This video will teach you how to heat a hoop house by 20 degrees using incandescent lights safely and affordably to protect the plants inside for growing season extension. Using this hoop house design, I’m growing peppers and tomatoes in my winter garden in North Carolina!
I installed a smart heated hoop house for a raised bed garden in Fall 2020 using a heated polytunnel design. Using a Wi-Fi controlled smart outlet, I was able to convert this hinged hoophouse into a smart heated hinged hoop house raised bed garden. This small DIY greenhouse uses incandescent lights to safely heat the plants inside, converting the structure into a smart heated greenhouse where the lights can be turned on and off remotely.

This video contains a scientific analysis proving this design can extend growing season by increasing overnight temperatures by more than 20 degrees. This greenhouse design is very affordable and uses a total of 565W of energy. Assuming running the lights for 8 hours @ 11 cents per kWh, that equates to (565*8*0.00011 = ) less than 50 cents of electricity per night to operate!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
0:00 Introduction
0:43 Materials List
2:33 Upcoming Cold Snap I Must Protect Against
2:55 How To Install Lights In A Hoop House
4:42 Greenhouse Lit Up At Night
5:56 Freeze Results And Data Analysis
9:00 30 Day Greenhouse Growth Update
11:43 Adventures With Dale
If you have any questions about how to build a hinged hoop house, how to heat a greenhouse, how to extend your growing season, have questions about any of the things I am growing in my garden, are looking for any garden tips and tricks, or have questions about gardening in general, please ask in the Comments below!
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EQUIPMENT I MOST OFTEN USE IN MY GARDEN (INDIVIDUAL LINKS)*:
Jobe’s Organics All Purpose Granular Fertilizer, 16 lb https://amzn.to/312gVpY
Jobe’s Organics Vegetable and Tomato Fertilizer, 16 lb https://amzn.to/31h2XQQ
Jobe’s Organics Fruit & Citrus Fertilizer, 16lb https://amzn.to/312hBvw
Jobe’s Organics Bone Meal Fertilizer, 4 lb https://amzn.to/2N3ZBh4
Miracle-Gro Soluble Tomato Plant Food, 1.5 lb https://amzn.to/2GDgJ8n
Miracle-Gro Soluble Tomato Plant Food, 3 lb https://amzn.to/2HUWCn4
Miracle-Gro Soluble All Purpose Plant Food, 1 lb https://amzn.to/2LQbnuW
Miracle-Gro Soluble All Purpose Plant Food, 3 lb https://amzn.to/2LNsHAw
Miracle-Gro Soluble Bloom Booster, 1.5 lb https://amzn.to/2GKYG0j
Epso Grow Epsom Salt, 5 lb https://amzn.to/2ZKiXP7
Neptune’s Harvest Crab Shell Plant Food, 4lb https://amzn.to/2A4Y3KY
Espoma PO6 Potash, 6 lb https://amzn.to/2PZ2ylf
Alaska Fish Fertilizer, 1 Quart https://amzn.to/302btCp
Alaska Fish Fertilizer, 1 Gallon https://amzn.to/2HTCjX5
Alaska MORBLOOM Fertilizer, 1 Gallon https://amzn.to/34x1ybi
Liquid Kelp Organic Seaweed Extract, 1 Gallon https://amzn.to/2LyDlbS
Southern Ag Liquid Copper Fungicide https://amzn.to/2HTCKRd
Southern Ag Natural Pyrethrin Concentrate https://amzn.to/2UHSNGE
Bonide Wettable Sulfur Plant Fungicide https://amzn.to/300UrV0
Lilly Miller Wettable Sulfur Dust, 1 lb https://amzn.to/2PW0XwE
Safer Brand BT Caterpillar Killer Concentrate https://amzn.to/2N3AavX
Garden Safe Slug & Snail Bait https://amzn.to/2PXmuoG
Organic 100% Pure Cold Pressed Neem Oil, 16 oz https://amzn.to/2PZLtHO
Organic 100% Pure Cold Pressed Neem Oil, 32 oz https://amzn.to/315s4pT
Captain Jack Dead Bug Dust, 4 Lb https://amzn.to/2ZZDxGq
Sevin Ready-to-Use 5% Dust 3-Pack, 1 lb https://amzn.to/2N49j2O
2 Gallon Compression Sprayer https://amzn.to/2UEy1bd
Organza Bags to protect small fruits (3″x4″): https://amzn.to/31uAbfy
Organza Bags to protect medium fruits (4″x4.72″): https://amzn.to/2YuCXnb
Organza Bags to protect large fruits (6″x9″): https://amzn.to/316EC08
4′ Weed Barrier Ground Cover, 300′ (SELECT “PACK OF 1”): https://amzn.to/31lTtUz
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ABOUT MY GARDEN:
Location: Southeastern NC, Brunswick County (greater Wilmington area)
Zone 8A
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© The Millennial Gardener
The Millennial Gardener

You must be some sort of engineer or mathematician/statistician… 😁
I was going to do this as well, but I apparently threw out my incandescent Christmas lights.
I would use small zip ties to shorten the cord distance between each bulb. Over lap the wire(fold) and zip tie so it stays the length you create. This would place bulbs closer together and there by create more heat by having more bulbs in the space you currently have. Also, I wonder how a double plastic cover would do. Double pane glass in a regular window creates and insulation air space.
I come to take science class.
Oh boy, such a nifty neat experiment – I might have to rethink next winter where I am because of this-thanks a million.
Griswald would be proud!
Excellent work, My wife and I were discussing having one on our long bed at the end of this next season. It is 15'x4'. That may need a lot of lights though. Keep up the great work and videos, Just nothing like growing your own grub.
What is the effect on your electric bill?
Is it more efficient than the various heaters?
So happy for this follow up video! Many thanks!
Great video. Thanks.
I do this with my tropical tortoise species. A cheaper recommendation would be ceramic bulbs. You can get them for $5 for a 150watt bulb or larger. That way youre not creating a birdnest of wires
I love your videos and recommendations! Am learning so much from you.
Yes, agree it’s something different to consider keeping plants warm in cold nights. Is this different than installing a low wattage barn heater? How much electricity/ power are being utilized?
As always, wonderfully motivating on top of your detailed and thoughtful comments. Thank you.
"It's a very lumpy graph" That made me chuckle! Great job! These may be less hassle than the zip ties. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Anvil-3-4-in-Mini-Spring-Clamp-99693/302755763
Also why hang them on top… heat rises…wouldn't it make moe sense yo leave them on the dirt?
We have lows of 20/30s what would you put in for more frost hardy like lettuce and kales etc…
Great idea! Have you considered using those walkway solar-powered lights to eliminate a need to plug in the lights? I’m just curious.
He's still destroying stuff? Naughty naughty.😳
How did the plants undercover on your porch fare?
That is such a cool experiment. Thank you. I love the way your mind operates. Thank you.
Maybe I'll be more brave here on out. I treat my area like zone 6 but im 7a.