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Good Morning, Dear Readers! It seems they have declared April the time to be aware of Ecology. OldNewGreenRedo is always mindful of preserving our earth and ecology. So on to this post.
After a last week in Chicagoland's few glorious days, we were back to shivering cold and gray skies.
We amped up the greenhouse heater with a timer and the heater runs at about half power from dusk to dawn. This seems to be working perfectly, keeping the greenhouse in the 50 degree range at night. (Our Chicagoland evening temps have rattled in the low 30's to around 40.) The new patio block floor and insulation absorb sun and heat during the day and helps to keep the greenhouse heater from having to work over time.
BEING Eco-friendly---We are looking into small solar panels for electricity in the greenhouse for the future. In the last two years we have updated our heating/cooling in our home which is passive solar to begin with, and a new insulating roof has also reduced our heat bills dramatically.
In the greenhouse, about 9AM in the morning, I do a physical check of the and it's in the 40's outside, but in the greenhouse it is 66 Degrees and 33% humidity. I spot water all the plants and go back inside for coffee.
Since last week, everything seems to be popping up...many plants needed to be transplanted last week, which I did on Saturday the 20th. Here we have trays of flowers...marigolds, and the Nasturtiums on the left.
Again, this is the last year I'm using seed planting pods, WHY???You ASK? I've observed they dry out so quickly when the plants are too big to have the plastic covers on, and they are very restrictive on root development. I'm just using up what we have. When I transplant I rip them open and the roots have barely done anything in the tightly compacted dry medium. I think it is a waste of resources and funds.
These are all tiny plants, but I'm so excited I got germination of Snapdragons and Balsam. At the price of six packs of flowers now---a $2-3 package of seeds is definitely the wise way to go. I have some Peppermint Zinnias going on the left and I had 100% germination on those.
Normally I plant old/harvested seeds, but I had a lot of poor quality tall Marigolds and Zinnia flowers last year, with flaws and poor germination, I'm starting with some new seeds to improve my stock as you will. I'll plant the older seeds directly into the ground, what makes it, makes it. If they do, they will cross polinate with the new flowers and strengthen (theoretically?)
Inside the greenhouse I constantly move the boxes and pots around when watering so plants get different strengths
of light each day.
More flowers---just planted a week ago.
Major success with two packages of Coleus...now I can see which will be which color and size. White hasn't showed up yet,...disappointed, but maybe soon. I had Giant and Standard sizes in the mixed seed packets, which I'm beginning to be able to identify.
This planter is on the top shelf...partially full of flowers---Zinnias I believe, and we will see, I can't read the label here. This one is planned for the front frog pond at the front side of the house. I may try putting the Balsam in the bed around the pound. We moved the overgrown Phlox out last year. We always have pollinators around the water of the pond, and they love Phlox and Balsam.
These Dahlias were planted in mid March---and clearly the larger pots have encouraged growth. Even clipping the tops off haven't deterred them at all. I have a big yellow enamel stew pot that has seen better days that I will drill holes in for some of these...clearly these Dahlias are BONKERS.
The purple Alyssum continues to thrive and thicken. I'm afraid I will have flowers before I can move them outside into planters and flower beds. I had planned these for along my edges of the front flower beds and in container planting.
I transplanted the Red Chrysanthemums to the pots on the left. I hope they perk up---they seemed unhappy in the trays. The Ranunculus on the right are what has survived. About half just laid down and died-perhaps too much sun/water/air---who knows? When we do have sun here in the Midwest it's piercing and hot and magnified in the greenhouse.
NOW TO THE VEGGIES!
All the Veggies seem very HAPPY!
My pots of PEAS are all up and safe inside from being nibbled by the local critters.
I'm excited at our SNOW PEAS progress and the sprouts
are even grabbing on the netting.
Last year I had critters in the greenhouse everything was getting nibbled on.
So Far, so Good!
The large planters on the new floor are thriving---this is Radishes and Spinach...I took the plastic covers off for all the photos and will leave them off during the day.
I replace them at night where they can be used to further protect tender shoots from the cooler temps. Plastic lids make a greenhouse within a greenhouse as it helps retain the dirts' day warmth.
I have a few of the larger planters up on the shelves, and they are really growing well, here Lettuce and Onions
I'm not sure what's going on here---those two plants look like beans? I have Spinach and something else planted, which is just starting to come up on the left.
Gourmet Lettuce mixture on the right and white Onions on the left.
This is the last planter I planted last week with softball size Cantaloupe, which is not up yet. I'll move it into a sunnier location. The other one to the right is full of Nasturtiums and radishes.
Nasturtiums bloom early and continue to frost and are excellent for pollinators. Besides, the blossoms are edible...and look very pretty on a sandwich or on top of a salad.
All the Peppers got transplanted to tall McDonald's plastic glasses which have a hole drilled in the bottom. A ECO-REDO project. Using milk/soda/or cans for planting are excellent ways of recycling. I think we are on our 8th year of using these glasses. I did recycle a few cracked ones this year. Tall containers are excellent for Peppers and Tomatoes---encouraging strong, deep roots.
I pinch off the bottom sets of leaves and plant my transplants very deep with as much stem under the dirt as possible. This builds very strong plants.
Here are the Tomatoes---
I've planted Heirloom BrandyWines this year. Their stems are so thick and hardy---we are hoping for an excellent crop. I have them in the shade until they adapt for two days before in full sun.
I know I'm impatient, but the Caladiums were planted in early March and we have nothing going on here. I have the package covers and receipts so I may have to claim a failure and get my money back. Caladiums are notoriously slow...so I'll give them one more week.
It's 9 AM on the 22nd of April. I've pulled off all the covers and watered everything, preparing the plants for a 1/2 day of glaring sunshine.
I also dealt the IXIA..bulbs today which have been drooping. I noticed a couple of stems getting stronger but still flopping over.
(NOTE TO SELF: Plant in tall containers or with collars next year)
I started with some electrical wire-(which I use over and over each year to support plants and sticks), old tall plant markers and one stick... This really is a GREEN REDO..with OLD CRAP.
I wove one piece of electrical wire around the stick/markers. Then I wove another criss-cross in between the plants about 6" up.
I hope IXIA doesn't mind being touched (mangled) by my hands...as I straightened them all up. I left them on the bench, and will put back in shade if they droop further.
Always a new challenge---when you are a gardener.
I turned the fan on low and left the windows closed but opened the door screen window 1/3, but, I anticipate by 11 AM I'll have to open everything up. Meanwhile, I watch the temperature monitor in the house to give me an idea of what's going on in the greenhouse.
INSIDE THE HOUSE: Oh, well, inside it says it's 94...so I have to go out and move the gauge into the shade...in out, all day, checking and enjoying the scent of warm dirt!
BACK INSIDE: 10 AM and it's 73 degrees in the shade and Humidity 39%.
PERFECT!!!
You hardly ever get to say that, if you are a GARDENER!
Happy Gardening!
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