Well I have just about got my little Homemade GreenHouse/Hotbox finished. I added some treated 2X8's to the bottom to keep the rot down. Painted it inside and out, added a small heater, and installed the waterbed heater. Only thing left is to add the sand, I will that this weekend.

I moved my plants outside into the box and checked on them after work. It got down below freezing last night, but the plants are ok. A quick check of the temp showed 85 degrees inside, with an outside temp of around 45.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh, where's the pictures???

Looks like I need an automatic vent.

Juliana Greenhouse Window Opener - Univent

Here's the picture:



I will be taking more this weekend when I finish it.

Wow that is really terrific...I love it!

Your hotbox, Looks really nice.

Great box!!!!

What is the window part of it???
Do the windows slide back and forth???

It is a old storm door, the window in the middle does slide, but one of the corner pieces is broken. I think I can fix it.

nice

Great Job and great recycling job...
Can't wait to hear what you do in it...


*aaaahhhhhhhh, that's with plants, not what YOU DO IN IT *

Followup on the pictures.

The WaterBed Heater


Closeup of the WaterBed Heater


The controller mounted on the side of the box.


My plants are added.


Plants again. You can see the heater I am using to warm the air.

That's a NICE
FOR THE PICTURES... they're great!!!!
And Thanks for the updates

So far the sand is warm so the heater is working.

The water jugs only cut the cost of running the heater, the heater still runs, you just only
have to put it on half the time *(night time)*

Question, in your area...*and I know this year's been different with extra warm temps* but would you normally have cold freezing temps this time of year....in January?? Or does your area not get below like 30*'s?????

We do get below freezing most years, and we had a few days of that, but this year our temps are in the 40's to 60's.

Normal is 30's to 40's.

I have the waterbed heater set for 75*. And the other heater set for about 50*.

Amigatec
Holy toledo.......Your a professional , in my book.....

Lots of work .Buttttt neato..
Now i can cry, why can't I?

dodge

I have plans for this.






This is a scale drawing. I did use the scrap piece and made braces out of it.

This whole project started as a way to use up some material I had laying around.

The house behind me burnt last year, so I bought the property, and tore the house down. I saved quite a bit of wood from the house. Almost everything in the Hotbox is from that house.

I did have to buy the paint and the screws I used to put it together, my total cost is about $15.

A hot box from a hot house eh???

Nice work!!!

Lady B

Well I'm way behind everyone. I just made my first ever juice bottle greenhouse/coldframe and stuck it over my yellow snapdragons. They have been trying so hard to survive that I just felt that they deserved to have the very first one. I hope no one pulls it out of the ground. What I wouldn't do for a fence and an acre all my own lol.

I have been keeping a log of the temps, and humidity levels, in my little greenhouse.

We had some temps in the teens last weekend and so far the lowest temps recorded were only 41*.

The inside temp seems to be running about 20* more than outside temps.

My little plants are going to make it.

Man, Pat, it was probably down to 12 a couple of times...you're doing great!

It 50*'s in my big greenhouse today!!

*and it was only 28* out...
but I did have 8 bunnies inside generating
lo'ts of heat I guess... the sun was out too*

I do have a small room heater in the box, plus the waterbed heater.

I think TV 6 said lows were 10 to 17*.

Okay Pat, what plants are you growing in there now??

Nice hot bed!! I made one about 40 years ago out of old windows and ply wood. Looked like yours. The only thing I insatlled was a wooden bottom that I drilled holes in for drainage. I then stapled a weatherproof heating cable to the bottom for even heat for the trays. They did not have small electric heaters back then. The soil temperature is what is important. As long as the soil temperature stays around 72F, you seeds will germinate out there. I have done it in the middle of February back in New England. I now longer have it when I moved to Ohio. I have grow lights everyhere in the basment. I then move some of the smaller plants in the spring to two mini greenhouses. I use an electric heater in the greenhouses. Looks nice!!!

Well I still have the same stuff, mostly herbs.

I did taste some of them the other day and they do taste like herbs. Imagine that!!

What have your temps' been running lately, Pat?

During the day and at night?

And when is your "ballpark" time to plant in your area?

I need one of those, I need an area to harden off the plants a bit more, and make room for when I do the flower seeds..

It was in the 70's today. Supposed to be 80's tomorrow. I have opened the sash just a little to help let the heat out.

I must be doing something wrong, my plants aren't growing, my herbs are doing ok, but my other plants have quit growing. I water them every night because of the bottom heat I am using. I have been using a lot of water on them.

I have turned off the heat for the time being.

I have also planted onions, shallots, and garlic yesterday, I plan on planting 'tators this weekend.

Which ones aren't doing much?

Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts, and all my peppers. The peppers look the best, about 2 inches tall. The cabbage and sprouts are about 1/2 in tall.

Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts like cooler temps...
So, maybe the heat isn't nessessary for them??

I have never used heating things, so I am not
well versed on that part..
But I do know those mentioned above are cool weather crops...

Nice hotbed! I had one years ago that I made out of old wooden windows. The key is soil temperature. As long as your soil temperature is at 72 degrees, does not matter what the air tempertues is. I used a heating cable made for hotbeds. My hotbed looked similiar. Brought back memories. Keep up the good work, and keep us posted!

I may have to buy a string heater the waterbed heater I think is making to much heat.

The thermometer in the sand reads over 100*.