Great idea RBG, kinda funny I was eyeing the metal racks at Lowe's the other day thinking the same thing you are doing. My problem is I don't have a great place to put anything like that without lights.
I guess I could kick one of the kids out of there rooms and throw them in the cold basement and turn there room into a grow room, nah I couldn't do that to my little angels. I have thought about everything, my house just isn't set up for indoor growing without lights very well. But that's okay because my outdoor garden couldn't be situated any better.
Vermontkingdom I know how you feel, I have been off wrok a LOT lately and went totally nuts one weekend just planting everything. Now I'm overrun if it doesn't warm up enough to get some of this outside soon I might have problems but hey, what are you gonna do.
- gixxerific
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- seagullplayer
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- Location: Southern Indiana
Small set back, in the assembly of my portable greenhouse I broke a connector, HF support said it would take 10-12 weeks for a replacment!
They also said I could return it to the store, my store has no more of them, but one 50 + miles away does. It looks like I might be able to patch the connector myself and wait for a replacement, I will figure that all out tonight...
Good news, plants are looking good, but just about to out grow my "mini greenhouse". We all love pictures:
[img]https://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/seagullplayer1965/th_Mar4tomato.jpg[/img][img]https://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/seagullplayer1965/th_Mar4closeup.jpg[/img][img]https://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/seagullplayer1965/th_Mar4growth.jpg[/img]
Huckleberrys are showing some promise also, my first time for these:
[img]https://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/seagullplayer1965/th_Mar4huckleberry.jpg[/img]
One of the larger "Ground Cherry" plants, I have been told they are slow growing, but they seem to have taken off after the transplant:
[img]https://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/seagullplayer1965/th_Mar4groundcherry.jpg[/img]
I continue to love the homemade newspaper pots!
They also said I could return it to the store, my store has no more of them, but one 50 + miles away does. It looks like I might be able to patch the connector myself and wait for a replacement, I will figure that all out tonight...
Good news, plants are looking good, but just about to out grow my "mini greenhouse". We all love pictures:
[img]https://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/seagullplayer1965/th_Mar4tomato.jpg[/img][img]https://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/seagullplayer1965/th_Mar4closeup.jpg[/img][img]https://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/seagullplayer1965/th_Mar4growth.jpg[/img]
Huckleberrys are showing some promise also, my first time for these:
[img]https://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/seagullplayer1965/th_Mar4huckleberry.jpg[/img]
One of the larger "Ground Cherry" plants, I have been told they are slow growing, but they seem to have taken off after the transplant:
[img]https://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/seagullplayer1965/th_Mar4groundcherry.jpg[/img]
I continue to love the homemade newspaper pots!
- rainbowgardener
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In case you missed it, the mini-greenhouse/ wrapped shelving is OUTDOORS. It is for transitioning things out, hardening off, getting things outdoors a little sooner with some protection. It gives me a place to put things that need to get moved out from under the lights, to make room for other stuff. It sits on my deck, tied to the deck railings. That's why it doesn't need to have any lights.gixxerific wrote:Great idea RBG, kinda funny I was eyeing the metal racks at Lowe's the other day thinking the same thing you are doing. My problem is I don't have a great place to put anything like that without lights.
.
- gixxerific
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RBG I see, that could work but I would have to put it in the front of my house where all the neighbors can look at it and think bad things but......... I don't have a deck but I guess I could set it up in the actual garden, now there's an idea. Oh well too late for this year maybe next.
Seagullplayer do you have any "vice grips" or any other kind of clamp that would be a good temporary fix for your stand?
:EDIT: Sitting here thinking that you had a great idea RBG and the fact I didn't want to spend any money this late in the game, I'm looking around the house like I do to see what I can McGyver into something. Low and behold I have a small floor table that is basically a one level shelve like you are using. I already have plastic, heck I even have Velcro I could use. So maybe I can get some of my cool weather stuff out there after all. Problem is I have started working again and I leave very early, but if the temps stay above freezing in the morning I can put stuff out. I leave to early to be shuffling this and that in the dark coldness. But it looks like the weather is finally giving us a break, good ol' St Lou we have winter than a week or two of spring than full on Summer.
Seagullplayer do you have any "vice grips" or any other kind of clamp that would be a good temporary fix for your stand?
:EDIT: Sitting here thinking that you had a great idea RBG and the fact I didn't want to spend any money this late in the game, I'm looking around the house like I do to see what I can McGyver into something. Low and behold I have a small floor table that is basically a one level shelve like you are using. I already have plastic, heck I even have Velcro I could use. So maybe I can get some of my cool weather stuff out there after all. Problem is I have started working again and I leave very early, but if the temps stay above freezing in the morning I can put stuff out. I leave to early to be shuffling this and that in the dark coldness. But it looks like the weather is finally giving us a break, good ol' St Lou we have winter than a week or two of spring than full on Summer.
