Heating plants outside?

[HunkieDorie23]

I know that I read a thread on here about using a coffee can, a roll of toilet paper and a bottle of alcohol to make a heater for really cold nights it a greenhouse. I don't remember who is was or even when, has anyone done this and do you think it would work in a small hoop house? I am afraid it might get to hot and melt the plastic.

 

[catjac1975]

I know that I read a thread on here about using a coffee can, a roll of toilet paper and a bottle of alcohol to make a heater for really cold nights it a greenhouse. I don't remember who is was or even when, has anyone done this and do you think it would work in a small hoop house? I am afraid it might get to hot and melt the plastic.

I would think a light bulb would be safer.

 

[HunkieDorie23]

Too far from an outlet. The soil is very soft so I am trying a glass candle. It shouldn't get too hot, it is lodged into the soil. The plants aren't near it so they will be OK, and if anything happens and it is broken or knocked over it will just go out.

 

[pebbles]

Last year I planted in early February in my 4" X 8" raised beds. About 6 weeks later, with nice sized sprouts we had a week of nights in the low teens, hi 20's. I covered my raised bed with an old sliding glass door slanting it at one end so I had about three feet on the high end. I then covered the sliding glass door with a blanket and sheets and put a kerosene lantern inside. The latern was set as low as possible. I lit the lantern when I went to bed and turned it off in the morning. It worked great, a few times it got pretty warm under there.

 

[HunkieDorie23]

Update: The candle worked. It was still burning at noon and there was condensation on the inside of the plastic and when I lifted it, it was very warm inside. The two plants looked fine. I went out and planted the rest of the lettuce and cabbage. Total of 9 cabbage and 20 buttercrunch lettuce plants. It is kinda amazing how much room I have left in the bed. I still have 18 sq ft. I have onions to plant still. I am also putting my broccoli plants out on the porch to start to harden tomorrow.