Rairdog
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Location: Noblesville, IN Zone 5

My 7x12 Deck GH

Here are some pics of my deck GH. I use it for starting seeds and some potted plants but mostly for aquaponics. It is framed with galv metal hat channel and ceiling grids scraps.
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I got the twinwall poly carb from Menards and have about 300 in the whole GH
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Recycled shower door. I replaced glass with polycarb
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AP growbeds
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Retractable 40% shadecloth. It is suspended from mason string line and snap loops
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It will gain up to 50 deg of heat on sunny days and I can open the house windows for supplemental heat. I just built it last summer and had to shut it down for Jan and Feb due to this overly cold winter. I think it will go year round on a normal winter with some supplemental propane heat on colder nights(<20). On sunny 30-50 deg days it will heat the house so I gain some energy. When it gets to warm the shower door pops out and there is a 4x4 window on opposite side.

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rainbowgardener
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Very nice! very creative use of materials and I love that it will give heat to your house on sunny winter days.

Rairdog
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Location: Noblesville, IN Zone 5

rainbowgardener wrote:Very nice! very creative use of materials and I love that it will give heat to your house on sunny winter days.
Thanks! Your seed starting, cold weather crop advise and other tips convinced me to join so I will take as a great compliment.

Rairdog
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Location: Noblesville, IN Zone 5

It has been a tough week fighting mother nature. The weather has gone from 20 to 50's and snowed twice. Inside the GH it has gone from 40's to near 90.
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The cold weather plants in the beds are starting to take off. Kale, broccoli, fennel, spinach and lettuce.
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I found some Italian oregano growing under leaves a few days ago at my moms. The branches had nice roots forming so I sniped them and put them in growbeds.
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Onions from bulbs took right off.
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The starter shelf on window to house maintains around 60 to 85 on most days with the window open and fan blowing warm air into GH. I have a little heater that I put under it with just the pilot light on to help on cloudy days. It is a pain taking toms and peppers in and out but worth the free sunlight. It does slow pepper germination down and put them behind with less than ideal 80.
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The cold weather starts (kale, broccoli, chard, lettuce, onion, celery, fennel and misc herbs stay) in GH full time.

valley
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I like what you've done,,,looks good!

Richard

Rairdog
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valley wrote:I like what you've done,,,looks good!

Richard
Thanks!

Rairdog
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Location: Noblesville, IN Zone 5

So I had snow, then flooding the last 2 weeks and now my plants deserve some sunshine. The cool weather crops are taking off. I am still working on venting solutions.
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On a sunny 50 plus day the spinach and lettuce droop when it hits 80 plus.
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These beds have 4-snack toms(1oz). Still early and they turn purple. The onions front-left are wild garlic from the yard I'm experimenting with. I have left room for the peppers to go in when water temps get to 65 plus. They are cheat starts that I couldn't pass up at 5 for $10. My peppers are slacking from this cool spring. I also cheated with the rosemary and thyme for clones.
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My tomato starts are doing well. Beefsteak/Better Boy on the left and Cherry/Snack on the right. Pansies were also purchased. I am trying Nasturtium, Columbine and Zinnias in the pots for my girl.
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I found a mixed pot of Tulips, Daffodils and Hyacinthie for 10 bucks. It was stuffed blowing out the top. I added 3 Crocus and re-potted for a spring mix.
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Rairdog
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The bulb mix is winding down with only the tulips left. I am going let them dye off and put them in the ground. I'm not really sure if I should do it now or fall?
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Some yellow begonia I picked up cheap. I re-potted and try not to over water but really don't know how to care for and propagate more.
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A bonfire begonia I rescued from my mom. It came back to life. I was going to try and separate the root but it was a dried out tangled mess.
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Toms are begging to go into the garden. I put 7 beef and better boy in so far. They seem to be putting up with the cold spring.
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My 1 oz. snack toms are starting to flower. At this rate I will have a tomato roof in the GH.
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The broccoli is taking over and shading out some plants. Lesson learned on spacing in grow beds. Still no heads. If it does head up it will be a first for me. I have never been able to grow it in dirt.
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Lettuce and spinach are taking over this bed. First time I have ever grown good lettuce that wasn't bitter and bolted on me. Lower ph and cooler temps I guess.
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The garden angel has really done her job I guess.
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I has almost been a year since I started experimenting with aquaponics. With the added GH, shadecloth and some patience it seems to be a success.

