In early spring, in the garden, and not in the apartment. What we did in 2016.
Our family has been growing seedlings of vegetables and flowers on the windowsill for many years. It's exciting and interesting for me, but the same questions always come up. All windows are full, seedlings are crowded. We have to constantly come up with different devices to increase the area of \u200b\u200bthe window sills - we substitute tables, ironing boards, bedside tables for them. And for two months, seedlings crowd out the residents of the house from the brightest room. And when watering and transplanting plants in the room, it becomes dirty, damp, and it takes a lot of time. And the most important thing is that the seedlings, even on the south window, do not have enough light and they stretch out. It would be nice to grow seedlings in the spring in a heated greenhouse, but we do not have one. And yet we found a way.
In the spring of 2016, we tried to grow seedlings in a bed with electrically heated soil. Our greenhouse has a metal frame, covered with cellular polycarbonate, inside there are stationary boxes made of boards.
In one box, we chose soil to a depth of half a meter and put insulation from foil foamed polyethylene on the bottom. A masonry mesh was laid on it, to which a heating cable was attached and connected through a thermostat to 220 V electricity.
An organic soil mixture was poured into the box, within two days it warmed up to a temperature of + 26 C, and then seeds were sown in it. Sowed tomatoes on April 3 with a margin - thirty varieties of five seeds, as well as various salads, radishes, onions and herbs. Seeds of greens and radish sprouted on the second day, tomatoes on the fifth
.
So that the plants do not freeze at sub-zero air temperatures, we additionally covered the box with a film for the night. During the day, we measured temperatures: the soil in the bed was constantly warmed up with a heating cable to a temperature of +26 C, when the air in the greenhouse warmed up to + 11 C, under the film in the bed the air temperature was + 20 C.
I have grown seedlings of this quality for the first time since 1972! Firstly, absolutely all the seeds that I sowed sprouted. Secondly, seedlings were grown without picking. The plants were placed at a distance of two centimeters from each other and at the same time they did not stretch. Seedlings grew strong and bloomed in mid-May. On an area of only one and a half squares, I grew 150 tomatoes of excellent quality. The seedlings had very short internodes, very juicy foliage, and it pleased me with its beauty.
Thirdly, seedling care was minimal. I didn’t pick, I didn’t add soil, I didn’t move it from place to place, I didn’t organize lighting, and I didn’t worry that the seedlings were uncomfortable on the windowsill. All care was reduced exclusively to watering and foliar feeding.
In addition, for the first time we ate various greens (several varieties of lettuce, dill, basil, mustard) and radishes by the end of April.
Why have we grown such wonderful seedlings. A large amount of nutrient soil, a large amount of sunlight from all sides, warm soil, the difference between night and day air temperatures, no picking. For comparison, we sowed seedlings on the windowsill, look at the photos - what was the difference, especially in the root system.
I really liked growing seedlings in a bed with electric heating, and now I wonder why I didn’t think of doing it earlier. Moreover, the cost of electricity was quite minimal. In April, we spent 230 kWh of energy on electric heating for a little more than 500 rubles.
This season, in the spring of 2017, I have already begun to grow pepper and eggplant seedlings using the same method. In addition to them, in mid-March, she sowed seeds of greens and radishes
.
We measured the temperature, on March 28, on a cloudy day, the air temperature in the open air is + 4, in the greenhouse + 7, under the film in the garden + 14 and the soil temperature is + 25.
Gardeners can use this method if they have electricity in the garden in the spring. It is not even necessary to have a greenhouse, it is enough to cover the garden bed with arcs and a film. In addition, this way you can grow seedlings on balconies and loggias.
If you want to get complete technological information about the electric heated bed device, watch the video tutorial.
Perhaps you would like to grow greens throughout the winter, but you don't have the option of making a heated greenhouse. If at the same time you live in a private house or cottage, then you can attach a winter garden (light room) to it. To learn how to do this, read the article and watch the video tutorial, which will be released in April 2017.
