Yesterday morning I woke up and looked outside to see how bad the storm had wreaked havoc on my garden, and lo and behold, the flowerhouse greenhouse that I had just put all my potting mixes into 18 gallon totes and moved into it was destroyed completely. I had left it up all winter from last Spring/Summer, because of the Florida rain and heat it got dry rot and ripped in some places and then with the storm, the whole top got demolished. Luckily for me, my favorite handyman/carpenter has some green fiberglass and weather proofed wood, and is going to make me a new one, it will be green fiberglass all round and clear fiberglass on the top with doors and vents. So, before you buy a portable greenhouse, if you live in Florida, you might want to steer clear of the plastic ones and go with some kind of glass or plexiglass or even fiberglass. Since the guy already has the fiberglass, he is only charging me $250, about the price of the one that got demolished; but should last much longer.
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Flowerhouse Greenhouse gone
That's so sad to hear.
Crazy weather this year, but the climate changes are upon us. The cold fronts you've been dealing with have come all the way to the Virgin Islands, and have gone on south of us. I've never seen that, tho' I've only been watching the weather here for thirty years.
Food prices are going through the roof here. It's so difficult to really produce most of what one eats.
Once again, sorry to hear your greenhouse was destroyed. I admire that you're rebuilding strongly.
MolaMola: After flipping through mags and seeing the new one they have out for the price they wanted, I was quite comforted when my handyman told me that he had all this green fiberglass laying around and didn't need it, so it's only costing me around $250 for him to build it, it will last at least 10 years when he is done with it I'm sure, he does great work and I'm very fortunate to have people like him around me. I'm only glad the old one blew apart before tomato seed starting time so I got time to get the new one in place. Brrr, I hate this 31 degree weather.
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I tried to spend a few winter months in Florida, long ago. While I was visiting friends in Tampa, I had to scrape ice off my windshield, and then Key West was 66 and raining. Now my "blood is so thin" that I can't handle 70, sweatshirt and layers! lol.
Tho sometimes I do think about moving to northern central Florida. Build an insulated hut with a big strong greenhouse...
Molamola: A greenhouse to me is necessary, as I intend to grow 100-120 tomato plants this year, will give away about half of them to friends, family and church members and neighbors, who are happily awaiting them. I will start 60 of them in the house and then when they are big enough to go outside, out to the greenhouse they go, while I start another 60, then onto the peppers and eggplants, okra and last the corn. I'm anxious for this spring to come about, and it will be a fabulous time also, there are a group of us getting together and a few are going to teach the rest of us how to can. Anyone tried pickled okra? One of the ladies makes that and I can hardly wait for that one.
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Corn? I tried starting corn and then planted it out, but found that didn't work so well. Corn sends out roots like you wouldn't believe, and the soil has to be warm anyway. Try some in peat pots, or whatever you use, and then at the same time as you set out the little plants, plant seed corn, and compare.
One way to heat up the soil is with clear plastic, works much better than black.
I want a greenhouse for some extreme tropicals that don't like nights into the 60's. brrr. Acai palms. And for me! hahaha. And a screen house to keep out those horrid cabbage butterflies, and green stink bugs, and and and.. I'll make a little bee door for the honeys.
Molamola: Have you checked out mason bees? They are not as aggressive as the bumble bee and I think would be easier for them to make a home for, they are the ones I have here and they do an excellent job of pollinating also.
I know people won't agree with me here;but, I start my corn in seed strarting kits and when the sprout and get larger, then I transplant them where I want them, I am going to grow mine in totes again this Spring; but only 8 plants per tote this time. I just ordered my okra seeds so am set for this Spring now with seeds. I am going to grow two types of okra, the big bubba and the clemson.
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I'm googling for Mason Bees, haven't found their range yet. I am not able to legally import insects, I see they're for sale, as well as homes for them, they seem to live/stay in a rather small area. If I was in the States, and had an orchard, I'd surely be providing for them! They probably need chilling, which doesn't happen here.
There is one blue-black shiny smooth bee that I've seen lately, haven't found the name yet. They flick their wings as they walk around. Sorry, no photo.
You might look for "solitary bees", not just mason bees. I _think_ yall would have more carpenter bees.
Molamola: I had thought about ordering some lady bugs and other good bugs to put in my garden; but, with the spinosad I use and the permethrin I'm not sure if that would be good for beetles or not. I make sure not to spray near the blooms cause I have mason bees. They are not aggressive and do a lot of pollinating. Only time you see me near any bug in the garden when it's busy is when it's the horned catepillar, then I'm on top of that bugger.
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I have nerve damage from the bug spray the exterminators use here, having lived for three years in nice apartments. Lots of pain sometimes, and occasional really bad spells when I just want to stay in bed. I sure hope I don't get muscle wasting disease, I am not nearly as strong as I was five years ago. I know several people that have that, they are turning into skeltons, boooo.
All too often, as I go to sleep at night, my feet and legs feel 'fizzy' or like they're vibrating. nerve damage.
I read that bug spray was sort of invented after WWII, when the American companies making nerve gas for the military had a lot of inventory. They watered it down, and started selling it as bug spray.
Molamola: I'm sorry to hear that, yes, some sprays are bad if not used as directed and some if use as directed are still dangerous, both spinosad and the permethrin are organic and should work well. I do believe that BT and dipel dust, neem and things such as that are also organic too.
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Molamola: Poison Ivy is terrible. LOL
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