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Victory garden

So are you all just gonna keep feeding mr thinskin or get back on topic?

Been meaning to get started on a garden here but there is a high likelihood we'll be moving in the next few months so I don't want to invest in a bunch of raised beds before then. Maybe something we could move or maybe one of the 55 gallon potato grows.

Grow tomatoes, cucumbers and beans in pots. They do well. Of course the bush type cucumbers and beans. You can take them with you.
 
That video of the Nebraska farmer and his geothermally heated greenhouses was REALLY interesting! No heatpump, just cycling air. The comment on the small koi pond at the end, and using the fertilized water for the plants was also intriguing. Pretty ingenious, including the new shape of the green house, and the trench down the long axis inside....
 
@MarinePMI I became interested in aquaponics a couple of years ago and bought study plans for a greenhouse, but life got in the way. Fish and fresh veggies, what's not to like.

greenhouse.jpg
 
I want to build a geodesic greenhouse here, and grow nanners. The story of nanners is interesting. Its places like here and other parts of the south that could end up being a refuge against the newest nanner blight.




And yes, that's geodesic, not geothermal. Geodesic will give a high strong roof.
We don't need geothermal here.
Our lowest temp this winter has been 27deg.
 
I want to build a geodesic greenhouse here, and grow nanners. The story of nanners is interesting. Its places like here and other parts of the south that could end up being a refuge against the newest nanner blight.




And yes, that's geodesic, not geothermal. Geodesic will give a high strong roof.
We don't need geothermal here.
Our lowest temp this winter has been 27deg.

Geothermal works for cooling as well....
 
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The one in my garden is about 7' by 3'. I knew it would be awkward to move, so I made it as big as I could "easily" move it. Bigger would be better to help offset temperature swings, but then it's more of a chore to move it around.

I'm not sure what you mean by "spacers on the ends." Please let me know!

My method of routing a groove in the cedar lid and recessing the polycarbonate with caulking leaves a little to be desired. If these spacers would help I'm all ears.

The next one will be based on using an integer number of 2' widths of polycarbonate cut to length. So it'll probably be just a hair over 6' long, with the "hair" accounting for supports between the panels.

I guess the correct term is closure strips. Ive seen them in plastic and red wood. Do these serve the same puroose as routing and caulk?
 
Who else is getting thier victory garden for '21 ready?

Im adding 3 more raised beds, rebuilding 1, just added a small polytunnel amd a second compost bin. Need to refence amd put the hog panel trellises in.

Ordered seeds a few weeks ago, the seed companies are getting hammered this year.

Looking to build a cold frame using polycarbonate roof panels, anyone done this? Tips?
Victory Garden ?
From hence forth there shall be no " victory gardens " .
King Joe biden forbids it. Victory implies winning and that is discriminatory against those who are weak and have been a victim of society and that is unfair to snowflakes.
From now on they will be known as "participation gardens " and will be for the good of the commies........oops , shit , I meant community!
You will receive your participation award at harvest time when the red coats come to burn your crops .
Have a good day and GOD save the queen !!!
 
Folks, don't forget about the free veggies that are all around you. Find a good book or web page and look for the wild plants that are good to eat. We're talking mostly greens, but some are really good. Also you have the wild berries that you can harvest in the spring to early summer. Bag them and freeze them for year round enjoyment.

The dandelion can be eaten or made into a decent tea. Some of the greens, if you don't catch them early, have to be boiled but are very passible for food if you ever need it in a pinch.
Yup. Gardens are great but all kinds of things happen to them. Wild plants don’t need me to tend. If you spend time researching it is surprising what is available in your AO. Others lived there before we came, what did they eat? Some of it is pretty darn tasty. Some is pretty yuck.
 

I guess the correct term is closure strips. Ive seen them in plastic and red wood. Do these serve the same puroose as routing and caulk?
I looked around the internet and didn't see an example of how those are used. Maybe I'm being dense, but I'm not sure what they're for.

Are they just for support? I use another piece of cedar to fill that role.

Do they plug the ends of the poly? I think you'd either want it waterproof or wide open. Otherwise I'd imagine you'd get sitting water and mold in the channels.

But I'm a complete newb in the design and construction of cold frames, so please let me know if you know something I don't!
 
They are placed under the lip of corrugated roofing to seal off the underside. Some support possibly.
I looked around the internet and didn't see an example of how those are used. Maybe I'm being dense, but I'm not sure what they're for.

Are they just for support? I use another piece of cedar to fill that role.

Do they plug the ends of the poly? I think you'd either want it waterproof or wide open. Otherwise I'd imagine you'd get sitting water and mold in the channels.

But I'm a complete newb in the design and construction of cold frames, so please let me know if you know something I don't!
 
Do you think it's better to leave the lower end open or to just seal up both ends? "Corrugated" in the case of this polycarbonate glazing means it's several parallel square tunnels. So the only way for moisture to enter or exit each tunnel is through the ends.
 
