Seedlings progress

[kilroyscarnival]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

[Q
Ann I don't know if you are aware of it but you can recycle all styrofoam at Publix in the green bins in front of the store.
The seedlings look good, nice job!
-Marsha

Thanks, Marsha! I take the foam trays and egg cartons from my groceries back to Publix. It's my understanding that while other plastics can be broken down and re-formed, polystyrene isn't. Maybe that's wrong. I'm not sure how they recycle it exactly.

High of 81° F today here. I had soil without a seedling in one of the plastic cups, and was able to feel it was quite warm in the sun. Not sure whether it was too warm or not, but the soil in the white foam cups doesn't heat up.

[kilroyscarnival]

Originally Posted by Worth1

And no I dont think it was a bad idea but I would just plant the beans in whatever they were going to grow in from now on.

Worth

Yep. Would definitely do that next time. I'm still up in the air about what I'm doing due to getting what seems like a late start. I don't yet have a raised bed built, and am a bit concerned that I'll hit a January freeze, so probably this batch of things will go in containers. This whole garden thing wasn't really planned. I will probably make some bad first-time mistakes as well.

Wow, drilling in glass jars sounds like quite the project, though it's certainly durable and can be readily sterilized. Makes sense! Think I am not up to drilling glass though.

[kilroyscarnival]

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

They're looking great!

I've taken to using blue painter's tape and a sharpie to mark my pots. When I transplant the seedlings, I peel the tape off and move it to the larger pot.

Nice idea! For now I just crossed out the first marking. But that would work well. Do you use a marker in the soil when you transplant them too? I guess I could have used wooden popsicle sticks, easier.

[kilroyscarnival]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

Thanks so much for the offer of seeds for research, but I no longer can do my own gardening of anything since Dec of 2004 when I severed all four of my quad muscles in my right leg.

Gosh, so sorry to hear. I didn't realize.

So I don't know quite what I'll be growing "as" Wins All, but I guess I'll see what kind of fruit I get and whether I like them. I ordered those seeds before I had the benefit of reading what I've gotten to on this site. Think next time I will have a better plan.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by kilroyscarnival

Yep. Would definitely do that next time. I'm still up in the air about what I'm doing due to getting what seems like a late start. I don't yet have a raised bed built, and am a bit concerned that I'll hit a January freeze, so probably this batch of things will go in containers. This whole garden thing wasn't really planned. I will probably make some bad first-time mistakes as well.

Wow, drilling in glass jars sounds like quite the project, though it's certainly durable and can be readily sterilized. Makes sense! Think I am not up to drilling glass though.

I know how you feel I have had stuff in pots too with no idea what or where to put them.
Right now I have a nice crop of beans sprouting by the road where I put out some dried up garden wast and moved it over.
I also have some old tomato plants from this spring growing and blooming like mad.
I just cant make myself pull them up.

It takes about 3 minutes to drill one hole with water and the hole saw.
I just crank up the heavy metal and drill away.
I find it rather relaxing.

Worth

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by kilroyscarnival

Nice idea! For now I just crossed out the first marking. But that would work well. Do you use a marker in the soil when you transplant them too? I guess I could have used wooden popsicle sticks, easier.

Yes, when they go in the ground I put in markers. I started by buying the white plastic ones, and I still have some I re-use. Last year I found a high quality (thicker) vinyl mini blind in the bargain bin at Home Depot (it was a custom order someone returned). For $3 and a little time with a pair of scissors, I have enough markers to last me for decades. I also keep a paper map just incase something happens to the garden markers.

[kilroyscarnival]

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

Yes, when they go in the ground I put in markers. I started by buying the white plastic ones, and I still have some I re-use. Last year I found a high quality (thicker) vinyl mini blind in the bargain bin at Home Depot (it was a custom order someone returned). For $3 and a little time with a pair of scissors, I have enough markers to last me for decades. I also keep a paper map just incase something happens to the garden markers.

Vinyl mini blind! What a great idea! Maybe we should start a thread for Money Saving Gardening Ideas and copy that one in there.

By the way, just got a letter from the City of Orlando saying that very soon they are going to one large wheelie-bin for curbside recycling pickup. Currently we have separate plastic bins with some vent holes in the bottom, just really a nice size for container gardening. They say they are going to collect the old ones and drop off the big bins, and they will repurpose or recycle them. I wonder whether the city would sell some of those cheap for container gardening?

I'm going to call and ask nicely. Granted, the plastic might be a little more brittle than the Rubbermaid containers and I couldn't make an EarthTainer out of them.

Ann

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by kilroyscarnival

Vinyl mini blind! What a great idea! Maybe we should start a thread for Money Saving Gardening Ideas and copy that one in there.

Ann

Actually, I believe I picked up the idea on here sometime over the past year! I don't know if there's a specific thread for these types of ideas, but I know there are some individual threads about low and no cost tips.

And I hope you're able to score some containers from the city. I know when we got the big barrels on wheels, the town was not interested in taking back our bins. I didn't have a garden back then, but if I did I would have scooped them up from all our neighbors. If it's not mandatory that the old bins be returned, try talking to a couple of your neighbors to see if they'd be willing to pass theirs along.

[kilroyscarnival]

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

If it's not mandatory that the old bins be returned, try talking to a couple of your neighbors to see if they'd be willing to pass theirs along.

That would be good. I think the city made it an initial trade-out though - you put your old ones out and they leave a new one, but if you didn't have any to trade in you would have to call and request. Which I have to say seems like they have a plan for them.

