- Thu May 28, 2009 6:22 am
#11854
Turns out thats a misconception...all the research i have done points to one fact (i was unaware of this as well)...stones, like pumice, don't get their heat from the temperature, merely the light from the sun. I was a bit puzzled by it so i looked around a bit and that seems to hold true universally. The stones and water absorb the light energy from the sunlight and release it as heat gradually as the sun goes down. The equation for the water is 2 gallons per sq. ft. Stands to reason then, that if i have 10 gallons in an approximately 3 foot by 1 foot area (approx.) under the shelving...absorbing sunlight all day, that ALONE would be enough to generate nighttime heat for a small insulated space. In keeping the water jugs exposed to sunlight all day, plus adding the heat retaining stone (maybe not pumice, i have not found the MOST heat retaining stone just yet), PLUS insulating the north wall and using a fan to circulate the air...i think it might actually work. As added insurance i'll keep bubble wrap stocked to wrap the pots on cold nights, and black plastic bags or burlap sacks to cover the plants themselves. At most, my droseras might end up coming inside on occasion..but according to some fairly extensive research so far, and a little DIY spirit...i think it can be done. There are more complicated ways to accomplish this, which are probably also a bit easier to acquire but i am determined to not spend a bunch of $ on this, i want to do it on my own. i could very easily shell out cash for solar panels, cables, batteries, regulators, and timers but that would not keep with the spirit of growing to me. I kind of feel that the earth can give me what i need...besides that...it gets just as cold if not colder where VFTs are native (the Carolinas are north of me), and in the wild they are completely unprotected during winter. And there is the fact that people winter their plants outdoors in bogs or unheated greenhouses in WAY colder zones that here in 8. The system will more than likely go through some tweaks before then..but for now, all things seem to point the right way!
I really didn't know that about the rocks and water...i guess it makes sense, it's just like photosynthesis...sort of. The plants don't get their energy from how HOT the sun is, but from the light energy it provides instead. That same light energy is what heats the stones and water in the greenhouse environment, not the heat of the sun itself.
"when a warrior learns to stop the internal dialogue, everything becomes possible; the most far-fetched schemes become attainable."