Old fridge as germination chamber

[JD in the OC]

I got an old fridge from a friend.  The fridge is so old and inefficient, it sucks up energy like a Vegas casino.  So I have converted it into a germination chamber with a worklight hooked up to a dimmer switch.  I got the idea from a fellow palm grower who does the same thing in large plastic ice chests.  The key is to hook up the dimmer switch to control temps.  Supposedly this is the best way to germinate palm seeds using the baggie method.

[Tad]

i suggested this in a previous thread, why not forgoe the dimmer and get a thermostat?? maybe even a fan to circulate the air inside, the thermostat would cut the light off when the right temp occured and then your not just running the light all day and night,?!?!?

i think its a great idea!! if i didnt do a whole 30X96 shade house worth its what i would be doing!!

good luck!

[Breadfruit Bill]

Sounds like an awesome idea!  If it were me I would defeat the whole purpose of the fridge and be opening the door every couple of hours or cutting a hole for a window to look inside and see if something happened....  

Could you use a thermostat similar to the ones used for propagation heat mats (like I used in my fish tank set up?) to turn the light on and off or are you trying to get a rheostat sort of thing that will brighten up the light as it needs more heat and dim it as it needs to cool? ???

[mike453]

Hello Ethan,

It should work well with a few modifications. You might need to add an adjustable vent to help with temperature control. also a small computer type fan to circulate the air. I use an oven with a 40 watt bulb and it holds at 88-90 F, but without a fan, the top shelf is 10-15 degrees warmer than the bottom shelf. You can expeirment with different wattage bulbs, and you may not even need the dimmer switch. You can make it work with a vent and a fan. I also use a commercial forced air incubator for the rarer and more expensive seeds, but the size is kind of limiting.

        Best of luck, Mike

[MattyB]

What a great set up JD!  The insulation of the fridge is the key here.  Get a little fan and you're set.  Nice palvention!

[Jeff Searle]

Yea......but what about space for the beer! Is there room for both?

Jeff

[JD in the OC]

Wow, thanks for the input guys...

I will install a small cooling fan to circulate air- good idea.  As for a thermostat, the whole reason for getting the dimmer is that it is cheaper and keeps a more constant temperature with an infinite number of settings (because its a slide control).

I'm only going to germinate the rarer seeds in here- ones that do well with the baggie method.  I have another worklight for the freezer once the fridge side is full.  I think heat from a lightbulb is more efficiently used than heat from a electric heat pad.  I have found heatpads only work some of the time and you can't really control temps with them.

Jeff- my beer fridge is much bigger than this thing!

JD

[Kris]

Hai J.D  

Iam glad to hear about that fridge,but mine in the first floor

is working with all the maple seeds from around the world..

Just waiting..

Since i could not find those stills at the moment.i will post them

soon !

regular members should have seen them in my thread_my first

floor is full..

Love,

Kris.

[FRITO]

i have been using my empty oven with the oven light turned on, it remain about 88 -90 degrees. the oven has a window for peeking in. I used clear plastics bins to contain the seeds and soil, kinda like the baggie method. keeps oven in perfect shape.

[Breadfruit Bill]

A window!  Hooray!   :laugh:  

[JD in the OC]

Kris,

Maple seeds are not palms!! Just kidding.  I'd love to see some pics.

JD

[ron@springhammock]

I'm not sure how much a fan helps if you're using the baggy method.  Is it for keep the temps the same throughout the fridge?  There may be an advantage to having a gradient in temperature, with the cookers on top and the montane palms at the bottom.

Kris, are you looking for any maples from this part of the world?  They should be setting seed in the near future.  Red maples are about the only thing we've got growing here; possibly some Florida Sugar Maples around.

[Tyrone]

Excellent idea, that I was thinking of trying one day. Should work a treat.

I would use an adjustable thermostat, with the light. If it's a low voltage light it's real easy. I put an adjustable thermostat to run the misters in my greenhouse. When the temp hits 34C the misters come on humdifying it all and dropping the temp back below the setting. It really controls everything well. It cost me $50 and is adjustable from 0C-40C and can be configured normally on or normally off depending if you're heating or cooling from the desired cutoff point. Real easy.

regards

Tyrone

[Kris]

Dear J.D  

yes i know maples are not palms,in catagory,but i just

highlighted that fact all our members are putting those

extra or unused refrigrators to some good use_seeds

germination.in my case it is cold stratification only..

and as for the incubator or heat bed i do not need one,

since my climate zone is hot & hottest..

we here keep our plants in shade house rather that warm

house(green house).

Dear Ron  

I have stopped in importing plants seeds from abroad.since

i do not have the time & patience to start from the begning.

and the maples do germinate,but survive only for a week

or so even when placed indoors.but thanks for asking !

Thanks & Lots of love,

Kris.