Mini Green House
Green house is misleading, it's a seed starter pod for the basement. I have the light, I just need an insulated box.
Build
- Get measurements 50"x18"x32"
- Layout design, get cut list
- Find spare timer
- Buy insulation
- Cut insulation
- Assemble
- Add blower
- Gather temp data
Heater Circuit
Only if necessary. Or if I really want to. But don't let it be an impediment to something good-enough
Use an RTC module and an Arduino. The RTC module will wake the Arduino every 10 minutes. If the temp is too low, it will turn on a small heater. It will also check the time and turn the light on or off as needed.
The heater can be pretty simple, just run a few volts through a power resistor and blow a small fan over it. At 5v and 0.75A I can use 8x 50 Ohm 1/2W in parallel That will handle 4 watts.
The light is a bit more of a challenge because I need a latching power relay. I also need a way to check the state of the light, not hard, but there's a few ways to do it. It might actually be easier to hook a servo up to a light switch.
Components
- Blower to circulate air
- Heater
- Light control
Build
- Start by just building the box - the light might be enough to keep the plants warm
- Add a fan - the air movement helps build stronger stems
- If the temperature is getting too low, add a circuit.