New World Geek

Surviving and thriving in the new world order

Mini-greenhouse

By Patti Schiendelman | April 3, 2009

mini-greenhouse

Ok, I am looking at this mini-greenhouse on Amazon, and wondering if I can get my plants outdoors sooner by putting a shelf outside, covering it with plastic, and running a hose from my dryer vent to it for heat. I don’t think that would keep it consistently warm enough, we’re still having frosts and days that just don’t warm up, and I don’t do that much laundry. Something to think about, though, right?

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7 Comments

  1. Tim
    Posted April 3, 2009 at 7:39 am | Permalink

    Some thin plastic painters tarp material, some duct tape and a heating pad and I think you would be set. I think the heat from the dryer would be a bit too much.

  2. Patti Schiendelman
    Posted April 3, 2009 at 8:09 am | Permalink

    We’re still having frosts, and snow, so I’m not sure a heating pad would do it. But I agree the dryer would be too much.

  3. Frank
    Posted April 3, 2009 at 9:23 am | Permalink

    How about a couple of gallon jugs of water on the bottom shelf. During the day they could heat up in the sun and keep the grenhouse warm through the night. On especially cold days or days when the sun never really came out, fill them with hot water from the tap before going to bed.

    With the cost of electricity it may be infeasible, but have you considered an indoor garden using an inexpensive, low wattage HID lamp? http://preview.tinyurl.com/cue2at or http://preview.tinyurl.com/chs6cm

  4. mingsish
    Posted April 3, 2009 at 11:30 am | Permalink

    While on a bicycle ride with my then girlfriend (now wife), I pulled an old metal snack rack, a bit larger than the rack shown, out of the dumpster behind a gas station . I rigged it up with some landscaping tube i had around and a converter that i can screw to to the sink faucet. It has wheels, which is something you might consider, so it can go in and out easy. My plan is to put it in a low walled plastic bin with a drain to the out side, cover it in clear plastic, and point lights at it over winters. It stands to be a little more costly endeavor than i had hoped (at least lighting wise) but i’m into some seriously finicky tropical fruit plants.

  5. Kabuki
    Posted April 3, 2009 at 11:53 am | Permalink

    Ha! If I tried something like this, it would be full of my herd of Felines, and pots full of crushed plants. My wife and I have been thinking of building something similar, though.

  6. Cheap Veg Gardener
    Posted April 4, 2009 at 8:42 am | Permalink

    Jimmy Cracked Corn did something similiar and seem to be working for him.

    Greenhouse construction
    Addition of dryer vent outlet

    His results showed a 30 degree increase when clothes were drying as well as plent of humidity.

  7. Patti Schiendelman
    Posted April 4, 2009 at 11:46 am | Permalink

    That’s very cool! 30 degrees is a lot, though. I like the idea of the water mass being warmed with an aquarium heater.

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