Cold Frame (mini-greenhouse) Feedback

It's the first day of summer, all the seeds have been planted and the seedlings are all out of the greenhouse and into the garden beds, so I am now ready to start planning my winter garden.

It feels like an ongoing struggle -always trying to stay ahead of the calendar.

Did anyone download and use the cold frame (mini-greenhouse) plans I posted last year?

 If you built a cold frame and used it over the winter I would love to hear from you. You can email me and tell me how it worked (or didn't work), and be sure to include photos. I would like to do a future blog post (if I get enough responses) and include reader built cold frames with pictures, results, etc. If you have a blog include that in your email as I will include your link as well.

My cold frames ...

Mini-greenhouses - January 8th, 2011!

Using my cold frame design, I was able to grow lettuce, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, scallions, carrots and sage throughout the (northeast) winter. Most of the plants survived but I did learn that I do need to start them earlier in late summer / early fall so the they are more established before the temperatures drop. The plants were able to survive the sub-zero weather, but grew slowly once the temperatures got cold. Having the plants almost fully grown before the winter hits would be ideal.

In the works ...

I am working on putting together full-size plans for my cold frames as well as small backyard greenhouses. They will contain a complete set of building plans, materials list, cut list and assembly instructions. I hope to have this finished by the end of summer. I am also in the process of developing a new website where the plans will be available as well as useful links, growing instruction and anything that has to do with growing organic, healthy eating and healthy living. Stay tuned ...more on this later!

Click here for cold frame plans!

Going Green

We try to live as green as possible. We always bring our own cloth bags when shopping, we recycle, we heat our house with a wood stove instead of using oil, we grow our own vegetables and shop from local farms for the items we don't grow ourselves, so it only made sense to get rid of the noisy, gas guzzling, air polluting lawn mower for something quieter and more economical. After a couple years of considering and reading customer reviews to compare different models I finally bought a reel mower. I ended up getting a 20" reel mower with grass catcher from Lee Valley Tools.

We have a small 1/3 acre lot with about 1,200 square feet of vegetable gardens so I figured doing the lawn with a reel mower shouldn't be that difficult. Yesterday the new mower arrived so today, instead of working,  I decided to give it a try. I have to say I am pleasantly surprised at how nice it cuts and how easy it is to push! It is such a pleasure to mow the lawn without all the noise and fumes and the lawn really looks great!  Reel mowers are said to leave a nicer lawn because they shear the grass instead of tearing it like rotary mowers do.

There are a several reasons why I went with the Lee Valley mower. I wanted a larger mower (20") with a bigger range of height adjustment. I like to leave the lawn taller and the Lee Valley reel mower is adjustable from 1-7/8" to 3". It is also made in the USA. Some other mowers also make this claim but are actually made in China. The mower only weighs 30 lbs so it is light weight and easy to store. I ended up getting the grass catcher with it, but I don't think I will use it that much because it cuts the grass small enough to just leave on the lawn.

Other than the weird looks I got from the neighbors I am very happy with this mower. I never looked at yard work as work before, it is more therapeutic and relaxing for me because I am inside in my office working most days. Using a reel mower makes it much more enjoyable to do the lawn - you get a feeling of being a little more in touch with nature, a little more Zen.

It's tea time!!!

The seedlings are growing nicely in the greenhouse, the lettuce is planted and garlic and carrots that were started last fall are growing vigorously. Now it's time to start giving them a little added boost of nourishment with compost tea.

I start brewing compost tea in early May and apply it every 2 to 4 weeks. I use a 4-gallon brewer that I purchased from Compostwerks. They carry different size brewers which come with premium compost and the food source to add to the tea. They also carry refill kits if you don't have your own compost.

The Compost Tea Brewer

The compost tea brewer consists of a 4-gallon pail, 2 air pumps with air diffusers to aerate the mixture, a mesh bag that fits over the mouth of the pail to hold the compost, fittings and plastic tubing to connect to the air pumps.

