Can Candles Help To Heat a Greenhouse?

Heating a greenhouse can be expensive, and making sure it stays warm is vital for the growth of your plants during the colder months, so you might be wondering if it’s possible to heat your greenhouse with a candle?

Candles can indeed heat a greenhouse when used inside terracotta pots, however, you should always be careful of flames left unattended due to being a potential fire hazard.

To help you out with heating your greenhouse we’ve composed an informative guide down below which will take you through whether or not using a candle heater is a good idea for your greenhouse, how to make your heater for your greenhouse with candles, as well as few alternatives to keep your greenhouse warm.

Should I Use a Candle Heater For My Greenhouse?

Candle pots heaters for greenhouses have taken the internet by storm as a cheap and effective way to keep your greenhouse warm during the winter.

They are simple to make but do pose the risk of being a fire hazard with the open flame, the heat inside generated is also very little in comparison to other heating methods.

We’ve listed the cons to take into consideration if you are thinking about using a candle flower pot heater in your greenhouse down below.

• They can get knocked over easily – Candles inside of these homemade flower pot heaters are not stable, they can easily get knocked over by the wind, people or animals and become a fire issue.
• Becomes very hot – Covering candles makes them very hot and easy to catch fire.
• You can’t leave them unsupervised – For your safety and the greenhouse, you would have to blow the candles out in your pots every time you leave.

DIY Flower Pot Heaters For Your Greenhouse

If you’ve considered the safety precautions above and you are still keen on using candles to heat your greenhouse, follow our simple DIY method below to keep your greenhouse nice and warm.

Equipment Needed

• Four tealights.
• Two terracotta pots.
• Muffin tin.
• Metal tray.

Method

1. First of all, take your metal tray and place the muffin tray on top, place four tea lights on one side of the holes and place the smallest terracotta pot on top.
2. Cover the top of your small pot with another tealight case, make sure it is sealed and place your larger pot on top.

How Do Candle Pot Heaters Work?

You might be sceptical as to whether or not these pot heaters work, but they can indeed heat small spaces in emergencies.

The heating mechanism inside works by convection, so the tealights inside of the pots trap warm inside which then heats the pots and the ground floor around it, candles without the pots typically just transfer their heat up into the ceiling.

Furthermore, we made an in-depth explanation of How Many Candles Would Heat A Room. This will help you!

Alternatives For Heating Your Greenhouse

If you think candle flower pots might be too risky for heating your greenhouse, there are some other alternatives we will list below which are safer.

• Kerosene heater – Using a kerosene heater to keep your greenhouse warm is also a cost-effective way, just make sure your greenhouse has good ventilation to prevent moisture from building up.
• Compost – Compost is an excellent natural way for heat in your greenhouse, this is because the rotting straw and compost create heat energy if large enough, it has been used for decades!
• Heater – A plug and play heater might help to heat your greenhouse, although it is the most expensive method.
• Heat Sinks – These are objects which absorb and release heat energy, and an example is plastic bottles that are filled with water and painted black.
• Insulation – Wrapping your greenhouse in bubble wrap will help to keep it warm and stop heat from leaking out.

Frequently Asked Questions About Heating a Greenhouse With Candles

How long could a candle flower pot keep my greenhouse warm? 

One of these DIY candle pots would likely keep your greenhouse warm 3-4 hours before the tealights turn off themselves, but this also depends on the size of the space you are trying to heat.

Are candle flower pots safe? 

Candle flower pots should be watched at all times, they can easily get knocked over and cause a fire.

Why is keeping a greenhouse warm important?

During the colder months keeping your greenhouse warm is important for the survival of the plants.

Last Words

Overall, you can use candles to heat your greenhouse by making candle flower pots as a heat source with tea lights, a metal tray or some large bricks. Always make sure you blow out the heater if you are leaving and never touch the pots while the heater is on for safety.

We also made an article for you about Indoor Citronella Candle – Are They Safe To Use Inside?