Buidling a mini Earth Sheltered Greenhouse

[Xdox]

Well as of now the weather outside is pretty warm up in the low 70s except last night it was 30F and I have ten chronic seedlings going but havnt put them outside yet cause it was so cold and I heard that the ground should be at least 55 degrees for seedlings etc.

So I was thinking of building like a mini Earth Sheltered Greenhouse and raise the plants in there till its warm enough to plant them outside.

For more info go here http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic_gardening/2004_February_March/Earth_Sheltered_Greenhouse
Except I didnt want to make it that big or that deep cause 6 feet is pretty deep to dig with just a shovel so I was thinking of diggin a 3 foot hole.

Then I have a window I could lay in the ground at angle like in the article and do you think thatd keep the plants warm enough at night? Thanks

 

[zamalito]

Yep that's how my family has been building cold frames since I was a kid. I've been using one just like that for 3 years the old window on top and everything

 

[Xdox]

zamalito how deep do you usually dig your holes and itll keep my plants warm correct? Even if its 30 degrees out? Thanks.

 

[gr0wm4g3]

you're not worried about choppers seeing that reflection off the window?

 

[Xdox]

no, no worries here man live an very remote area.

 

[zamalito]

Sorry it took so long yeah it'll keep em war probably down to 25-26 maybe 21-22 if the sun warms it well. . I mine is 3 1/2 feet maybe four and lined with 2 by 12's but as long as its well covered and you dont think it will cave in it should be fine. I want to do a deeper one so I can start plants earlier.

 

[zamalito]

Line it with plack plastic also, but if you're just worried about protecting down to 30 and you are worried about them getting too warm during the day white plastic is fine. I have a hard time finding white plastic at the hardware store so I buy trash compactor trash bags. They are like 5-6 times as thick as regular trash bags and can be handy. Where I am helicoptors only fly june or later anyways, but my cold frame is next to the house so its not suspicious people use the exact same thing for tomatoes all the time. The picture is for a full fledged greenhouse if I'm correct you're just trying to do a cold frame to protect them until the weather warms then you'll transplant, right? So you don't need all that space.

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

Mother earth news has some good ideas here and there, thanks for sharing that bit

Looks like a decent sized project.

 

[PHL8T ME]

If your in an area with deep frosts and wet soils will it hold together? Frost will break concrete around here. At first I was a little worried about the ground holding the cold in but with an insulated window on top and a black lining in the hole it should warm up just fine.
That frost thing bugs me though.

 

[Xdox]

no we dont get too cold of frosts here, sometimes a decent bit of snow not really much this year except a few occasional times, and yes this would just be for the plants to keep warm not for me to totally enter also or any other room. So I can line it with trashcans on the inside and it should be fine for any heat during the day?

 

[zamalito]

I'm suprised none of you guys have heard of an underground cold frame. I don't think he's talking about the full fledged greenhouse in the picture just something about the size of 2-3 standard windows and 3 feet deep. You put 2 hinges on each of the windows and prop each up with a piece of 2x4 or a broomstick. As long as there's some shoring with plywood or 2 X 12" 's or especially 4 X 4's depending on the depth and metal braces in the corners I don't think there'll be a problem with caving in. I know white polypropylene floating row covers that block 50% of light protect down to 25 degrees and that's above ground. I've been using cold frames from late february for three years now and never had a peoblem. My winters a fairly mild from late february on though but I'm sure he'll be fine. I don't know how cold sensitive chronic is but if 30 is the lowest he has to worry about he'll be fine

 

[Xdox]

Yup as of right now the lowest was 30 and now its just rising was 35 last night. Yeah I only want to put one or two windows on it for the the seedlings and then transfer them outside. Btw little update the ten chronic seedlings were put outside today and grew tremendously. Thanks zamalito for the help.

 

[gregor_mendel]

If you put some plastic jugs full of water in the hole with the plants, they can go well below 30 degrees F.

GM

 

[Xdox]

like what exactly do you mean? put the plants emerged in plastic jugs full of water or the jugs next to the plant buried? If it got cold enough wouldnt the water freeze?

 

[zamalito]

Glad to hear it. Hope they do very well.

 

[pipeline]

Water is slow to changes in temperature, so if you let them sit in there during the day, and warm up, they will keep the heat through the night and help warm the greenhouse unless it gets really cold.

This does look like quite a project, unless you made a miniature version of it. It looks like it will require some digging out into the hillside.

 

[WAMEN]

great idea guys...

I always thaught that those greenhouses are really blasting to build...too much work 4 a lazy-stoned-italian dog..

hey Xdox..if you live in a really remote area..why don't you grow a classic guerrilla?

 

[Xdox]

if you dont mind me asking what is "classic gorilla"? As of now my plans are simple an area of 10 x 10 ft and have ten chronic plants in that plot and as of right now i have 3 dp x skunk seeds germed so then how many ever else of those germ they'll all go into another plot.

The main reason for the cold frame is that I live in a region where it gets pretty hot in the day but then the temperature drops considerably at this time of year. In a month or two it should be warm enough anyways though that theres no need for the cold frame.
Heres a lil update of the plants

The first three are the chronic seedlings the other is one of the three dp x skunk . Thanks

 

[WAMEN]

did I say gorilla??

good luck...

 

[zamalito]

Glad to see things are going along xdox. Four more weeks and they'l be ripe to transplant.