate retains heat. The soil below is also warmed up, and the heat from it rises.

The most efficient heating method

There is another way to heat a polycarbonate greenhouse in winter. These are infrared electric lamps and heaters. These devices are good because they do not dry out the air and act like solar energy. As is known, the sun's rays, reaching the surface of the Earth, heat objects and are reflected by heat. Lamps and heaters with infrared radiation also work. If they are placed along the entire length of the greenhouse, under the ceiling, then they will heat the soil, plants, walls, and, being reflected, the heat will accumulate in the room. They are absolutely harmless, with very high efficiency. Because they provide a lot of heat, but the energy consumption is small. Such heating can be very easily adjusted to create the desired microclimate in the greenhouse.

Perhaps, today this is the safest and most profitable method of heating a greenhouse in winter.

It is important not only to heat the greenhouse, but also to save heat

In order to be profitable, you need not only to heat the greenhouse well, but also to use all possible means to retain this heat as best as possible.

To do this, it is good to apply all knowledge in a complex. A well-chosen place to build a greenhouse, no shade, all day under sunlight. The greenhouse should be located so that the wind does not blow away the heat. Good, warm foundation. The greenhouse covering is better made of cellular polycarbonate. There should be no gaps in the structure: in the cold winter, any draft is destructive.

You can use warm, high beds with manure, which will also accumulate heat. You can grow seedlings on shelves. It is good to combine heating of the greenhouse: increasing the temperature of the air and soil. By the way, you can use waterproof mats to create the effect of warm floors. They are convenient to use in greenhouses with shelving, placing heating mats underneath them. Heat always rises from below, heating the trays with plants and the air.

Should you make the heating yourself or order a ready-made one?

You don’t have to invent a bicycle at all, but when ordering a greenhouse, immediately buy a heating system and fully maintain the microclimate. Specialists will deliver the structure and install it in the shortest possible time. They will equip it with all the necessary options, which is called “turnkey”, and will also give a guarantee.

Everything, of course, depends on your financial capabilities and desires. Every year, new products appear on the market that will help make the greenhouse pay for itself all year round. What kind of heating you want depends, of course, on how you want to use it: to grow something all year round or in the early spring and summer.

Before erecting a winter structure, you need to find out how such a greenhouse will differ from lighter buildings. Main differences:

Construction capital. Temporary buildings do not need to be installed on a massive base, making the greenhouse very heavy. This, if necessary, will help you simply move it from place to place. But winter greenhouses made of polycarbonate are best made more solid. The presence of a heating system, lighting, and the ability of the greenhouse to withstand existing loads - this is what explains the need to build a massive structure. That is why you should be very careful when choosing a place for construction, so that you do not have to move the building in the future, which will cause a lot of problems.
Greenhouse dimensions. A summer greenhouse can have a wide variety of sizes - even a meter by meter, but a winter structure should be large, especially if vegetables and fruits are grown for sale. And it is unprofitable to build a greenhouse smaller than 15 square meters.
The design of the building must provide for the possibility of installing additional insulation.

Before starting construction, you need to determine the most suitable material. So, for example, it is advisable to choose either metal or wood for the frame, the main thing is that the products are durable in order to withstand heavy loads. If you choose between wood and metal, then everyone must decide for themselves.

Metal is much more durable, but wood is easier to work with, and its repair will not take much time.

Modern manufacturers also offer a variety of materials for covering a greenhouse, each of which has its own characteristics:

Glass. This material must be durable - it is better to choose hardened products, especially when it comes to a winter greenhouse. If it is not possible to use tempered glass, you can install several regular ones, and on top you can mount an unbreakable coating that can withstand heavy loads. The only disadvantage of glass when creating greenhouses is that this material allows ultraviolet rays that are harmful to plants to pass through.
The most inexpensive and therefore popular material is film - it is quite durable, wear-resistant and, with proper care, can last for several years. True, such material is unlikely to withstand heavy loads in the form of snow caps.
Polycarbonate is gaining more and more popularity. The advantages of such products include the fact that they look very beautiful without losing their shape and appearance for a long time. In addition, polycarbonate can last for several decades, coping with maximum loads.

No matter what quality material you choose for construction, you cannot do without heating - at sub-zero temperatures all vegetables and fruits will die.
The sources of heat are different and it all depends on what exactly needs to be warmed in winter.

You can warm the ground. In this case, a fairly common option is the use of biofuel - heat generated when plants rot in a warm garden. It is not difficult to create beds with such heating - we do not need any materials or any special skills. The instructions are as follows: in the designated place we make a trench up to 50–60 cm deep, lay bark, pieces of slate, and shoots of healthy plants on its bottom, which will prevent the appearance of excess moisture. We cover the materials with a thin layer of soil and fill the rest of the hole with organic matter. This could be straw or fallen leaves. And the more diverse the mixture is, the longer it will “work”. At the same time, you can additionally water the organic matter with mullein.
Another method is laying heating pipes. Water in pipes is heated using a variety of methods: using a stove with a heater, using a wood-burning boiler. The pipes are installed like a traditional heating system, turning it on if necessary.
A more expensive option is to use heating cables that heat the ground in the room.
Heating a greenhouse using a solid fuel boiler. Such a boiler is installed both indoors and outdoors. The main advantages of the second option include the fact that firewood can be laid without entering the greenhouse. Don’t forget about saving space inside the greenhouse. The disadvantages include the low level of heat transfer in this case. In order to maintain the required temperature, you need to add fuel twice a day.
Air heating of the room. To do this, you need to take a steel pipe with a diameter of up to 50 cm, one end of which is laid in the greenhouse and the other outside. We build a fire under the end of the pipe that goes out onto the street - the warm air entering the greenhouse will warm it well. It is worth noting that this heating option is the simplest, but also the most labor-intensive - you will have to constantly add wood to the fire so that it does not go out.
Electric heating system, which is also used very actively. Considering the fact that electricity as an energy carrier is a fairly expensive type of fuel, most often summer residents purchase infrared heaters that have a high level of efficiency. By the way, thanks to this you can solve the problem.

As you can see, in order to be able to grow vegetables in the cold season, it is necessary that the winter greenhouse be insulated - it’s quite easy to do the work yourself.