Natalia IVANTSOVA
Head of the Novosibirsk Center for Natural Agriculture "Siyaniye"
It is known that during the growth of plants, temperature is one of the key conditions. Both the ambient temperature and the soil. The latter is perhaps even more so. If we discard the very extreme temperatures for plants, when it comes to survival, then some interesting dependencies become clear, for example. An increase in soil temperature at a depth of 40 cm to 32 degrees Celsius gives an increase in yield by 2 ... 2.5 times and a reduction in its ripening period by 30 days. The eggplant harvest, under the same conditions, grows 4 times. In general, an increase in soil temperature, relative to air by 3 ... 4 degrees, gives an increase in yield, for example, tomatoes, by 43% and reduces the ripening period by 9 days. And yet, it has been proven that an increase in soil temperature from 12 to 16 degrees Celsius increases the absorption of phosphorus oxide (P2O5) by plant roots by 100%, and this is plant nutrition.
Or in a test tube, as in a garden,
grow new food
and use instead of the usual
or with the usual outfit.
Mikhail Shcherbakov "Fontanka".
On the other hand, there are still plants, in principle, thermophilic, for which somewhat elevated temperatures are generally native and comfortable. For example. Having decided to experiment with growing tobacco in the Perm region, he immediately ran into the problem of low soil temperature.
Tobacco with our short summer, you can grow only more or less early-ripening varieties and only through seedlings. Otherwise, even the lower leaves do not have time to ripen.
The optimum temperature for germination of tobacco seeds is from plus 23 to plus 28. Ideally, it is plus 25. Tobacco is a southern plant, so if the room temperature is from plus 18 to plus 22, then this can delay the emergence of seedlings for several weeks. And at temperatures from plus 10 to plus 15, they may not sprout at all (they simply rot). Moreover, it is desirable that the optimum temperature be combined with good lighting - tobacco seeds are extremely small and are not embedded in the soil - they are distributed over the surface and are slightly trampled.
So, the task was to provide plus 25 degrees and decent lighting in a small volume. It was decided to organize the heating of the soil, and place the box itself on the windowsill. In principle, it was possible to go in an alternative way - to place a box with seedlings in a warm place (for example, on a stove) and organize additional lighting with electric light.
A relatively compact, inexpensive, sealed heater of low power was required. Several designs of self-made sealed heaters exist among aquarists, in fact - quite similar conditions. The old design of a U-shaped glass tube with saline was rejected as not very reliable and dangerous, moreover, a design was required, unlike the prototype, working in a horizontal position. And here is another one - from a vitrified wire resistor filled with oil, seemed already closer. The heating element is especially good, indeed - a powerful PEV wire resistor - like a heater - a high resistivity wire wound on a round ceramic tubular frame, the winding is vitrified. Charm.
Aquarium colleagues also have options with resistors as fuel elements, covered with dry sand. Here it is quite good. Yes, the use of wire resistances as small heaters is known. There is such a practice, and not only among craftsmen who, in general, see a dozen “undocumented possibilities” and alternative applications in any subject on the move. I met an industrial building for a video camera of "external", street surveillance. In it, near the sight glass, a miniature heater was installed from a ceramic resistor, theirs, bourgeois. To prevent the formation of condensate inside the housing and fogging of the glass.
What was used in the work.
Instruments.
A set of tools for radio installation, of course - a soldering iron with accessories. Construction hair dryer for working with thermotubes, squeezer for sealant. For the manufacture of the box, a carpentry tool, a screwdriver was used. Styrofoam, it is convenient to cut with a sharp construction knife, with disposable blades, like a clerical one. Better under the ruler, better metal.
Materials.
In addition to the resistors themselves, several suitable glass bottles, silicone sealant, sand, a tin container for calcining it, and a fine sieve were needed. The electrical cord is flexible and double insulated. A few heat pipes. Pieces of thin boards for the box, self-tapping screws, "Penoplex" 20 mm thick.
So, the selection of materials - having studied the assortment of the local radio store, I chose resistors with a power dissipation of 5 W, in a ceramic rectangular case. Offered a small, but the choice of denominations. As a body of the heater, I decided to use something at hand - a small pharmacy glass bottle fit perfectly.
Based on the available resistor values, I chose the heater power.
6200 + 3600 = 9800 Ohm - The resistance of a chain of two resistors.
I \u003d U / R \u003d 220/9800 \u003d 0.022 A - Current in the circuit.
P=U*I = 0.022*220 = 4.9 W - Power dissipated by two resistors.
U \u003d I * R \u003d 6200 * 0.022 \u003d 139 V - Voltage drop across the 6.2 kΩ resistor.
