Crickets Greenhouse Part 2

Finally, the shop. The day was pretty successful - even though it was a Friday, and most people were at work, we did see some customers throughout the day. Looking forward, hopefully, to a busier day tomorrow. Karen

looks like you put alot of money and alot of time into everything. It looks very interesting. Could spend hours looking around. Great set up Karen.

I am planning on putting up a 30% shade house up by end of summer for next year. Customers want me to raise herbs and all kind of stuff. I dunno how far i can spread myself since I am the only one working my business.
I could probly get alot more stuff done If i stayed off the computer. lol

Cricket

this is what i did today.
Added more barrel planters to my deck.
Its so pretty in person.
Added squash, pamintos, impatiens, dusty miller, more marigolds, salvia, Crimson Sweet watermelon, Athena Cantaloupes. Its goin to be so much prettier when those melon vines start growin out. I will let some of the melon vines run on the deck, just push them to the side out of the walk way, and let some vines run off side of deck.
All I need now is a cucumber out there, put a few radish here and there, few green onion. I will be set. Cannot grow lettuce. Tooo hot. Will take close up pics after everything bushes out some.
I like doing this and showing it to the elderly. It gives them ideas on how to have their own fresh veggies at their door. Easy care if they could get a family member to mix and pot up the soil for them. The rest is a breeze.

Cricket

Cricket

OK almost time to let the tomatoes down. Maybe 2 more weeks.

OK Cricket - I bite and ask the dummy question... Why do you let the maters down? Won't they set fruit like they are?

look in top of the greenhouse. The twine is wraped on a wire that is hooked on the support line. When the tomato plants almost reach the top of the greenhouse, I take that wire of twine and I unwrap some of the twine and lower the tomato plants down so they have more head room to keep growing.


This is last years picture. After the plants were lowered.

Todays picture.
11 weeks and 2 days old from sow date.

ooopsie ;-)

This message was edited May 9, 2006 6:29 PM

I'd like to try growing them outdoors like that next Summer ,

if I can figure out a system that I can handle and build myself.

The farmer down the road has the # 1 cash crop fresh corn business for mile around that has been there fr over 30 years that I know of.

Every morning he loads up a farm wagon and parks it under the trees between the barn and his house , near the road with plenty of room to pull up and drive out..

It is a help yourself system and it must work .

Now if I can get lotsa maters to sell just up the road a piece ......... hmmmmmmmm ('-'?)

I needed another obsession .

Now that you mention it-----I am building an out door tomato trellis this week with Gavinized rails.
I already planted the tomatoes. Only planted 1/3 of what I really wanted to plant. But next year is new year.
Building the trellis 12 feet tall and 80 feet long. I been talking about it in the tomato forum in the 2006 tomato gardens part 2
Here is the row of maters.

Wonderful, My lucky day I guess ;-)


This message was edited May 10, 2006 10:08 AM

My materials came in yesterday evening for my tomato trellis.
11 five foot gavinized ground rod stakes that will be driven into the ground 2 feet deep with a Post Driver leaving 3 feet out of the ground. Post drivers cost about $25 at Home Depot.
18 twelve foot gavinized fence rails---used normally for greenhouse perlins. I will have to put the hardware on each rail before I put it up. The hardware is pipe brackets shaped like a U. I call them U brackets. Will also drill a hole through the top of each rail incase I need extra support on each post by putting wire through the hole and staking it to the ground. Will put one rail onto each ground rod stake. Then I will run the top perlin rail. They are made to fit into each other just like chain link fence rails.
I also have commerical ground cover. Will lay out my ground cover on each side of the row of tomatoes.
I will take pictures with every detail. OR try to.
You deffinately need a twelve foot step latter for this project. And for Harvest. I do not expect these tomato plants to grow to 12 feet tall this year. I am not triming them to one stem each. But next years plants will be.
I do expect them to get at least 8 feet tall.
I am undecided on rather I want to do another row of tomatoes just like this. Would cost another $374 for the frame trellis .
The other crop would only have 5 months of growing season. I would only have 5 weeks of harvest time but that harvest would give me 3000 pounds of tomatoes. HMMMMMMMM. But would be here for next year.
Invest this year for next year.

took pic of the materials. Not that you can tell what it is.

