Mini fridge for controlled winter storing

[Joakim B]

Dear all
Sometimes I have read that plants are stored over winter in the fridge or temporary to fake a proper winter or to have a warmer winter than outside but frost free. This is for dormant plants or seeds since there is no light.
I would doubt that it is always popular amongst the other family members and I know I would not get away with it so I wonder if anyone have tested to use the small coolers that can be plugged in to the lighter in the car. They are intended for storing foods during trips. Some also have a possibility to use 220V. I was thinking using that one to store plants that need a winter.
They can be stabilised by having water in a soda bottle that is changed regularly with one from the normal fridge to help keeping the temperature down.
Has anyone tried? These are generally not used during winter so one can clean them well and use them for the original purpose later.

This was the last things I was thinking before going to bed so maybe not the best idea but I do no see any faults yet but would be happy o hear them before I try.

All the best
Joakim

[ashley]

Why not look out for a second-hand domestic fridge Joakim, if you have space for it? 
Otherwise perhaps you can find a (second-hand) mini-fridge of the type used for camping, caravanning or on boats.

[mark smyth]

A friend has a very small electric fridge that sits beside his computer. It holds about 12 tins of beer

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Do you offer assistance to empty it from time to time Mark ? 

[mark smyth]

If you can get cheap flight, yes

[Maggi Young]

I think it is relevant to post here a link to another Forum topic that touches on this matter.... here, in the Cyclamen 2009 thread... http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=2893.msg68547#msg68547

We do have a fridge in our potting shed, or, as we call it Young Blulbs Nic World-wide HeadQuarters (sic) but it is of the everyday domestic type and so unsuitable ofr anything in growth.

That is the joy of Oron's cake fridge ( see link above) it has glass sides and also he has it on a verandah where it gets pretty good natural light.
 
Some years ago Ian brought home a glass-topped refridgerated cabinet...it was a single layer box, about 90 cms square and probably 30cms deep. It was never very successful because we found it hard to find somewhere for it to sit to get maximum natural light. We were reluctant to have to provide artificial light for it, apart from the low level light it contained and in our climate it would not be feasible to house it on a covered verandah, even if we had such a thing  

[maggiepie]

Maggi, thanks so much for that link , I thoroughly enjoyed reading the article and had a good laugh.

[Joakim B]

Ashley I have a minifridge to transport food in the summer. It is 20 liter or so. I was planing to use that one but I am not sure if the "great Idea" is so "great" and wanted to test it on You folks as well as well as hearing Your ideas. We had an old working fridge but there was no room for it so out it went.  

Mark
Minifridge for cans sounds very dangerous with a lot of extra drinking. Very tempting though.

Maggi thanks for the link. I remembered Oron´s cake shelf and that is great for the ones that does not go dormant. I was thinking for dormant plants we no need for light.

Nice imput from You all

Kind regards
Joakim

[Michael J Campbell]

I use an old  domestic fridge under the bench in the potting shed for chilling seed during the winter. There was no need for it this year though.

[David Shaw]

Following the kitchen refurbishment we now have a ridiculously large fridge freezer in the house and I now have a nice new(ish) seed/bulb/beer fridge in the shed. I also have a new(ish) freezer in there as well so I hope I don't get them muddled next summer.
I don't think that I need to put seed pots in the fridge because even in a mild winter we get several spells when the temperature dips below zero for a couple of days.

[Maggi Young]

I use an old  domestic fridge under the bench in the potting shed for chilling seed during the winter. There was no need for it this year though.

Last year we didn't even need the fridge on in summer! It was cool enough just in the dark and kept closed. 

It can be useful to hold back bulbs of some  Fritillaria or Erythronium which are snow melt plants and tend to try to open their flowers underground in cultivation... the fridge helps keep them cool long enough to allow to bring them out into steadily warmer weather so their flower stems lengthen in a proper manner. The dark is not a problem for that, either.

[Tony Lee]

I have an old domestic fridge in the garage that I find very usefull,Last year I tried to hold back this pot of Narcissus Romieuxii about 8 days for the early spring show at Harlow.It did not hold on.This year I have tried to hold the dry bulbs back.I did not plant untill mid December,

[Carol Shaw]

Following the kitchen refurbishment we now have a ridiculously large fridge freezer in the house and I now have a nice new(ish) seed/bulb/beer fridge in the shed. I also have a new(ish) freezer in there as well so I hope I don't get them muddled next summer.

You may think the fridge/freezer is large now but I'm sure I can fill it up 

Equally I suspect you will know whether you are using the fridge or the freezer this summer, if your beer looks like a popsicle you've got it wrong

[Lesley Cox]

We bought a new fridge/freezer for the kitchen just before Christmas, to replace the too small fridge in the kitchen and the ancient freezer in Roger's shed so the small, old fridge will go to MY shed for seeds etc. (Maybe the occasional bottle of sauv blanc.) In the meantime what I really need is a very small room with shelving on 2 and a half sides, a bench for working, a window and door of course, and a place for a radio. This would be my SEED room where I can put all the sheets of paper and margerine pots in which seed waits to be cleaned and packeted or sown. Nobody would be allowed in there except me and all the seed paraphenalia could be cleared from the dining table, kitchen benches, potting shed and airing cupboard. On second thoughts, not TOO small a room, about 8ft a 8ft would be good.

[Anthony Darby]

That's a lovely pot of romieuxii Tony.

I used to have a fridge and a freezer in the garage for my own use. The latter failed when the trip switch turned it off when we in Croatia and I lost £100+ worth of frozen mice/rats. The former was thrown out because it is OK in the summer but goes daft in the winter. Need something like what they have in America - a controlled temperature cabinet which can raise as well as lower temperature so I can set it at, say, 4^oC for hibernating the tortoises.