Electri-fig-ation - Part 2 - Subterranean

superdave336 said:
Are you just trying to keep the roots warm enough from dying or wake them early? If the latter wouldn’t waking them early and then the top dying from cold?
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Roots don’t die here. If I leave a tree unprotected it’ll die to the ground but always come back. This is purely to get it out of dormancy sooner.

The problem here is that even after last frost, the ground is still too cool for the tree to take off. This (hopefully) solves that problem. I won’t even plug this in until well after the coldest weather has passed and I want the tree to grow
 
Does that tubing just stay there forever? Eventually could the tree roots encase it tightly and stop the flow of water thereby rendering it useless or cause it to flood the hole?
 
Figgerlickinggood said:
Does that tubing just stay there forever? Eventually could the tree roots encase it tightly and stop the flow of water thereby rendering it useless or cause it to flood the hole?
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Hopefully everything stays for good, but if the cable fails I'm hoping I could pull a new one into the tubing so I don't need to dig.

My experience has been that fig roots are not especially aggressive. I left good gaps in the tubing coil so roots could just work thier way around and through. The base of the hole is solid clay, so they arent going that way. Sideways is all nice loamy soil

Some questions I won't have answers to for some time. I've never done this before.... I'm hoping by next spring I'll have enough experience to make it the standard process for in ground trees here.

I'm still trying to decide what to use to protect the tube ends.... I'm thinking maybe large plastic electrical junction boxes
 
Wow! I really did not expect this!

I got a compost thermometer with a 30cm (12”) probe.

First image is the reading by my in ground Enta across the yard from where I’d buried the cables

IMG_4358.jpeg

The first reading is out by the cables themselves.

IMG_4359.jpeg

I was blown away by how warm it is

IMG_4360.jpeg

Again right next to the trunk down into the root ball

IMG_4361.jpeg

It’s unplugged now. I imagine it won’t be so warm earlier in the spring but clearly I’m going to need to either get a temp controller or a timer running it on and off.

So far this is working very well.

More to come
 
TorontoJoe said:
Wow! I really did not expect this!

I got a compost thermometer with a 30cm (12”) probe.

First image is the reading by my in ground Enta across the yard from where I’d buried the cables

View attachment 7805

The first reading is out by the cables themselves.

View attachment 7806

I was blown away by how warm it is

View attachment 7807

Again right next to the trunk down into the root ball

View attachment 7808

It’s unplugged now. I imagine it won’t be so warm earlier in the spring but clearly I’m going to need to either get a temp controller or a timer running it on and off.

So far this is working very well.

More to come
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Wow that’s incredible Joe, I’m shocked this might just work perfectly. Even if it stays in the ground and the roots over wrap the coil it’s still may warm up the ground. Hopefully it never burns out and you have to leave it in there.
 
Vitooch1 said:
Wow that’s incredible Joe, I’m shocked this might just work perfectly. Even if it stays in the ground and the roots over wrap the coil it’s still may warm up the ground. Hopefully it never burns out and you have to leave it in there.
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If it does. Hopefully I can pull a new one on through the conduit
 
TorontoJoe said:
Wow! I really did not expect this!

I got a compost thermometer with a 30cm (12”) probe.

First image is the reading by my in ground Enta across the yard from where I’d buried the cables

View attachment 7805

The first reading is out by the cables themselves.

View attachment 7806

I was blown away by how warm it is

View attachment 7807

Again right next to the trunk down into the root ball

View attachment 7808

It’s unplugged now. I imagine it won’t be so warm earlier in the spring but clearly I’m going to need to either get a temp controller or a timer running it on and off.

So far this is working very well.

More to come
Click to expand...
This is awesome.

The temperature controller would be a great add on to keep semi-consistent soil temperatures instead of bouncing back and forth from 100F to 60F.

Once you get it all dialed in, brand it, package it, then slap a 100% tariff on it to sell to the folks in the Northern US.
 
bushdoctor82 said:
This is awesome.

The temperature controller would be a great add on to keep semi-consistent soil temperatures instead of bouncing back and forth from 100F to 60F.

Once you get it all dialed in, brand it, package it, then slap a 100% tariff on it to sell to the folks in the Northern US.
Click to expand...


Not the “T” word! 😆

I’m already hunting for a temp controller with a sensor that I can bury.
 
One last thing for now. I had to protect the lines. I mounted some outdoor junction boxes on pressure treated stakes. The rear one can stay on unless needed. On the main one the plug end can stay tucked away until spring when I need to plug them in

IMG_4362.jpegIMG_4363.jpegIMG_4366.jpegIMG_4367.jpeg

*I didn’t pound the stakes in as I might hit a cable. Instead, I gently dug out the area with a plastic trowel
 
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Shoot I'd even do this here if it meant I could wake up those in grounds sooner.

I have been wanting to do a couple 1/2 barrel pots...This could be installed in there and left outside during winter with a little added above ground protection....hm

Gears are turning...thanks Mr. Joe. lol
 
ktrain said:
Shoot I'd even do this here if it meant I could wake up those in grounds sooner.

I have been wanting to do a couple 1/2 barrel pots...This could be installed in there and left outside during winter with a little added above ground protection....hm

Gears are turning...thanks Mr. Joe. lol
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If you can dig a trench to put in a row, you could bury something like this in a long run below them


.
 
TorontoJoe said:
One last thing for now. I had to protect the lines. I mounted some outdoor junction boxes on pressure treated stakes. The rear one can stay on unless needed. The one housing the plug end can stay tucked away until spring when I need to plug them in

View attachment 7837View attachment 7838View attachment 7839View attachment 7840

*I didn’t pound the stakes in as I might hit a cable. Instead, I gently dug out the area with a plastic trowel
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Looks great but here that close to the ground.
Those PVC J-boxes become ant nest.
I'm with Dave on setting a pot on top.
Maybe bag and tape or ziptie the cord end.
Before setting the pot on it.
 
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