greenhouse 16 x 80

I like your attitude on doing what you want. We do that too. We did get a permit to build onto the house. They need to raise taxes you know.
We just got our real estate valuation yesterday. Yeah! We are worth more than we were on Monday!
It didn't buy any groceries.
Bernie

LOL---thats funny. the valuation.

When we moved here---the value of our land and house was like $18,000.
When we got through moving two trailers in here and putting in 2 septic tanks, and putting heat pump system on the house---cleared alittle land---the value doubled. worth $36,000. ( luckily taxes were only $77.)
I truely hate to see the value this year cause we have done that much more work and improvements plus the greenhouse and another drive way and sheds new roof on house, closed in the front porch and made den.
Im sure the value will go up to $54,000. Im so lucky. Blah. Its nice to know that your value is goin up--you think yeh im worth some money but dang it---more taxes come with that value.

Hey COUNTRY-------do you grow pumpkin plants for your customers? I have some Big Moon Pumpkin Seed.( expensive specialty plants) They are large seed. Will they produce larger plants and larger roots. Instead of growing them in cell packs---should I grow one seed to one 6 inch pot??????????

cricket, I grew and sold them in 3 and 4 inch pots a couple years ago. They grew just fine in that size. Also handed out a flyer with pumpkin growing tips on it. I don't remember making a lot of sales from them but I just planted out the ones I didn't sell. (Of course, the squash bugs got them before I did though!)

bummer horseshoe---that sucks.
hmm I hope mine sell better-----I live next door to a town called Quinton where i lived 8 years ago---the town is Nick Named "Pumpkin Center"---cause the lands are used to grow pumpkins. Hopefully I will be able to sell some plants to small homes who like pumpkins.

Guess I better only do a few flats---maybe 36 plants total. I have 76 seeds total. Should I put 2 seeds per pot or 1?

If they are fresh seed you should get excellent germination from them. Also, since they are big pumpkins I would suggest people only plant one to a hill.

I bet you have some 36 cell trays...why not start them in that and then move them into 4 inch pots when they are ready? It'll save you from wasting some seeds if your "2 per pot" both germinate (they're kind of difficult to separate once they are both growing together).

I bet in your location you might do better than I did. I can just see it..."The BEST pumpkin plants for the BEST pumpkin city!" Yay! Good advertising, eh?

lol
we will see.
The seed are big--kinda hard---so i filed on one side of the seed and set them in wet paper towel like you would lima bean. I figured if they were good---it would sprout and I will put it in its pots right away. Will that work? I did that earlier today.

Yes...that should work perfectly fine! Good idea, too. Those seeds musta been some whoppers!!

I checked my records...the ones I grew were not Big Moon but were "Dill's Atlantic Giant" (supposedly they begat the biggest prize winning pumpkin).

I bet you'll see sprouts in just a few days if those seeds are kept warm. Keep us posted! This sounds like great fun to me!

Oh oh oh oh------A person i met another site grows The Atlantic Giant and he is sending me some seed. He said they were in the mail yesterday. His Atlantic Giant Pumpkin only got 526 pounds I think. Any way--he said they were so hard that you have to file the edge a little and he filed one for me so I could see where and how to do it.. So i just automatically did these big moon the same way. I think the big moon record is 250 pounds.
I am having a hard time keeping the wet paper towel warm. So I put the wet paper towel on foam plate on heater vent and a rock holds it there so it dont blow away. haha
the things we do to germinate a seed early.

oops---i double checked---his pumpkin was 572 pounds. Nice huh.

That's a huge pumpkin! Wish I could grow one that big!

As for your seeds on the paper towel...you need to wet the towel (and seeds) then insert it all into a plastic bag (like a Baggy/storage bag)...then put that on your heat vent or top of water heater or top of fridge. (Or in your seed starting box.)

That'll work great!

ok--i can do that-----so they dont need air when they are about to sprout? or am I not suppose to close the bag tight?

you can just roll the bag up and the little bit of air in there is plenty, especially if you're like me and are gonna open it up and peek in there from time to time!

Some people will blow some air in the bag and then seal it; I just roll it up.

In the past I've also laid down a strip of wax paper, then lay some paper towels on it, put the seed on the paper towels in a row and wet the paper with a hand-type spray bottle. Then lay another layer of paper towels over the seeds and mist that layer, then loosely roll everything up, with the wax paper being on the outside. The seeds will stay snug against the wet towels and you can then put it all in a big baggy and move to a warm spot.

The wax paper really makes it easy to unroll the whole thing and take a peek...if not germing then you can easily roll it back up. Sure makes it easier.


This message was edited Mar 17, 2005 11:42 AM

lol------first thing i did when i woke was peak inside the bag to see what they looked like---

I had many request on how I did my side curtain on the greenhouse.
First of all---this is just a make-do thing till I can afford to do it right.

First---I ran 2x4 down OUTside of greenhouse about 3 feet up from ground. The 2x4 were attached to the hoops by using chain link fence top rail Brackets ON THE INSIDE of greenhouse To get a tight fit---make sure the barckets are just a little smaller than your hoops.

Pic------from inside View

This message was edited Mar 17, 2005 8:18 AM

This message was edited Mar 17, 2005 1:39 PM

This message was edited Mar 17, 2005 1:39 PM

We put the plastic on and only attached the plastic over to the 2x4 s--- BUT the plastic extends on down to the ground. It is a whole peice of plastic. So there was about 5 feet left hanging for the curtain on both sides of the greenhouse----------used a piece of 2x 1/2 inch thick peice of wood to attach poly to the 2x4


also---put a 16 penny nail just to side of every hoop on 2x4 to tie up curtain later.

pic----View of the outside of greenhouse----poly on 2x4 and teh 2x 1/2 inch strip of wood is nailed on to the 2x4 and poly to hold poly in place.

