Northern Zone Pushers: watcha doing?

[Sodak]

Keep the lights two to six inches above the tops of the seedlings and give eight hours of darkness and 16 hours (or so) a day of light. Give a dilute (1/4-1/2 strength liquid fertilizer and apply to bottom of pots and let it wick up to roots. Water with this when tray at bottom begins to get dry. Should keep from getting too "leggy."

[beeman]

Originally Posted by JLJ_

I hope you were able to have someone get a picture, for your family archives if for nothing else. Would have to be an image that says "Determined Gardener" like nothing else could!

You asked, so here you go. The local madman at work in the garden, complete with snowshoes.

[Cole_Robbie]

Great pic! I love it. You could be the groundskeeper on a ski slope.

[SharonRossy]

that's dedication!

[bower]

We have had 70 cm of snow since the 'first day of spring'. There's as much snow in my driveway as the worst of January and it was bad.
Doggedly gardening in my slippers... indoors.

[tam91]

I've used the 12 oz Styrofoam cups for years - work great. And easy to label, just write the name of the variety on the cup with a sharpie

[bughunter99]

I don't know about everyone else but I am getting a little tired of forecasts that say it is going to be 45 degrees and then these high winds bringing the temp feel way down.

Today I transplanted the six tomato babies, the previously transplanted ones have doubled in size, these are doing nothing so I hope to get them going.

I replanted Thai basil. It had a field trip outdoors and didn't like the windchill and croaked.

I replanted spinach, I think this seed is bad, but I will give it one more chance.

I got the pond filtration running and moved about 500 pounds of wet, partially decayed stinky leaves to the compost pile along with copious amounts of string algae and fish poop.

Stacy

[swardson]

All tomatoes and most of basil has sprouted. Cilantro and Peppers are starting to pop up. Just placed a rope light under the Pepper flats to speed them up.

[Got Worms?]

Originally Posted by bughunter99

Grow it...grow it....Grow it... Grow it
(Stacy chants for the extreme zone pushing!}

I've been nursing along culinary ginger and a tumeric root in damp paper towels for a couple of weeks now. The ginger is coming along, the tumeric....starting to look a little funky.

Mine is about 18" 21" (just measured) tall in a cut down 2 litre soda bottle. Methinks potting up is in order.

Charlie

[Father'sDaughter]

Finally set up the mini greenhouse on Saturday, and yesterday I moved the onions, spinach, kale, lettuce, thyme, sage and parsley out to it. On Saturday I also pulled the hay off my beds that were still frozen and to give the garlic and shallots hoots some sunshine.

[taboule]

Saturday was nice at my place. Started cleaning up the beds from leaves, hay and mulch. Turned over one compost pile that's ready, added more browns to the second. Day went by quickly and I barely put a dent in the prep work. Was hoping to start my plantings, maybe this week with the onions. Will also take out the first plants for hardening, brassicas, lettuce and some greens.

The local HD started stocking plants, greens and herbs. Temps are no longer dipping bellow the freeze mark at night. Ground is still very soggy and ore rain today.

[Got Worms?]

I've just started to construct a cold frame/mini greenhouse/PVC type whatchamacallit, with all the hallmarks of a classic thingamajig.

Please excuse the mess, my wife hasn't done any cleaning since the divorce back in '98. (What's up with that?) ...Anyway, when I finish this; it will be 36" wide, 49" high at the inside of the peak, and approximately 7' long. Oh, and it will be the first of a pair, hinged on a single 14' long raised bed.

I feel that this design will allow me some versatility. I plan to use it to warm (read thaw) the spring soil, frost protection for earlier spring starts, frost protection in fall, and who knows, maybe with some warming lights, soil heating cables and some heavy moving blankets, I might just try my hand at overwintering something or other right in the garden. For whatever it's worth...here it is:

[beeman]

Originally Posted by Got Worms?

I feel that this design will allow me some versatility. I plan to use it to warm (read thaw) the spring soil, frost protection for earlier spring starts, frost protection in fall, and who knows, maybe with some warming lights, soil heating cables and some heavy moving blankets, I might just try my hand at overwintering something or other right in the garden. For whatever it's worth...here it is:

Should extend the seasons for you. Just a word of warning, it won't be strong enough to withstand any snow.
I have two somewhat similar and both collapsed over the winter. So, another extra job this year re-building them.

[beeman]

Have just opened my greenhouse, even with the snow on the ground still 2 feet thick. Temps are warming to just the freezing mark and with a small heater I can keep a minimum of 55F.
Part of the opening was to install an 8 set of Alaska grow buckets,http://alaskagrowbuckets.com/ a lot of work setting them up, but I think they'll suit my use for this year. That's 7 different tomatoes and one for cucumbers, should see us with enough eating toms.
Couldn't believe the amount of water to get them stabilized, gallons upon gallons. Carrying all those buckets down the garden (no hosepipes yet) took forever.
A dedicated gardener???

[Cole_Robbie]

my wife hasn't done any cleaning since the divorce back in '98. (What's up with that?)

LOL

The pvc will last longer in the sun if you paint it with a white latex paint. White duct tape also works, but the sun will eat it up in a year or two.