Air diffusers in bottom of pail.

Mesh bag to hold compost.

Brewing the Tea

To brew the tea you first fill the bucket with warm water, about 78 degrees but not warmer than 85 degrees because you could damage the biology in the compost. If you are using tap water that is chlorinated you should run the air pumps for 15 minutes before adding the compost to volatilize the  impurities in the water. Chlorine will harm the organisms in the compost so this is an important step.

Next, with the pumps still running, you add the appropriate amount of compost and food source. Mix all the ingredients slowly to reduce clumping.

Brewing the tea.

Place the cover on the pail to help maintain the temperature and reduce splattering. The tea should brew for 12 to 24 hours - you get better results if you let it go for the full 24 hours. After the brewing cycle is finished, squeeze out the mesh bag in the pail and you are ready to apply the tea to you plants.

This is what the finished tea will look like.

Compost tea should be used within 3 hours of brewing because non-anaerobic organisms may dominate the tea and harm your plants. The tea should smell earthy and have no funny odors. If the tea smells like rotten egg, sulfur or vinegar then the anaerobic organisms have taken over and you should discard the tea.

Applying your Tea

The finished tea can be applied in 2 ways - either spayed on the foliage or poured at the base of the plants to drench the roots. I usually do both.

Applying to foliage - Compost tea contains soluble nutrients that the plants will absorb through their foliage. This is the fastest way for the plant to absorb the tea. It has been said that by spraying on the foliage it will help ward off pests and diseases. I have found that in the past two years of applying compost tea I haven't had any huge infestations of pests like I used to. Last year the only pest problem I had was a pesky mole. The ratio to the dilute the compost tea for spraying on the plants is 5:1 (five gallons water to 1 gallon compost tea). Apply to the top and undersides of the foliage every two weeks.

Applying to soils - The ratio to dilute for applying to roots is 10:1 (ten gallons of water to 1 gallon of compost tea). Drench the root zone of the plants and apply every month. If the soil is dry it is best to water before and after you apply your tea, or apply before a rain.

In Eliot Coleman's book, The New Organic Grower, he says if plants are healthy and strong they will be less susceptible to pests and diseases. I grow organically and do not use any commercial pesticides or synthetic additives. The only thing I apply to my plants is compost in the spring and applications of compost tea during the growing season. The plants seem to be healthier, more productive and I have had far less pest problems than I have had in the past. I am a believer that compost tea makes a huge difference in growing organically.

You can find more information about compost tea at Compostwerks.

Happy Easter!

Pysanky Ostrich Egg - this was a collaborative effort by my wife and I.






Part of our family tradition is to make Ukrainian Pysanky Eggs every year in the spring. This tradition was sparked by a memory of seeing pysanky eggs displayed at my grandparents house when I was a child. It was until later in life that we saw a pysanky egg kit in a craft store and decided to give it a try - we have been hooked ever since!

Pysanky Goose Egg

Wishing everyone a safe and Happy Easter!

Signs of Spring

A sure sign of spring at our house is when the asparagus first start to appear from their wintery nap. Last week I was a little disappointed when I raked the leaves off the bed and didn't see any spears poking up. Yesterday was blustery and stormy, but today the sun is shinning and it is much warmer. The asparagus spears are just starting to poke up out of the ground!

Last fall I planted carrots to see if I can overwinter them to get an early crop this year. They survived the cold and snowy winter with only the protection of a row cover on hoops. They were buried under a foot or two of snow turning dark purple color. Now that the days are getting warmer and the sun is shining more they are growing like crazy! I dug a couple up, an early treat for my rabbit, they are about 6" long with 6"-8" tops. We should have a nice variety of early carrots late in the spring.



Scallions overwintered in garden



 The scallions and chives all survived the winter as well and are growing thick and tall. The scallions will need to be thinned and transplanted to another bed soon. They were started from seed last summer. The scallions I transplanted into the cold frames in November are three times as big as these, we have been harvesting them over the past few weeks. 