Rairdog
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First tomato's! I am going to miss these. I'm out of seeds and can not find them anywhere. They were labeled hybrid snack, 1 oz, IDT (burpee or FM?). They are always the first to fruit and keep pumping them out until Nov. They are not that tasty to me but all the kids, neighbors and gf gobble them up. I like them because they grow to 10 ft with barely any leaf clutter and they are indestructible when everything else falls to blight. Best I can tell is they are cherry/roma type cross.

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Winding down on the cool crops (lettuce, kale) to make room for celery, toms, peppers and chard. The toms in red cups are homeless and root bound.
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Broccoli still has not headed. I have been eating the leaves and might pull them if they don't start to head up.
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Dirt garden is almost planted out just in time for the rain today. Far end is marketmore 76 cucs, halies best cantaloupe(from my newspaper cup starts/experiment and seem to be taking it well), spinach, kale, dill and sage. Onions in the middle strip. Near end in toms(better boy, superbeef and cherokee purple, large cherry), lettuce, broccoli(fail), WI picklers and fennel. There are also basil, thyme, oregano, parsley and cilantro mixed in with toms. I still have some more sod to take out to make room for peppers. I also have some San Marzano starts that need to go in.
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My south trellis was planted with snap peas in mid March and are just now taking off. They have been snowed on and under water a few times. I was hoping they would be done by mid May so I can get pole beans in. I might just mix them in together. Also a couple cherry and snack toms on the ends. This is actually the neighbors property line so I gave here easy access to the toms.
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Since I have so many tom starts left I have been planting them in the neighborhood common area in front of house. The teens will probably destroy them but if I can get some interested in a community garden I would be worth the effort. It's a 5 to 6 acre strip of rich river bottom.
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valley
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Hi, You're off to a good start. Let us know if growing in the common area survives.

Richard

Rairdog
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Location: Noblesville, IN Zone 5

valley wrote:Hi, You're off to a good start. Let us know if growing in the common area survives.

Richard
The teens like to fly down the road, veer off into the grass, get stuck in the mud and pull each other out. It makes it a pain to mow. Somebody has to teach them respect because the parents have failed. We will see....if one kid eats a ripe tomato I've made a small difference.

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Cola82
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This is all very impressive. :D

Rairdog
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Location: Noblesville, IN Zone 5

Cola82 wrote:This is all very impressive. :D
Thanks Cola!

evtubbergh
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I can't believe your place was covered in snow just a few weeks ago then covered in lush green grass now! That would actually be quite cool. We ave to work hard in winter too! lol

Rairdog
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Location: Noblesville, IN Zone 5

evtubbergh wrote:I can't believe your place was covered in snow just a few weeks ago then covered in lush green grass now! That would actually be quite cool. We ave to work hard in winter too! lol
Yes...we go from winter to a 2-3 week spring and then summer with a little spring mixed in early on. Usually the grass is too wet to mow and knee high by the time I can get out there. Don't forget the flooding

4/5
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Rairdog
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My first rose. I have been on a mission to add some orange colored flowers. I planted some orange dahlia tuber's but couldn't wait for them.
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Rairdog
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Rairdog
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Posts: 373
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2014 4:46 pm
Location: Noblesville, IN Zone 5

My first attempt at a youtube vid of GH/AP beds
[youtudotbe]https://youtu.be/iJmhYOzS3fs[/youtudotbe]

The greens look so shiny at night I did a fly over view
[youtudotbe]https://youtu.be/IFxnui-BdTk[/youtudotbe]

I still have some purple tips on tomato leaves and peppers are struggling from the cold but everything else looks good.

