Construction Setbacks.... and notes

I guess I should post a note on why I am obsessing over the "heating from below" experiment...

I found these paragraphs in Greenhouse Gardener's Companion by Shane Smith page 52...

http://www.amazon.com/Greenhouse-Gardeners-Companion-Revised-Sunspace/dp/1555914500

"When soil temperatures drop below 45˚ F, roots grow much slower and have a harder time taking up water and nutrients"...

..."research has shown that if soil temperatures are kept around 65˚F, the winter air temperature can drop to 10˚F without any loss in yield. This is especially true with fruiting crops. Many researchers believe that the positive results obtained by heating the soil are due not just to the effects of temperature but also to the effects of faster organic matter decomposition (warmer temperatures wake up decomposition microbes, which creates more CO2), increasing the rate of photosynthesis."

I've found a few papers online where growers have used different methods to heat from below with greatly varying results. Most at least showed at least some improvement in yield so my layman's brain tells me that the important stuff is going on in the soil. But I've chosen to include the wicking bed to keep the roots from becoming too dry from the added heat. We shall test and see.

 I'll post a construction change in a week or so, the hole has caved in on both ends, unleveling the base, I think it needs a slight rebuild, but I'm a bit busy at the moment.