My cold frame

[Daniel_NY]

[Daniel_NY]

Looking good!

[macbettz]

Very nice looking growbox with lights and a fan too! I like the wireless weather station touch. This is much more than a cold frame. I wouldnt include a dessicant but I am sure you have your reasons.

[PA_Julia]

Now that's impressive Daniel.

Extremely so.

[Fat Charlie]

^ Understatement. Wow.

[Daniel_NY]

Macbettz, I used the Silica Gel to reduce humidity during the night when the lid is closed.
I have about 80% humidity in the morning. It works.

Macbettz, why you wouldn’t use the dessicant?

[stenersons]

Hey that's cool! Are the bulbs for heat?

[Daniel_NY]

Tx. Yes, the bulbs are for heating the cold frame during the night.

[JamesL]

Daniel,
Welcome and nice build! What's the liquid in the 5 gal container?

[Daniel_NY]

The liquid in that awesome

Dispensing Jug
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

is the fantastic - and organic - Big Bloom (Fox Farm)
http://foxfarmfertilizer.com/index.p...schedules.html

Fox Farm Feeding Schedules (Select Soil Schedule Color - English)
http://foxfarmfertilizer.com/index.p...schedules.html

recommends 6 tsp / gl. but everybody says it’s too much and they recommend only 3 tsp / gl.

[JamesL]

Thanks. I like it. Do you use that to feed all season? Planting in containers or the ground?

[Daniel_NY]

>Do you use that to feed all season?
Most likely, yes.

The problem is that I also like
Neptune's Harvest Organic Fish/Seaweed Blend Fertilizer
http://www.neptunesharvest.com/fs-191.html

so I’ll have to find a solution to use both.

I love Big Bloom and I would like to use the entire set from Fox Farm
http://www.amazon.com/Fox-Farm-FX140...ords=big+bloom

The only problem is that only Big Bloom is ORGANIC. Grow Big and Tiger Bloom are NOT. I’m sure they are awesome products, but I prefer to grow my plants organic.

>Planting in containers or the ground?

I had BAD experiences with those 5 gl. buckets from Home Depot: short, thin plants, no fruits. Maybe I over-watered, maybe I made too few holes at the bottom of the bucket, maybe the soil was not fluffy enough, maybe… Anyway, I’m not going to use those buckets anymore.

I had EXCELLENT results with BIG plastic boxes like this one – the bigger, the better:
http://largeplasticstoragecontainers...containers.jpg

Probably because they are bigger… And the soil was fluffier...

So, everything will go in the ground, where ALWAYS everything was fine.

[Deborah]

Impressive !
I just plant right in the largest bag of organic potting mix. I poke a few holes in the back about an inch from the bottom of the bag.

[Daniel_NY]

>Impressive !
Thank you.

>I just plant right in the largest bag of organic potting mix.
Cool !

>I poke a few holes in the back about an inch from the bottom of the bag.
I would make 2-3 holes at the base / bottom of the bag, so no water can accumulate.

[tlintx]

Originally Posted by Deborah

Impressive !
I just plant right in the largest bag of organic potting mix. I poke a few holes in the back about an inch from the bottom of the bag.

Oooh, I was thinking about using this technique in the raised beds I'm building soon, and then just pulling the plastic out next year. Glad to see it's working! Is that directly on ground, and how many cubic feet would you say each plant grows in?

Originally Posted by Daniel_NY

>Planting in containers or the ground?

I had BAD experiences with those 5 gl. buckets from Home Depot: short, thin plants, no fruits. Maybe I over-watered, maybe I made too few holes at the bottom of the bucket, maybe the soil was not fluffy enough, maybe… Anyway, I’m not going to use those buckets anymore.

Have you considered making an earthtainer? They're so well-regarded that I'm starting to feel like someday I'll finally make one and then kick myself for not doing it sooner.