overwintering make shift grow room for winter

[hotenuff4u]

i live in greenville, sc, it's already dropping to 50's at night, and winter is going to stay high 40's during the day high 30's at night, i have all my plants on my apartment patio which is closed in with walls (accept the side facing the parking lot looks like a big breakfast window you'd see between a kitchen/livingroom).

Low cost, i'm thinking of buying some greenhouse fabric to stretch over the opening to let some light in, but mostly to block cold air, if i put a decent lighting system on my patio and ran it 24/7 do you think it'd keep my patio warm enough to let my guys keep producing through the winter and/or start some seeds early this year?

the dimensions are 5'x8'x8', and here's a pic of the area

didn't want to put an actual heating system in since this is a small garden and would only be used last week of oct through last week of march and heating systems sound expensive

 

[millworkman]

Use plastic and completely seal it in. That way you can leave your door cracked a little bit at night to help heat it and during the day the sun will warm it. Also, you probably do not need a light out there. What direction does it face?

 

[MrArboc]

There are inexpensive heaters like those small electric ones with fans that you use to keep the inside of the car warm when it's parked. Well, those of us who get real winters use them I have no idea what the english term is, but someone else should be able to help.

Heating a patio by light sounds expensive, and what would the neighbours think?

 

[hotenuff4u]

porch faces east, get's it's sun in the morning, it could be better, but it's a decent amount of light; i was just thinking of using the lights more as a non flammable heat source; but i like your idea of sealing in the porch and cracking the door....
thank you

 

[hotenuff4u]

There are inexpensive heaters like those small electric ones with fans that you use to keep the inside of the car warm when it's parked

i was worried as well about the size of my porch and the proximity an actual heater would have to be to the plants, thought it might do them harm instead of good....but i dunno, maybe i should look into some different heating systems....if anyone knows what one of these little heaters is called described above let me know, i've never heard of them!

 

[rds040800]

I would go with the plastic as it will do better when the temps drop. And on the fan, you can go to WalMart and get one of the tower fans with a built in heater for around $40.