Propagation Box

Yesterday I had the most clever gardening/recycling idea I have had in a long time. I call it an invention when I come up with a clever way to do something I haven't thought of before. And this one is pretty nifty, if I do say so myself.

My brother and I were poking around in the garden, not really doing much of anything, we cleaned up the raspberry patch and filled the bird baths but that was pretty much it. As I stood there looking at my yard (which is quite a mess), and my garden, I looked at the frame of our old skate ramp in a completely different way. I had looked at this thing several times and wondered what it could be used for in the garden. I thought about using it for a raised bed or potato bin, but the framework is treated wood, and I couldn't bring myself to let it be in contact with the same soil that my food is growing in. (this is OLD treated wood, BTW, not the new less harmful stuff).

So I had an epiphany....It was going to be my new green house.

You really can't call it a cold frame, because it is at least 4' tall if not a little taller. But it is very much the same principal. It is like a really sunny window, outside...I guess. I call it a propagation box, mini-greenhouse, or maybe even a "germination station" which is actually something else (I think a heated, lidded flat for seed starting, I dunno). The front is two stationary windows, and the rear is the same but the windows are hinged.

Inside are a few 2x4 shelves for flats. On top is another window, also on a hinge and some framing, to close it in.

This thing is COMPLETELY recycled. The only "new" parts are the hinges (2 for $1 at Sutherlands) and the door pulls (also 2 for $1 at Sutherlands). Total investment...maybe $5, but could have been free, because I have hinges around the house and maybe even a door pull, so if I could have found the items, it would have been completely free!

Even some of the screws were reused! It came together quite easily, by reusing all the lumber that came off of the original ramp, there was very little cutting involved, mostly just trimming and shimming.

I apologize for not having "before and after" photos, It really came together too fast to think about that!

The plan now is:

1. Caulk up all the seams and air leaks. Also, clean and caulk individual window panes.
2. paint exterior with durable, weather-proofing paint.
3. paint interior white, to reflect light.
4. ? line inside with shiny foil????

And then it will need to air out for a few weeks.

This is the most exciting project I have done in a while. And it is literally built from trash! I had been saving these windows since we built our house, for cold frames, or something like that. But with the ease that we were able to put this together, I know that this was supposed to be the fate of my junk! LOL! And I am pretty proud of my little ghetto greenhouse!

March: picture update 2 of 2

This is the other side of the potato bin (you could see from views of the Asparagus Bed, in Update 1 of 2). This is seriously ghetto, I know, but it should hold the taters in and allow me to pile some serious amounts of soil on the plants as they grow, which should produce a lot more taters. When I read about it last year, there were experiments being done on the best varieties for this method of planting...and I thought it was the small ones, and not the russets...but I can't remember! I couldn't find the link, but if I do, I will post it. There is another row of potato bins in the works soon....but this is the earlies and my first attempt at building them.

This is just one of the longer sprouts poking out of the soil. They are planted in a tilled bed, rather shallowly, because I will be dumping soil on them as they grow, and they will hopefully produce spuds at this level and above. This is actually the most important part of the potato plant, because this sprout is forming the main stem, that the potatoes grow from (directly above the cut pieces that are planted.) From this level and above, is where the spuds form, so it is important to continue to pile the dirt on and keep the "eyes" reaching for light. I believe, the theory that makes the potato bins work, is by keeping this covered, and reaching for light, you lengthen greatly, the amount of plant that is under the soil, and keep it striving to produce green leaves for food....but as long as it can survive on the nutrients of the planted tuber, it should have the energy to get much larger for me, and produce greater yields...in theory.....that is the way I understand it. For this reason, I will be throwing my bagged humus on them, until I can get a truck load of compost. I am going to try to keep them from getting real leaves by burying them and withholding fertilizer until the last possible moment (when it starts to produce real leaves). And even then, a lower dose of Nitrogen, might be a good idea until later in the season, when it really needs the full canopy and switches it's focus to maturing the tubers it already has produced. It will be very interesting to see how the theory works and what helps it work.... =)

here are some spud links:

potato from ground up

March: Picture update 1 of 2

This is Bed 1, from the east side looking west. this is where we have a row of bush beans and peas, and under the plywood, is the carrot seeds. I read in my Veggie Bible book to do that to keep them moist during their long germination period.

Later this season the back of the bed will be Brussels Sprouts and Broccoli, and maybe a cabbage or two. The front of the bed will be carrots, succession planted, but the beans and peas will be squash and leafy greens, there will be more beans and peas in Bed 2.

This is the Asparagus that I was throwing compost and leaves on. They will be coming up next month and will need to be fertilized soon. this picture is taken from inside my compost bin, LOL, but I emptied it first!

This is a picture from the west facing east. So the first bed is Asparagus, and the next is Bed 1. I call it Bed one because it was the first one I put in, and the Asparagus is perennial (always there) so it doesn't get a number.....

To the left of the asparagus is my old compost bin, which is coming out, and to the left of it, the blueberries.

I am short a few blocks to finish that bed, but I would still like to move the pallets elsewhere, so I may use rocks to finish the bed for now.

