Photos 04 through 08 verify that I followed my computer drawing plans exactly. Figure 04 shows that I actually clamped a brick to a piece of foam board and used it as a measuring device. How basic is that? Figures 05 and 06 show the finished grow box in place replicating my 3D drawing exactly. This was very rewarding to see in reality. Figure 08 shows the first steps toward building the upper half that supports the glass and collects the heated light. In the background of this photo you can see another extended growing season device that attracts just as much attention during on-site visits. In my impatience to do some gardening while I built my grow frame I quickly built this screened-in semi-solar grow area. First, you have to be aware that I live near open fields filled with grasshoppers, at least five different species. They find my backyard within days of any fresh vegetables sprouting from the ground. Initially this gardening space didn’t have the protective screen, but one afternoon I actually watched an entire planting of vegetables disappear before my eyes as a result of voracious grasshoppers. Over one weekend I framed and screened in the entire area, much to their frustration. Picture 08 shows the structure with all of the shower doors in place. Even this much of a glass surface in spite of all that open screened area (not air tight) created a microclimate gathering extra warmth and being a shelter from the wind. To this day I grow things in this space for six months or more of the year. Picture 09 shows a successful zucchini plant and Picture 10 verifies that I’ve even grown corn inside this space! The glass doors are all removed in Picture 10 for watering and weeding.

To return to my step by step descriptions. Another difference between Picture 07 and Picture 08 is the fact that I’ve filled in the wood framework solid with layers of blue Styrofoam. These insulation panels were simply cut and glued into place. There are four layers of one-inch-thick foam in each wall. Three layers fit within the small studs and an additional layer was glued inside the structure. You’ll notice that the entire interior was painted twice with very opaque white paint. This protected the foam from water and ultraviolet rays (which eat Styrofoam) and enhanced the light collecting ability of the grow box.

Figure 11 shows how I cut several short pieces of cedar (originally 2” x 3”s) at 45° to match the angle of the sides. This allowed me to develop a faceplate that sat flush and was airtight. This would later hold all my glass panels and screens as I manage them according to the weather. Picture 13 shows the grow frame complete except for exterior wood paneling and a couple coats of white paint inside. Picture 12, taken later, shows the final layer of glued-in Styrofoam paneling which completed the insulation, now four layers thick in all three walls.