Looking for cheap strategies to Prolong Growing Season
Jami
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daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
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Garlics planted for 2013-2014 growing season
Comments (43)"Re-reading this thread, I realized that I initially missed the significance of that comment." As did I and would appreciate the info. Got to play a bit today before the rain set in ... Patch #1 is starting to look more like a corn patch ;) Patch #2 is trying to catch up ... Patch #2 is limited to the first 2 beds from the left ... next bed over is onions and then tater patch #2. Will most likely never do this again ... but, for now, it seems pretty .... and keeps me busy....See Moreprolonging the tomato season
Comments (2)Some way to get them encased in plastic would accomplish the minigreenhouse effect. If they are caged (I am referring to 5' tall wire mesh cages), you could wrap individual cages in plastic, or wrap numerous plants in plastic. Place bricks or cement blocks or jugs of water between plants to warm up during day, and release heat at night, into the mini greenhouse. If they are staked, or lying down, add some stakes to support plastic covering. Again, use bricks, blocks, and/or jugs to help with heat. Keep plastic on during day too may help heat up the environment, but make sure the plants can breath. The bricks, blocks, and/or jugs idea would help with some heat during the night even if not covered. Place tiki torches throughout tomato plants to keep area warm enough to prevent frost. I don't know, saw this with grapes recently in a movie. My in-laws let there tomatoes sprawl on the ground and then when a frost is suspected they throw plastic sheets and canvas painters tarps, and those blue nylon tarps over the area at around sunset. They extend their harvest by several weeks, and it's simple and cheap (if you have the tarps). You could also build a portable hoop house (see link below), and set it up over the tomatoes. Good Luck, Ken Here is a link that might be useful: PVC Hoop House...See Moreways to prolong growing season for salad greens
Comments (3)It depends some on just what size balcony, how high up, how windy, how much sun does it get in the summer? Is is on the precipitation side of the building, or are you going to have to water it a lot? If you have the space for it, perhaps one of those mini-greenhouses? Footprint is 2x3 I think, and about 6 feet tall when assembled. Has 4 shelves, comes with a clear plastic cover, some come with shade cloth covers too. If you go this route, invest in a chunk of styrofoam insulation to sit as the base of the greenhouse to help with drafts from below. You can ask about scrap at the local big box store. Otherwise, at least lay down a mat of some sort to help block out under breezes. This isn't going to give you a lot of protection, but it will help some. If you want to go whole hog and enclose your balcony... If you can, get a whole sheet of Styrofoam insulation and do the whole floor and bottom foot or so of your balcony rail- however high up the bottom rail is on the vertical. Make sure you leave a niche cut out on the bottom vertical to leave you access off the porch if/when needed. Then put up a wind block of some sort from the top of the bottom rail to the bottom of the hand rail. I've used cheap quilters cotton in light colors when it's been on clearance to block the bottom that way. Colorful and useful as a wind block if needed. And can allow some extra privacy depending on how your balcony is situated. Then from the balcony roof- if you have one- hang clear plastic shower curtains that you can pull back as needed. This gives you more flexibility year round. What you use as fasteners to hold it closed depends on what your balcony is made of. If you can, use square pots. If you or someone you know has cats, you might be able to get free litter jugs or buckets, and those make great planters. If you get kitty jugs, spring lettuce and fall lettuce can be planted in with a summer tomato- and use a full sized cage, Or a small bean or cucumber pole. The kitty buckets are almost perfect square foot gardening for anything. If you need late spring into summer extension for tender greens from sun and wind, try using lightweight fabric curtain instead of plastic shower curtain....See MoreHow to extend growing season of bleeding hearts(dicentra spectabilis)
Comments (49)Heruga, You’re nice to help the residents, they must appreciate that! I purchased 3 more dicentra ‘alba’ this year, they have lovely pure white flowers. I also love the dicentra ‘valentine’ on which the flowers tend toward red rather than the clear pink. All are lovely! I have a golden foliage one, very pretty but it catches my eye, making me feel like it’s fall all summer long. (Our main fall color is gold). My problem isn’t that the dicentra turn brown (due to my cool climate, they stay green), rather they get terribly floppy and that’s why I’m moving them to deeper shade, we don’t have maples but lots of birch. i like calling them lady’s locket, doubt I’ll ever get used to lamprocapnos...See Moredaninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
last yearlast modified: last yeardaninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
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last yearL Clark (zone 4 WY)
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last yearJohn D Zn6a PIT Pa
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last yearlast modified: last yeartheforgottenone1013 (SE MI zone 5b/6a)
last yearlast modified: last yeardaninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
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last yearlast modified: last yearDonald V Zone 6 north Ohio
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