Watering Shelf

GardenRN · Tue Feb 15, 2011 3:41 pm

Soil, I don't know that it took all night. But when I was using just the jiffy seed starting mixture, it comes out of the bad dry as a bone and very fluffy. So it took the water a while to wick up because I didn't pack it down at all. In retrospect I guess I should have. It would have moistened faster. But I know that after about 20 minutes of messing with other stuff after I watered it, it was still bone dry on top. The stuff that mixed which was half and half jiffy and garden soil was wet in just a few minutes. I think it's just one of those things how, even in the garden, if soil gets totally dried out, it almost repels water until it moistens up a bit.

DoubleDogFarm · Tue Feb 15, 2011 8:30 pm

One step closer.

I flushed a lot of the sediment out.
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20Greenhouse%20Propagation/DSC03166.jpg[/img]

Oh-yeah, duh moment. I was worried about the water inflow being too much for the stand pipe outflow. Just throttle back the pump, dummy. I installed this Y valve so I could drain the whole system. It works as a throttle also.

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20Greenhouse%20Propagation/DSC03168.jpg[/img]

Soil, a timer is definitely a wish

Eric

DoubleDogFarm · Wed Feb 16, 2011 7:21 pm

This is probably way to many photos for dial-up folks, sorry.

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20Greenhouse%20Propagation/DSC03175.jpg[/img]

Here I have 11 flats on the Bottom Watering System. This is 198 4" pots.
There are no seeds in them, just testing the wicking. The mix is peat and perlite. Looking good so far. Water has wicked about 3/4 the way up.

Time to clean the windows.

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20Greenhouse%20Propagation/DSC03179.jpg[/img]

Still need to fix the stand pipe and buy a timer.

Eric

GardenRN · Wed Feb 16, 2011 7:47 pm

Wow! Looks great! How long did it end up taking to wick all the way up? Just curious how your mix did. Don't forget it will probably not take as long the second time. Once it has done it once the soil settles and it wicks faster the next time, at least in my experience.

Where do you get all of your pots from for selling at the FM? Buying them online or a cheaper source?

DoubleDogFarm · Wed Feb 16, 2011 8:02 pm

Jeff,

The wicking test was about an hour. I'm thinking from now on it will be minutes.

Where do you get all of your pots from for selling at the FM? Buying them online or a cheaper source?

No Way! I'm to cheap.

From my brother the landscaper. Also our local landscape material yard has a nursery pot recycle area. Many hundreds from them. My clients also return containers to me. All free.

Eric

GardenRN · Wed Feb 16, 2011 8:04 pm

Sweet! I was thinking about asking up at the nursery here but I figured I'd wait till summer when there's a lot more of them. Doubt they have many this time of year.

Maybe I should call a landscaping company and ask.

The Mad Hatter · Fri Feb 18, 2011 1:07 pm

That's a really cool project Eric! Making me think about the room I got in the basement.

T.M.H.

DoubleDogFarm · Fri Feb 18, 2011 1:19 pm

Jeff, Look around. The pots are out there.

THM, Thank you. My brother came over yesterday and one of the first things he said, "Now you can build one above this one"

When will it end?

I also planted seed yesterday.
Valmaine lettuce
Red Sail lettuce
Buttercrunch lettuce
Speckles lettuce
Winter Red kale
Joi Choi
Bloomsdale Spinach
Tah Tsai
Belstar broccoli
Champion collards
Leeks
Bright Lights swiss chard.

12 flats = 216 - 4" pots

Eric

DoubleDogFarm · Tue Feb 22, 2011 11:24 pm

More pictures

The Joi choi and Tah Tsai are way ahead of the rest. I see a few lettuce just starting.

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20Greenhouse%20Propagation/DSC03188.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20Greenhouse%20Propagation/DSC03189.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20Greenhouse%20Propagation/DSC03192.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20Greenhouse%20Propagation/DSC03191.jpg[/img]

Starting to snow

Eric

GardenRN · Wed Feb 23, 2011 12:06 pm

We got a stinkin flurry here yesterday too

Not happy about it. But the day ended at 45 degrees so I guess it's not quite worth cursing. But for now everything is still crammed inside.

[img]https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v687/grnpez/Photo02231154.jpg[/img]

Gonna have to open this up soon to transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash (that I still don't know why I started inside), and lavender.

And I still have to harden off all the cabbage, broccoli and lettuce!

DoubleDogFarm · Wed Feb 23, 2011 1:12 pm

Looks good Jeff.

Should you low the lights a little?

Eric

GardenRN · Wed Feb 23, 2011 1:45 pm

well there's to problems with lowering the lights.

If I do, it doesn't reach everything growing and I have leaning/stretching plants. But also, everything looks to be doing ok. Nothing getting too leggy, so I think I'll just keep on keepin on with whats working. The plants that tend to stretch more, like tomatoes, are propped up closer to the light.