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banana berserker
08-12-2008, 05:09 PM
are there any cheap ways of using things around your house to warm up the air and especially the soil around a plant? sort of like a cheap disposible greenhouse? Maybe putting foil on the dirt? it might conduct the heat?

mskitty38583
08-12-2008, 09:23 PM
you could use dark colored mulchs and the christmas lights.

banana berserker
08-12-2008, 10:06 PM
thanks never thought about that

Lodewijkp
08-13-2008, 12:28 PM
old black colored cloths, small plastic golf plates , turf blocks, bricks or wood heavily painted with charcoal and then plastic over it.

Charcoal really attract a lot of heat from sunlight, cover it with some plastic or it will wash off with rain.

old towels, leaf mulch, pine leaf mulch, coil a rope around the stem or trunk, plastic bags, bio degradable black painting materials.

Reed that has become dryed and browned with autumn is a good insulator, it still got's alot of cellulose in the leafs and stem. if you mix it with hay or any other mulch it will retain its heat well.

if you live in a cold zone consider to paint your fence on the southside black.

wool or a wooly material mixed with black cotton strips and the sprayed with silicon spray or any other waterproof spray.

alcoholic gel prevent surface freezing on trunk leaves or any other material if you use any plastics consider to paint it with cheap alcoholic gel. Alcoholic gell mixed with with coconut oil makes a waxy protective layer which also keeps micro organisms at bay.
I put coconut oil on the trunks of my palms and it certainly helped, not only against fungus but also against any moisture / in the air.

christmas light can be effective but also can cause fire .
There are many more alternatives : low wattage lights , infared lights etc.

mulch the ground with pine mulch or leaf mulch, lay a black plastic foil over it and then cover it loosely with black mulch .

let black stones warm up in the sun and when sun fades cover it with thick plastic so it retains it heat but still loose moisture.


Lavastones are perfect insulators and heats up well in sunlight and also promote air circulation.

raggedyredhead
08-13-2008, 10:32 PM
I saw a video on UTube about cold protection in Mass. The banana was wrapped in paper
backed housing insulation and stapled. Then was wrapped in burlap. Also, was mulched.
I may try this with my Basjoo. This way the P stem won't have to be cut back so far. It's
not as cold here as in Mass. but I think I'd like to try this anyway. Any thoughts?
Raggedy
Gone bananas in NJ

banana berserker
08-15-2008, 02:57 AM
huh thats interesting. when you think about it it makes sence. i dont knoww how well it will work in NJ but that would probably work good in CA.

damaclese
08-15-2008, 09:04 AM
is it just me or is the hole US exsept were i live under some sort of cold snap wial we are under a heat warning a smal 3 hundred mil swath from Vegas to the border over 110 and you all in the 50 and 60 wirred!