Things I am learning from working in a greenhouse
mr_subjunctive
16 years ago
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water_roots
16 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Things I learned from the Junk Forum
Comments (14)This thread is so entertaining! I need to stop on this side more often. Each one of you has a fun and unique point of view. I agree with everyone else about #5! Then I read #6 and laughed my butt off. Then came #7. I am just sitting here chuckling. Because I'm guilty, guilty, guilty lol. And good to see you again Sherri, been wonderin' why I hadn't seen you post lately. Luna I noticed you where gone too, but I'm new and just getting to know y'all, not trying to be nosey, no explanations needed, just missed ya :-) and Jeanne, I'm like you, when I have time to sit down and do what I like to do, it's usually check emails, local paper, then over to GardenJunkers. that's my kind of a break, just like going junking around town is my idea of fun. Hey ... I'm very picky about my junk LOL. OK I'll shuddit ... ~tenderlee...See MoreThings I Love About My Greenhouse
Comments (2)I never have been able to post pictures but would love to try again. I couldn't find any instructions on how to do it last night, and I'm not a real computer whiz either, not smart enough to just figure it out on my own. If anyone has concise instructions or can tell me where to look for them in GW I would appreciate that very much. Cheryl...See MoreWhat I've learned so far about the 4-season thing ....
Comments (10)I also have raised beds in Connecticut and have a couple of them (4 x 12 ft) covered with low tunnels, 4' high, made from 1/2" PVC pipe. I've used them for many years but only as season extenders. I was never able to get any crops to reliably grow during Jan and Feb because of the single plastic cover and no heat. I found that spinach is one of the hardiest crops to winter over if it is about 2 or 3 inches tall in November, but it didn't actually grow much until early March, then it took off like a rocket. I also used the tunnels to start seeds in early March of cold-tolerant vegetables. There was no provision for automatic venting on sunny days and that caused big temperature swings by the time April rolled around. Very heavy wet snows also caused structural problems since the PVC was only half inch. I had a coldframe for a few years with an automatic vent and that actually worked better because it was lower and had less heat loss, but it was not large enough. Last fall I build a large hoop house over two of the raised beds; it is 12' long and 10' wide and about 7' tall and is made from 1" PVC and 6-mil single-ply construction plastic. No heat. It has survived some heavy snow loads without any bending or distortion. I didn't have time to plant anything in it last fall because it wasn't finished until December but I planted lots of cold-tolerant seeds in early February. They were covered with Remay to get the extra protection that Coleman suggests. A min/max thermometer showed the temperature got into the low twenties at night. This week I expect the night temps to stay above freezing. The seeds I planted in early Feb are doing well but the ones I started indoors in late Feb and put in the hoophouse 2 weeks ago are doing just as well or better. I intend to remove the plastic in summer and replace it in November so I don't cook the plants. Temperature control is tough without fans and I really don't want to get involved with electric heat and ventilation (I might change my mind some day). I just built an automatic window this week and installed it yeasterday; it is 30" by 36" with a univent opener. I really needed it because the air temp might be freezing when I leave for work and get really sunny and warm by lunch time. I am working on the second one this week. This is a challenge with a PVC hoophouse because of the difficulties involved in making a window on a curved surface. This summer I am going to dig around the raised beds and put foam board vertically around them as far down as I can dig (about 18" in my stony soil). This should keep it warmer in the winter. I will also put low tunnels inside but I only need thin plastic covering because it won't have snow on it. But they will have to be well sealed especially at the edges of the hoophose where it is coldest. Maybe I'll give in and put a small electric heater in the low tunnel but I will use it to keep it from freezing rather than try to grow things like tomatoes. Then I will be ready to try real 4 season growing; I recommend the book because of the interesting ideas in it and will be looking at this forum for best crops to grow. I'll let you know how It turns out. Bob B....See Moretricks i think i am learning...
Comments (12)johnt, just curious those 5 1/2 tomatoes are in dirt right? i was actually surprised how well my tomatoes did this year (my extras) that got very root bound. they seemed to eat plenty and drink everyday but other than that they seemed ahappy. and we will see if i got this right or not. thanks for expaining how to italicize. i was thinking it was these [ brackets. live and learn. i have peppers i had that were a bit root bound when i put them in the ground. this was about 4-5 weeks ago i planted them and they are just now taking off in size. takes a little while to get into the grove after transplanting but you can really tell when they are happy again. i also have noticed some posts about larger leaves falling off. ppl seem to be worried about this. i have noticed that the leaves get big. then get bigger. then very big, then start to look bad, then yellow and finally drop. then you end up with new small leaves and more growth. more leaves than the one you start with. just seems natural to me. many seemed worried when the big ones drop. should i be? i say no. some might know i bought ladybugs this year. they looked a bit different than the ones i have normally seen around here but i really dont know to much about them or their life cycle but anyway... i have been noticing many more this year and it has been almost a month since i let them go. i had also had larva and put them into the garden. (they were found on a potted tomato) i am pretty happy about that and i say an aphid or 2 so the lady bugs should stay around. one last thing. SQUIRRELS!!!!! frig! what can you do about them. i have heard a few gripes about them. and it seems someone is feeding the little buggers and i have peanuts sprouting everywhere. not such a heart breaker in the garden just routine weeding. peanuts sure grow fast too. but my grip is the digging is awesome in the potted plants with the soft potting soil which makes an appealing place for a squirrel to farm his peanuts. maybe i need a dog? michael...See Moremlevie
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