If Only We Could Garden in Winter, Too…

You can garden in winter if you solve the heating of plants in a small polytunnel, on a balcony or on a terrace economically. Infrared heating film does not warm the air but the plants, the soil and the tables directly; it can be installed in a fixed or mobile arrangement, and it can be controlled by a thermostat or by smart-home control.

For many people gardening means relaxation, recharging and an enjoyable pastime. When the cold weather arrives, though, most put their tools away for months, because the heating costs of small balconies or polytunnels are hard to justify. With the right heating, however, fresh home-grown vegetables can reach the family table in winter, too.

Why is it good to garden in winter, too?

Anyone who works with plants gets out of sedentary work between four walls. The ripe harvest of plants raised from seedlings or seeds gives a sense of achievement, and the family gets home-grown vegetables. In the gloomy winter months this joy is perhaps needed even more – and the main obstacle, heating, can now be solved in a modern and cost-conscious way.

How does heating film heat a tunnel and a terrace?

Many methods are used to overwinter plants and to heat polytunnels in winter; some of them are outdated, and building the modern ones is often expensive. Heating film working on the infrared principle can be used in smaller and larger polytunnels, and also if you only want to overwinter your favourite plants on the terrace. You can read about seedling heating and terrace heating solutions here.

The heating is based on infrared radiation: radiation that is also present in sunlight, invisible to the eye, and carries the warmth of the Sun. Unlike conventional heating, it does not warm the air but directly the objects, the plants and the people there; the warmed surfaces then give off heat to their surroundings themselves. Installation is simple and fast, it needs little material, and there is no need for a boiler, a chimney or a gas plan.

No two solutions are alike

"At Fűtőfólia.hu we tailor the heating to the position and size of the tunnel, the type of plants and, of course, any individual requirements that come up," says Tamás Tóth, infrared heating expert. The options:

• Placement: the system can be fixed or mobile, and the heating film can go between the plants or on the tables.
• Control: from a thermostat, or remotely with a smart-home solution.
• Temperature: even, or, for plants with different needs, different from zone to zone.
• More than heating: the controller can also switch lights, watering, cooling or any other electrical device connected to it.

Whether it is a tiny herb garden on the terrace, a kitchen garden feeding a family or a larger polytunnel, we design the heating for the site and the plants. You can read about heating an outdoor seating area on our terrace heating page. If you would like to garden in winter, too, request a quote and tell us how you would use the heating in your garden (installation is available in Hungary).