- seagullplayer
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That is a thought after my own heart, but that will not work here. This rig is going to take glue, a drill bit and a long 8-23 bolt...gixxerific wrote:RBG I see, that could work but I would have to put it in the front of my house where all the neighbors can look at it and think bad things but......... I don't have a deck but I guess I could set it up in the actual garden, now there's an idea. Oh well too late for this year maybe next.
Seagullplayer do you have any "vice grips" or any other kind of clamp that would be a good temporary fix for your stand?
:EDIT: Sitting here thinking that you had a great idea RBG and the fact I didn't want to spend any money this late in the game, I'm looking around the house like I do to see what I can McGyver into something. Low and behold I have a small floor table that is basically a one level shelve like you are using. I already have plastic, heck I even have Velcro I could use. So maybe I can get some of my cool weather stuff out there after all. Problem is I have started working again and I leave very early, but if the temps stay above freezing in the morning I can put stuff out. I leave to early to be shuffling this and that in the dark coldness. But it looks like the weather is finally giving us a break, good ol' St Lou we have winter than a week or two of spring than full on Summer.
I'm picking up some super glue and a bolt on the way home, I'm using a drill bit from work, wish me luck.
If this "fix" won't work, I am taking it down tonight and returning it Friday to the other store, I just hate to take it all back down.
- seagullplayer
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Greenhouse is up!
[img]https://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/seagullplayer1965/th_greenhouseside1.jpg[/img]
My "fix" for the broken connector:
[img]https://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/seagullplayer1965/th_greenhouserepair.jpg[/img]
The plants yesterday, I still have much work to do. I will post a seperate thread about the greenhouse later.
[img]https://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/seagullplayer1965/th_plantsingreenhouse.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/seagullplayer1965/th_greenhouseside1.jpg[/img]
My "fix" for the broken connector:
[img]https://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/seagullplayer1965/th_greenhouserepair.jpg[/img]
The plants yesterday, I still have much work to do. I will post a seperate thread about the greenhouse later.
[img]https://i902.photobucket.com/albums/ac221/seagullplayer1965/th_plantsingreenhouse.jpg[/img]
- rainbowgardener
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Here's one of the three trays of June racer tomatoes, currently:
[img]https://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt102/rainbowgardener/tomatoes3-16.jpg[/img]
This is a cool picture if you click on it to enlarge... all the little carnivorous hairs we learned about awhile back!
They are 5-6" tall and sturdy. Doing well considering they have a month to go yet before going out.... I don't know where I'm going to put everything!
See also the my seed starting operation thread for pics of other stuff.
[img]https://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt102/rainbowgardener/tomatoes3-16.jpg[/img]
This is a cool picture if you click on it to enlarge... all the little carnivorous hairs we learned about awhile back!
They are 5-6" tall and sturdy. Doing well considering they have a month to go yet before going out.... I don't know where I'm going to put everything!
See also the my seed starting operation thread for pics of other stuff.
- applestar
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Wow, an ant's eye view of your tomato forest! Lookin' GREAT! Definitely 2 weeks or more ahead of mine by my reckoning. Will you uppot again? They're in 3" or 3.5" pots right? It's such a dilemma -- uppot and you need more space, but if you don't, the foliage crowd/shade each other and who knows what's happening to the roots! I'm having the exact same issues.
- rainbowgardener
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- Ozark Lady
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I am starting to eyeball the bathtub, maybe for trays not so hard to move? Tee hee.
Really, it is almost that or give them my bed!
I have simply got to get plants uppotted and out of here.
Good news, the plants in the unheated mobile are doing fine, just in front of the sliding glass doors. No lights, no heat. But, the next tray over there, will have to go on the table with lights, fan and all.
I am noticing the plants still in here in the warmth are growing faster. The cool there seems to be slowing them down.
We put lights on shelves, just last weekend, you can watch the plants grow now... they are growing that fast!
Really, it is almost that or give them my bed!
I have simply got to get plants uppotted and out of here.
Good news, the plants in the unheated mobile are doing fine, just in front of the sliding glass doors. No lights, no heat. But, the next tray over there, will have to go on the table with lights, fan and all.
I am noticing the plants still in here in the warmth are growing faster. The cool there seems to be slowing them down.
