BYC gardening thread!!

[appps]

Anyone here have experence with gardening year around in a greenhouse? Last winter we built a small, hobby sized greenhouse and plan on growing in it all winter. i'm drawing out plans to make our own grow lights and trying to figure out a better way to insulate it. I also have been rooting tomatoes and tomatillo plants all summer for the greenhouse garden. Not sure if i'll put in a raised bed or grow in pots yet though.

I'm very interested in this too. Unfortunatly I don't have room for a green house so my experiments will be little bed sized poly tunnels and a cold frame.
I've seen in English garden shows they insulate the greenhouse by taping bubble wrap over all the glass surfaces, especially the roof. It lets the light in while still trapping the warmth.

 

[lazy gardener]

Year round gardening: I highly recommend this book. https://www.amazon.com/Four-Season-Harvest-Organic-Vegetables-Garden/dp/1890132276

It covers many options including green house, cold frame, and discusses concepts such as micro climates and multi layer protection, each layer adding 1.5 growing zones to your plants. So, in my zone 4 garden, if I put a cold frame within my green house, or put an extra layer of agri fabric or plastic inside my cold frame, I've increased the temp in that area to = zone 6. He gives lots of simple, and not so simple plans for projects to build cold frames and green houses.

 

[politicalcenter]

I'm very interested in this too. Unfortunatly I don't have room for a green house so my experiments will be little bed sized poly tunnels and a cold frame.
I've seen in English garden shows they insulate the greenhouse by taping bubble wrap over all the glass surfaces, especially the roof. It lets the light in while still trapping the warmth.

. You could build a hot frame for small tomatoes in the cool weather. It works like a cold frame except you put manure in the bottom to compost. It will heat the frame and break down to good fertilizer.

 

[lazy gardener]

I started a few greens this week. (lettuce, chard, kale, radish, spinach) Also took some tomato cuttings last week. They rooted in about 4 days.

 

[rusticpumpkins]

Year round gardening:  I highly recommend this book.  https://www.amazon.com/Four-Season-Harvest-Organic-Vegetables-Garden/dp/1890132276

It covers many options including green house, cold frame, and discusses concepts such as micro climates and multi layer protection, each layer adding 1.5 growing zones to your plants.  So, in my zone 4 garden, if I put a cold frame within my green house, or put an extra layer of agri fabric or plastic inside my cold frame, I've increased the temp in that area to = zone 6.  He gives lots of simple, and not so simple plans for projects to build cold frames and green houses.

That sounds awesome! I'll definitely look into that book. Thanks! I might try the small cold frame in the greenhouse idea.

 

[rusticpumpkins]

I started a few greens this week.  (lettuce, chard, kale, radish, spinach)  Also took some tomato cuttings last week.  They rooted in about 4 days.  

Tomatoes root so fast! This year is the first time I've tried to root them and I was shocked how quickly they grow. I even just stuck a couple branches in mud during a week of rain and it rooted right into the ground.

 

[appps]

I've only just heard of doing this and have a couple little "test" ones at the moment from my cherry tomato that went all winter that I rooted. Will be interesting to see if they go on to produce as long as the seeds I've planted

 

[chickadoodles]

Last night I made some bread from the pears we harvested a few weeks ago. Pear pecan bread.

 

[lazy gardener]

The lettuce, kale and some of the other seeds I planted this weekend are up already.

 

[appps]

Well just spent the last hour assembling my cold frame. It looked much sturdier in the photos sigh (don't they always). I'm going to have to build a timber frame to sit it on I think. 1 to give me more height by raising it off the ground a bit more and 2 so I have something to anchor it to as it will blow away in the first wind I suspect.