I call it "The Green Room"

[ContainerTed]

For most of us, having a warm place to germinate seeds and get the little plants going is a hard thing to come by. Most of our DW's don't like the idea of having stinky wet dirt inside the main house. Some are very tolerant of "SOME" invasion on a yearly basis, but it still isn't on their lists of favorite things.

I wanted some way of having a heated area to start seeds in the cold months of late winter and early spring. I also wanted to be able to do the seedling "cool down" after the seeds germinate. Our house is smaller than the one we were in down in Georgia, so something had to give. Last year I used my 4 shelf wire rack with a plastic shroud and moving blankets and barely got the job done. Changes had to be made or I was going to scream. So, I decided to create a "room" in the garage. I wanted it to be cooler at the bottom than at the top so I could do the "cool down" of the seedlings by just germinating on the top shelves and moving them to lower shelves as they grew.

Here's what I came up with out in the garage. It's only 66 inches square and as tall as the floor to ceiling measurements. As you can see in the pictures, it works pretty well. I ran power in on its own 20 AMP breaker (ground fault type). It's still in rough-in condition because I may take it down and build a larger one on the other side of the garage. But, this one will get me thru this spring planting.

The little heater is set for 62 and is at its lowest heat setting. On average, the temperature has been very stable with a avg reading of 62 at the floor level and 73 on top shelf. I have two timers so that I can limit the top shelf on how much light it gets and not disturb the temperature.

I still have a thermostat controlled exhaust fan to add and some insulation and interior wall boards. I also intend to add a fan that will rustle the little seedling leaves a bit.

I built it as a freestanding unit that is simply placed against one wall. It ain't nailed into the walls, ceiling, or floor. I can even imagine it as portable, allowing for disassembly while not in use. I have some room on the framing inside to hang a few things like seeds and gloves.

Anyhow, it's an idea that is proving to be a great place to start seeds or possibly to winter a plant or two.

Again, for the "real carpenters", this is a prototype and definitely a work in progress. It is, however, a functional work in progress.

Enjoy the pictures.

Ted

[salix]

Great little space, Ted. It certainly will get the job done this year - look forward to seeing pictures of version Ted.01

[KLorentz]

Very nice setup Ted.And very healthy looking plants.



Kevin

[Full Moon]

I really enjoy looking at all the very creative ideas people will come up with. For me it beats the "all ready-made" stuff. Nicely done Ted!

I wish my garage was a little warmer. It's way too cold it would cost me a fortune to heat it up enought to grow anything in there.

[ContainerTed]

It may be more affordable than you think. More than half the heat comes from the lights. The only time the heater really kicks in is when they are off, and that's only for about two minutes two or three times an hour.

So far, I'm guessing that I have added only about 12 bucks to my monthly bill as compared to this time last year. Now, that includes the fact that TVA has raised the rates four times in the last year.

To keep the portability factor in, I believe the insulation should be sheets of styrofoam. This will enhance the need for venting and circulation, but will help retain more heat.

And, the light reflectors will go into the new larger room when I build it later this year.

Ted

[bullish]

Very nice! I bet covering the concrete floor with something may add to the heat retention of the room. But for only 12 bucks a month total, it's probably not even worth trying!

[organichris]

Ted, you da man! I wish I was half as crafty.

[davespitzer]

Nice setup, but I'm curious about the ballistic component next to the heater. Keeping those seedlings on their toes?

[cushman350]

I wish someone would experiment with these solar lighting tubes and whether they could germinate seeds if the tube doesn't stop at the ceiling, but down to a table/shelf that could be lowered so the light wouldn't have to be. Cutting down on electricity on those sunny days and use the electric lights on cloudy days. Anyone know if the light that comes out of the solar tube diffuser is of the correct frequency?

I've searched online and there doesn't seem to be any experiments with this science.

This is what I'm referring to in this query. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCbjo...feature=fvwrel

[ContainerTed]

Dave, that "ballistic" thingy is a .177 anti-squirrel device that also has the magical power of reducing the amount of canine feces left in my yard by the neighboring dogs. Pump it six times and get a pellet moving at about 700 feet per second. Pump it twice and get a BB moving like from a BB gun. Most of the dogs will high-tail it if they see me coming.

Currently there is only one of those fuzztail rodents left up here on the hilltop. Those that choose to remain down by the creek get no grief from me. But those that dig up and destroy my herb garden, the bulbs I planted, and later in the year my apple harvest do so at great personal risk.

BTW, squirrel dipped in a garlic batter and skillet fried is delicious.

Ted