We put lights on shelves, just last weekend, you can watch the plants grow now... they are growing that fast!
- tn_veggie_gardner
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- rainbowgardener
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My seed starting area is rapidly getting too full, the tomatoes are already getting too big and clearly aren't going to make it another month in the 3" pots ... what to do, what to do?
[img]https://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt102/rainbowgardener/tomatoes3-18.jpg[/img]
MH came home from work and didn't even blink to discover more square footage of the living room given over to my plants! The wire shelf is the one I just took down when I finished converting the second shelf in the basement from 6 to 8'. It's just sitting on top of a couple stools. We don't have great plant windows. That would be a good west of south window, but as you can see it looks out at the neighbors house just across the driveway. So the lamps should hopefully give enough supplemental light to get them through.
Now I just need to somehow acquire some 6" pots-- I've never collected those. There's one more tray of tomatoes to come up and they will get up-potted once I have the pots. Makes more room for the other stuff in the basement too.
[img]https://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt102/rainbowgardener/tomatoes3-18.jpg[/img]
MH came home from work and didn't even blink to discover more square footage of the living room given over to my plants! The wire shelf is the one I just took down when I finished converting the second shelf in the basement from 6 to 8'. It's just sitting on top of a couple stools. We don't have great plant windows. That would be a good west of south window, but as you can see it looks out at the neighbors house just across the driveway. So the lamps should hopefully give enough supplemental light to get them through.
Now I just need to somehow acquire some 6" pots-- I've never collected those. There's one more tray of tomatoes to come up and they will get up-potted once I have the pots. Makes more room for the other stuff in the basement too.
- Ozark Lady
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- applestar
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I just came inside from building a raised sunflower house bed (with cardboard and straw) and extending the rice paddy and building a new raised tomato bed... just as the last of the evening light faded. Mine was laying out the take out seafood in the kitchen, looked over and simply said, "Done?"
Do you ever work so hard that you have to tell yourself to save a reserve for putting away the tools, then get up after a few minutes of rest to tweak the garden some more... and end up hauling wheelbarrows of mulch and dragging the hose around to water? That was me. I'm hurtin' already!
Do you ever work so hard that you have to tell yourself to save a reserve for putting away the tools, then get up after a few minutes of rest to tweak the garden some more... and end up hauling wheelbarrows of mulch and dragging the hose around to water? That was me. I'm hurtin' already!
- gixxerific
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- hendi_alex
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Rainbow/Dono - I hear you!
Downstairs, complete jungle (while organized, still a jungle) Everything growing like mad. I have 3 dozens of 6" and 7" containers saved from the prior nursery purchases (mostly azalea types).
Here are my earlies that germinated in early Feb, now 12"-16" tall:
[img]https://drphotography.smugmug.com/Garden/2010-Garden/2010firsttomatoesrepot03202010/814535746_fDAxu-XL.jpg[/img]
I'm so glad that I spaced out the seeding few weeks apart, otherwise wouldn't have any space left. The joy of gardening!
Regards,
D
Downstairs, complete jungle (while organized, still a jungle) Everything growing like mad. I have 3 dozens of 6" and 7" containers saved from the prior nursery purchases (mostly azalea types).
Here are my earlies that germinated in early Feb, now 12"-16" tall:
[img]https://drphotography.smugmug.com/Garden/2010-Garden/2010firsttomatoesrepot03202010/814535746_fDAxu-XL.jpg[/img]
I'm so glad that I spaced out the seeding few weeks apart, otherwise wouldn't have any space left. The joy of gardening!
Regards,
D
Dono, what do you mean when you say they are getting too big and won't be any good when they go out?
I have bought plants from nurserys and farmers markets before with fruit already on them and planted in the ground and they still did well.
Are you afraid that if they grow inside too long they won't grow outside?
I have bought plants from nurserys and farmers markets before with fruit already on them and planted in the ground and they still did well.
Are you afraid that if they grow inside too long they won't grow outside?
- tn_veggie_gardner
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- gixxerific
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Wolfie what I'm talking about is that a lot of people say that you should plant in the ground during the most root growth period. If they get too big they may not do so well or last as long. Another thing is that tomatoes can grow a huge taproot 2 ft or more straight down, if transplanted they tend to grow more outwards.
I would like to do a test witha seed planted vs a transplant. Even some of the great gardeners on here that put out HUGE plants still put out smaller ones to compensate for later growth.
I'm nor expert gardener but I do my best. So take this at face value and research on your own.
I hope I didn't confuse you any more that you already were.
I would like to do a test witha seed planted vs a transplant. Even some of the great gardeners on here that put out HUGE plants still put out smaller ones to compensate for later growth.
