ANY IDEAS ON HOMEMADE COMPOST TUMBLER AND/OR GREENHOUSE?

another

Ernie,

Thanks for the tips and advice. If I aim the end at the prevailing breezes that would be toward the west, running the sides on the north and south. I want to find out if I can grow broccoli, cauliflower, peas, and maybe tomatoes in there in the winter.

I currently have a hoop-type structure that I use for storage. But it was expensive, so I'd like to make my own from now on. That one is cross-ways to the winds, but it has flaps on the bottom of the fabric. We put concrete blocks all around it on the flaps, and it has taken some pretty stiff winds so far.

I lived in Portland, OR for six years, so I remember the Oregon weather very well.

Thanks,

Karen

Karen hope I helped spark you a bit good luck. You may want to look at the overwintering varieties Territorial Seed has to offer, fresh cauli in March is as sweet as it gets.

This is Mt Baker it has the worlds record for the most snow fall in the world it was set about five or so years ago it could break it this year Feb was a prolific month on the mountian. Ernie

Ernie,

Thanks for the tip on Territorial Seed. I didn't know they had overwinter varieties. I will check them out.

Beautiful photo. Mr. Baker is such a pretty mountain. I was living in Portland when Mt. St. Helen blew up.

Karen

Karen I just realized the over wintering varieties may only perform well in the PNW everything Territorial sells has been selected because it performs well here. I guess you need to ask them because the seed is pricy.

This guy is not grown yet he is three something. It takes four years to get a full mature white head and tail. Ernie

Hi Ernie,

I will ask. Actually, my zone is colder than yours. In town it is an 8b zone, but I am outside of town and up on a hill in the country, so I lose about a zone for that, I think. I've ordered a couple of thermometers that will record high and low temp every 24 hours. I hope to find out how much I need to deduct from the predicted temps to know what to actually expect.

Is he yours? He's beautiful. The only large birds I see here are hawks and turkey vultures. One reason I enjoy being out in the boonies is all the wildlife we see. I leave a bag of cat food on my back deck for the feral cats that live in the woods behind us, but I suspect that I'm also feeding the raccoons and possums, too, which is okay. Somewhere up here there is a peacock out in the woods. If you've ever heard one, you sure will always know it again. I've been told that some people in the million-dollar houses a couple of miles down the road have peacocks, so I suppose one of them has escaped.

Karen

Karen no the bird is wild. One would go to jail for keeping the national symbol in captiviety.

They do over winter some brassicas in England and Europe but I am not sure which ones. I am bettting on a small scale you could even cover your plants with a row cover to get them by the cold spells. I think your on the right track. Ernie

Ernie,

I thought maybe he had gotten injured somehow. I saw a couple of them in a bird sanctuary years ago, and that's why they were there. They couldn't fly well enough to go back to the wild, although they looked fine.

Using a row cover, I did fairly well with broccoli, cauliflower, and bok choi up until the end of November. I thinking maybe plastic over hoops would extend that time period.

Karen

What an interesting thread. I have greenhouse envy now, but no space to build one. Just thought to let you in a DG inspired experiment. I purchased a large, black, plastic feeding barrel from Big R with a nice wide mouth screw on lid. We added compostables to it about a week and a half ago and have been rolling it back and forth in our yard. I hoping to see if I have compost in another week.

I think it needs air did you drill holes in it so the tea can leach out and air get in?

We did drill holes through in it for oxygen. We've had so much snow lately (Spokane, WA) that I haven't been out to give er a roll. I'll be curious to see what we've got in there. I'll keep you posted. I hope it works. I think composting is a great thing to do, but I don't have the money for a professional composter, I don't want a slow, small pile, and I don't have space for a large pile.

WOW! I've been AWOL for months and I come back to see my thread has had lots of activity. I loved reading all our comments and suggestions. I did not get my rear in gear early enough this past spring....too much traveling.....so I got a very late start planting and will be lucky to get anything by fall. Anywho, I am now inspired for NEXT YEAR or maybe for wintering over a few things with a mini-green house.

I am always interested in hearing cheap-make-it-yourself solutions to problems. Tarheel Frank, I enjoyed your tarp tip....might think about that a bit, consider aeration, etc...Unfortunately, we live on a small plot of land in the suburbs with houses all around and some pesky covenants we have to abide by, so I have to be a little concerned about esthetics, but I am happy to hear any "un-elegant" tips you have.

ALso interested in simple solar ideas for the home, sites for such, etc.

Thanks everyone....I love this site. Happy Gardening/Harvesting!

Here is a great place to find all kinds of information on compost bins and tumblers, directions on how to make them yourself, and where to buy them.

http://gardendecor.boomja.com/Compost-Bins-and-Tumblers-Info-and-DIY-404.html

Hey guys, here is an ezine that gives you alot of the information you are looking for and asking about. If not this issue, than others from the past or Garden Girl's website. Suscribe to Urban Sustainable Living Ezine @ www.urbansustainableliving.com. They cover square foot gardens, compost, hoop covers, etc all done naturally. It is informative and additional info to what this great Dave's Garden site gives you.