Warm Igloo – using a tealight greenhouse heater
In the early hours of this morning the U.K. sprang forward into British Summertime. As an extra bonus, this weekend we have been blessed with the warmest sunniest weekend of the year so far.
My little chilli plants have been making the most of the warmth inside the frame and most now have 4 healthy little leaves. None are showing signs of illness or dare I mention pests!
To sit outside and feel the sun on my face was a long awaited treat, but as the sun began to fade, there are a distinct chill almost at once.
At 9pm, I ventured back outside and it was proper cold by then, with a most gorgeous crescent moon and starry sky. I took a few moments to take it all in and then turned my attention back to my ‘little ones’.
The frame inside was actually still quite warm, but I’m taking no chances on losing the seedlings. They wouldn’t stand a chance against a frost. I have used my terracotta saucer with a 10 hour tea light sat on to create a tealight greenhouse heater. I lit the tealight then put a terracotta plant pot over the candle to form ‘a warm igloo’ effect.
I’m going to get up early tomorrow and compare the temperature outside to the temperature inside the frame. By my maths the candle should last until 7am Monday morning, giving the sun a chance to come up and start its warming.
I lit 3 tea lights last night as the sky was particularly clear and I anticipated a sharp frost.
At 7am this morning, 10 hours after lighting the tealight greenhouse heater, the outside temperature was 1.5 deg C. Whilst inside the frame it was a very snug 10.5 deg C.
All seedlings have survived to tell the tale and continue to grow.
Here’s a link to an article on tealight greenhouse heaters.