How to Make a PC Grow Box
A grow box is a self-contained, enclosed unit that is used for growing plants indoors. This mini-greenhouse provides people who lack garden space a chance to grow their own plants. Although grow boxes are easily available in nurseries and garden supply centers, your old personal computer can be turned into a perfect grow box and house a few small plants or one large plant. This will prevent you from discarding your old PC where it will end up in a landfill and put it to better use.
Unplug your old PC and place it on an even surface. Remove the outer casing or cover and the covering on the two long sides. Loosen all the screws that hold the hard drives, internal shelves and motherboard. Keep these parts aside and dispose appropriately.
- A grow box is a self-contained, enclosed unit that is used for growing plants indoors.
- Although grow boxes are easily available in nurseries and garden supply centers, your old personal computer can be turned into a perfect grow box and house a few small plants or one large plant.
Insert two identical sized fans into the same short side of the PC, one near the top edge and the other near the lower edge. You may need to use metal cutters to make it fit properly. These will circulate air in the grow box, where one fan will work toward blowing air inside and the other will expel it outside the grow box. If you want to use a single fan, make a hole identical in size to it just below it so it can provide the necessary ventilation and offset the motion of the existing fan.
Use a measuring tape to determine the size of the PC. Measure the length and breadth, and write it down.
Cut the silver car reflector to size according to your measurements, and glue it to one of the long sides of the PC with a glue gun and glue sticks or double-sided tape. Also glue it to both short sides. When gluing it to the side with the fans, adjust it by cutting it as neatly as possible around each fan so as not to impede their motion.
- Insert two identical sized fans into the same short side of the PC, one near the top edge and the other near the lower edge.
- Cut the silver car reflector to size according to your measurements, and glue it to one of the long sides of the PC with a glue gun and glue sticks or double-sided tape.
Place your fluorescent grow light bulbs into the socket plug adapters. One adapter will be used per light, and four to five lights for a standard size PC will suffice. You can purchase these from any hardware or electric supply store. These lights provide the plants the necessary heat and light they require to grow and thrive.
Plug the socket adapters into the power strip or extension cord, and glue it to the top of the PC in such a way that the lights face down toward the base of the PC.
Place your plant containers in the PC grow box through the open long side. Cut another piece of car reflective and glue it to the open side to provide the plants a closed environment. Plug the cord of the power strip in an electrical outlet to provide the plants the heat and light they need to grow.
- Place your fluorescent grow light bulbs into the socket plug adapters.
- Plug the cord of the power strip in an electrical outlet to provide the plants the heat and light they need to grow.
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Writer Bio
Tanya Khan is a freelance author and consultant, having written numerous articles for various online and print sources. She has a Master of Business Administration in marketing but her passion lies in writing.
