Growing Stand

With winter still upon us, we have decided to grow indoors for the time being.  The plans from Fine Gardening inspired us to construct this growing stand.  Materials and light fixtures total about $400.  While the original design holds 15 flats, we shortened the width to just twelve to fit in the room.  It has three 48-inch T-5 four-bulb light fixtures from Apollo Horticulture.  Admittedly some of the lumber was a bit warped, probably from frequent temperature changes, but it is reasonably stable with weight on it.

Seedling Lights

Our goal for 2014 is to plant 100% from seeds.  (Whether that actually happens depends, not only on our growing skills, but also on how irresistible the local vegetable plants look in the Spring.)  The weather has not dissuaded us from continuing to plant indoors in February.  Pictured here is the neighbor's homemade growing rack in his basement.  It consists of two 4-ft. fluorescent light fixtures for a total of eight bulbs to cover four seedling trays.  This weekend we planted one tray of basil, marigolds, and pansies.  No garden would be complete without flowers which serve to attract pollinators and repel rabbits.  We also began vigorously thinning the earlier trays.  Once secondary growths appears we will begin to transplant a few to larger containers.

Snow Storm

If last week's ice storm wasn't enough, this week brought two feet of snow that completely clobbered the hoop house.  We rescued the seedlings which are now safe indoors under artificial lighting.  It may be time to scrap the PVC pipe construction and use wood framing.  The good news is, all the seedlings are doing well, and a warming trend is predicted for later this week.

Eighty Degrees in February

Our hoop house made it up to 80 degrees this afternoon in spite of subfreezing temperatures outdoors.  The structure is approximately 8 ft. x 14 ft., with an eight foot ceiling at the back.  It covers two large potting tables and a 100 gallon Rubbermaid feed tank full of water.  The water tank is a convenient source for irrigating plants, and serves as thermal mass to help regulate the temperature of the hoop house.  The back wall, painted white, is the south wall of our adjacent garden shed.

Ice Storm

As luck would have it, an ice storm struck just days after the new fabric was installed on the hoop house.  We were without power for a day, and about 20% of homes in our county were affected.  It was not the ice that damaged our makeshift greenhouse, but a large branch from a nearby pine that buckled under the weight of the weather.  Despite temperatures below freezing, a valiant effort was put forth to make repairs, encouraged by the sprouting of the year's first seedlings planted a week ago.  A rope was employed to remove the fallen branch, and a roll of clear plastic tape used to repair the fabric.  Back in business, we planted three more trays of seeds.  Lettuce, spinach, and onions in the hoop house; broccoli, cauliflower, and cilantro indoors on a heating pad; and, lettuce, onions, and artichoke indoors at the neighbor's house.

New Fabric on Hoop House

Winter is typically the gardeners' time to enjoy the fruits of the previous year and to plan next year's gardens.  Today, after several very cold December and January weeks with record temperatures in the single digits, neighbors Owen and Felix got a jump on the growing season by doing some yard work.  This afternoon's high was a balmy 55 degrees and our hoop house which was constructed three years ago was in need of some attention.  The work went slowly, starting before nine o'clock and continuing till late afternoon.  But, in the end it was worth it.  We replaced the plastic with a six-year 6-mil material, weeded the floor, put down two yards of free mulch from the dump, and reinforced the hoops in case of further snowfall.  We did a good deal of needed yard clean-up too.  To avoid a clogged rain gutter on the garden shed, we inserted a material in the gutter called Gutter Stuffing, a product that neither of us had used or even seen.  Finally, we planted the first two trays of seedlings, one to start indoors, and another to start in the hoop house.  The indoor tray, which will have a heating pad, has spinach, lettuce, and bok choi.  The tray in the hoop house has cabbage, onions, and heirloom mustard greens.