Would an old refrigerated food display case make a good greenhouse?

Question

I came into the possession of one of these:

I want to know if it would make a decent greenhouse and, if so, how I could retrofit it to grow some kind of small plants or seedlings. I think the refrigeration component is no longer functional and will make sure that the coolant has been removed.

Answer 1

I think I might be tempted to call that unit a large terrarium rather than a greenhouse. It is still a neat unit and could be used if you are willing to take care of some of the details. You need to establish what your purpose is: a display case, something to grow something edible in, a germination area....the possibilities are numerous so you need to settle on one thing and do it well

• light: to make plants pop you will need lots of it. I guess 48" fluorescents would do. If you want really healthy plants consider using Vita-Lite tubes to duplicate the spectrum of sunlight.
• moisture will be an issue. For a terrarium you need a soil depth of at least three to four inches. In a terrarium you would add a drainage layer underneath the soil. Say....an inch of styrofoam packing peanuts with a soil separator like landscape fabric between drainage area and soil.
• Where will the water go? You might need to put a drain into the base of the display area.
• if your choice is to germinate seeds you could add a heating pad which will help germination and just put the trays of seedlings inside
• ventilation: moist air that doesn't move causes mould or rot. One solution is to cut a four inch diameter hole in the side and get a computer case fan installed. Put it on a timer or run continuously depending on how you use it.
• one other possible issue is how much weight will the unit support. Soil and water can weigh quite a bit. The base must be well supported and waterproof. I would be tempted to get some pool liner cut to fit the base with some extra to run up the sides. This would keep moisture in and not leak.