Growing Indoors

[Farside]

[Farside]

Growing indoors and vertically in a ski town:

[Farside]

Here's an important segment on thermal masses in greenhouses:


A better option is to use an active heating system. Compost heating systems work well for example as they produce heat and raise CO2 levels for the plants. Then in the spring you have compost for the outdoor garden.

[dirtmurphy]

This year I moved two worm bins out to my small (6'x8') greenhouse. The bins themselves are black, and they are located below my plant shelf. I also put two black rubber mats down on the floor to collect and slowly radiate heat as well as made sure to plant winter crops in black containers. On the extra cold nights, I add burning candles surrounded by jugs of water in different spots on the floor. Oh, I also put a sheet of insulation on the north wall a year or two ago. If it gets super cold, I have some thermal reflective blankets that I will attach to the ceiling panels with adhesive velcro strips to help hold in heat since the ceiling is where most of the heat dissipates.

[Farside]

This year I moved two worm bins out to my small (6'x8') greenhouse. The bins themselves are black, and they are located below my plant shelf. I also put two black rubber mats down on the floor to collect and slowly radiate heat as well as made sure to plant winter crops in black containers. On the extra cold nights, I add burning candles surrounded by jugs of water in different spots on the floor. Oh, I also put a sheet of insulation on the north wall a year or two ago. If it gets super cold, I have some thermal reflective blankets that I will attach to the ceiling panels with adhesive velcro strips to help hold in heat since the ceiling is where most of the heat dissipates.

If you have chickens then putting them in a pen in the greenhouse will warm it up (they produce a lot of heat for their size), and the additional light helps with egg production.

[dirtmurphy]

I've thought about that moving some of the birds in there but haven't tried it yet. They seem so content cuddling up with one another at night that I hate to split them up!

[Farside]

Chickens and compost in a poly tunnel.

[Farside]

Here is an economical method of constructing green houses:

[walterceal@yahoo.com]

I went high tech with my garden and after planting seeds, this is what I had in 7 days.
I am of course, making a careful study of the plants behaviour in 24 hour / day light and hope to adapt / breed various strains that thrive under these conditions. I am at day 11 now with the broccoli and radish plants recovering from a psychotic episode. The beets, carrots, green onions and cucumber are all doing very well in this environment. I am not sure why the picture has inverted but you can still see what I have in this section. I also have lettuce and cabbage in another cabinet section and plan on planting some other varieties including wheatgrass and asparagus shortly.

[walterceal@yahoo.com]

I planted these Green Onion, Beets, Carrots, Cucumber, Broccoli and Radish Plants from seed 21 days ago
and have kept them under a 50 w LED grow lamp chip 24 hours a day without a break.





The Broccoli and Radish plants took the longest to adapt to the 24 hour light, grow the secondary leaves
and begin growing rapidly like the other plants. All the vegetables I have planted and subjected to 24
hour light are adapted and growing quite well now.

As the amount of surface area on the plants increases, the plants continue to accelerate their rate of growth.
The next 7 days should be very interesting to watch as these six plants continue to develop.

Walter.