Growing Tomatoes Down Under in Winter...

murihikukid · June 15, 2016

Hi...Now that my Laterals have Grown into beautiful young plants its time for them to be transplanted so I have a large Freezer Shell with rails and I have put a Panel Heater on supports on the bottom... I welcome any opinion on wether I should control this by the air temperature or soil temperature using a STC 1000 thermostat......I am leaning towards air control??

I will have a cover on the freezer top and the Soil Drums will drop through holes in it onto a alloy sheet that sits on the rails ..This is to keep any drainage off the panel heater ... There will be Lights fitted above the plants and the freezer/lights etc will be enclosed in a blanket tent ......

Just so people can understand I have attached photos ....Hopefully tomorrow I will be mixing my soil and filling the drums and doing some soil tests for a few days before the actual transplanting......Cheers Ron..

Cole_Robbie · June 16, 2016

the freezer/lights etc will be enclosed in a blanket tent ......

It looks like a fun experiment. You'll probably want to give your plants several air exchanges during their light cycle so they don't use up all the carbon dioxide in their air.

murihikukid · June 17, 2016

Hi...Well its not air tight ..Its just to keep the cold air out and warm air in from the lights..I have been working all day but nothing much to show for it ..I was hoping to get the drums located and the soil in them for a 2 - 3 day testing period ..Just in case anybody was wondering there are Steel Tubular squares around the freezer that have just been put on...To support all the wonderful Tasty Toms when/if they arrive..I am already preparing my second freezer in between work on the first...

I am still hoping to get Soil Warming cable for heating but at the moment I am having big problems with this ....buying from Asia...Regards Ron

murihikukid · June 20, 2016

Hi..I have the drums set...Tomorrow I will put soil in the drums and hopefully some side beams on that I can attach my lighting too....I am still concerned about the Panel heater in the bottom and wondered if anybody has experience with the STC 1000 Thermostat ..I used it controling Ceramic Heat Bulbs on my Propagator so am hoping its alright for the panel heater ....just to switch it on and off within a certain temperature ....I wonder if anybody has experience with this... Thanks Ron

June 16, 2016	#2
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	the freezer/lights etc will be enclosed in a blanket tent ...... It looks like a fun experiment. You'll probably want to give your plants several air exchanges during their light cycle so they don't use up all the carbon dioxide in their air.