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Compost-heated greenhouse?

 
Posts: 122
Location: Igo, California
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I've got to keep a small greenhouse heated to about 30°F above ambient nighttime temperatures (e.g. outside is 50°F inside is 80°F.)  (Small: 10' diameter circle, 7' high.)
A compost pile is perfect for this, and it occurred to me that I could just put the compost pile under the plants.  They also want a lot of humidity so that should work out, eh?  I can put a perforated drain pipe in it to make a static aerated compost pile.  Cap the end to aerate the pile, uncap it to vent moist heated air into the greenhouse.  What do y'all think?
 
master pollinator
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If you can keep the compost in perfect synch, producing good heat, it may be viable. That takes some maintenance from what I've seen.

The downsides I can see are introducing bug eggs and mold into the greenhouse environment.
 
gardener
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I have real differences with her but this youtuber has the best compost heated greenhouse set up I've seen:
 
Simon Foreman
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Here's the "tropical conservatory" in it's present incarnation.  As you can see, it's not that big.  I just have to keep these plants warm at night until I can build a proper insulated greenhouse for them.  I suppose could put them in the old mobile home and pipe in sun with mirrors.  There's a cast iron wood stove in there already.  Maybe I'm overthinking things again, eh?


@Douglas

In sync with what?

I thought hot compost kills the bug eggs?


@William

I saw that video, it's pretty thought-provoking, eh?  It works even in winter.
tropical_conservatory_001.jpg
[Thumbnail for tropical_conservatory_001.jpg]
 
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