The winter season can easily dictate a complete stop in farming until spring. This has thus begged the need for greenhouse heating to prevent plants from being frosted and dying out in the green house. Heating up a greenhouse creates a completely new environment for farming during the harsh winter season.
Heating up a greenhouse can be an expensive undertaking to any farmer. Putting up a few crucial measures to reduce cost and increase efficiency of the heater can greatly improve winter farming. First, it is very important for the farmer to ensure that an insulating wrap is used around the greenhouse. This measure reduces chances of loss of heat to the surrounding environment. This wrap also reduces the chances of entry of the cold temperatures inside the green house.
By using a radiation heater, farmers are able to ensure that no heat is lost. This is because the heaters emit heat by radiation which means that they only generate heat to the plants and not the entire greenhouse. Also, by using a thermostatic heater, the farmer can set the heaters to turn on only when temperatures are below a certain point. By doing so, the farmer is able to save a lot of energy that could have been used heating up the greenhouse when temperatures were not too low.
The farmer should position the heaters strategically. These heaters should be place in locations where the heat is maximally utilized. They should be placed in an open place t avoid blocking the heat to some plants. Also, the heater should be placed in a central place where the heat is evenly distributed around the entire greenhouse. The heaters should be placed slightly above the ground away from contact with water. This also ensures that the foliage is not desiccated by the flow of warm and humid air. This could easily be toxic to the plants. Also, the farmer should heat the areas that need the most attention. This is a very good cost saving measure.
It is also very important for the farmer to ensure that the greenhouse is well ventilated. This is because, as the temperatures in the greenhouse rise, the area becomes warm and very humid. This environment creates grounds for the buildup of fungal infections to the plants. It also creates a favorable environment for the spread of some pests. Thus it should always be properly ventilated. Ventilation is also very important in cases where the heater is unvented. This is because; the unvented heaters emit some unfavorable gases that could be very toxic to the plants. Ventilation ensures that there is enough flow f air in the greenhouse which in turn reduces the concentration of the toxic gases.
Selecting the right heater for the green house is a very important step of ensuring that the best results are received by the farmer. There are different types of greenhouse heaters. These include the electric heaters, propane heaters, natural gas heaters and paraffin or kerosene heaters. The farmer should thus pick one that is the best for his needs. The cost of each heater should be considered and the most favorable picked. Also, the farmer should carryout thorough research on the differed types of heaters and their brands in order to pick the most favorable and efficient at meeting his needs.
It is important for the farmer to understand the advantages and the drawbacks that come with using any of the heaters. For instance the use of a heater that is unvented could result t production of crops filled with toxins. Therefore each farmer should select the right heater and put up the necessary measures to ensure efficiency and maximum use of energy.
