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heating in potting shed

Claire.BeeClaire.Bee Posts: 57
in The potting shed
Advice on heating in potting shed. I have just killed my tomatoes and cucumbers by putting them in my unheated potting shed. Gutted. Thinking of investing in some kind of heating but what is best?

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    An electric greenhouse heater with thermostat should work.
    Paraffin causes a lot of moisture and soot, so best avoided

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    It might be more sensible (and cheaper) to heat a smaller space than try to heat the whole leaky shed. If you set up a heated mini greenhouse or similar inside the shed then you've got a much better chance of keeping it warm.
    Personally I just bring plants indoors at night.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • Claire.BeeClaire.Bee Posts: 57
    Was thinking along the lines of an electric heater with thermostat. We built the potting shed last year so its in really good condition just a bit too cold still where I live. My house looks like a huge potting shed as I have all my veg in the house so really need to get them into outdoor space now.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I have used one of these in the past (the Dimplex Greenhouse Utility Heater 1000w version) and that has seen my seedling through a harsh spring

    https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Heating_Index/Greenhouse-Utility_Heaters/index.html

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    There is only any point doing it, if your shed has very good light, otherwise heat and poor light is even worse than cold and poor light.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    Tomato cucumber seeds sown in the kitchen window sill,of is correct, it will be also cost you a absolute fortune, you will be shocked, average in the UK, you will have to heat from November till April,my potting shed has dmp on the walls,then 6inch loft insulation then wall boards
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    I put punkdoc not of is
  • REMF33REMF33 Posts: 731
    My sitting room currently has three large trays of tomatoes, aubergines, peppers, chillis and tomatillos that are mostly too big for my one windowsill, for this reason. I have given away as many plants again to make the situation more bearable! At least nothing is more than a foot high yet... 
    The trick is, though, to try to hold off sowing to temporally limit the sitting room greenhouse situation. It is, for me, though, not something that can be avoided altogether. Plus aubergines and chillis do need to be started early.
    I won't be sowing curcubits for another week or two, as they tend to grow so fast. Ditto peas and beans, if I decide to start them off indoors.


    If there is plenty of light you could put one of those plastic covered or platic pop up cold frames inside the potting shed, and cover that with fleece at night, but still not sure that would be warm enough. (Do you have have outdoor thermometer to check?)

    I do have an unheated but enclosed glass-roofed lean to down the side of the house, but tbh I wouldn't put tender plants in there, even, just yet. They would survive, but they would probaly stop growing. But perhaps that's me being over cautious.
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    I can't hold off the sowing, the green houses are full of over wintering stuff,no room in there for seedlings, the living room and our bedroom is the only no no and that's only because we have very low window sills and the dog knocked them off 4years ago when they had been watered and it made such a mess
  • Claire.BeeClaire.Bee Posts: 57
    Thanks Pete.8 for link, will have a look at that. I don't have an outdoor thermometer REMF33 but I do have a few pop up plastic frames I could try with some fleece. My shed does have good light and the sunshine when we get any. This time last year temperatures we fantastic but this year we have snow! You just never know with the weather. I think next year I won't plant so many and just early plant chillies and peppers and leave tomatoes and cucumbers until slightly later. I got carried away in lock down sowing seeds. I definately think heating would be helpful though with our unpredictable weather. 
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