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Glass covered growing bed is finished.
Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2010 12:08 pm
by Gary350
I experemented with several ideas and wasted a lot of time building things that did not work. I finally came up with this. I built it from bits and pieces of things I have laying around. It is 5 pieces of 2x4 spliced together with 4 pieces of 1x2 on a stand. We are having very high wind today it keeps blowing this over so I had to stake it to the ground. It turned out 7" too short but no problem I can over lap the glass or add 7" later. The glass just leans up against the board and sets on the soil. The glass edges touch each other and over lap at one place. I planted Swiss chard, spinash, turnip greens and beets inside the glass. I also planted turnip greens, kale, swiss chard outside. It has been over 20 years since I have planted any winter crops it will be nice to have some greens this winter.
[img]https://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e358/gary350/cold1.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e358/gary350/cold2.jpg[/img]
Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2010 12:19 pm
by DoubleDogFarm
Do you own a table saw? How about cutting two dadoes, at the proper angle, in a 2x2. Use this as a top cap.
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Eric
Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2010 2:24 am
by rainbowgardener
Do you have a way to open it at the top a bit on bright sunny days? You'd be surprised how fast you can cook your lettuce, even if it is pretty cold out.
Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2010 9:21 am
by garden5
That's pretty clever.
For the ventilation aspect, I would think that you could move those boards away on the ends and get a nice cross-breeze.
Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2010 9:27 am
by Gary350
I know what you mean I have 20 solar panels on my roof. In the winter if it is 20 degrees outside and over cast the solar panels heat up to 70 degrees F. On a sunny day in the winter I can heat my house to 95 degrees F even if its is 20 degrees outside.
I have a solar oven I can bake cakes and cookies in it in July when it is very hot outside it gets up to 325 degrees in it.
If I leave my hot beds covered all winter with glass it grows a good crop of nice green grass. The nice green grass looks really weird if we has snow. I usually leave off the glass so the soil is easy to work in the spring.
My glass on this planter that I built is just laying against the board, gravity keeps it in place. I can tilt it forward to pick the greens. I can tilt it forward to let out some heat.