# Plant Grow Chamber Journal



## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

So the other day I looked over my tropical plant collection and realized that I was running out of room. My plants are all in old aquariums and recently in a $30 mini greenhouse. The mini greenhouse was ok except the 36" width made lighting it cost prohibitive.

Well I decided I would try to build a custom plant grow system based on my own specs. I wanted it to be 48" wide so I could use standard shop lights and the many inexpensive T8 tubes. Then I settled on the height of six feet, with a depth of 20". That would give me ample space to house plant trays, flats, and other stuff. 

With those basic thoughts in mind, I set out to Lowes and came back with a dozen or so 1x2x8 pine boards, 2 sheets of 1/4" plywood, and a few other odds and ends.

This is the basic frame that I came up with.....you can see the size advantage over the little vinyl greenhouse 









The size of the enclosure limited me to three big shelves for growing. The top shelf will be 24" under the lights for all the bigger plants like aroids, etc. The other two beneath will be 16" under the lights. At the bottom is a small shelf/cubby to store soil and potting supplies.


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

All the beams were supported and braced in at least three points using screws and polyurathane glue. With lumber this small it was essential to pre-drill all the beams before screwing to prevent splitting. The final frame.....









Originally I was going to use plexiglass for the back and sides but the price was insane! :-0
So after wracking my head for several hours I decided on 1/4" plywood, which will be coated in animal safe epoxy. I already had some left over in grey, so on it went. Here's the panels after painting......

















More to come tomorrow....


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## Phyllobates (Dec 12, 2008)

Cool project Josh. Can't wait to see how it turns out.

Also, nothing runs like a Trane


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## melas (Oct 24, 2007)

Wow Josh awesome! Definitely interested in seeing how it turns out! Good luck!


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## jpstod (Sep 8, 2005)

Why Not use 1/4 Panels designed for Showers ?

It is already water proofed and you can get it in many colors or even look tiled..just silicone the corners. It comes in 4 x 8 sheets.


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

jpstod said:


> Why Not use 1/4 Panels designed for Showers ?
> 
> It is already water proofed and you can get it in many colors or even look tiled..just silicone the corners. It comes in 4 x 8 sheets.



I thought of that originally, but the ones in my area were all white and very flimsy. They must have been 1/8" thick. If I could have found a really good type or ridgid plastic I would have used that. I also looked for that ridgid double-walled corragated polycarbonate like they use for greenhouses but couldn't find any.


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## jpstod (Sep 8, 2005)

Did you look in the Wall Paneling Section?


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

jpstod said:


> Did you look in the Wall Paneling Section?


Yep. Ours is junk. I was a manager with Home Depot for the last few years so I could have had someone order it in for me, but I didnt want to wait that long. Plus I'm designing this thing so it could be turned into a giant terrarium if I ever wanted to in the future. I just already had the epoxy and wanted an excuse to use it up, otherwise I would have used something else.

But I bet you could make alot of cheap/temperary cages using the tileboard if you needed to. I think they are only $10-15 for a 4x8 sheet.


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## NickBoudin (Nov 3, 2007)

Looks great, keep us updated! 


Also, I'm loving the DIY concept, who needs wire racks!


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## Ken (Jun 21, 2009)

That's really an impressive design. Can't wait to see the finished product!


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Ok, so I got a little more done in the last few days......

Once the plywood sides and frame were coated in three coats of animal-safe epoxy I screwed it all together. First I put the back panel on, then the sides. I put silicone sealant under the panels where they rested on the frame and screwed it down every few inches using 3/4" stainless steel screws.









Then I test fitted the lighting system in the chamber.









Since the shelves are eggcrate, I needed a way to make sure that the bottom lights don't get in contact with any water. I decided on using 12" wide aluminum sheet to make a curved reflector that also lets water run off the top of the light.









Then I fashioned up a simple door using 1x2s. The door is hinged to the grow chamber using two big stainless hinges. I predrilled the holes and filled with glue for extra measure. 

















Next I gave the door frame a few coats of white waterproof paint and fastened it on the rack. Tomorrow I will attempt to find a suitable (and inexpensive) clear piece to go on the door.


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Here's the two 48" T8 units that will power the top portion of the grow chamber. Currently it has a 50/50 mix of 4000K and 6500K bulbs.


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Plexiglass/acrylic is way overpriced! I'm trying to find something clear and inexpensive for the front door..........

Going to try to find some very thick plastic or vinyl sheet, sorta like a convertible car top's vinyl window.

......or maybe a shower curtain? Hmmmm


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

What about the stuff you can put on your windows in the winter to prevent drafts. You know the stuff you use a hair drier to get all the wrinkles out. It's crystal clear and strong.


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Glenn ~ Good idea! 

I didn't read that until after I bought the shower curtain, which came treated with mildew preventative. So I ended up soaking it in hot water and Krud Kutter to remove any chemicals. Once it was washed it was attached to the frame. Would have been easier to use the window stuff, though this shower curtain is very heavy duty.....









I attached this plastic coated wire grate to the back of the tank to hang orchids on, and so climbing plants can grow up it.









Finally after about a weeks worth of building, I was able to put some of my plant collection in  I still don't have lighting for the bottom shelf so that will be empty for awhile.


