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10-Dec-2007
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#1 |
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bonsaiTALK Craftsman
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Dresser Greenhouse
Living in Ohio makes it hard to work with Bonsai during the winter. I wanted to work on some tropical plants but did not have the cash to build and maintain an outdoor greenhouse. My house also has long roof overhangs and few good windows to maintain tropicals indoors in the winter. I considered buying a light cart with a plastic cover for humidity but did not have the space in my house or the money to buy all the accessories.
One winter I decided to build a crude “Dresser Greenhouse”. It was a simple design with a wood frame, a plastic film attached to the frame, plants sitting on humidity trays and grow lights hanging above. This was placed on top of the dresser in my bedroom. The first prototype was only a three sided structure that slid up against my bedroom wall. You can imagine that this did not work out well as excess moisture did not agree with the wall paint. I did not have any sort of air circulation in the first model which allowed some mildew growth. The plants actually put on some growth through the winter. When summer came I put the plants outside under my irrigation system. They handled the transition well and put on more growth.
After the first winter I realized the concept would work but I needed something more functional AND aesthetically pleasing. |
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10-Dec-2007
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#2 |
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bonsaiTALK Craftsman
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I decided to make something that was larger so it would require its own base that would rest on top of the dresser. I built the base to accommodate three of the large, plastic humidity trays. The base has oak pegs glued in it with corresponding holes in each side panel so that the four side panels could be secured to the base. I used two wooden shelf brackets to support the part of the base which overhangs the dresser. |
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10-Dec-2007
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#3 |
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bonsaiTALK Craftsman
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The new design allows me to make each of the four side walls as individual panels for ease of construction and tear-down in case of a move in the future. The side panels’ construction is illustrated in figure 1. Each side panel is lined with the weather-proofing plastic used for old windows and stretched with a hair dryer. I used the special tape that comes with the kit to secure it to the frame. I decided to add aluminum foil to the back and side panels and a partial strip at the TOP of the front panel to reflect light back into the greenhouse instead of it being lost out into the room. This has proven to keep foliage strong on all sides of the plants. The front panel was built a little taller so that it is not under the top plate. The front panel is attached to the two side panels with a hook-and-eye on each side towards the top of the panels. This configuration allows me to remove the entire front panel to access the plants for watering and maintenance. Last edited by BonsaiRic : 10-Dec-2007 at 11:11 PM. |
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10-Dec-2007
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#4 |
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bonsaiTALK Craftsman
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The top plate of the greenhouse was engineered to have the oak pegs like the bottom to “lock” the two side panels and the back panel together. As mentioned in the above paragraph, the front panel rests on pegs glued into the base but is not connected to the top plate. The top plate has a hole cut in it to fit the opening of a small squirrel-cage fan that circulates air into the greenhouse. This cut down on unwanted fungal growth. The circulating air escapes through the 4 holes cut into the top plate where the cords for the grow lights are threaded through. There is a vertical rib of wood hanging down from the top plate where the 4 grow lights are attached. Originally I used Incandescent light bulbs but the heat generated and the power usage was too great. I now have three fluorescents and one incandescent bulb. I found that the one incandescent bulb gives me a good level of heat to keep the tropicals thriving. |
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10-Dec-2007
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#5 |
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bonsaiTALK Craftsman
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I used pine for the frame but stained it with a walnut stain to match the dresser. I used spar varnish over the stain to add a nice water resistant layer. This has worked out very well so far.
Being an indoor greenhouse I use mild chemicals for insect control. Neem has been effective as well as insecticidal soap. I usually place the plants in the bathtub for their treatments and allow them to dry before placing them back in their greenhouse.
This greenhouse has brought me great satisfaction over the past two winters as it brightens a tough part of the year for a bonsai enthusiast. I am not trained as a carpenter or an engineer but simply put an idea to paper and figured out how to make it work. I wanted to share this with the bonsai community as a possibility for some who have may have minimal skills like me but would like a way to house a small number of tropicals through northern winters. I don’t have formal blueprints or scale drawings but would be happy to answer any questions concerning construction if someone would like to attempt this project.
Obviously the size of this greenhouse limits the size of the bonsai. One could have a single larger bonsai or numerous shohin or mame bonsai. Most of my tropicals are shohin and not finished bonsai but are in training... BUT isn’t that the point…having something to maintain during the long winters.  |
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10-Dec-2007
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#6 |
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bonsaiTALK Craftsman
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A few tropicals that have spent a winter in the greenhouse: Carissa buxifolia, Schefflera arboricola 'Luseane', and Ficus Burt Davyii
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11-Dec-2007
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#7 |
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bonsaiTALK Craftsman
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Really cool writ-up!!!
One day I will put something like this together, no proper room in the house at the moment... I would through a hydrometer and a thermometer inside your booth... |
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