The Crafty Cultivator

I got a greenhouse for my birthday. I’m pretty excited about it, as it means I can move some of the seedlings out of my poor, overcrowded kitchen window. However, my little baby seedlings are used to consistent temperatures. AND it’s hard to keep the heat in the greenhouse at nights when the temperature drops a few degrees below zero.

My low-tech solution. Candles… And terracotta pots.

I have been able to keep my little baby plants from freezing for the last week by using this simple method. 

What I did, was buy some small terracotta pots, and some larger sized ones to fit overtop. Then you light a candle in the smaller pot (I’m using the cheapest votives I could find, as tealights didn’t last long enough to make a difference in heat), and place the larger pot overtop.

The heat from the flame gets absorbed by the pots, and then it lasts throughout the night. 

The colder the night, the more candles in pots that I use. Tealights in ikea lanterns are also used for a quick build up of heat, as needed.

I also use some candles on some paving stones, with terracotta pots overtop too. I still need to play with the airflow problem with these, as sometimes the candles go out without burning down the entire way.

Now I just need to stock up on more candles for the cold nights ahead.