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

WOW. That looks awesome. I'm getting to the point where I need to build something soon. I just don't know where to start...or do I 

Thanks

Great job!


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## maverick3x6 (Jul 31, 2008)

glad I'm not the only one who puts my plants in cups. hahaha


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

very nice!!! any reason why you went with a dark background over a white one??


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Hey those cups are super cheap!

Julio ~ I only went with grey because I had a can of it lying around. Otherwise white or even really light grey would have been my first choice.....


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

The chamber looks great. If it's any consolation... I use cups too


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## NickBoudin (Nov 3, 2007)

Bravo my friend. It looks great. Could this shower curtain material be used for vivs, you think? Say if someone wanted to make a bow front, or even a cylinder shaped viv?


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

Here's an update: The plant collection went down to about a 1/4 of what it used to be do to moving....then about a month ago I was able to start rebuilding. Here's the current propagation chamber with newly built wick watering trays on the bottom for sensitive begonias and gesneriads...


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## Eric Walker (Aug 22, 2009)

still lookin great. nice collection as well


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## superfly (Feb 14, 2011)

JoshH said:


> I thought of that originally, but the ones in my area were all white and very flimsy. They must have been 1/8" thick. If I could have found a really good type or ridgid plastic I would have used that. I also looked for that ridgid double-walled corragated polycarbonate like they use for greenhouses but couldn't find any.


Why not look into FRP next time? Unless this is what you were referring to.. In that case, FRP comes in the 1/8" thick 4x8 panels and they glue onto plywood. This is a cheap way to do showers and it is the method I plan on using on my next cage build. Just a thought.

I am curious how exactly you attached the shower curtain to the frame as a door?

Anyway, I love this idea! you did a grand job!!


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## chinoanoah (Mar 9, 2009)

Looking great. Do you have lights under each shelf?


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## Freeradical53 (Jan 25, 2008)

Excellent job! My houseplants were suffering this winter so I bought the standard wire shelving and wrapped it with $.97 a yard clear vinyl from walmart's and used clear packaging tape to "sew" it together. The stuff clings to itself and seals closed. Works but not as neat as your set up. Walmarts carries two thickness of clear vinyl.


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

I thought of FPR panels and might do that if I ever make another one. So far the epoxy paint over ply has worked well.

Each shelf has a twin T8 light fixture.


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## carbonetc (Oct 13, 2008)

I wonder if this would have done just as well as the epoxied plywood: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...ooglebase-_-D30X-_-202653861&locStoreNum=4602

I'm wondering not because there's anything lacking with this chamber, but because I'm considering doing something similar and I'm trying to figure out the best materials to use.

Siliconing these panels together would be essentially like building an epoxied plywood viv, would it not? But with less fuss?


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## carbonetc (Oct 13, 2008)

... and this material might be even better. It's more expensive, but it weighs less than half as much and takes wood out of the equation entirely.

FiberCorr 48 in. x 96 in. Laminated Frp Plastic Core Wall Panel (5 Pack) - FCR4896-5 at The Home Depot


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## NathanB (Jan 21, 2008)

damn it, now I want one of these.


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## Dartfrogfreak (Jun 22, 2005)

Josh it looks great! Ive been meaning to ask you about building one of these for my own frogroom. Shoot me a PM here or on FB with an approx total cost if you could .

Whats up with the Begonia 'Granada' ? It looks pretty pale and washed out.


Todd


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## 31drew31 (Nov 14, 2010)

Hey Josh Im looking at building something like this for some plants, just wondering if your having any heat problems at the top with all the lights?

Andrew


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## earthfrog (May 18, 2008)

I like the setup. The only thing I would change is to remove the water from that bottom tray where the palm leaf and granada begonias are. Rule of thumb is, if a succulent would drown, so would a begonia...I think some others in there are also showing some signs of either burn or overwatering. They like to dry out mostly in between waterings.

I want one of these for my closet..all I have right now is a long horiz covered tank.

How much to custom-build one for me?


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## Venutus1 (Feb 13, 2010)

Great Job!
I want one now.


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## joshct (Mar 31, 2011)

looks great


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

earthfrog said:


> The only thing I would change is to remove the water from that bottom tray where the palm leaf and granada begonias are. Rule of thumb is, if a succulent would drown, so would a begonia...I think some others in there are also showing some signs of either burn or overwatering.



Thanks for the tips! All of those trays are wick-watered, and completey drain often, so they are never too wet. The yellowing is due to the wonderful 55-60 degree temps that have damaged alot of my plants. That pic was taken in january, and everything was looking horrible. Tons of fungus and powdery mildew problems too.


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## JoshH (Feb 13, 2008)

31drew31 said:


> Hey Josh Im looking at building something like this for some plants, just wondering if your having any heat problems at the top with all the lights?
> 
> Andrew


No heat problems yet, I'm pushing about 350 watts of light through there. Most are T8s, but the top also has a dual 54w HO T5.


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## earthfrog (May 18, 2008)

JoshH said:


> Thanks for the tips! All of those trays are wick-watered, and completey drain often, so they are never too wet. The yellowing is due to the wonderful 55-60 degree temps that have damaged alot of my plants. That pic was taken in january, and everything was looking horrible. Tons of fungus and powdery mildew problems too.


Maybe switching to tungsten/metal halide/sodium bulbs during the winter could stave off the yellowing a bit.


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