Rairdog
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Location: Noblesville, IN Zone 5

Just some updates on garden. I got 30 for 30 pole beans sprouting in front of the snap peas. The peas are finally taking off. I planted them in March and they were flooded and snowed on. They just started flowering so hopefully the peas are done before the pole beans take over.
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Here are some wicking buckets for peppers and a fig. I'm not sure how the fig will fair in the bucket. It is a Chicago Hardy and can go in the ground or bigger pot if needed. These are 5 gallon buckets with (2) 1 gallon jugs deflated and stuffed in the bottom for a water reservoir. Then a layer of weed block and potting mix. Mushroom compost, peat and pearlite. There is an overflow hole and a pipe to pour the water in.
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My tomatoes were really stressed from a week of rain and 40's. Some of them turned yellow, spotted and curled up all the way to the top. I replaced some while others seem to be pulling out of it.
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Garden looking west. Most of this end was grass so it's a new area. I tried to rotate the tom's with the cuc's to avoid blights and switch nitrogen.
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Onion row.
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West end. Halie's best and Min Midget cantaloup. Marketmore 76 cuc's and some misc greens that are about done.
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My strawberries are ever-bearing and didn't kick in before the trees shaded their spot. I might pull them and go with an earlier producer next year.
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Rairdog
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Heck....we all like pics...I rescued a dying poppy for less than half price and she rewarded me with a nice present.
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Just a shot of the purple cone and gerbers.
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And...we have broccoli heads in the AP system finally!
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Rairdog
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The pole beans are taking over as the snap peas dwindle. This has been a very successful experiment.

1) I can grow snap peas while waiting for warmer weather to grow pole beans.

2) The pole beans climb faster up the snap's with less training.

3) Grow more with less space

Here is the pole bean spouts on 5/28
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On 6/24 the snaps are approaching 8 feet and winding down
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Here you can see the pole beans winding up the snap's.
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I also planted some large cherry and snack tom's on each end. They are approaching 5 ft and keeping up with the competition. I weave them in and out of the string. Both are IND and should reach 10 ft in height.
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Rairdog
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Location: Noblesville, IN Zone 5

Update on SWC peppers. The musroom compost, peat and pearlite mix has worked out well in the bucket's. These have surpassed my garden and AP peppers.
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Banana
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Bell
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Rairdog
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My "kids"! I have tried to spread my tom starts throughout the neighborhood, friends and family in order to promote growing your own produce. Then I get to go check on them and make adjustments. To my surprise, most are doing better than my own. They were all the same starts but the difference is mostly virgin soil. It is free of the common wilts, blights and pests that my soil supports. It turned out to be more work because now I have to go and give the support structure that hey have already outgrown.

There are small cages in there somewhere! Cherokee purple on the left and big beef on the right. The benefit is I can rob them at anytime.
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Rairdog
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Honey bee project! I have wanted to raise bees for a while due to the decline. It was an overwhelming task due to the initial investment and learning curve. Then I discovered Top Bar Hive's that can be diy from scraps I already had lying around. I found some simple designs and pics online and made one up. There are local clubs that are wanting more people involved with helping the bees due to colony collapse. I let the white clover flower out and avoid mowing but have only seen one honey been this season. It was time to do my part.

Initial box
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The top bars which will be turned over for a place to draw straight comb
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Viewing windows
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Final touch with the help of my girls
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Rairdog
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Location: Noblesville, IN Zone 5

My Amber carpet rose bloomed again.
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Shot of the GH
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Horn worm patrol today. Found 3
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A bumble bee working my cantaloupe
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Some of my tom starts at mom's
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Rairdog
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Location: Noblesville, IN Zone 5

First onion flowering.
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First gladiola flower today! These are a hardy variety so we will see if they make it in my zone.
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Cantaloupe spilling out of cage. It's out of control from starting them inside! Since it was already at the top of the cage I I put down 3 inches of partially composted mulch directly over grass and let them wander out. There is marketmore 76 cucs in the right cage. I also left a spinach, kale, chard and lettuce to seed out.
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My mom asked me to thin out her Hosta's. I love free plants!
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imafan26
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Very nice. I am glad I don't have to do so much to extend my growing season. All I have are some benches with pvc frames covered with shade cloth for the orchids. Everything else can stay out all year round.