P \u003d U * I \u003d 139 * 0.022 \u003d 3.12 W - The power dissipated by the 6.2 kOhm resistor - fits into the allowable resistor (5 W) with a large margin, it makes no sense to count for a 3.6 kOhm resistor, and so it will be clear - it will be like cheese in butter to ride.
So, the heater power is about 5 watts. It was decided to make two pieces for more uniform heating. Make conclusions from a soft stranded "network" cord.
Of course, it was impossible to do without temperature control. Was involved. Temperature sensors, it is digital DS18V20, in a three-pin TO-92 package. The temperature sensor, in order to avoid local overheating of the soil due to limited heat transfer in it, was placed inside one of two identical heaters. In addition, this placement made it possible to avoid sealing a separate sensor. Structurally, the sensor in the heater housing is placed as far as possible from the heat-generating resistors. This allows you to get a small hysteresis.
Prepared and connected heat-generating resistors, after being placed in a glass bottle, are covered with pre-sifted and calcined sand. He fell asleep in small portions, tapping the bottom of the bottle on the table - for a more dense packing of sand. Not reaching 1.5 ... 2 cm to the top, fill the neck with silicone sealant and mold the protruding one with a soapy finger. Glass surfaces in contact with the sealant must be dry, preferably free of grease.
Silicone sealant, in this application, can probably be replaced with acrylic - it does not contain fungicides or silicone for aquariums. An alternative sealing option is epoxy adhesive.
During the curing of the sealant, the wires are laid approximately in the future working position.
Ready-made heaters, one of them with a temperature sensor.
The box for seedlings was thermally insulated - lined from the inside with thin construction foam (Penoplex 20mm). The heaters were distributed at the bottom of the box, the wires were bundled and fixed at the corner with a tin bracket. Self-tapping screw. In order not to pull out the heaters along with the seedlings at the height of the experiment, tripping over the wires.
Germination temperature
No matter how different the advice on the composition of the land mixture, the depth of embedding or the expediency of pre-sowing soaking, there is one prerequisite for the germination of adenium seeds - this is temperature. It should be 30-35 0 C. At a lower temperature, the probability of seed rotting is very high.
There are heated greenhouses, but in Russia I did not come across such ones, although I was looking for them. If you live in a southern climate, natural temperatures will suffice in summer. The rest were less fortunate in this sense, but winter will equalize the sowing conditions for everyone. So adenium growers have come up with different ways to increase the temperature for any season.
So how do you get the right temperature?
1. CH batteries.
Salvation was found in what indoor plants usually suffer greatly - central heating batteries. For the first time, they may serve us well.
Organized elementary: take a greenhouse and put it on the battery.
Just keep in mind that overheating, as well as cold, can adversely affect germination. In order not to "cook" the seeds, the temperature must first be adjusted. To do this, you will need a thermometer, towels / books. It is not enough just to put a container of seeds on the battery, you need to monitor the temperature with a thermometer. Otherwise, everything may end in failure, because. "by eye" the correctness of the temperature can not be determined. For a person and +35 degrees warm and +40 warm, and for seeds -
that's already a big difference.
Put the thermometer in the place where the greenhouse will stand, measure the temperature. It will almost certainly be above the required limit. Here, to regulate the temperature, we use towels / books, laying them on the battery. When the layer lowers the temperature to the desired one, put a greenhouse on it. Everything.
2. Towel dryer in the bathroom.
The advantage is that it is available all year round. The disadvantage is that there is absolutely no light, so do not delay the transfer of seedlings to a lighted place.
Otherwise, everything is the same as with CH batteries.
3. Incandescent lamp (LN).
For a long time it has been used in the household not only as a source of light, but also as a source of heat. For our purposes, a 40W lamp is suitable, it can be more, but then it is more difficult to “extinguish” excess heat, and electricity consumption is higher.
The disadvantage of using LN is round-the-clock lighting.
With the help of LN, you can organize the lower or upper heating, depending on which one is more convenient for you.
Consider both:
bottom heating : lamp below, greenhouse above.
Simple construction: put 2 supports on the table (from books, pots, etc.), identify a greenhouse on them. Between the supports, under the greenhouse is a lamp. The temperature is measured with a thermometer and is regulated by the height of the supports.
Please note that the lamp emits heat not only upwards, but also downwards. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the table surface from it, for example, using a ceramic plate / tray.
