Need help rigging something to chill soil.

[BlakeInCanada]

I have some indoor plants that I didn't realize needed to be cooled in order to bloom. SInce it's too late to get cold air from outside, I'm trying to rig something to make it happen indoors (as cheaply as possible).

The stem of the plant where it meets the soil is supposed to be kept around 4-5C (40F) for 4 weeks. I can't just put them in the fridge because they need light.

So I've tried putting a frozen bottle of water in the soil next to the plant, and it works somewhat. The soil and stem are rarely cold enough. And I need to change the bottles twice a day for both plants.

I've also tried putting metal knives in the soil pressed up against the stem, and putting the frozen bottle on the knives to nearly freeze them and keep the stem cold. It's not very effective though.

I was wondering if some kind of solid metal taken out of the freezer would be more effective than frozen water.

If anyone has any other ideas to make it work better or be less of a chore, I'd love to hear them!

Thank you.

 

[cragar]

put lights in the fridge. Use fluorescent ones they don't put off that much heat. Or maybe led lights .

 

[BlakeInCanada]

I don't know how I could get lights in the fridge. Would it be safe to try?

 

[BiteTheDust]

Hey fellow Canadian

I don't know how I could get lights in the fridge. Would it be safe to try?

You should be fine if you find a thin enough electric cable. The one that connects your fluorescent lights to an outside socket should exit the fridge without hindering too much the seal of your fridge door. Other than unexpected spills of milk on the lamp , I don't see any danger for the lamp, much less any safety hazards. Well since we both are Canadians, let's add a personal reference:

Think of it like Christmas lights outside in the snow. It's definitely between 4 and -5 out there at that time, and depending where you are from exactly, it can be much colder!

 

[BlakeInCanada]

I think I might end up doing that. I can take out the shelf over the fruit drawer and put the whole planter in the fridge on top of the drawer. It would let me keep the upper shelf for drinks too. I could probably fill in the gaps in the seal to minimize energy loss.

It would be a little work to set up, but less in the long run than changing bottles twice a day, and it would let me leave home for longer periods.

Thanks for the suggestion.