Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpinejs
I should probably have added what the need for heating the hoophouses is.
I have 16 of my current most important tomato plants (for seed) in these
houses and in Feb., I will have about 1800 seedlings in there also, so a freeze
could be devestating, but if the trench concept does work, I don't need to
worry about power outages or timer failures, etc.
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Seems to me then that you could use a hybrid system. Too many plants to risk trying a method you are not familiar with 100%.
A common theme in all the various traditional methods in to have the plants directly over the composting material. So maybe try it and still have your electrics there but on a thermostat. Then you can figure out how much a savings you really got? 
__________________
Scott
AKA The Redbaron
"Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system."
Bill Mollison
co-founder of permaculture
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