Northern Zone Pushers: watcha doing?

[tnkrer]

Last year I pushed the season by couple of weeks. I plant in SIP containers, so I don't worry about ground temperature much. and on frosty days I was covering the containers with tarp at night. While that made sure that plants did not die, I am not sure how much of a jump I got in terms of when I got my first fruits. So this year, I plan to do a better job and push the season by a whole month. I am hoping to plant out (zone 5a) on May 1st instead of recommended May 29th.
I am starting another thread in the BIY/DIY forum to get some ideas on my container hoop house ..

[bower]

Aha, Stacey... she brought me a tumeric root too, with gorgeous big buds on it, and I split into three pieces and planted... no sign of a sprout yet though.
Three passionfruits now. Enough of that!

[PaulF]

Another couple of inches of snow and temps well below zero have pushed the hoop houses back another couple of weeks.

[dfollett]

Last year I pushed the season by 2+ months. I turned individual Earthtainers into mini greenhouses using stretch-wrap, small $5 candle warmers and a removable lid. My goal was to have ripe tomatoes by our last frost date - June 3. I planted the first few containers on March 31 and a couple more in mid-April. There was daily work involved. Each sunny day I needed to remove the lid and turn off the candle warmers - then put on the lid at night. I harvested the first ripe tomato May 27 and by mid-June we were giving the extras to the neighbors. In all, they survived 29 nights below freezing (15 degrees one night) and 56 nights below 40. In a normal year, we usually get our first ripe tomatoes late July or early August - and are limited to only short season varieties.

There are a lot of variations of what I did that could be incorporated. I posted a thread about the experiment - http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=26514.

Several of the ideas I tried early did not work as I hoped, but the experiment eventually evolved to something that, in the right circumstances, can let you 1) enjoy eating early varieties well ahead of normal and/or 2) try some of the later season varieties you only read about but can never get to ripen.

[bughunter99]

Originally Posted by dfollett

Last year I pushed the season by 2+ months. I turned individual Earthtainers into mini greenhouses using stretch-wrap, small $5 candle warmers and a removable lid. My goal was to have ripe tomatoes by our last frost date - June 3. I planted the first few containers on March 31 and a couple more in mid-April. There was daily work involved. Each sunny day I needed to remove the lid and turn off the candle warmers - then put on the lid at night. I harvested the first ripe tomato May 27 and by mid-June we were giving the extras to the neighbors. In all, they survived 29 nights below freezing (15 degrees one night) and 56 nights below 40. In a normal year, we usually get our first ripe tomatoes late July or early August - and are limited to only short season varieties.

There are a lot of variations of what I did that could be incorporated. I posted a thread about the experiment - http://www.tomatoville.com/showthread.php?t=26514.

Several of the ideas I tried early did not work as I hoped, but the experiment eventually evolved to something that, in the right circumstances, can let you 1) enjoy eating early varieties well ahead of normal and/or 2) try some of the later season varieties you only read about but can never get to ripen.

That is so awesome. I am definitely going to try this!

Stacy

[bughunter99]

It was 50 yesterday!!!! OK yes it snowed bleeping again last night but we have had substantial melt and lots of 40's forecast for this week.

Today I celebrated by planting a few more tomato varieties:
Forest Fire
Perths Pride
Chocolate Blues ( I want to try and cross this with Chocolate Stripes-Tom Wagners idea that I stole from an old thread)

I also planted a few basils (Cinnamon and Napoletean) I've been searching a few weeks for the basil I really want (Lesbos). I had that plant last year and MAN it was fragrant and lovely. No luck this year though.

Tomorrow the plan is to move some of the big snow mound away and put up the pop-up greenhouse. The onions and Kale are going to start their outdoor field trips this week!

Here is what the patio and pond looks like this morning. We had a lot of melt, lots to go, I we are getting there!

Stacy

[jmsieglaff]

Today we sowed broccoli/broccolini, lettuce, herbs, and hot peppers. These will go under the lights and then the cold frame. Sweet peppers are coming up in about 10 days and tomatoes, tomatillos, and marigolds at the end of the month. All while looking at about 18" of snow on the garden.

[bower]

This is the first day in a long time that we had temperatures close to seasonal, it has been bitter cold. Another 5-10 cm snow expected tonight all the same.

But today I took some of my extra peppers and herbs to a market, and in spite of the limited parking due to hulking snowbanks most of those little plants went to good homes. So it looks like there's a healthy appetite to push the season here, starting on the windowsill.
Now I have room for the next batch.

It's really looking like a late spring here though, hard year for season pushing, don't know about you guys. I'm expecting a burst of warmth around 15 May.

[Father'sDaughter]

Went for a snow shoe hike today, then stopped at Lowe's for some Potting Mix so I can up-pot my peppers and eggplants tomorrow.

[disneynut1977]

Started my flowers and the rest of the herbs for butterflies. Everything will get started outside from now on. I'm hoping I can set up 2 earthboxs with wintergreens at the end of the month.

[bughunter99]

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

Went for a snow shoe hike today, then stopped at Lowe's for some Potting Mix so I can up-pot my peppers and eggplants tomorrow.

That sounds like an excellent day!

Stacy

[bughunter99]

The sprouted onions and kale had their first foray into the great outdoors today. The original plan was to set up the pop-up greenhouse but its too windy to mess with today, so instead they are against the warm brick wall. It is only 36 degrees outside today, but warmer near the wall. The have been out there for three hours and the sun has gone away so they are coming back in for the evening. I'm hoping to maintain these guys with outdoor light every day now, until they go in the garden. They will be coming in at night for some time now.

Lots planted today.

Lettuces: Yugoslavian Red Butterhead
Simpson Curled <--impulse buy, know nothing about it. Hope it tastes good. Let me know if I should put something else in its place
Buttercrunch
Bunyards Matchless
Royal Red
Red Flamingo

Culinary Ginger-potted it up. Haven't a clue if I did it right!

Broccoli: Romanesco
Nutribud

AmaranythL Molten Fire

Spinach: Bloomsdale

More chard-red or orange or yellow stem and dark leaved

Thinned: tomatoes-nearly 100% germination, including the older seed with two exceptions below.

Replanted: tomato chocolate stripes and katja as first seedlings looked scrawny.




Stacy

[Father'sDaughter]

Originally Posted by bughunter99

That sounds like an excellent day!

Stacy

The snow shoe hike was excellent. We went to the summit of one of the smaller peaks in the Wapack Range with excellent views of the surrounding peaks.

The trip to Lowe's was depressing. The garden center was cold, barely lit, and totally deserted. Most of the bagged soils are still all sealed up on pallets, and the shelves are virtually empty. It was kind of creepy out there and I was glad to have my husband along. It took us a while to find the MG Potting Mix pallet waaaay in the back, and we had to rip through several layers of plastic wrap to get a couple of bags out.

[rnewste]

Thought I would provide a wee bit of motivation and inspiration for all of you back there in the snow:


Bloody Butcher on Mar 9

Nice here today in northern California at 81 degrees as I write this. Spring is coming your way!

Raybo

[bughunter99]

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

The trip to Lowe's was depressing. The garden center was cold, barely lit, and totally deserted. Most of the bagged soils are still all sealed up on pallets, and the shelves are virtually empty. It was kind of creepy out there and I was glad to have my husband along. It took us a while to find the MG Potting Mix pallet waaaay in the back, and we had to rip through several layers of plastic wrap to get a couple of bags out.

I've noticed that around here too. The box stores have next to nothing out around here for seed starting compared to previous years. I went to three different places looking for plant labels and struck out.

Stacy