City living and cold weather can hamper your gardening creativity. The snow comes. Days get shorter and colder, and your garden is useless until next year. What do you do when bad weather strikes, or if you live in a "spatially challenged" environment? Even people who live in an apartment or in a cold environment can grow vegetable, herbs and flowers year around with a grow box. Also, the refrigerator grow box can be conveniently tucked into a closet so that it is out of the way. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Use your screwdrivers, wrench and wire cutters to strip down the refrigerator. Open the access panel in the back of the refrigerator. Remove the mounting screws. Cut away any wiring, then lift it out and discard. Cut away the main power cord. Remove any shelves, racks and accessories from inside the refrigerator. Set aside 1 of the racks for later use. Discard anything else that you remove. You can remove as much or as little from the refrigerator as you wish. This only helps to make room inside of the unit, and it lightens the total weight so that it is easier to move.
2. Use your glue and cover the inside with aluminum foil. Glue the foil to the top, back and sides. Cover as much surface area with the foil as you can. This gives the inside of your grow box as much reflectivity as possible. Allow at least 2 hours for drying.
3. Use your drill and Phillips head bit to attach your light to the top of the inside of your refrigerator. Use your hole saw to make a 3/4 inch hole to run your power cord to the outside. Pull the cord all the way out. Fill the excess hole with expansion foam by assembling the expansion foam nozzle as directed on the package. Aim the nozzle at the rim of the hole. Tap the trigger. You will only need a small bit to fill in your hole.
4. Use your hole saw and jigsaw to make holes in the back of the refrigerator for your fans. Attach 2 fans near the top blowing out and the other 2 near the middle blowing in. As you mount each fan, be sure to keep all of your power cords on the outside of the refrigerator. Now, you will have a constant stream of fresh air for your plants.
5. Cover the inside of both drawers with fiberglass and allow to harden for 24 hours. Drill 5 holes with your 3/4 inch hole saw into 1 of the drawers. Rip the t-shirts into strips about a foot long. Place a thick strip of cloth through each hole with about 3 or 4 inches remaining inside this drawer. Seal the excess on these holes with expansion foam by aiming the nozzle at the side of your hole and tapping the trigger. A small amount is all that is needed to fill in your holes and secure your wicks.
6. Place your solid drawer in the bottom of the grow box. Fill this drawer about 3/4 full with water. Slide the rack in just above this drawer. Place your modified drawer with the wicks hanging down onto the rack. Be sure that your wicks hang deep into the water below. Fill the top drawer 3/4 full with potting soil.
7. Plug in all 5 cords. Plant seeds in the dirt, and grow some plants.
Tags: your hole, expansion foam, this drawer, back refrigerator, fill your, full with, hole with