I'm nor expert gardener but I do my best. So take this at face value and research on your own.
I hope I didn't confuse you any more that you already were.
- hendi_alex
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Had to bring the largest transplants in for the night as temperatures dipped into the upper 30's. Left the smaller plants in the cold frames, hope those will be o.k. The plants go back outside this a.m. Ten day forecast has the lows in the 40's and 50's. Temperature seems to be settling as we move nearer to our late April planting date.
[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2704/4456513641_7544cbd726_o.jpg[/img]
[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2704/4456513641_7544cbd726_o.jpg[/img]
- gixxerific
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I was thinking about planting my (single) big one in the ground. Just to see if it tould make it. It has been outside for the most part for a long time. And no serious problems so far. Maybe I'm just getting to stir crazy.hendi_alex wrote:Had to bring the largest transplants in for the night as temperatures dipped into the upper 30's. Left the smaller plants in the cold frames, hope those will be o.k. The plants go back outside this a.m. Ten day forecast has the lows in the 40's and 50's. Temperature seems to be settling as we move nearer to our late April planting date.
[img]https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2704/4456513641_7544cbd726_o.jpg[/img]
- hendi_alex
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- tn_veggie_gardner
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- hendi_alex
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I've got three 'Sweet Cluster' and two 'Juliet' tomatoes in their final containers outside.
'Sweet Cluster'
[img]https://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4517720879_ef6986dd17_o.jpg[/img]
'Juliet'
[img]https://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4518354846_0d88be694c_o.jpg[/img]
I am in the northern part of zone 8 and would expect to harvest my first tomato in 10 days to two weeks.
'Sweet Cluster'
[img]https://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4517720879_ef6986dd17_o.jpg[/img]
'Juliet'
[img]https://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4518354846_0d88be694c_o.jpg[/img]
I am in the northern part of zone 8 and would expect to harvest my first tomato in 10 days to two weeks.
- tn_veggie_gardner
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- gixxerific
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Looking good Alex!!!
Dono - I think you will like black cherry, very productive and grows like crazy - be prepare to support!
Weather... So, low 30's didn't kill my tomatoes, plastic bags worked like a charm! Pulled the bags off about 8am, everything looked great...
But the wind Crazy gusts this late morning!!! Lasted for about 2 hours... I can hear some trees falling in the woods, quickly brought all the seedlings inside. But what's planted in the main garden - half of the plants are shredded into a little pieces!!! The row of early varieties in containers are along the side of the garage, so these were well protected, but from other 21 plants in the ground - about half are torn a pieces
Well, I still have some seedlings to replace most of the damaged ones, but still... And no wind was in the forecast, still showing 7mph - year, right!!!!!
Regards,
D
Dono - I think you will like black cherry, very productive and grows like crazy - be prepare to support!
Weather... So, low 30's didn't kill my tomatoes, plastic bags worked like a charm! Pulled the bags off about 8am, everything looked great...
But the wind Crazy gusts this late morning!!! Lasted for about 2 hours... I can hear some trees falling in the woods, quickly brought all the seedlings inside. But what's planted in the main garden - half of the plants are shredded into a little pieces!!! The row of early varieties in containers are along the side of the garage, so these were well protected, but from other 21 plants in the ground - about half are torn a pieces
Well, I still have some seedlings to replace most of the damaged ones, but still... And no wind was in the forecast, still showing 7mph - year, right!!!!!
Regards,
D
- gixxerific
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- Hydrogardener
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- gixxerific
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Way to go Hydro I'm looking at late April that will be weird. I believe Applestar has had some early April late March toms. I'm sure there are a few others that have already harvested. It's funny thinking about these people at the box stores just now buying their Tom's for exuberant prices.
I can't wait. Funny thing is the super early tomato I was growing is not fruiting while the later ones are.. Hmmmmm?
I can't wait. Funny thing is the super early tomato I was growing is not fruiting while the later ones are.. Hmmmmm?
- Hydrogardener
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In my part of the world we are still six weeks away from setting plants in the ground. If I did not use the greenhouse it would be mid to late September. We have a real short growing season.gixxerific wrote:Way to go Hydro I'm looking at late April that will be weird. I believe Applestar has had some early April late March toms. I'm sure there are a few others that have already harvested. It's funny thinking about these people at the box stores just now buying their Tom's for exuberant prices.
I can't wait. Funny thing is the super early tomato I was growing is not fruiting while the later ones are.. Hmmmmm?
- gixxerific
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- tn_veggie_gardner
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- rainbowgardener
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