Tomatoes, tall sorts

Our rack allows you to grow undersized varieties of tomatoes (up to 60 cm), but the most interesting varieties are around two meters tall. Let's take a look at one of the possible solutions for growing such plants in an appartment: a box with mirrored walls (growbox).

First of all, why do we need mirrors? In order not to lose precious light. The sides of the box should be either mirrored or white, mirrored is prettier. This box can be assembled using a special aluminum profile and connectors sold in a local construction store.

However, since at that point I had some stock of a conventional aluminium profile (difference is in thickness or the metal, some types of connectors not fit), so I just printed triangular plates and glued them to a frame made of a regular profile.

Just in case, let me repeat: I believe that in any "single appartment economy" there must be a 3D printer.

Note the red triangles at the corners - I have simply glued them. Good construction adhesive provides sufficient strength of the resulting structure, however, unlike in case of the rack, pressure from above is not recommended.

The beautiful silver material from which the walls are made is double-sided foiled foam. It is handsome, it is easy to cut (with scissors) and non-flammable. I repeat, it is non-combustible BUT either if it is bilateral (has foil on both sides), or if glued to a concrete wall. Single-sided penofol burns beautifully. The whole structure is glued using aluminum adhesive tape, which usually lies on the shelf in the store next to the foiled foam.

The door in our growbox is set on hinges, and I also glued the hinges. Yes, I should have used screws, but good glue does equally good job.

I have printed the lock (latch) on a 3D printer, strictly speaking, one could find something suitable on a construction market.

Hooks are located (glued) on the edges of the growbox inside. I also 3d printed them. To the hooks you can tie ropes that will support our bush in an upright position. So we can do without a frame of sticks and connectors (which has insufficient height for a tall plant).

A lamp is hung on the same hooks (upper ones). Its height can be adjusted by releasing cables holding it, or by moving the lamp to lower group of hooks. The idea is that at first it hangs low, and as the tomato bush grows, we pull the lamp up.

The next important detail of our design is a hanger for a shelf (well, more like a soap box) on which the compressor will stand.

Please note that the front door does not reach the floor, and the rear wall does not reach the top panel. In this way, some ventilation is provided. In a perfect world, you should also put a powerful fan there, one similar to what is used in bathrooms. It is even "strongly recommended"... but it seems to work without it anyway. The flow of air is generated by the heat of the lamp.