Do you think it's better to leave the lower end open or to just seal up both ends? "Corrugated" in the case of this polycarbonate glazing means it's several parallel square tunnels. So the only way for moisture to enter or exit each tunnel is through the ends.
Hadnt considered moisture, i was thinking more so about trapping more heat within the box. I was going to put 2x2s under then for the lid frame. But still working on design.
 
What about black ground cover, or some flat dark colored stones. If you can get them in direct sunlight they will store up some heat. Black powder jugs or bottles filled with water maybe.
 
Down here we just call it a compost garden.
 
Where are you at? That's a lot for this time of year in my climate
About 10 miles inland up a river valley from the pacific ocean,15 miles south of Eureka Ca. , about as mild of temp swings as you can find. Summers are 60-75 and winters are 45-60 . I get a frost about 4-6 times a year and snow once every 6-8 years for a day.
 
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I'm gonna go Necrothread here, rather than start up a new thread. Because this one has some folks whose opinions I respect.

Got 'gardening' during the pandemic. Thoroughly enjoying it when the deer don't eat my stuff. Good tomatoes this year (now all dried). And did lettuce and some herbs and really enjoyed being able to 'pick a salad.' To go with my steak, of course!

So now its way too cold to garden. Though I brought my pepper plants inside and they are still producing! Hoping they make it through winter as a couple are getting big. Esp. the Thai and Carolina Reaper's.

Here's my question... any of you guys try any of those 'home hydroponic pod' gardens? There are some brand names and they can range from $100 or so to $800 or so (For a tall unit with the ability to grow 20-30 plants at a time. I won't plug names here as it will attract bots and retards. But everyone knows the units I'm talking about.

Anyone have experience with these? Quality of food? I know I won't save money. But I only go to the store once every few weeks, so greens 'at my fingertips' would be great. Lettuce, cilantro, basil... the list goes on.

The theory looks really good. But I can't help but think that most of the 'reviews' on these things are garbage bots and purchased. And that they are mostly just used by stoners to grow weed. But if they really 'are' good for veggies, I'd be interested!

Cheers,

Sirhr

PS. That greenhouse above is amazing. Tha't what I have sort have had in mind to build. A bit bigger... but right outside my front door! Totally cool!
 
We built hydroponics systems in FFA in high school. They are pretty easy and cheap. Growth rates are way higher than in soil. Quality depends on a lot. You can achieve incredible quality but having the solution correct is key. There is a guy on you tube you might be able to find his videos NPK university. A lot interesting tidbits. There are a handful of diffrent ways to do hydro ass well. Emerson, ebb and flow.
 
I'm gonna go Necrothread here, rather than start up a new thread. Because this one has some folks whose opinions I respect.

Got 'gardening' during the pandemic. Thoroughly enjoying it when the deer don't eat my stuff. Good tomatoes this year (now all dried). And did lettuce and some herbs and really enjoyed being able to 'pick a salad.' To go with my steak, of course!

So now its way too cold to garden. Though I brought my pepper plants inside and they are still producing! Hoping they make it through winter as a couple are getting big. Esp. the Thai and Carolina Reaper's.

Here's my question... any of you guys try any of those 'home hydroponic pod' gardens? There are some brand names and they can range from $100 or so to $800 or so (For a tall unit with the ability to grow 20-30 plants at a time. I won't plug names here as it will attract bots and retards. But everyone knows the units I'm talking about.

Anyone have experience with these? Quality of food? I know I won't save money. But I only go to the store once every few weeks, so greens 'at my fingertips' would be great. Lettuce, cilantro, basil... the list goes on.

The theory looks really good. But I can't help but think that most of the 'reviews' on these things are garbage bots and purchased. And that they are mostly just used by stoners to grow weed. But if they really 'are' good for veggies, I'd be interested!

Cheers,

Sirhr

PS. That greenhouse above is amazing. Tha't what I have sort have had in mind to build. A bit bigger... but right outside my front door! Totally cool!

I'm looking into this as well.
The weeds won another round this year. As soon as we get some rain, I'm going to kill the soil with fire.
My asparagus beds are the only thing I'm managing an upper hand against morning glory and nut grass.
Asparagus will grow in 9.0ph soil and salted ground so....

I'll be building my own when I start the venture.

As long as you keep the peppers happy, you will have pepper "trees". My neighbor has several peppers that are 4 or 5 years old. Rumor is 7 years but not sure about that.
I will grow my peppers in pots next year. I pulled the plants up before the frost last Wednesday, and hung them in the barn to dry.
I'll have some nice dried peppers in a month. Pablanos, Anaheim and Pasila Bahia.
 
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I'm looking into this as well.
The weeds won another round this year. As soon as we get some rain, I'm going to kill the soil with fire.
My asparagus beds are the only thing I'm managing an upper hand against morning glory and nut grass.
Asparagus will grow in 9.0ph soil and salted ground so....

I'll be building my own when I start the venture.

