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poncirusguy6b452xx

time to get your starts planted

poncirusguy6b452xx
10 years ago

Just check to see what other are doing as far as getting there plants started to put outside later for an early start.
I have my Beets, Broccoli, Brussel sprout, Cabbage, Collards, kale, Mustard, Turnips, Spinach, in 16 once cups under lights with plans to put them out in my double glaze cold frame. I have been harvesting beets greens every day for a week now. They make excellent salads.

The link below will take you to pictures of my setup and plants. The cold frame measures 32 feet by 6 feet and is 32 inches tall at its highest point

Here is a link that might be useful: https://plus.google.com/photos/111099372377958308731/albums/5970364213808306289?banner=pwa

Comments (21)

  • chloeasha
    10 years ago

    Nice! I'm not doing anything this year. In fact, I've mostly dismantled my garden in anticipation of moving. Sad. But it is exciting to think of a potentially new place!

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    10 years ago

    Pon., you've been busy! Looks like a great start.

    I've started repotting a few things, and filled up our dumpster with fugly nursery pots that were lurking under the back porch. If they're not here, I can't fill them with plants again, then sit around complaining about the ugly pots. I put a couple plants out in the sun over the weekend and they got ants in them. Now they're banished to the shed. Hope that's enough warmth!

    Do you know when your move is yet, J?

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Spinach will be going out this weekend up in the roof top garden under double glassed solar heated green house. Depending on the long term forecast the Beets, Broccoli, Brusselsprouts, Cabbage, Collards, kale, Mustard, Turnips seen in the pic below may go up. As they get bigger they need watering very often. We are eating greens from thinning the weaker plants every day. The beat greens are coming in strong. When I am able to get beet greens from outside. We will eat the beetroots from inside. The roots from outside will be coming in about when we finish with the roots in the basement grow box.

    Steve

  • chloeasha
    10 years ago

    Hey Purple! So we won't know until he has completed his dissertation stuff and has had a chance to go job hunting. Basically it will be like either we find out and then move about a month or two after that, or we just keep waiting and eventually figure out nothing is happening and have to look elsewhere.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    10 years ago

    That's making me hungry, Steve! Is that a holiday cactus in the back row?

    J., so you're ready to be ready, huh? Good luck!
    - Tiffany

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    That is a Christmas cactus. I had to look to see what your asking. It is my wife's.

    Steve

  • chloeasha
    10 years ago

    Thanks! And yeah, that is a Schlumbergera truncata.

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I use hundreds of plastic beverage cup for my starts. I get them free at parties before they hit the trash. Because the are translucent I can see if there are any problems in the root area.

    The picture below show newly transplants that out grew their cup
    {{gwi:216}}
    below show the strongest plants that remain to grow big in the garden
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    Below picture my spinach growing between my storm window and main window. the spinach likes the cold at night and the better sun achieved by one sheet of plain glass and the glass is flush with the siding,

    {{gwi:218}}
    The mess stays out of the house,

    Check out the video on making these drink cup planters

    Here is a link that might be useful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gOA-MbhBfQ&feature=em-upload_owner

    This post was edited by poncirusguy on Mon, Feb 17, 14 at 19:43

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Half of the starts shown above have been planted in ground in rooftop cold frame. seen in link below

    The other half are in larger containers waiting to go outside.
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    Here is a link that might be useful: https://plus.google.com/photos/111099372377958308731/albums/5970364213808306289/5984558482624450946?banner=pwa&pid=5984558482624450946&oid=111099372377958308731

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    All my cold weather plants are in the rooftop cold frame.

    {{gwi:221}}
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  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    All my starts in in ground and the cold frame has been removed. We harvest every day and give some away.

    {{gwi:226}}
    north west corner of rooftop garden with starts.

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    north center to east edge with starts.

    Click below to see what else is on the rooftop (balcony) garden. Click any thumbnail to expand.

    Here is a link that might be useful: http://s1094.photobucket.com/user/wreristhechimney/library/starts%202014?sort=4&page=1

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    mid season with my starts. Tall dark green plants are Brusselsprouts. My egg plants and pepper plants are in 5 gallon bottomless buckets that are turned upside down. to compare to those in 5 gallon buckets. My blueberry plants are in oak frame 28 inch bottomless boxes. That leave my sweet potatoes and watermelon at dirt level to run around.

    Steve

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Here we see the 5 blueberry plants in their bottomless casings with the first one left of the sun flower and on down to the lower edge.

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    There seemed to be no difference in the growth and fruit production between the peppers grown in bottomless 5 gallon buckets and buckets with bottoms and drain holes.

    The Eggplants however did multiple times better in the bottomless 5 gallon buckets than those grown in 5 gallon buckets with bottoms and drain holes.

    By planting the peppers in buckets with bottom, I will be able to bring them in when the first frost hits. 10 of my pepper plant had up to 20 peppers on them that ripened into January for about an additional 100+/- fresh peppers.

    The egg plants in the buckets are so unproductive that there will be little gain bringing them in for one or 2 fruits.

    My potting mix is no more than garden dirt mixed with an equal amount of black gold compost made at home. The 2 items are free.

    The use of a proper mix like 5-1-1 will allow for better eggplant results, but would cost more than the added fruit is worth.

    steve

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    In the end the peppers in the 5 gallon bucket did better in hot weather and those. grown in bottomless bucket did better in cold weather. I have brought the plants in the buckets down to eventually go inside when frosts start hitting. The plants don't grow but will ripen their load and then die. This take up to 3 months of fresh red ripe sweet peppers. Check out my YouTube video below

    Here is a link that might be useful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbQnHAjwPvA

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    The peppers in the bottomless buckets

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Everything has now been harvested. The brusselsprouts never set up their sprouts but they were the prettiest of all the veggies on the roof. My fall crop consist of lettuce and brassicas from seed dropped by their parent plants this spring. I found out that the sweetpotato variety I grew had domesticated pork DNA spiced in for some reason. It shows up in the harvest

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    One more sweet potato plant to harvest and 6 pepper plants before our first killing fall frost. next Tuesday/Wednesday.

    Check out what's happening at ground level by clicking the link

    Here is a link that might be useful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc754Fo7IVI

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    9 years ago

    Enjoying your pics very much! After moving in April, I don't (yet) have porches, so haven't felt very balcony-ish this summer. Lurking though. TY for sharing!

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    The closing of the season and rooftop garden for 2014.

    Pictures show from starts indoors and preparing the grounds to harvesting of veggies and closing for winter. Click any thumbnail to open then use the thumb wheel to further enlarge Most of the pictures are enlargeable.

    Steve

    .

    Here is a link that might be useful: https://plus.google.com/photos/111099372377958308731/albums/5970364213808306289?banner=pwa

  • poncirusguy6b452xx
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I have continued this thread on into 2015 at the link below

    Here is a link that might be useful: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/balcony/msg0120152121491.html?2

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