Bunch of weird ideas...(Mostly Refrigerator Wicking Beds)

I like growing in sub-irrigated planters.
I want to grow some greens and propagate some trees this winter.
I was was wondering if I could do both in a given planter?
Say 5 or 6 tree cuttings and a bunch of greens.
For context, the plan is to keep the water reservoir  at about 70 degrees F, to help the cuttings and the plants in a greenhouse.
I would also use extra layers of glazing , like a row cover over the beds.
I figure if my heating system fails, the greens will do ok  and the cuttings will probably die, but I'm ok with that.
I'm just looking for interesting things to do in the green house this winter, to encourage me to finish it before fall!

I think that sounds like a great idea, you should go for it.

Sounds like a wonderful plan. I think in a climate warmer than yours, greens would be what was growing under your saplings in the winter. Its possible certain edible greens actually enhance the vitality of the trees. That would be an interesting experiment, if you're wanting another layer to throw in the mix

You could try fig cutting, I know they will do well. In the spring grape cuttings do well too, so maybe you can try some grape cutting in the fall. I would like to hear how that turns out because I myself have never tried grape cutting in the fall.

William,

Like others, I think you have a pretty good idea there.  I say go for it and let us know how things work out.

Eric

I thought this idea was iffy,  but y'all have really encouraged me!
I think I'll try a cutting polyculture, adding  willow,  and Siberian peashrub to my pear and plums.
Might get some rooting hormone into the soil.
Thinking about this makes me excited to focus on the greenhouse.
Right now it's full of the tools and materials that are going into building it.
I'll need to finish the structure and move the tools/
materials into a messy basement.


The plan is to use a small pump,  hopefully an airlift,  to circulate the water from a heated sump tank.
For the beds,  I have at least six laundry sinks.
The drains would be piped back to the sump tank.

I've been going back and forth about what to put under the beds, water reservoir or RMH bench.
Because water can be heated many ways,  I think I'm going with the reservoir.
A custom built, rectangular shaped insulated tank could be ideal  under the laundry tubs.
It would maximize the volume of water.
On the other hand, water heater tanks chained together would be cheap, preplumbed, already insulated and rated for higher heat.
The tanks also make me think I could peel them of insulation and put one in between each tub, so they could adsorb solar thermally.
This leaves wasted space under the tubs....

This is what it looks like right now:

William,

That looks like a nice greenhouse setup you have there.  I would love to see pictures once you have it all set up and running.  Oh, and the idea of a RMH to heat the place in the winter sounds amazing.  Really, I would love to see how that gets set up and how it runs.

Eric

Eric,  the feedback here is very helpful.
I can blab at my wife, but she just isn't as into it as y'all are.

Took a look at my resources and I think I'm gonna try to fit two defunct refrigerator  horizontal on the back wall as sump tanks under the laundry tubs.
That should leave room for one vertical water heater tank and one batch box water heater.
The drawback to this is it  pretty much eliminates solar heating of the water.


I should be able to have two more refrigerators laying down on the front wall,  as sub irrigated planters.
Assuming a fridge width of roughly 30" this would leave me a generous 36" walk way down the center.
I plan on digging that out and filling it with mulch, for my chicken friends.
This was once their home,  now it will be a day spa, thanks to the department of making you sad.

I have doorways on either end and one in the middle of the front.
I use that one the most,  but honestly it is probably better off glazed in permanently.
I'll use glass if I can find it cheap.

I have a military urinal trough with a corrugated drain tube along the bottom with an elbow at the end for water filling then filled  with soil.  With taller plants like peppers and tomatoes trained up, I can have green onions and and veining greens like New Zealand spinach hanging over the edge.  During the summer when many of the wicking barrels are outside the the New Zealand spinach becomes my ground cover.

I've decided to push ahead with refrigerator  wicking beds at the front of the greenhouse.
I've already built one to use as a worm farm, so I'm confident on the build.
Tonight I cleared out some material and started digging.
I was going to actually elevate it on mail order  insulin coolers,  but I want it level with the stem wall so I won't waste any sunlight.


For now I will put it in place,  and fill it with the dirt I removed.
That soil will eventually go into the back wall of the greenhouse , which is opaque and made of pallets.
The soil is for thermal mass and air sealing.



The fridge doors could become insulated  roof panels that double as the backing for drain back solar thermal water heater panels.
The door would get a bead of silicone to hold the glazing in place and a solar PV powered pump would push a thin film of water through the collector.
The weirdest part of this idea is we will not rely on a black metal surface adsorb heat and conduct it to the water.
The water itself will be very dark,  as it will come from the reservoir of the wicking beds.
The worm bed has the freezer section set aside as an open reservoir where I can add heat or aerate.
I will minimize this with the growing beds, as I want to maximize the surface area for growing.
I need to figure out out a cheap source for the glazing, but I can put the fridge door in place on the opaque part of my roof as seen as they are available and work out the rest latter.

Peice by crazy piece, for the sheer joy of it,  it's coming together.

Here's the top freezer reservoir.
The water has isn't stagnant well there is no stink at any rate.

Here is the fridge side of the worm bin.
As a worm bin it's been disappointing so far.
No visable worm reproduction and some Black Solider Fly invasion.
I'm OK with either BSF or red wrigglers but I just want more of either.

Stripped the fridge and hustled it into place.

I'm at this again!
In hopes of actually getting something done, I'm simplifying my plans.
I have two old refrigerators sitting head to tail across the front of my greenhouse.
The only mods I'm planning is the plugging of holes and adding one drain to each.
I will add gutter tape if I can find where I left it.

What has happened with mine in the 2 years since you started this topic.  The soil has continued to improve.  It is continually productive.  Occasionally a grass seed will sprout and have to be pulled out.  I transplant things into it when space and available plants coincide but mostly it just keeps propagating from things I let go to seed.   So it is the most no till low maintenance growing space on my homestead.  I hope that is more incentive to get them done.