Tropicals & Tender Perennials: My "indoor greenhouse" for starting Plumeria Cuttings, 1 by LhasaLover

LhasaLover wrote:
sorry so long... I have had several people ask me what I have done so I thought I might explain and provide some pictures.

I found waterbed heater mats from the local free cycle and buy sell trade. I paid about $10 for each.. I now have 3

I just put the waterbed heater inside plastic bags to protect from excessive water.. heavier ones and laid it on the floor. I made a table the size I wanted out of 3/4 inch plywood... you can probably use an old table if you have one. I bought an inexpensive 4 foot flourescent light fixture and grow bulbs at Walmart. I attached hangers on the underside of the table to attach the light right up against the wood or at least very close... some of my plants are already almost touching it! I mounted it on opposite corners so it provides good light coverage in the entire area. I bought vinyl sheeting from the fabric dept ... again at Walmart... and put it over the table draping down to the floor to create a more humid enviornment and keep heat in.

I then put a water resistant sheet on top folded in several layers. I think a towel or something absorbant might work also. That way when you water, any draining out will just be absorbed and as it is heated, will evaporate and create humidity for the plants. I then put the potted plants on top. These cuttings and plants are in black plastic pots with flat bottoms. I stick the sensor into one of the pots to regulate the temp. I have a plant thermometer I bought at Harbor freight for under $10... it works great.

One corner of the plastic is kept open and I have a small ceramic heater there that comes on when the temp is below 75 or so. It keeps the area under the table about 80 to 85 and does not run very often yet... it is not cold here yet.

I also have some cuttings on another heat mat on top of the table I made and are doing them a little diffferently since I made my pots the cuttings are in out of used soda bottles... 1 and 2 liter ones. Here is a pictrure of the bottles/pots with a cutting in it. Since the bottoms are not flat, I was concerned that I would not get the maximum effectiveness from the heat pad since there would be air spaces on the bottom... it would take more electricity to heat and be inconsistant. So, I bought a long low flat storage bin at WalMart for under $6 and a bag of industrial sand at home depot for about $3. I prepare the mat the same then put the plastic storage bin on top... a layer of sand about 3/4 inch then put the potted cuttings in and pour sand around all the pots to about 3 or 4 inches deep. Place the sensor in the sand and keep track of the temps at the edges and center areas to determine the best setting for the thermostat. This provides a more consistant heat to the cuttings. I am about to hang another 4 ft flourescent grow light above them.

This set up has given me double the space for starting and maintaining my plants through the winter.