Complex design: involves the use of a ceramic pot. It is difficult to explain in words, it is easier to depict in a picture.
To regulate the temperature, you can also use books as a layer between the pot and the greenhouse. The advantage of the design: the surface on which the structure stands does not overheat.
Top heating: lamp above, greenhouse below.
The disadvantage of the upper heating is that the lower one is more effective - the heat is directed primarily to the seeds, and not to the crown of the seedlings. Plus - the lamp still gives light, although it is definitely not enough for full growth, but it's better than nothing. But the main thing is that, having replaced the LN with a CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) in one or two weeks, we can easily convert the greenhouse for seed germination into a greenhouse for growing seedlings (a small amount).
It makes no sense to list all possible design options, there are too many of them (someone even manages to hang greenhouses from lamps).
I will note only the most simple:
Table lamp. There's not even anything to talk about - a greenhouse on the table, under the lamp, and that's it. And if you do it on a bright windowsill ...
Measure the temperature, if it is too high, put a lamp on all the same books. The lamp comes with a crocodile clip, then it can be re-hung.
Carrier and bucket. A greenhouse is placed at the bottom of the bucket. A rail (ruler, stick, etc.) is placed on top of the walls, to which a cartridge with a lamp is attached.
Instead of a bucket, you can use an aquarium or some other object as a support (box, box), the meaning of this will not change.
If you wish, you can use the designs of the upper and lower heating and build a combined greenhouse, suitable for both seed germination and seedling cultivation. The bottom line: at the bottom of the LN, at the top of the CFL, in the middle of the greenhouse.
4. Heated rug.
All gardeners are already at a "low start": a little more, and the usual annual marathon will begin.
A little more and it will start...
While we are at the very beginning of the journey, at the “seedling” stage, we can try to diversify the usual manipulations. For example, use interesting growing tools. It is to them that today's collection is dedicated.
Pots, boxes and cassettes
Among the variety of containers for growing seedlings presented in stores, those familiar to everyone are in the lead. Using them, you can immediately transplant the seedlings into the ground, bypassing. In this case, the integrity of the root is well preserved. Although there are other opinions: .
plastic pots for seedlings
- It can be a fluorescent pendant lamp, like. It is placed at a height of 30 cm from the plants. The design consists of a sliding frame, between the parts of which there is an illuminating element. The price of the device is 2500 rubles. But then it will not “eat” a lot of electricity.
- Another convenient LED lamp -. Its price is higher - about 4000 rubles. It works no further than 100 cm from the plants. At the same time, if you place it too close to the seedlings, the risk of burning the planting is minimal.
- I have a more powerful lamp with more LEDs (12, not 7). Illuminates an area of 50x50 cm. It costs about 5,000 rubles.
- The LED panel is designed for 6 years of service due to its robust construction and modern materials. Creates an optimal spectrum of lighting for comfortable and fast growth. That's just the price "bites" (about 5,000 rubles, as for the previous one).
- The same manufacturer has a simpler option -. Its price is more acceptable - 1700 rubles. But the power is almost half as much. All other performance characteristics (strength, etc.) are the same. So not a bad model to "try".
In an apartment, it is best to do seed distillation in mini greenhouse. Some will ask why? After all, the apartment is already so warm, light, let it grow in the old fashioned way in boxes! It's been grown this way for decades! That's how it is, but how much strength can be saved when leaving and how much improve seedling quality if you use a mini-greenhouse for this!
The conditions in the apartment are far from ideal - the central heating dries the air, the winter-spring sunlight is not enough for plants, it blows cold from the window, etc. And tender seedlings need greenhouse conditions.
Mini greenhouse on the windowsill
The window is a place where pots with indoor flowers are traditionally placed, winter mini-beds with onions, parsley and dill. Why not organize here a small aesthetic greenhouse that would decorate the interior?
For greenhouses located on window sills, there are certain requirements:
- the main thing is that it should be aesthetic and not completely block light from the window, so as not to cause inconvenience to the household;
- create for plants optimal mode;
- provide easy access to plants for care;
- have a good stock strength for reusable use.
Installing a mini-greenhouse on the windowsill will allow you to save energy for supplementary lighting. During the day, the sun will shine on the plantings, and you can extend the daylight hours with fitolamps.
