Getting things planted early indoors is tough. Even though I tried using heating mats, plant lights and forest soil I harvested this spring, it still was not working that well. Thankfully though we had a hothouse we had been working on in which I was able to put some seedlings that had not been doing so well. Although I had plant lights for them and heating mats it still did not compare to when I put them outside. True sunlight is what every plant is supposed to have, it makes them more nutrient dense and they grow faster and stronger than the ones started indoors.
The hothouse was a former greenhouse I built last year with some hog panels and extra wood. We filled it with about two or so feet of manure which has now composted to about one. It was a pretty easy design we found online with just a few simple frames; one for the base, one for the door and one for the window on the back. The window is optional but very helpful for getting good air circulation.
When I made the bottom frame I left some extra wood on the ends so we can grab it easier when we move it around. I then Put on the hog panels with some fence staples and started making the frame for the door. The door frame was pretty simple, I just made the opening how big I wanted it and put a couple supports across on either side to keep it stout. For the doors, I just made some frames with a cross brace for extra strength and added two hinges for each door so they don't sag. I also made a couple handles for the bottom door and put a latch on the top door to keep it closed. For the window it was basically the same process I just added a simple windowsill. We put pipe insulation on the ends of the hog panels before putting on the plastic to keep it from tearing, along with some tape where the panels met.
The hothouse has been excellent for starting a lot of our plants and I was even able to grow a few peppers. I am very happy with the results of this garden project and will definitely want to try this in the future again for starting things.