I am also on the hunt for free or cheap 5 gallon buckets, etc. There are some places that are selling them in bulk, $2 per, but that's barely cheaper than retail. And not sure what was in them, in terms of chemicals. Just switched to Tidy Cat kitty litter because it comes in a big plastic container which I can repurpose. That was an idea from the global buckets web site.

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by kilroyscarnival

That would be good. I think the city made it an initial trade-out though - you put your old ones out and they leave a new one, but if you didn't have any to trade in you would have to call and request. Which I have to say seems like they have a plan for them.

I am also on the hunt for free or cheap 5 gallon buckets, etc. There are some places that are selling them in bulk, $2 per, but that's barely cheaper than retail. And not sure what was in them, in terms of chemicals. Just switched to Tidy Cat kitty litter because it comes in a big plastic container which I can repurpose. That was an idea from the global buckets web site.

You used to be able to get old pickle buckets from various fast food restaurant and/or deli. Some people sell em, but I bet you can find someone who might still give em away free. If you ask nice they might even save em for ya.

[Father'sDaughter]

We have an ice cream place here in town that still makes their own ice cream on site. A lot of their ingredients apparently come in five gallon buckets and they sell them for a buck a piece.

[ginger2778]

I am also on the hunt for free or cheap 5 gallon buckets, etc. There are some places that are selling them in bulk, $2 per, but that's barely cheaper than retail. And not sure what was in them, in terms of chemicals. Just switched to Tidy Cat kitty litter because it comes in a big plastic container which I can repurpose. That was an idea from the global buckets web site.

Publix to the rescue again. They get 5 gallon containers in their bakery of all the frostings, multi grain mix etc. If you call and ask to speak to the baker, he/she will hold them for you for free! I usually bribe them by offering some to bring them some unable to get anywhere else tomatoes at harvest time, and they are just delighted. Publix is huge on customer service. Best of all it's food grade plastic.
Those buckets have ridged tops, so you can very easily and cheaply stack one on top of another and make a self watering container. Here's the link of a youtube video on how to do it:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZUCxBHeq04 There are several other videos on variations of this. SWCs are great because you can't overwater and they keep the plant always moist enough, and you seal all the fertilizer in at the beginning too.
-Marsha

[kilroyscarnival]

Originally Posted by ginger2778

Publix to the rescue again. They get 5 gallon containers in their bakery of all the frostings, multi grain mix etc. If you call and ask to speak to the baker, he/she will hold them for you for free!-Marsha

Ahem, I think, Marsha to the rescue again also. Thanks, that is on my list to do. Yes, we Floridians love our Publix; it ranks very high in customer loyalty. Additionally, I live about three blocks from a rather small old store (I call it the excuse-me Publix because the aisles are a bit narrow) in my neighborhood. I don't yet know the bakery manager, but I will give this a shot. Thought the same thing, offering tomatoes when they are ripe. And, I've seen the Global Buckets video. Except for having to get a large hole saw attachment for my drill, I think maybe even I can do that one.

Was reading another thread here last night about 5-gal buckets being too small, affecting growth and yield, but others seem to have good results with it. I am not going for record yield, just healthy plants and some good food.

Thanks again, Marsha!

[FreyaFL]

I know it's not real cheap, but Walmart sells a white 5 gal bucket for $2.97, which is cheaper than the 5 gal buckets of many colors from places like HD, Lowes and Ace (and it doesn't have a HUGE label.) According to a survivalist board I happened upon when looking up buckets (omg, the "interesting" forums I get the BEST info from, especially in relation to aquaponics... ), these may not be labeled food grade, but they are made identically to the ones that the company labels as such. I found them in the paint section.

[casino]

For cups this is what I use. I purchase 12 oz plastic cups at costco, 500 cups a bag. I always start with fresh cups and never reuse the old for many good reasons. In the past I would drill a hole in the bottom for drainage, what a pain. Sometimes I would get a clean round hole and sometimes I crack up the bottom of the cup and make a mess. I am now growing 1,200 plants a year, thats my greenhouse capacity and since I sell my plants I want a nice cup and not a ripped up bottom to sell.

For 1,200 cups I put the drill down and burn the hole. I start a bond fire and heat up a 4 foot piece of rebar. get it red hot, make a stack of 5 cups and burn (melt) a perfect hole in the bottom. It takes seconds to make a clean hole.

I use all kinds of plastic cups, clear cups to sell to the public, Red cups are for me, yellow cups are for my family and other color cups for special orders. With the color cups I dont haflto think who gets what. I just grab and go.

PS I do not have any heat problems using clear cups, all packed together they shade each other.


NEXT I buy a large packet of white file folder avery labels 1/3 cut (2/3" X 3 7/16"). If you only want a few labels avery model# 8593 is a 150 label packet, plenty for most people. Put the labels in the laser printer and in the word program pull up the avery model# the template will pop up and start typing the names of the tomatoes. DONT use a water based ink jet to print your labels. The labels last at least 3 months, plenty of time to start, sell and leave the cups next to the plant before I put on the summer labels. The labels stick like glue to the plastic cups.

Go trash picking and look for the old aluminum mini blinds. cut them into 5" strips and drill a hole near the top. write on the tag the tomato name in permenant ink and zip tie the label to the TOP of the tomato cage. No need to crawl on your hands and knees looking for a name in the ground.
Thats what I do.

a few pictures showing the cups with labels.