Garden failed this year?

[pbjmaker]

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Where do you buy these and would they survive in Zone 5?

 

[Two Creeks Farm]

I buy mine at Southern States. Make sure you buy "Oats" not rye "Grass"

Oats and barely should do fine in that zone as well as winter wheat. Ive had it grow on top of rocks and in the bed of my truck LOL!

 

[Illia]

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Technically ours is a huge hoop house turned greenhouse. It started with a PVC base because we're cheap like that, then we learned the hard way to NOT use purely PVC. The inside is supported by a wooden backbone, complete with a wooden frame around the ribs/hoops.

It is basically PVC pipe, wood, and thick, transparent plastic sheeting. The bottom looks wrinkled and loose because I open it on sunny days to drop the temp and ventilate the place.

This is inside the greenhouse the day we finally put it all together. Notice the wooden backbone and support beams.

It was so empty back then. Plus those tomatoes in the photo are now 8 feet tall.

 

[Two Creeks Farm]

Thats one nice set up! If I had a better windbreak I would be all over something like that!

 

[pbjmaker]

Thanks for showing us the pictures! I think he going to go with the "stiff" plastic siding (the corrugated stuff ) and make the lower third of the wall solid. He is building ours attached to the house so only need to build 2 walls. Not sure how it going to work. It won't be quite that large though

He wants to do something bigger but not until we buy acreage. He is hoping this "greenhouse" will work for now and be a selling point later on. I keep telling him it will only be a selling point to someone who likes plants and growing stuff

 

[Illia]

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We get winds above 60 mph at LEAST once a year. That's what the wooden support is for.

The posts on the inside are 4"x6" and 3 feet in the ground. Each PVC pipe is 19 inches in the ground and held in by the wooden "cage." around the perimeter of the greenhouse.

We'll add more posts before fall arrives to support the "cage" too - Right now not much is helping keep it up, but I'm not concerned as long as it isn't November through February

 

[Two Creeks Farm]

Weve seen 70mph + and had snows over 4ft at a time so im gun shy LOL!

Neighbor had a hoop style barn erected, it was trashed twice. My siding has been ripped off twice....not a good area atleast for the interm. I have wind breaks growing but they are a year or so off from offering any big help

 

[Kassaundra]

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This has been my first year to seriously garden. While I've always planted a few tomatoes and threw a few diff seeds out and let the garden get over run and give up half way through summer, this year I actually researched gardening ideas, plans, and stratagies. We implemented the ones we liked and have noted some success and somethings that need a little work. I have continued to research the areas that need work for bio friendly solutions but haven't implemented them yet, so I won't know what kind of difference until next year.

My gardens are fenced off seperately and they are my chicken runs, so my chickens are allowed / disallowed into different runs based on what is planted, and what needs to be cleaned etc... It was going to be on a scheduled rotation, but that was a discovery this year that didn't lend itself well for many reasons. So the change to the plan will be the coolest (temp wise) garden / run will be the summer run, that will be set up w/ additional shade and planted so only the absolute cool lovers will go in that garden so it will be ready for the chickens in the summer months. The other rotations will be on a looser schedule.

I am adding a chicken moat to my system this winter to act as a bug and runner grass barrier to my garden.

I have dabbled in both companion and succession planting this year and will be more intese about it next year. Of course the beans / peas / legumes to help fix nitrogen. I am also choosing cubrits and squash that are less tastey to squash bugs (reportedly) and interplanting radish, nastursiums, tansy, and petunia's. The leaves of the tansy and petunias can be harvested and made into a tea for an insect spray too. I also plan on interplanting marigold and basil w/ the nightshades. I am also choosing a variety of okra that gets very tall to act as a shade / shelter for summer loving plants that just can't take our Okie sun.

I am planning on another drought summer this coming season so I am choosing varieties that are drought tolerant, or early, hoping that if I can get them in and going early enough I will have harvested before the worst of the summer heat and drought for those plants, and have more hardy ones for the drought season.

I'm sure there is more, but that's what comes to mind readily.

Illia, I would love to have your hoop house / green house.

 

[pbjmaker]

OK I was at the feed store and got red winter wheat. Ralph the feed store guy said to plant it next month (September). Any other helpful hints?

 

[EweSheep]

Need to hire a rototiller guy! Hubby's friend at work had done the work, his roto went out after he did mine.