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Frugal and Energy Efficient Living

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Flaxbee

(13,661 posts)
Sat Feb 23, 2013, 12:22 AM Feb 2013

Build a $300 underground greenhouse for year-round gardening [View all]

http://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/build-underground-greenhouse-garden-year-round.html
(video at link)

Growers in colder climates often utilize various approaches to extend the growing season or to give their crops a boost, whether it's coldframes, hoop houses or greenhouses.

Greenhouses are usually glazed structures, but are typically expensive to construct and heat throughout the winter. A much more affordable and effective alternative to glass greenhouses is the walipini (an Aymara Indian word for a "place of warmth&quot , also known as an underground or pit greenhouse. First developed over 20 years ago for the cold mountainous regions of South America, this method allows growers to maintain a productive garden year-round, even in the coldest of climates.
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Brilliant. silverweb Feb 2013 #1
You are pretty brilliant, yourself, silverweb Demeter Feb 2013 #2
You give me too much credit. silverweb Feb 2013 #3
I thought that in cold climates you had to go a good bit deeper to get constant temps? TekGryphon Jun 2013 #13
It's not an unreasonable depth. silverweb Jun 2013 #15
I sounds great, but I don't believe it will work here in W PA. Curmudgeoness Feb 2013 #4
Lots of veggies do fine in 50F weather NickB79 May 2013 #11
Well, if it would work in MN, I guess it would work here. Curmudgeoness May 2013 #12
I think my pepper plants would have a fit :( TekGryphon Jun 2013 #14
I think you are right. we can do it Jun 2013 #17
I love this idea and I have an eight foot deep pit womanofthehills Feb 2013 #5
This would work, even in Northern Ontario, Canada ConcernedCanuk Mar 2013 #6
I'm likely too far north for this laundry_queen Mar 2013 #7
Underground? - just one or two light bulbs would keep it from freezing. ConcernedCanuk Apr 2013 #8
Very interesting! Thank you for posting. Kaleva May 2013 #9
It's an Earthship.. for plants!! im1013 May 2013 #10
It's a very cool idea but $300 is such a low-ball estimate. intheflow Jun 2013 #16
$1,000 for fresh food? ConcernedCanuk Jun 2013 #18
It's a privileged project any way you look at it. intheflow Jun 2013 #19
That was totally cool. theHandpuppet Aug 2013 #20
Neat idea, I've thought of something similar but never had the time and opportunity TheKentuckian Jan 2014 #21
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