CANADIAN REGION - What are you doing September 2015

I agree, CC, love it as well. I am also sure that the worms are happy underneath the surface.

I know the voles are.

Temperature in Ottawa is forecast to go down to 3 Celsius (just above freezing) on Friday night. The end is near!

No no...say it ain't so.  Throw some plastic over a bed or 2!  You don't even need hoops.

CC

It's important to cover your plants with frost cloth or other fabric before throwing on the plastic!  If any plants are in contact with the plastic, they will freeze.

I learned that lesson my first summer here in Central Oregon, when we had an early-August frost and I lost my zuke, basil, etc. because of direct contact with that plastic.

I posted here about this incident, and the person who replied told me about this pitfall.

I'm not going to try to extend the season this year. I am very pleased with my first SFG boxes and what was grown this summer. I'll be back next year (Lord willing) for another go at it. My focus now is on getting the gardens, the pond, the tools, etc. ready for winter. Plus I still have to do some work on my interlock patio and some brickwork on the garage.

Well, TD, I guess you can't do it all.  Enjoy your break but please drop in sometimes to see us.

3C is pretty cool and you are right, THE END IS NIGH! for some of us.  At least we can check in with Florida and California etc. etc.  They will post pictures just to make us a little jealous.    I will appreciate them myself.

I will be setting up my little AeroGarden (tm) in a bit and grow herbs just to have a bit of green and light during the winter. I will also be growing micro greens as I did last year.

Donnaine, thanks for that tip about cloth under plastic for when it freezes.

Kelejan ... even though I will eventually shut down my SFG for this year, I will still be checking the forum. I may not write or post pictures as often (... did I hear a collective "hurrah!" from the forum members?). I guess I did overdo things somewhat with all my posts. It's all been a great learning experience and I very much enjoy the forum.

I checked a website for the AeroGarden (tm). Those are really neat. I have to get me one. I just found one for sale on Kijiji and have sent the seller a request for more info.

TD, We're active during the winter, also. Besides the tropical belt and California, Aussie gardens start showing up and we have games and stories. Also, we develop great plans to thwart our 6 legged beasties.

Don't forget Senseless Banter. Just for a giggle.

trolleydriver wrote:
I checked a website for the AeroGarden (tm). Those are really neat. I have to get me one. I just found one for sale on Kijiji and have sent the seller a request for more info.

Amazon has one or another of the many versions of those on sale frequently. Worth checking, especially compared to the reliability of some other vendors.

I also some some on sale at Walmart last week for 50 bucks, which is much cheaper than those things usually are.

Amazon Canada sells the 6 pod version for an outrageous $129.95 Canadian dollars.  I could not find them on the Walmart Canada website.  I offered the Kijiji seller $40 for a 6 pod version and he accepted it. But now communication has broken down as he has not responded to my latest email. I would really like to give it a try but being a somewhat frugal person (must be some Scottish blood in me), I don't want to invest a lot in an experiment.

Those are really cool!

They seem cute and like a neat idea, but they are amazingly expensive for their tiny size. And then there's the cost of the replacement bulbs.

Would 3 or 4 shop fluorescent lights work? A couple on the sides and 1 or 2 on top?

Wow, they are pricey! I didn't even notice that before.....

Scorpio Rising wrote:Wow, they are pricey!  I didn't even notice that before.....

Yes, they are, Scorpio, which is why I have only ever bought the one.  One has to pay for "Pretty". 

They are also expensive to maintain, as the light bulbs only last for six months and then they start to fade and not push out so much light, that is not noticeable to the human eye, but does affect the plants.

I am looking to purchase a 2ft wide ready-built with two shelves to grow micro-greens and use the Aero for herbs. Later on I will use the 2dt wide to start seeds.

Today I have been turning out my tumbler composter, ready to sift it tomorrow and add as a base plus worm castings for my garlic and tulip bulbs this weekend.

Managed to mow most of my lawn yesterday.  Hard going as it was a bit overgrown due to the rain we had and I had to clear the clogged mower every few yards.

My fall-sown carrots and chard etc are doing well.  In a while I will be covering them
and hoping to enjoy them later in the season.   Tomorrow, if it does not rain, I will dig up my lone sweet potato to see what is under there. Always something to do.

The bears seemed to have stopped visiting our part of town, thank goodness, but they now have bears at the southern end and I am betting these are the same bears, as one has been described as huge and there is also a mama bear with two little ones.  Our town is long and skinny as it runs alongside the Columbia River, so the whole town shares the same Kame Terrace left by the glaciers a long time ago.  Our main road does not have a complete road running parallel with it, and in one place, if there is an accident, the whole town comes to a standstill.  A bit like our Canadian Hwy 1 in the winter.

Kelejan wrote:

Kelejan wrote:September 6
Where I live the amount of daylight today will be 13 hours and 12 minutes.

September 9th
The amount of daylight will be 13 hours and 4 minutes.

September 24
The amount of daylight will be 12 hours and 7 minutes.  Getting near the ten hours when there will be little growth.

Gathering fall leaves is accelorating gathering speed.  To date I have gathered about
ten bags, shredded them and mixed with green leaves, ready to pile on the SFG beds for the winter.

Just the start, I hope, of a good number this year to make up for the lack of wood chips.

I have yet to  put up my sign.

I have another month or so before the leaves start falling.

Yes, we do have to pay for pretty! But I would love to have one for my herbs. Do you have the original or the LED version, Kelejan?

Are you talking about a 2ft. flourescent shop light to use for a grow light? I have done that before, in the basement at my old house. Worked great for starting seeds. I also used a heataing pad to germinate stuff as the flourescent didn't put out much heat. Just put my little peat cups in a cookie sheet on the heating pad and, viola!

Scorpio Rising wrote:Yes, we do have to pay for pretty!  But I would love to have one for my herbs.  Do you have the original or the LED version, Kelejan?  

I have the original version.  I should imagine  the LED version would be more economical re the replacement of lights.

Are you talking about a 2ft. flourescent shop light to use for a grow light?  I have done that before, in the basement at my old house.  Worked great for starting seeds.  I also used a heating pad to germinate stuff as the flourescent didn't put out much heat.  Just put my little peat cups in a cookie sheet on the heating pad and, viola!

Yes, that is the one I mean.  does not take much space and can get in more plants and I have just the spot in my living room therefore giving me more light and more green.

Here are a few facts about temperature where I live.
I looked at our weekly weather forecast and was interested in the temperature differences between high and low each day.

If you have a problem with C & F, just read only one set of figures

Today's High and lows                 24C        5C           "                19C
 Fridays "       "     "                    18C       10C           "                 8C

or

today's highs and lows                  75F       41F         "                  34F
  Friday's "      "     "                     64F       50F         "                  14F

Note: Today is sunny and bright
         Friday's  forecast is  cloudy 
         I do dislike the word futurecast as used on Canadian weather sites.

Right, I only used the heating pad for indoor germination.  I am not sure, the LED last longer, but are very expensive up front.