(3/29/10 Update done and done!)

Getting Ready to Roll!

This weekend was BEAUTIFUL!!! But I knew it was too good to last! And this week they are calling for chilly and damp weather, but hey! I needed to come back in and get some stuff done anyways!

But I feel like I have accomplished quite a lot over the weekend, including purchasing bagged compost and potting soil to start seeds in, buying a boat-load of veggie seeds, getting a much needed PH and nutrient test kit, and of course....getting my certified seed potatoes...since I used sprouted grocery store potatoes last year, I promised myself I would buy real ones this time....which technically, I don't know if the Lowe's purchased ones even count! LOL. BUt for $4 for 10, and I cut several in half that had multiple eyes.....I think it was fair enough, without having to pay shipping and plan ahead!

I bought 2 pkg. Red Norland, 2 pkg. Yukon Gold, and one pkg. Freedom Russet. I figured russets are relatively cheap year round, and I want to grow varieties that aren't in the stores as often, I just haven't experimented enough to know what varieties I like...so I want to try them all! =)

I took back the two "elliot" blueberries that failed last year, as well. And I moved my strawberries (from the hops murder crime scene) to the blueberry bed. I am hoping for runners so I can expand the bed next season. I amended with sulfur and hollytone plant food...so as to get a jump on the PH.

We added a nice layer of compost to the Asparagus bed this morning, which is so important, because it is perennial, and should not be left out just because of it's undying loyalty!

I also forked through bed Number 1, and Audrey and planted out some bush beans and peas (the beans really shouldn't be out yet, but I have plenty of seed, and I figured I might try to hot cap them!) and a short row of carrots. I also put in some marigolds at the ends of the rows.

We built the back and two sides of the potato bin, and have tilled and planted our red earlies (the norlands) and will be putting out the others between St. Patrick's Day and April Fool's day..{I like to remember planting times by holidays and when other plants bloom, etc. helps me to remember and it makes me feel like an Old time gardener! =) } I have no clue how I am going to close up the front of the bed but I better figure it out quick! And I would like to concoct a better scheme for the 2nd potato bin, since what I thought up and what was built ended up different and more ghetto than I originally intended....but every year is room for improvement, and as long as the theory holds out, the potatoes should grow well, regardless of how it looks.

So today, we are going to bring some pots of soil indoors and begin planting all the seeds that I should have had in a LONG TIME AGO....and pray that they are quite large enough for transplanting in April/May.......(fingers crossed)

I hope to post up pictures soon.

Frugal, cheapskates, whatever you call it I wanna be one!

Today I got on google to answer what I thought was a simple question, which ended up in almost an entire day of reading blogs....but you know, I have learned a lot and have a great jumping off point to some great ideas. the question was about a cleaner way to bake chicken, because it really make a mess in my oven! So far I have decided to someday buy myself a Stainless Steel Roaster with rack so it is in a deeper pan that will drain off all that funky fat! I will have to try it before I know how well that goes......BUT, in looking for that answer (which I never came across! LOL), I found a few blogs about frugality and simple living....a few of my favorite things! I guess I am just jittery for gardening season to begin, itchy to get going. Mouth watering while looking through seed catalogs and garden plot plans....so this is a great distraction....

The wild and wondrous world of couponing!

Now this is not my first rodeo, I always knew what coupon cutting can do, BUT...I didn't know to what extent....

So after a lot of blogroll, and a lot of google reader adds, I have decided to give it a go...at the very least I have to sign up to register my Dillon's card and get their coupons, since i shop there so often....but lets go a bit further...I have to think ahead and plan these trips to the store, and the meals they make...and that is just what I want to try and do.

1. make a better coupon organizer

2. sign up for coupons and rewards programs that are free

3. get ink in my printer and start printing coupons for what I already use

4. get that control journal going, to plan and keep track of it all!

5. share what I have learned with everyone

Here is a few blogs that I have added to my reader that are really into saving on the grocery budget:

$5 dinners and their recipe section

this is a good site I plan on backtracking and reading archives! :)

Everything Moms

this is a more general blog with lots of topics

Iheartcoupondeals.com

this one has info on my local stores, it will be a daily read!

these girls really know their stuff and the blogs were a great time-suck, LOL, I have sat and read too long today! :)

one more couponmom.com and if you watch her video, you will see why I want to give it a try...not to mention that her video was about the store I shop at and WOW, what a deal! $115 in groceries for $1.67 WOW.....

Ok so that is it...the blogs I list will link you to all the other stuff I am reading, from the coupon clipping forums to the services that clip them for you, to just places to print. FAQ's on how to match your coupons to sales and what coupons can be "stacked"...I have learned a lot today...and I think that I could really save on some of our "big ticket" items that we splurge on, which would make it less of a splurge! And saving money in the little day to day purchases, adds up in the long run...so that is what I will be looking at....

So ....just to get the blog rolling again, I thought I would share that with you. Soon I will be putting out seed trays and will begin veggie updates soon, I can't wait! :)