Winter/Spring Gardens 2015

Thanks, guys!

I'm gonna go with Bernie's formula of $2.50 each, or 3 for $6.00. I'll make sure to bring enough $1 bills to make change, LOL!

P.S. I ordered T8 Ballasts from 1000 Bulbs, to retro fit my existing T12 light kits. I'll not have to reposition the eyebolts on some shelves since the T12 fixtures are narrower than the T8 units. I'll eventually have a consistency of kits on at least 3 shelving units (e.g., all T8 originals with wide casings, and T8 retros with narrower (T12) casings.

Also, I'll be on the lookout for any discounted T12 casings that I can swap out a ballast on.

Hugs!

P.S. I know this is off topic, but I had my very first colonoscopy yesterday, and it was a breeze. All the horror stories I had heard about how awful it is could and should be put to rest.

One very helpful tip I got from my sister was to buy a box of Crystal Light drink mix powder to add to the oral solution. I bought lemon lime FLAVOR, since my solution was salty. I poured an individual packet into 8 oz. of the ice cold formula (kept my jug in the freezer), and it tasted just like a Sprite. Drank it right down, every time, no problem.

Two other important tips are SOFT tissue/BABY WIPES and Aquaphor Healing Cream (recommended by my pharmacist niece with twin baby girls...)

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=aquaphor

My at home experience was only a bother, because I had my mind on a project I was trying to get done, and there were interruptions... That other project also helped cause I wasn't solely focused on the medical prep process.

I hope this helps those of you who've been putting it off, because it's important to have it done.

I'd do it again tomorrow, without hesitation...IT WASN'T BAD, FOLKS...

Hugs!

Thanks so much, Jo-Ann. As I said, So much to learn.

Stephany, so you planted your tomato seeds indoors, under lights last weekend?

Sybram...I haven't started mine yet, but I'm getting ready to. I don't plant out until the first to middle of April. The temps aren't stable enough and the ground is too cold. When i have planted out earlier they just sat there. Every place is different. Either way you still have time.

Great, 1lisac. Also, I'm wondering which you recommend--attaching the lights permanently and raising or lowering the plants as they grow, or letting the plants be stationary and attaching the lights to stationary hooks, with chains, so they can be raised or lowered.


This message was edited Feb 3, 2015 12:51 PM

Also, I'm wondering if the aluminum steam table size disposable pans would be ok to set the plants in. I have plenty of those, both full and half-size. Not sure if they are too high-sided, though. (Did I make a new word?) ;))

Oh, Stephanie, I just recognized the steam table pans in your pic. So, A-OK, I guess.

Those aluminum pans are the bomb! I'm getting a few more, myself.

Turned sideways, I can easily fit four pans side x side on my light shelves.

Woohoo, Gymgirl. I'm so excited to get my lights set up. My Christmas present from my husband was two 2'/4 tube T5 grow lights. My son gave me two 4' T8 sets (2 tubes each). I'm assuming that I need to mount the 4' ones side by side instead of singly, and that will give me 8' of growing space in all, right?

Sorry, I meant to put this pic of my shelves in my last post. I'd say this room is probably 15 X 15 feet, and it's pretty darn cold in there now. I'll take an indoor thermometer down there, and see how much my little electric space heater will bring up the temp. Do the lights put out enough heat to help?

Stephanie, I noticed you have yours inclosed in plastic sheeting.

Do any others try to do this without central heat? Successful?

I have central heat and a large heat mat.

I have central heat and use a spare bedroom. This year, I have a heat mat. In years past, I've used a space heater on the bottom shelf of our shelving unit. We set it fairly low, but warm enough. Since heat rises, we put the shower curtains up and used shower curtain rings on the top rung of the shelving unit. This is industrial shelving unit that hubby used to use out in the garage. It's gray and ugly, but it works well. We leave the plants stationary and lower the lights.

And I did plant my seeds last week. I water them with warm water, not hot, to help the soil temp stay warm since most seeds need warmth to germinate. I'm getting lots of seeds sticking their necks out today. :) Now if my pepper seeds would germinate, I'd be a happy camper.

Here's a pic of my set up from last year. I use yogurt cups that are about 6 oz. inside the steam trays. The steam trays help to contain any water spillage or leakage. The lights are just above the cups.

I also mix my own seed starting mix. I use about 5 parts potting soil & one part compost, lava sand, and green sand. I don't put the veggie fertilizer in, but once a week, I water with a weak solution of fish emulsion.

same situation here with the peppers, and also my eggplant seed, both are going to be the last to germinate, the basil, calendula, and tomato are all well on their way now.

