What did you do in the garden today?

I have never had any luck with orchids & I have such a green thumb. I had 2 from a friend that passed away & they both died, it makes me sad I couldn't keep them alive. I think I just keep the house too cold & probably didn't feed them enough.

BReeder! said:

For squash bugs I've heard aluminum foil around the base of plants works. That said, you need to keep the plant of the ground for it to work, so staking or trellising it's necessary. Another option is weed fabric, would poses a real obstacle for the bus to get through between the soil and the plants.

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They will be on a trellis as space is an issue here - I grow up with whatever I can. I would think aluminum foil would be for vine borers maybe? I'm not sure it would do much for squash bugs. At least not the indestructible family of them around here.

Still cold out there. I don't want to go out there & check on the birds yet. I have a red that had some laying issues the last couple of days & I need to check on her.

@Swiss you have an aero garden? Do you like it? Got any tips?

Sueby said:

@Swiss you have an aero garden? Do you like it? Got any tips?

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I haven't used them (except as grow lights for my garden starts) for a while, but I'll see what I can remember.

I wasn't a fan of the cherry tomatoes grown in them because they were really watery/had not much flavor. Maybe it was just the variety Aerogarden provides and a different patio-type variety would taste better.

I've been known to wrap aluminum foil around them to keep the light and some extra heat in, especially when the seeds are germinating and the plants are little. The lights are LED, but still provide a bit of warmth.

The biggest problem I have with Aerogarden is their prices, which is why a while ago I bought grow sponges to grow seeds I already have. I also have trouble with algae and/or mold growing on the sponges, but that could be because light gets to the tops of the sponges (the papers didn't stay on for me).

I do like the convenience of having a garden indoors that has its own lighting. Now I have officially convinced myself to pull them out to grow some herbs!

BReeder! said:

How do you hear the hot house? Are you using electric or gas heaters? I've seen some cool ideas for using earth ovens, rocket stores and other wood burning devices. Would be a meet project to cover a greenhouse into a hot house with a bread oven or kiln in the center. If I had the space...

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Space heater in the seeding shed, and in the greenhouse a firebrick frame and crisco candle works to take the chill off.

WthrLady said:

Space heater in the seeding shed, and in the greenhouse a firebrick frame and crisco candle works to take the chill off.

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This is my first time hearing about crisco candles. Google explained it all. Seems a bit hazardous if not done safely, but certainly a very cool idea. They apparently burn surprisingly long. Does it burn hotter than a normal (paraffin, soy or beeswax) candle?

cheaper, and longer because it's a slow burn in a gallon of oil. Think of it as 3-4 wicks in an oil lamp. Once they heat up the bricks, they slowly release heat. They're safe. I wouldn't use in a house full of rambunctious children or pets, and you have to do fresh air too, but for the greenhouse they work just fine to take the edge off.

Man I'm getting the hoop house bug, BIG TIME.
I've got a pen and napkins to draw on!

Sueby said:

I have never had any luck with orchids & I have such a green thumb. I had 2 from a friend that passed away & they both died, it makes me sad I couldn't keep them alive. I think I just keep the house too cold & probably didn't feed them enough.


They will be on a trellis as space is an issue here - I grow up with whatever I can. I would think aluminum foil would be for vine borers maybe? I'm not sure it would do much for squash bugs. At least not the indestructible family of them around here.

Still cold out there. I don't want to go out there & check on the birds yet. I have a red that had some laying issues the last couple of days & I need to check on her.

@Swiss you have an aero garden? Do you like it? Got any tips?

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I've never had very good luck with orchids either. I did order a vanilla orchid cutting of Etsy. I was hoping for some real vanilla pods. Unfortunately it hasn't done very well...I think from lack of humidity. I put it outside all summer since it is very hot & humid here but it still didn't flourish. It currently has no leaves on it....just a green stick really. I have it sitting in my south-facing window in my bathroom. Hoping the humidity and heat from the shower will help it along.

WthrLady said:

Man I'm getting the hoop house bug, BIG TIME.
I've got a pen and napkins to draw on!

Click to expand...

I had that bug last year....

WthrLady said:

Man I'm getting the hoop house bug, BIG TIME.
I've got a pen and napkins to draw on!

Click to expand...

The best ideas always start on a napkin. Typically the napkin is coupled with an alcoholic beverage. Time to pour something strong!

I'm about to start some seeds this weekend....probably tomatoes and peppers, anyway. I have a south-facing window within 4 ft of my fireplace. We've been running a fire almost non-stop for the past week so it stays pretty warm in the living room. I'm hoping that the warmth from the fireplace, combined with the sunlight from the window will help things germinate. My only concern is keeping the cats & dogs out of it. They've been known for getting into mischief and I could just seem them pulling everything onto the floor. I don't have anything high enough that they couldn't reach it, except a bookshelf but that spot doesn't get direct sunlight.