So I think I have figured out a good way to get my items going early each year.
So in December or January I am going to start seeds in my garage which has two rooms that I can use. When it is really cold, I have a small room that won't take much to heat that I can start seeds in, then I am also going to be setting up my green house this year so once February/March hits I will be able move everyone out to the green house, so by the time I can plant in May I should have some nice size plants!
I have two metal barrels that I can fill with compost at the end of each season and put them one in the garage and one in the greenhouse for heat.
I am going to put a metal container with hot compost in it. I am hoping that it will stay active enough to help maintain the heat. I am also going to paint my containers black on the outside to absorb more solar heat.
sherry
bend in the high desert
oregon
USA
3775 Posts
Posted - May 02 2010 : 07:36:58 AM
what size greenhouse do you have? are you using anyother source of heat? we used concrete blocks for raised beds in ours. it helps hold heat. the blocks put the heat out in the night just a thought sherrye
Hi Sherry- my green house is small, 16x16. It's the style of greenhouse that MaryJane featured in her magazine last summer. It's like a super big hoop house. with a door at one end. It's a great design, I love it. So since it is so small I think one large metal barrel of hot compost will keep it nice and toasty in there.
Just watch that you don't over heat the greenhouse. My indoor one my DH made for me was maintained at 78*, per my DH's research on prime seed germination. It worked amazingly well. Everything was up in 4-5 days. Then it all went wrong. The plants took off like wildfire! We had 3 ft long cucumbers in March which can't go out till may around here! We actually had to cut everthing off at the base and throw it on the compost pile. We restarted with the same specs and should have managable plants ready in 2 weeks. We've been hardening of 13 in cucumbers getting them ready. 65* after germination keeps them growing slowly so they have nice sturdy stems without too much hieght. Just thought I'd pass along our little adventure with what everyone called our 'Jungle'.
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important?
Alee- I really don't think in Billings your compost will stay active enough. We are zone 7 here and ours goes cold during the winter months and I have tried to keep it hot. My green house is 25x35 and has no heat. Like Sherry I have a raised bed in there that is made from concrete blocks and the floor is concrete which helps. Actually the only 3 months that I dont have something going on in my greenhouse is November, December and January. By February I start planting lettuce and other greens in the raised bed and at that time my DH turns on the hot bed (this is where all of my seedlings get started) Usually by Late march my tomatos are about 4 inches tall and I am ready to start harvesting greens.
So the double window in my southern facing window just isn't doing it for my plants. So I am going to make it 4 stages of gardening. First they are going to be sprouted in the southern facing room where I can keep a heater if needed. Then if it is warm enough (and I might make a door for the other room with a western facing window) they will be moved to the room with a bigger window that will catch all light from noon until dusk. Then as the days get a bit warmer and the green house is maintaining a good temp at night I will move them out to the green house before finally planting in the garden.
Of course some seeds that come up really early anyway will probably be winter sown in the soil but I do want to garden year-round and I am really lucky that someone left a bunch of window boxes here so I am going to try indoor container gardening again this winter since it seems to be working out so far.
I just tidied up my container carrots. They are growing nicely and are about two inches long and a little thicker than a pencil. They are orange already. I am looking forward to eatting them!!
Three stage gardening
Posted - May 01 2010 : 6:05:41 PM