As long as you keep the peppers happy, you will have pepper "trees". My neighbor has several peppers that are 4 or 5 years old. Rumor is 7 years but not sure about that.
I will grow my peppers in pots next year. I pulled the plants up before the frost last Wednesday, and hung them in the barn to dry.
I'll have some nice dried peppers in a month. Pablanos, Anaheim and Pasila Bahia.
Question on the asparagus , I just now whacked all my ferns down for the winter and I had a lot of berries so I planted them in my bare spots of the bed. Any chance they will sprout and take off in the spring??
 
Question on the asparagus , I just now whacked all my ferns down for the winter and I had a lot of berries so I planted them in my bare spots of the bed. Any chance they will sprout and take off in the spring??
Asparagus will start from seed. It can be tough to get them to maturity. It will be about 5 years before they are ready to harvest.
I have started them from seed before.

The problem if you are getting a lot of berries is you have some male plants in there. The females will give more sprouts than the males, and more yet if they dont spend the year in seed production. In my opinion it best to just buy 3 year old crowns from a reputable seller that says you are getting female crowns.
 
Question on the asparagus , I just now whacked all my ferns down for the winter and I had a lot of berries so I planted them in my bare spots of the bed. Any chance they will sprout and take off in the spring??
If they were mature, absolutely.
When the bed gets thick in 7 to 10 years, its good to do some digging and expanding. Theyll get root bound after a while.
It looks like mine may grow all winter.
 
If they were mature, absolutely.
When the bed gets thick in 7 to 10 years, its good to do some digging and expanding. Theyll get root bound after a while.
It looks like mine may grow all winter.
I was looking at my bed this year thinking I needed to dig some up and move them. I just planted my crowns too close though. I have a habit of doing that. They are also starting to get more shade than I want from a Methley plum tree I planted.

I have a question about cherry trees. I have two sweet cherries. They are 6 now, but three years ago they were killed by a late freeze. I left them and it appeared about 1-2" above the graft survived. I let them regrow and this year they had flower buds all over them, but when they opened instead of being pink the pedals were green like leaves, and instead of stamen and pistils in the center they grew a two leaves. At blossom fall they all died and fell off like a blossom would. Anyone know anything about that? Is that the root stock, do I need to over graft them? IS that something they do sometimes. I can't find anything about it.

I had a peach tree killed to the ground the same year. IT came back this year it made some grapefruit sized crunch peaches with a skin kind of like a roughed up appear sack. I am guessing it is the root stock. I got those trees at tractor supply advertised redhaven. But the other one that fruited before it died had red skinned white fleshed peaches. So it could just be mismarked varieties. I imagine it would make a decent canning peach, but I going to cut it, and let the other tree I planted there take over.
 
Question on the asparagus , I just now whacked all my ferns down for the winter and I had a lot of berries so I planted them in my bare spots of the bed. Any chance they will sprout and take off in the spring??

I've not had good luck planting the berries, but I still do it. You likely know this but as to whacking the ferns, depending on your climate, it's best to cut them and lay 'em loose over the base. They maintain an air gap between the snow and the ground through the winter to help keep the roots from freezing. After spring snow melt, and it warms a bit, rake 'em up and do whatever you do with old plants. Since they are fairly weathered and soft I just till them into the garden. The clay around here needs all the organics it can get.

Thank you,
MrSmith
 
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I was looking at my bed this year thinking I needed to dig some up and move them. I just planted my crowns too close though. I have a habit of doing that. They are also starting to get more shade than I want from a Methley plum tree I planted.

I have a question about cherry trees. I have two sweet cherries. They are 6 now, but three years ago they were killed by a late freeze. I left them and it appeared about 1-2" above the graft survived. I let them regrow and this year they had flower buds all over them, but when they opened instead of being pink the pedals were green like leaves, and instead of stamen and pistils in the center they grew a two leaves. At blossom fall they all died and fell off like a blossom would. Anyone know anything about that? Is that the root stock, do I need to over graft them? IS that something they do sometimes. I can't find anything about it.

I had a peach tree killed to the ground the same year. IT came back this year it made some grapefruit sized crunch peaches with a skin kind of like a roughed up appear sack. I am guessing it is the root stock. I got those trees at tractor supply advertised redhaven. But the other one that fruited before it died had red skinned white fleshed peaches. So it could just be mismarked varieties. I imagine it would make a decent canning peach, but I going to cut it, and let the other tree I planted there take over.

Thats root stock. Your sweet cherry graft is gone.
I had a grapefruit do the same thing. Now I have a trifolate bitter orange.....at least the winter won't kill it anymore.
Also lost a variegated pink lemon. Not sure what is coming off the root now. Im gonna let it grow.
 
Looking at hydro for down the road as well - so I would love to hear of some of y'all doing some experimental stuff!

I hoping to finally get some raised beds going this next year. In my zone I may get some lettuces and turnip/collard greens this winter
 
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