IN THE COLD FRAMES...

The scallions, cabbage, lettuce, garlic, sage, kale and broccoli survived the winter in the mini-greenhouses. Although it grew slowly, we were still able to harvest lettuce and scallions several times throughout the winter. With the warmer days and nights everything is really starting to get big. We have been harvesting scallions the size of our thumbs with tops 12" tall!

Lettuce in the cold frame planted last fall

IN THE GREENHOUSE ...

The greenhouse is chock full of seedlings growing rapidly awaiting their transplanting into the garden. I have already started several varieties of lettuce, kale, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, onions, leeks, beets, spinach, parsley, basil, sage, thyme and cucumbers. We have had a few nights that dipped into the low 30's so I have been moving the trays into the basement on those cold nights. I have many different varieties of heirloom tomatoes which are growing nicely in their 2" soil blocks.

Tomato plants in greenhouse.

The heirloom tomatoes are growing nicely in their 2" soil blocks. I have only started organic, non-gmo, non-hybrid, heirloom tomatoes this year with plans on saving the seeds for next year.


Heirloom tomatoes.

 This is the first year I have had success growing romaine and butter head lettuce. They were started in 3/4" soil blocks and then transplanted into trays. I have been leaving them in the greenhouse overnight on the cold nights and they have been thriving in the cooler temperatures.

Romain lettuce.

Last year was the first time we dried our own herbs and really enjoyed the fresh flavor of them during the winter so this year we are planning on expanding our herb garden with lots of basil, parsley, sage, oregano, thyme, rosemary and chives!



Basil.

Red Russian Kale in 2" soil blocks.

The next big project is to expand the garden and fence it in so I can get the lettuce, kale and other seedling planted. We are planning on tripling the size of the beds and planting bio-intensively in hopes to grow as much of our own food this summer as possible and preserve some for winter use. We are also working on another exciting project this year, creating a school community garden at our Elementary School! You can follow that project on facebook!

Building a Greenhouse

I grew up living next to my grandparents and spent many days working side by side, starting seeds and transplanting plants, with my grandfather in his greenhouse. It was a fairly good size with a stone foundation and glass panels. It was attached to his garage which had a furnace to heat the garage and greenhouse and had running water and electricity. I have many fond memories of spending afternoons with my grandfather in his greenhouse.

Now that I am older I often dreamt of having my own greenhouse so I could start seedlings in the spring, extend the season in the fall and possibly relive some of those childhood memories. For several years I looked into purchasing a kit but was discouraged by the high prices and cheap plastic panels they came with so I decided to do some research and design and build my own.

Three years ago, after spending countless hours deciding what size to build, what materials to use and what accessories to add, I finally built my greenhouse.

My original plan was to build the greenhouse out of cedar, but because this was my first attempt I didn't want to invest too much into something that might not be exactly what I wanted, so I decided to use pine 2 x 3's for the framing and 6 mil greenhouse plastic for the covering. The entire cost for the 6'-10" x 8' greenhouse the was less than $150.00 including all the hardware.

Framed greenhouse.

Covered greenhouse.

The greenhouse has two work benches, the one on the south wall is 24" high and the one on the north wall is 36" high. There is a vent/window on the wall opposite the door. The floor is covered with landscape fabric which seems to work well for now. The late spring sun can really raise the temperature inside, so I have added an automatic vent opener to the window this year. The vent opener can be adjusted to open and maintain a constant temperature inside. It has been working perfectly and has saved me on several occasions when I would have forgotten to open the vent in the afternoon or close it at night when the temps dip below 50 degrees.

This greenhouse has held up remarkably well considering the framing is untreated and unpainted pine. The greenhouse film is rated for 5 years and hasn't cracked, ripped or yellowed despite being exposed to the northeast bitterly cold and snowy winters.

