I put this together with a 6-foot length of concrete reinforcing mesh, a few wooden garden stakes, a few cable ties, some plastic sheeting that the painters left behind, and a bunch of binder clips. It's going to be really easy to disassemble when I don't need it anymore this season.
Inside I put a couple of boards on the ground and a waterproof seedling heat mat on top of that. On sunny days I prop one side of the structure up on the flower pot so that it doesn't get too hot. Today I propped it wide open so that the seedlings could get direct sun (what there was of it) a feel the breeze to help make sturdy stems. The tiny seedlings are Yellow Wonder strawberries.
At night I turn the heat mat on and close down the greenhouse with a couple of big rocks on top of the protruding garden stakes at the corners. I've also got two layers of frost cloth to clip onto the whole thing for either very cold nights (it's been down in the 40F's lately) or when I transition new seedlings into the green house to provide some protection from the sun until the babies become accustomed full strength sunlight.
I just potted up my tomato seedlings, a few slow peppers, and basil yesterday and they are getting their first experience of real sunlight through the living room window. Hank is inspecting the newly planted lemongrass. These will transition out to the mini greenhouse in a few days.
There's one more tray of seeds sown in paper pots under the lights on the heat mats indoors. That tray has eggplant and some more tomatoes and peppers that didn't germinate well the first time around. I hope that by the time the last tray of seedlings is ready to go out that I will be able to put some of the first peppers into the garden since the greenhouse is large enough to hold only 6 flats of pots.
I often make hoophouses out in the garden too. I don't grow the plants very long in them, but it gets them used to the intense sun outdoors. It looks like you have a lot of seedlings growing now. I've only got my lettuce and alliums right now, but soon lots more will start.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea to use the reinforcing mesh... and I know where I can get my hands on some!
ReplyDeleteDaphne, The little houses seem to be a great way to transition veggies outside. In the past I would put my plants outside during the day, if it wasn't raining, and bring them in at night. This year I didn't want to do all that schlepping again and I can leave the plants out even when it's raining. So far the new method seems to be working.
ReplyDelete---
Jan, The reinforcing mesh is really handy to have around. I use for trellises and tomato cages also.
I use large grow tunnel hoop houses alot in the spring over sections of my garden beds. Will be putting several up this weekend, as I have some kale, broccoli, pac choi, and lettuces that need to move out from the greenhouse to the garden - but are not ready to brave the elements entirely unprotected yet.
ReplyDeleteYour hot grow house is particularly effective since it has the heat mats under the peppers. I may put a heat pad out in the green house under the super early tomatoes. They are ready to move out but I don't want them getting too chilled and slowing down - a heat mat would certainly do the trick though!
Michelle, you are so smart and handy! It's such a great small greenhouse! Your seedlings look great. I'd be a bit nervous to have a cat near them!
ReplyDeletekitsapFG, I've just recently discovered the usefulness of fabric covered tunnels to protect my newly transplanted seedlings from critters. Now I'm tempted to try planting some of the peppers early and covering them with a tunnel to give them a head start.
ReplyDelete---
Tatyana, the kitties are very well behaved around my seedlings. But I don't tempt them with catnip seedlings, I don't think they could resist that. :)
I was pleasantly surprised by how well the yellow wonder strawberries germinated for me.
ReplyDeleteI really like the temporary hoop you constructed out of concrete reinforcement wire. I've been tempted to buy a roll of it...that is, if I can wrestle up a truck to bring it home.
I have been just thinking same thing - to use that reinforcing wire for building hoop houses, but also as a support for growing peas and cucumbers.
ReplyDeleteSeedlings look lovely!
I like the seedling cloche, your peppers and such should be very cozy in there. You are very brave with your other pots or your cat is well trained. I don't dare leave anything out and uncovered around ours, they love to walk and lay on top of our seedling if given the opprotunity...it drives me crazy:)
ReplyDeleteVery cool greenhouse idea - I like the use of binder clips especially. I have lots of those!
ReplyDelete