hot house success

hortriot

i am happy to report that an experiment with my hot house has been a success.

it may not be a new one but.....

winter is coming up pretty fast on me and i am confident with this method to heat the inside of the hot house using no electricity and receiving a bonus at the end

i modified some large plastic plant pots and filled them with soil, straw, cow manure, ash, old compost and comfrey leaves.

the pot is about 50 cm tall and generates enough heat through decomposition ( about 30 degree celcius ) to keep the temp inside the hothouse above outside temp.

once the batch cools down a little, i will rotate it with a new one or two depending how cold it gets, then i have some lovely humus to add to my potting mixes.

it may not be as regular as electric heatbeds or old fry pans but it costs me a big fat $0.00 and that folks, is gold.

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another day, another leaf

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bwaynef

Do your temps get below freezing in winter? As the temps drop, the microbial activity in your compost will slow somewhat also, and then decomposition will drop, resulting in less heat released from your pile.

This is a neat, and useful way to heat your hothouse. Let us know how it works out for you.

WF

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© 2004 - present bwaynef

zoot

That's great idea!
Now let's see if I can find a way of cutting the heat in the house each winter. 'Er...Darling, do you mind if I dump a ton of manure in the dining room for a while?'

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Best regards

Zoot

'You got to be original, man...' Lester Young 1909-1959

JR_Roosa

Maybe I'm a bit over-cautious, but please be careful!

If you have the area tightly sealed, you might be able to get a high concentration of CO2 or H2S or something else nasty and dangerous in your hot house from the fermentation. Here's a reference for agriculture workers, but the same concepts probably apply to your much smaller operation (you can probably ignore the "buried in grain" hazard unless you really make a lot of your own bonsai soil):

http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d00080...36/d000836.html

The problem with a room full of gas is that the early symptoms, especially confusion, prevent people from figuring out that they're in trouble, and then they pass out (remember the airline lecture, "put on your own mask before helping your children with theirs"). Once they pass out, they lay on the floor breathing more gas until they stop or somebody rescues them. I don't know about you, but my wife probably wouldn't come looking for me until at least dinnertime, if at all.

I don't know about the flammability issue (methane?), but smoking a fat Cuban while pruning your trees in your stinky hot house might also be a bad idea.

Yeah, I'm really no fun at all.

Again, maybe it would never happen, but it might be worth letting the place air out for a little while before you venture in, although that might lose you some of your hard-earned heat. On the other hand, it would get rid of much of the stink too.

Be safe!

-Jason.

hortriot

thats cool jason,

thankyou for the pointers but my hot-house is only 1.2m wide, 2.2m long and 2.1 high with a pitched roof, once i open the door, fresh air is pulled into it ( inward opening door ).
the lowering temp affecting my decomposition rate does concern me a little.
i will be hooking up some steam to pipe in there with a little eucalyptus oil for a little sauna soon though.

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another day, another leaf

hortriot

hi bwaynef,

temps rarely go below 0 here in winter, overnight yes but usually -2 or -3.
frosts are not unusual during late autumn and through winter.

have a squiz at this site if you like.

www.bom.gov.au/

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Alasdair

Having one large container instead of several small ones would mean a drop in external temperature having less effect. You would have a smaller mass/surface area ratio but generate similar amounts of heat. (the outer layer will insulate the inards, allowing them to decompose at a constant rate, generating contant warmth).

Al

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I can feel another "I wish that was my tree" moment coming on...
Currently studying BSc Plant Biology at the Universty of Wales, Aberystwyth

bwaynef

Thanks. I can honestly say thats the first "squiz" I've ever had. I'm not sure if I even did it right.

WF

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Joanie

Maybe a squiz is a quizzical squint? Did you squint quizzically? If you left something out, you will have to do it again.

Joanie

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