Wow, thank you all so much for the good info. I have to be gone all ay today, but think I'll stop by Army/Navy Store. Seems like I've seen those survival blankets there.

What is a good temp to germinate? Do you keep same temp after seeds sprout?

Do you get the heat mats at Lowe's or Home Depot?

Well, after more research, I think I see the handwriting on the wall, so to speak. Looks like it will be way too cold in my intended room to germinate seeds. Only alternative I see is starting them in my mud room on an industrial shelving unit that looks just like yours, Stephanie, except mine has pressed wood shelves, and then moving them out as it warms up some.

Thoughts on this, please.


This message was edited Feb 4, 2015 10:01 AM

Start them in the warmest place possible for them to germinate. Then, move them to your cooler room...

I have wonky air vents in two bedrooms. One room just stays warm. The other just stays cool. I start the seedlings off in the warm room, in trays stuck inside clear plastic bags.

When I sow, I warm the potting mix in an old microwave (only if I need to sterilize mix that I'm re-purposing), or I pour boiling water into the mix to hydrate it. I fill the community flats with the warm mix, drop the seeds, water them in lightly (if necessary) with WARM water, then, immediately shove those trays into the clear plastic drawstring bags, and put them on the floor underneath the light shelf in the dark, until they declare. I vent the bags either on the drawstring end, or poke a few holes in the top. The warmth creates condensation inside the bag, and there is no need for additional watering. Also, the baggie contains the heat build-up, which I appreciate, because I'm not investing in heat mats, LOL!

As soon as ONE seedling in a baggie declares, I remove the bag and put the tray under the lights.

When they're all on the shelf, I grow them on until they get two sets of true leaves (beyond the cotyledons), then start potting them up to individual pots. Then, they go onto the light shelves in the cool room. The ambient temp is around 60-65 degrees, and it slows their growth down some, so they don't end up leggy stupid, LOL! The root systems develop and they fatten up a bit.

Lights stay 1"-2" from the tops of the seedlings, from the time they declare.

That's it.

Here's my seed starting tutorial. (Second from the bottom of the page)
https://allthingsplants.com/blogs/view/Gymgirl/?offset=35

This message was edited Feb 4, 2015 12:00 PM

This message was edited Feb 4, 2015 2:20 PM

For tomatoes, peppers and eggplant the temps should be between 75-90* to germinate. Peppers and Eggplant usually take longer to germinate. Then, like GG said, grow them out at a cooler temp. It doesn't have to be perfect just the best you can do in your situation.

GG-my HVAC system sounds like yours. Sometimes it's good to have rooms at different temps. Lol

Lifted up the grow light to see how things are looking so far:

All but 1 type of tomato have germinated out (highlighted in red) , no signs out of the pepper (highlighted in green), no action yet from the eggplant (highlighted in purple). 2 out of 3 Calendula seed containers have germinated (highlighted in yellow). And a bit of action out of all of the purple opal basil seedlings (highlighted in blue)

JMC1987,
How'd you highlight those cells????!!!!! And, I love your light stand. I'm about to make one just like it, cause I have totally run out of shelves, LOL!

1LisaC,
LOLOLOL! Good thing I became a gardener before I decided to have those vents fixed, LOL!

The highlighted cells? The good old fashioned "paintbrush" feature from my photo editing program, lol! :)

The stand is really nothing more than the bottom section of a 3 tier plastic shelf, and i draped some dark brown vinyl fabric over top for easier cleaning, and so that the plastic shelving wont be so ugly here in my room, lol. Then i have my Plant light balanced on a couple of stacked up boxes / books on either end.

Yep, the old "balancing light on some book ends" act!

Well, drat!! I'm afraid my grow light project planning has come to a screeching halt. I can't get past the temperature needs. My do-think-doness really got me in trouble this time. I didn't research enough to have a handle on air and soil temps I would need. I thought I had a "good idea" involving the aforementioned industrial shelf moving up to the house and abiding in my mud room for a few weeks, until the plants could go down to the outside room. DH did NOT like that idea, therefore I'll be buying my maters and squashes to set out again this year.

So..........guess I'll just get everything set up to start plants mid summer for a fall/winter garden. But, hey--do they even need grow lights when you start stuff in the summer. Can't you just start them outside, or is it too hot?

