winter growing boxes

Ok Permies people can you help a gall out?
I am up in WI & wanting to build some winter growing boxes with patio widows/frame.
I have read and looked on YouTube as to how to make them and all, but is it worth it in WI?
I do have full sun and would even be putting a connection for a light at night on them minus 20 degree times.

So whats your thought??

Would it be possible to run a snake-ish plastic tube along the bottom and run hot water through it, under the soil?

You would do best to heat the soil in some way. Glass/sunlight gets you part of the way. Rocks next to it would help. Some black/dark mass also would help absorb heat.

Don't know how pretty you need it, but you could also make a hot-bed, whereby you build a compost pile with organic material and/or manure and keep the soil heated that way.

Good luck,
William

i used cast off patio doors to enclose our rear porch, used plexi to enclose front porch and have a small greenhouse in Michigan..there are tons of uses for patio doors if you have them available..

My idea on the soil was to cut 50gal plastic drums in half put plant in them. Make a wooden mounting table 12' high that would be hollow putting the plastic drum into it. In that I would put 100 wat bulbs for soil heat at night.

The plus side of doing this would be if we move I can take them easily with me.
Thank for help

Yeah, try it.

Things to consider:

-Careful not to burn the plastic. That would be a mess.

-Water plus electricity goes ZAP!

-You might want something more direct (and passive) near the root zone. With that setup you're wasting a lot of electricity I'd presume.

Stacy,have you seen the 'wicking' beds that are made in old freezers ( they are very well insulated in the walls and bottom)?
If you added a glass cover then had a solar heat collector( some people have made them from pop cans) to pump the hot air into the drain hole thus warming the soil/water from below,would this be enough to sustain non freezing overnight?
Kate

do you have access to manure ?

you can fill the bottom of beds with fresh manure, then layer up with regular soil.

composting manure produces heat, and by spring, will be good fert for the rest of the garden.

called composting grow frames i think. old time books discuss it.

Why yes I do have manure, thanks so much I knew that but did not think to put in winter beds.
Thank everyone for your ideas!!