Rairdog
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Location: Noblesville, IN Zone 5

Garden update

Wisconsin picklers were supposed to get 18" tall. They are already over the top of my 5' cage. I just started harvesting.
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Minnesota Midget Cantaloupe got off to a slow start but is coming on.
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Most all my tomatoes have outgrown the tall cages except for the 2 on the right. Some have not even set fruit. First time I recall having 5' tall tomatoes just starting to fruit.
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Halies Best Cantaloupe is spilling out of the cage. I have 4 onion sacks supporting some fruit in the cage and lots more coming on.
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Marketmore 76 cucs are just about ready to start harvesting.
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Onions are getting floppy but I'm holding out till they get bigger.
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Green beans are already 8' tall and just starting to flower. There are also 7 ft tall toms on each end.
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Greenhouse is pumping out tomatoes and chard. I can pick a leaf a day from 5 chard plants and the next day there is a new one ready. Celery is coming along. I blanched them with red plactic cups which seems to work well. Peppers are struggling as usual.
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Rairdog
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It all starts with the GH. It has opened a whole new world of starting and protecting veggies and flowers.

The rose continues to give me fits with leaf issues....but she is strong and wants to please me.
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Gerbers have been one of the few that thrived this unusual season.
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I collared/blanched some celery with solo cup and a little tape. It kept them in check and they burst the tape. It is really the first time I had good luck with celery from seed.
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Sage seems easiest if I just forget about it and water occasionally. It really makes the deer breakfast sausage gooood!
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Yeah...I started the loupes in the GH.
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Chard and mums....they just keep giving
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My first passion flower. These are clipped starts from a plant I got for my mom on mothers days a few years back. Kinda sentimental.
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They open during the day and close at night.
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Lots to come.
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This year I was focused on paste/sauce toms. I started a bunch of San Marzano but not matter where I planted them the turned out small like grape tomato's. In the AP system and 3 different places in the soil. I called "seeds of change" and the sent me a new pack of seeds.
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Then the organic lady said try some Martino's. I had one plant in the AP bed that is producing great. They are DET but heirloom. I saved seed and they will be my focus next season.
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Rairdog
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I still struggle with peppers. They just don't like it here. The best I've done was in SWC this year with peat. mushroom compost and pearlite. I just moved the under the cover of the GH because the rain seemed to make them pale when over watered. I'm hoping to overwinter a few inside.
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The GB's are cleaned up and awaiting the new fall spinach and lettuce crop.
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Rairdog
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Fired up the aquaponics this morning. Water temp was 42f. It's supposed to range from 25-50f this week so hopefully it holds.
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Sent the seedling train on a day trip
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Checked on my gills. I kept around 10-12 for the winter. Didn't loose any and they look healthy considering they went 2.5
months without circulation except for a couple warm days.
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Stirred everything up and checked Ammonia and Nitrites. Both under 1. Good to go!
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Then Missy and I went ice fishing. These 2 went in the FT to fatten up. It was temped to keep a bunch of gills but the media beds need to recoup after winter. When Ammonia and Nitrites reach zero I will add 10 more.
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Train back at the station. Call it a day. It's beer:30
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applestar
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Looking good!

-- I'm REALLY looking forward to following your progress and watching your garden grow this year. :D

Rairdog
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Location: Noblesville, IN Zone 5

applestar wrote:Looking good!

-- I'm REALLY looking forward to following your progress and watching your garden grow this year. :D
Thanks AS.