Again, so much to learn.............;))

Looks like ALL of the tomatoes are up, and the peppers have started springing to life, the Purple bell peppers being the first to pop up, followed by the Jimmy nardello, and im seeing just a tiny peek of a stem popping out of the Red bell pepper cell also. No sign out of the eggplant just yet, although i bet it will be any day now, although Im thinking i may need to retry the third cell of calendula in the back.

I also have a little Scarlet flax going, and i snagged a deal on some purple coneflower rootstocks in town on friday that will be placed in my garden bed once things thaw out a bit.

Tomatoes are growing well and yesterday I started to harden them off in the shade of my back porch.
If the forecasts stays correct for one more week, I will be able to plant as expected on February 15th or 16th.
I have prepared the soil already and this week I will prepare the pvc house with protective plastic.

I've got several tomato seedlings and my jalapenos have popped their necks out. Waiting on the bell peppers.

Has anyone had a problems with heat mats getting too hot? I did. My husband says the mat needs sort of a buffer between it and the pots and the flats to distribute the heat evenly. I tried zip lock bags filled with warm water, but they leaked all over the place. Any suggestions? Thanks.

I use a thermostat to control the temps. You could place cooling racks like you use for baking over the mats and then place your containers on top of the racks.

Depressing, but ziplocs leak more than glad does, and the zipper ones are the worst. Where did you find a tstat- or were the heat mats already equipped with them?

JoWalker here what you need:
http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPRTC-Digital-Thermostat-Heat/dp/B000NZZG3S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423490747&sr=8-1&keywords=hydrofarm+thermostat
You can shop around for a better price too.
If I don't have a thermostat my heating mat could go up to 100F or more.
The thermostat has a little sensor that needs to go inside one of your seedling pots to keep the temperature you select.
Happy gardening

drthor,
Are you bringing your seedlings in at night or do they stay out on the patio the whole time?

Thanks!

Too cold at night right now.
First they are out in the shade, then mid sun, then full sun.

Ok. Thanks.

Problem I have with hardening off is called "my day job," which I desperately need to keep, LOL! By the time I get home, it's one hour before dark...

Guess I could leave them under the patio cover all day and bring them in when I get home...

GG- how cold are most of your nights? You are apt to be a bit warmer than drthor..

Yesterday during the day it was 74F here ... and at night 53F. Still too cold to leave them outside in their little pots.
After the tomatoes are planted, they will be under a perforated plastic clots and if the temperature will drop below 40F I covered them with extra protection.
This, for me, is the most intense part of growing tomatoes. The first month after planting is a constant checking the weather, cover and uncover ... last year we dropped in one night from 82F to 17F = I lost only 5% of my plants = great tomato season.

I am dreaming of a kitchen full of tomatoes.
I still have 2 ziplock bags from last season in my freezer.
This year I must roast more of tomatoes/onions mix. This mix freezes really well and it is so good during the winter time. I thought I had roasted a lot ... but we finished it really fast ... it kept so good even after defrosting.
So my goal this year is to fill my freezer of roasted tomatoes and onions.

Happy gardening

Kit,
My nights are hovering around the mid 50s. Three days later this week will be in the mid-40's, which is still ok for me. I have portable, tabletop hoops that I can cover with the perforated plastic and throw sheets over at night.

The seedlings should be fine.

"Only the strong survive!"

someone shared this idea with me this morning, what do you guys think?

http://fivegallonideas.com/mini-greenhouse/

Putting the lids on those clear plastic totes seems to be the ticket for me! No need to carry them in or out for hardening off.

Thanks for reminding me I did that in the middle of a brutal winter here back in '09. Those were the sturdiest seedlings I EVER grew, mainly because they stayed out in the cool in the clear tote during the daytime. The sun warmed them overhead and the soil in the individual cells held the heat. The wind blew constantly, but, because they were far enough down in the tote, it didn't work against them. Just a gentle, cool breeze over their heads.

Finally, I put the lid on at night, and it sealed them, and the heat, inside. Those tomato seedlings looked like a full-grown, miniature forest of sturdy, stocky trees.

Again, thanks for reminding me what I forgot.

My problem of hardening off just got solved -- again!

Linda

had to lift up the plant light a little bit today, those tomatoes are shooting up so fast (sorry about the details being washed out a bit, my camera doesnt seem to like such an intense light all that well)

I've got mater babies, jalapeno babies, and tomatillo babies! Outside, my garlic has sprouted.