This fall I am planning on building a new greenhouse. It will be a more permanent one so I am going to construct it out of 2 x 4 cedar. I am planning on making a larger one- probably 8' x 12'. It will have a crushed stone and paver floor, running water with irrigation system, more vents, shade screens and possibly a propane heater. I am also considering using polycarbonate panels instead of the 6 mil greenhouse film to try and better control heat loss in the winter.

****** Update 9/29/12 - Greenhouse Plans are now available! ****** 

* ***Many sizes available from 6'x6' to 8'x16'! ****

You can purchase them from my ETSY store

and they are available in both PDF and Print.

     

Planting by the Phases of the Moon

One of the most interesting, and controversial, techniques I have come across while studying biodynamic gardening is the planting of seeds by the phases of the moon. It's the concept that the lunar gravitational pull has an effect on the germination of seeds and the roots of transplants. I have often started the same variety of seeds at different times only to have one batch germinate almost immediately and the other take up to 2 weeks to germinate.  I never understood why until I read about the influence the gravitational forces of the moon has on plants.

The basic concept is you start seeds 2 days before a new moon, in the first 7 days after the new moon the lunar forces increase root and leaf growth, in the second 7 days the lunar forces increase the leaf growth rate. On the full moon you should transplant your seedlings, then in the next 7 days the lunar forces increase root growth and in the next 7 days there is a decrease (resting period) in root and leaf growth. With the next new moon the cycle starts all over again.

Cucumber seedling planted 5 days ago following the Biodynamic Planting Guide and Calendar.

The book, How to Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons describes in greater detail the process of planting by the phases of the moon. There is also a Biodynamic Planting Guide and Calendar which you can purchase from The Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association which really goes into great detail describing the forces of the moon, starts and planets. It also gives you a daily calendar that tells you which seeds to plant on which days breaking it down by Leaf, Fruit, Root and Flower categories. This is my first year using the Planting Guide and Calendar and the results have been remarkable!

Starting seeds with soil blocks

Pepper seedling in 3/4" soil block

A few years back  I started using soil blocks for starting seeds after becoming discouraged by the low germination rates I was getting using plastic propagation trays. Soil blocks are easy to make, eliminate the need to buy pots, take up lees space and provide extremely high germination rates!

3/4" and 1-1/2" soil block makers

Soil block makers come in 3 different sizes - 3/4", 1-1/2" and 4". You can make your own soil mix or purchase specific soil block mixes. Smaller seeds are started in the 3/4" soil blocks.When the seedlings germinate and the roots start to grow out of the blocks you "block up" to the next size. The 1-1/2" maker has 3/4" square dibbles to allow the 3/4" blocks fit perfectly into them.

1-1/2" and 3/4" soil blocks

The compact soil blocks stay together so they are easy to handle. The roots will grow to the outside edges of the blocks and develope a healthy root system. In the photo above you can see the roots of the cucumber in the 3/4" block on the right coming out at the bottom. The soil blocks can be placed directly on the heating mats, but I use recycled lettuce containers from the grocery store. Each container holds 80 - 3/4" blocks and creates a mini-greenhouse preventing the blocks from drying out too quickly.

Recycled lettuce containers, each holds 80 - 3/4" soil blocks

When planting in the soil blocks, I place the seed in the dimple created by the block maker and tap each seed in making sure it has good surface contact. I don't cover with a layer of soil becasue the seeds seem to germinate better when exposed to air. I get 80%  to 100% germination rates using this method. Seeds seem to germinat quicker - the photo below of cucmber seeds was taken 2 days after planting, every seed germinated (the 2 blocks in the lower right hand corner weren't planted).

Cucumber seedling in 3/4" soil block

Johnny's Seeds has a great video that explains soil block makers in more detail and shows you how to use them. Another excellent resource is Eliot Coleman's book The New Organic Grower. Eliot goes into great detail explaining how to plant in soil blocks, why they work so well and even shows you how to make your own soil block mix. The New Organic Grower has become one of my most valuable tools in organic gardening.