I checked the Ammonia and Nitrites yesterday and they are already 0. This is the benefit of keeping my fish inside and FT form freezing. It keeps the Nitrozomas active and they rebound quick. Otherwise it could take 6 weeks to cycle. It also means it's time to add more fish for the season. I will add a few at a time to keep it balance. If I just through 10 in there it would spike the ammonia.
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Water temps have ranged between 45-60f. The cool weather brassicas, spinach and lettuce will grow at 50-60 but it is real slow. Once the water temp hits 65-70 they take off. I leave the trays of seedlings on the GB's at night so they get used to the temps.

I planted out the beds today with; Spinach, Black Seed Lettuce, Red Rouge Lettuce, Giant Ceaser, Kohlrabi, Kale, Chard, Baby Bok Choi and Muchlini. Here are some pics.

Bed 1. I put herbs that don't like wet feet over the gravel guards.
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Bed 2
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Bed 3
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Bed 4. There is a celery bottom in the back right corner. They grows like crazy in the GB's.
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Overall shot
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RI-Mike
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Location: 6B / 7A - RI

Great setup and the shower doors are a great idea.

For venting you might want to check out Farmtek's steals and deals section. You might be able to find a large louver for cheap money you could adapt to your setup. I've got a hightunnnel and grabbed 36" x 36" one from there last year for $35! They post new stuff in that section all the time so keep checking often.

Rairdog
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Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2014 4:46 pm
Location: Noblesville, IN Zone 5

RI-Mike wrote:Great setup and the shower doors are a great idea.

For venting you might want to check out Farmtek's steals and deals section. You might be able to find a large louver for cheap money you could adapt to your setup. I've got a hightunnnel and grabbed 36" x 36" one from there last year for $35! They post new stuff in that section all the time so keep checking often.

I keep checking Farmtek for a louver....probably make one soon.

3/15 Planted beds
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4/7....getting crowded!
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Rairdog
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Location: Noblesville, IN Zone 5

Baby pak choi and michihili Cabbage ready to harvest. I made 5 qts of kimchi.
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New straw bale hugelkultur on old asphalt. It was layered with cardboard, rotten cottonwood, leaves, old hay and grass clippings. Then it was topped with 6-8 inches of leaf compost/topsoil. I also mixed in some DE granules and pine mulch.
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Ink caps breaking down the bales
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Strawberries, peppers and onions were planted directly into the bales. The inside is planted with peppers, tomato's, diakon, and carrots so far. I still need to finish the back half. I have super-hots and tomato's ready to plant.
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New pole bean trellis from a re-purposed storage barn. I laid old plywood directly on the sod. The right outside was trenched, sod removed and 45 blue lake beans planted. The left inside was drilled with a hole saw and planted with 45 kentucky wonder.
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Common ground garden so far. I cut a circle in the sod, cut it in half, planted a tomato, put the sod back upside down and mulched with grass clippings. No fertilizer or soil ammendments....so far. For the peppers I cut a 1 1/2 circle out of the middle of a bucket lid.
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Old garden. Front has martino roma's, kohlrabi, vidalia, cucumbers, melons and a few peppers.
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Back has PL tomato's, cucumbers and radish.
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Bee Garden
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Rock/mailbox garden
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I've been busy. I still have 63 super-hots and some toms and sweets to put out. I am kinda glad it's a rainy day lol. I need a break.

Rairdog
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Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2014 4:46 pm
Location: Noblesville, IN Zone 5

The wall of cherries. These are where I used to grow pole beans but the needed rotated. Ambrosia gold, sugar drops and black cherry.
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Partial sun garden. I am trying hardy kiwis here mixed is with the hostas. They are having a hard time adjusting to my soil but are showing new growth.
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Old strawberry bed is doing well this year. I will have lots of sisters to pull out for the new strawbale garden.
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applestar
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Looking good! I love the different ideas and methods you are trying out. 8)



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