This message was edited Mar 17, 2005 1:43 PM

I then---put nail inside on 2x4 in same area as the outside-------tie small rope or thick twin to nail inside------go arm lenth and put a loop notch so when you go outside---you pull that loop in twin under the poly and tie to outside

pic of twin with loop tie

this is pic of all the twins pulled under the bottom of poly---pulled up the poly then put that loop on outside nail


when the poly side curtains are down---i keep it in place by placing 40 pound bags of dirt on the poly.

AND THIS IS TODAY UPDATE ON THE TOMATOES IN THE GROW BAGS------- mulched them the other day.

tomatoes were sown Jan 29th.
first transplant was Feb 27th to shallow 2 inch cell flats
second transplant was Mar 6th. to Grow bags--kinda Early but did it any way.
Today is 6 1/2 weeks since sow date. And grow bags have about 2 inches of mulch.

This message was edited Mar 17, 2005 1:52 PM

You lost me at the second photo.
It's clever how you hooked the 2x4 on the with a fence bracket.
Where you lost me was on the second picture. With the 2x4 on the inside of the plastic, hooked with a bracket, what is holding that board on that is wet? On the outside.

The rest I think I have.
The plastic only went over the greenhouse and down as far as the 2x4, which is 3 feet from the gound. Then a second piece of plastic was added to make the curtain. Yes? No? LOL

very inventive girl!!! the mators are doing great-mine sprouted today! :)

I have baby hosta's too! oh and we have a housefull of FLU! ugggghh

ADDING more detail instuctions to the photos

ya notmartha.
notmartha---if your not martha---then who are ya? lol for real? Name?

my sister name is martha.

I could tell ya

lol
my name is dori

hi bert i hope everything is wonderful down your way! im ignoring the cold here.
they say close to 40 next week!

I am enjoying the last of my forced bulbs. Still have about 50 Amaryllis to go.

I am growing those and donating them to Relay for Life. We had Hyacinths, Tulips (not too great a success) Daffodils, Specie Crocus, Muscari Latifolium.

We have snow slivers here this morning, but now it is rainy.

Did you see the eFlowerGarden nomination? Good deal.

Did you see the eFlowerGarden nomination? NO!!! WHERE?

Thank ya kindly Cricket.
Maters look great, too.

I love my camera-----I probly use it TOO much.

this is view from back to front of inside greenhouse
be glad when some color finally begins to show-----and can't wait for the petunias to bloom. They make the greenhouse smell so pretty.
what you cant see is more flats behind me---about 70 flats of bedding plants.
can never get the whole greenhouse in one pic.

This message was edited Mar 17, 2005 2:54 PM

darn tomato plants make your mouth water---just the thought of maters.
and smellllllllllllll-----i love to just smell a mater leaf.

Ummmmm. I feel the same way cricket.

That is one greenhouse to die for!! Best wishes for a great growing season. I wish i had some of your ambition!! I can almost taste your wonderful tomatos by just reading about them! I hope you have a super season!!
Bonnie

thank you bonnie.

experiment: I needed more bottom heat space to germinate my okra for flats. so---im trying this idea. Im using a door--3x7 about.--- and laying on 4 concrete blocks---- I put a folded in half electric blanket on the door then put a peice of plastic on the electric blanket. I'll play with the temps of the electric blanket tonight after the sun goes down. I am soaking my okra seed now---over night. I will fill my flats today---12 flats with 35 cells per flat. And set them on the doors today so the soil will heat up in the sun. Tomorrow --I will sow my okra seeds. I will most likely put a peice of plastic over the okra flats for a few days when the sun isnt shinning. And we do have some rainy days this weekend and part of next week. I'll take the okra off my hot door in a couple of weeks.

But imagine if this works. Electric Blankets are much cheeper than Heat pads with thermostats. And that door and blanket will germinate 12 flats of anything of any size.

Off to fill some flats for the okra-----and to fill flats for maters

cricket

Door

electric blanket and plastic on door

flats on table/door

well---the greenhouse is almost completely full. transplanted my other tomatoes today. Only 35 flats. I didnt transplant all the seedlings. trashed the left overs---HUH. I KNOW. Was running out of room. And i dont think the mt pride tomato will sell very well so didnt do many. I still have to transplant the tomatoes for more 6 inch pots soon so wanted to leave room for them. Will take pic next week.

cant wait to see how the heating blanket works! I could use it tonight to
snuggle in! snow storm tomorrow nite/rain/ice too! Then its suppose to be in the mid to upper 40s!

yeh---i been watching that north weather on weather channel----me and hubby said last night---we sure are glad we live in alabama! he said he doesnt even want to visit snow.
our daytime highs this week are between 60-70 and nighttime low are between 40-53

all us michiganders are looking forward to the warm up into the 40s! LOL

i have family in alabama and my sis told me how she was working in her flower gardens!!

yep ---everyone is working in gardens between the rains----- getting it ready to buy my plants HAHA.
We have birds, bulb blooms, tree buds, wasp in greenhouse warming their buns, but no frogs yet.
up here where im at---most start planting in gardens about April 7-15
I already have my cauliflower in garden. Planted that last month.
I been watching the lady across the road work in her flower beds---just getting them ready. Wish i could pump you some heat up there.