Another advantage is the central heating battery. Lower heating of the greenhouse will be provided without additional devices and costs.
Types
There are a lot of types of mini-greenhouses on the windowsill, from simple cookie containers to complex automatic structures manufactured by industry.
Greenhouse from a container
It's easier than ever to make mini-greenhouses for sowing seeds from plastic food containers. Such a container should be deep enough and have a convex lid so that the seedlings have a place to germinate. They look neat and are easy to take care of. They need pallet where excess water will drain after watering. At the bottom of the container, it is enough to make a couple of drainage holes - and the greenhouse is ready.
If you make a neat rack around the perimeter of the window, you can fit many such greenhouses on its shelves. In them, seedlings will grow until the time comes to swoop it into separate pots.
"Houses"
If the window sill is wide, you can put a miniature copy of a garden greenhouse on it - a small house with an opening front panel. In it, in cassettes, you can grow already dived seedlings.
In addition to seedlings, in such a greenhouse you can grow greens, salads and even radishes all year round.
bread box
Looks great on the window greenhouse-bread box. Transparent on all sides, it will provide good lighting to plants. For care and ventilation, it can be opened with one hand movement. If the window sill is fully adapted for a mini-garden, it can be made in its entire length. 
In this mini-greenhouse, even early radishes can be grown in cassettes.
old aquarium
If you need a mini-greenhouse, but do not want to spend money and time, use the old one. aquarium(if he, of course, is in the house). The only thing you have to do is a transparent cover.
Such a greenhouse is good for everyone, one inconvenience - you will have to get to the plants through the top.
What are we growing?
The choice is great and it depends only on your enthusiasm for the selection of varieties of vegetables that can grow in a mini-greenhouse on the windowsill.
- greens -, etc.;
- tomatoes of the "" variety - give up to 2 kg per bush (the weight of 1 fruit is not more than 30 g), suitable for fresh consumption, canning and freezing;
- spicy . A bush with fruits can become a decoration of your interior, it looks so beautiful;
leafy - watercress, arugula, spinach; - early;
- seedlings.
Some craftsmen even manage to grow on window sills.
Do it yourself
You can buy a mini-greenhouse on the windowsill, since there is no shortage of offers from manufacturers. The advantage of such a solution is the absence of manufacturing hassle, the minus is that it is not always possible to choose the right size, and you still have to additionally mount the lighting.
The advantage of a homemade greenhouse is the ability to make a mini-greenhouse exactly according to your needs, it will be cheaper. Minus - you have to tinker.
Rack
The most aesthetic and convenient option would be a rack made around the perimeter of the window. To make it look organic, it is better to make it completely from a durable polymeric white or transparent material. The best will be the good old plexiglass. It is a durable, unbreakable material. Its thickness should be from 10 to 12 mm.
Where to begin?
Of course, from the drawing and measurements. Plexiglas is easy to process, it does not require complex tools. All you need is a Plexiglas cutter, which is easily obtained from a hacksaw blade, a file to trim the edges of the cuts, a screwdriver for attaching the shelves to the walls of the rack, a marking marker, and a drill.
- in accordance with the dimensions, side walls and shelves are cut out of plexiglass;
- edges are processed with a file;
- on the side walls, points are applied with a marker where the shelves will be attached;
- holes for corners are drilled at the marked points;
- fasteners are screwed and shelves are inserted;
- to give the structure additional rigidity, ties can be made from narrow strips of plexiglass behind the upper and lower shelves.
For sustainability on the lower part of the walls, you can make “shoes” from small wooden blocks by making deep grooves on them and inserting the side walls there.
The rack is ready. It is convenient to place containers with seedlings, mini-beds with greenery on the shelves. You can decorate with small pots of indoor flowers.
Shelves can also be made suspended, as shown in the photo. But in this case, it is impossible to make a greenhouse out of it using a cover.
For additional illumination under each shelf, you can attach phytolamp so that it illuminates the plant shelf below it.
If soil heating is needed, you can use thermal electric mats by placing them under the containers. If you need to create microclimate- it is always convenient to cover such a rack with a cover made of film with a zipper.
Conclusion. A beautiful and functional mini-greenhouse made with your own hands will bring not only satisfaction from the quality of the work done, but will also help you grow a good crop on window mini-beds. Good luck and new ideas!
Do-it-yourself budget mini-greenhouse? Easily!
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