Transplanted my cukes today.
They were in 10inch pots. I put them in 5 gallon pots.
Diva. All Female flowers. Every bloom will have a cuke no mater what. Or at least 90% will.

They look a little rough at the moment---they were tossed and turned.
They have tiny cukes on them too--just about to bloom. yum.
And while i was transplanting them I could smell cucumber. Smelt so good.

This message was edited May 10, 2006 11:04 AM

An outside the greenhouse view of maters.

Working between the storms.
Aint it pretty.

looks like a black hole in the upper right .
maybe thats a time warp. lol

This message was edited May 10, 2006 11:23 AM

ok, got the stakes in the ground.

got the brackets put on the post. This is what the top rail will fit into. hubby drilling holes in top of post in case i need extra ankers.

Hey Ya cricket .. don't let that time warp suck you up lOL :)

lol hello there cerwin.
I would love to go back in time just a few times. There are a few mistakes I would love to change.
Live and Learn.

wow, I do not know what to think about some of my customers.
This woman bought a few tomato plants today. She looks into my yard and says---I dont guess your selling those roses are you? I said No mam, they are in my yard in the ground! (thinking DUH)
Then she looks at my deck and says do you sell anything on your deck? I said No mam, That is my personal Deck with my personal plant. (thinking DUH)
This is what my deck looks like while standing at the greenhouse. Why does everyone want what i have on my deckkk?
Under construction too.

See that mobile Home? Yes i see UFOs. joking.
Redneck joke.

close up

close up
under construction
mulching and putting in birdbath and gold fish pond

the sitting area.

I am surprised she didnt ask if my deck was for sale.

Cricket - it's your display.. So here's what to do. Get some of those barrells and cut them down. Set potted plants in the barrels and do some loose mulching around them - so you can lift them out easily and replace with another plant.

People often have trouble putting together a whole picture - they see single plants but don't know what to pair them with. Then they see a display and want the whole thing.... it's a "OOoooo look at that - how nice that looks - are these for sale?" Well yes - I can sell you the whole barrel full...

You may just have a new marketing tool going there....

Yes Cricket.
A 'Do-it-Yourself' Planting Barrel Garden.

Have a Barrel All Planted and then...
Have All the Plants Available in a Group with a Blue Barrel...Even a Bag of Potting Soil Ready to Go.
Figure the Price and...
as Emeril would say;..."Bam"!
(Quick Bucks)

It would have to be a Next Year thing cause there aint enough time or plants to do it this year. Spend this year collecting the barrels , cutting them, and putting drain holes in them. Will plan on doing alot 3" potted annuals next year too. Instant flowers $1 each.
Planning on doing alot $1 plants next year in the 3". $1 sales go quick.

Cricket

Like I told the tomato forum----if these tomatoes do not grow 12 feet tall---I will be the laughing stock of the neighbor hood and daves garden club.
I also said I feel stressed all of a sudden.

I feel sick.
Even laughing at myself.

They have a Long Way To Go, And a Short Time to Get there.

Wish I had more plants.
Deffinately have new plans for next year.

LOOK.
Empty and Ugly.

I will be transplanting tomatoes for the second greenhouse today. Just transplanting into cell packs for now. Will have #2 greenhouse ready for them by 1st week in June. Hard to believe it's almost June. 1/2 the year is gone.

Tomato Greenhouse #1

loaded

Beautiful ! ! ! !

Our high temps in the past week or so has been mid 60s to mid 70s and all of a sudden we are 88-90 over night.
I had to roll up the curtain on Greenhouse #1. Now you can see through gh#1 into gh#2. I like it.
But it is so hot. My body has not had a chance to ease into extreme heat. I thought I was goin to have a stroke.

Cricket, I hope you are still willing to share your thread. Here are a couple...

Coffea arabica

Macadamia integrifolia seedlings. 3 of 5 germinated so far...

I want a coffee plant too---but every time i go to walmart or home depot --they are sold out.
I only want one ---just enough room for one. Then by the time i am old enough to retire---I can sit down and make me one cup of fresh grown coffee.
30 more years to go. lol.

You put that in the ground Stress?
Aren't they tropical? Will they come back each year like regular trees or shrubs do?

Punica granatum 'Nana' flower buds