Third Year SFG in Canada

sanderson wrote:TD,  How will you get the seedlings out?  Do you have to sacrifice the containers?

Regarding the cardboard, once it is wet it will not be an insulator, so go back to sleep.

The containers are already cut and then taped together.  It's just a matter of cutting the tape and letting the top part of the container swing away (it has a hinge part that was not cut).  Then it's a matter of teasing out the seedlings.  I'm hoping that "teasing" out will work.  Not to worry it's just another experiment for me. As for the containers, they most likely will be thrown away and I will start collecting new containers for next year.

I planted two squares of the winter sowing Butter King Lettuce. The Baker Creek seed packet states that this lettuce was bred in Ottawa, Canada. Hey, that's right here so I am expecting good things from this lettuce.



And now for another of TD's experiments. I had an olive barrel that I was not using so I have moved it into the mini greenhouse and filled it about one-third full of water. It is sitting on a cross member on the bottom of the greenhouse and so I hope it will help to keep the structure from blowing away. I am also hoping that it will serve as a heat sink collecting and holding the heat during the day and then releasing it overnight. That may be wishful thinking. It also provides and extra shelf.  The temperature in the greenhouse with the door closed at 1:30 pm is 38C (100F). The starting temperature of the water in the barrel is 11C (52F).

So, if you plan on tossing them and collecting new ones for next winter, you could cut them down the side to release the seedlings.

The olive barrel should work. You can always add the strings/wires later if you need more tension hold it together. I tucked the tails of my plastic under the bottom rails and clipped to the rails inside with large binder clips.

sanderson wrote:So, if you plan on tossing them and collecting new ones for next winter, you could cut them down the side to release the seedlings.

The olive barrel should work.  You can always add the strings/wires later if you need more tension hold it together.  I tucked the tails of my plastic under the bottom rails and clipped to the rails inside with large binder clips.

Actually I did just that for the Beet container.  I cut it down the sides to release them.  I could not do that with the Lettuce container since I need to keep some of the seedlings for the grandkids.

Concerning the mini greenhouse, in addition to the barrel I also have bricks on the bottom shelves which are essentially on the ground as well as guy wires tied to bricks on the outside.  I like that idea of tucking in the plastic under the bottom rails ... thanks.

Nicely done TD!  

I have started planting my spring crop in October/November and things slowly grow over our mild winters.  They begin to take off in February when the days are starting to lengthen.

I've harvested most of my beets, getting ready to harvest onions, still will have kale and swiss chard through the summer, carrots harvested, some spinach made it and we ate the Kohlrabi early on.  They grew through the winter.

Final wrap-up for the day.

The temperature of the water in the barrel in the mini-greenhouse went from 52F to 64F in just a few hours.

I transplanted the following from the Winter Sowing containers into the SFG:

1. Two squares (4 plants/sq) of Butternut King Lettuce ... one square is in the Table Top.
   
2. One square (4 plants/sq) of Fordhook Giant Swiss Chard.
   
3. Two squares (1 plant/sq) of Blue Curled Scotch Kale ... one square is in the Table Top.
   
4. One square (9 plants/sq) of Detroit Dark Red Beet.
   
5. One square (4 plants/sq) of Early White Vienna Kohlrabi.
   
6. One square (1 plant/sq) of Sun King Hybrid Broccoli in the old style SFG.
   

Still have lots of seedlings in the Winter Growing containers.

I also sowed seed for

1. One square (16/sq) of Danvers Half Long Carrot.
   
2. One square of Nasturtium flowers in the Table Top.
   
3. Radish in one of the squares containing a Kale seedling.
   

Finally, I planted seven Yukon Gold seed potatoes. As described in the "Potato growing" thread I planted them in the hardware cloth compost bin which contains leftovers from the earlier compost screening. This is more of an experiment than anything else.

Note: I tend to plant in a patchwork quilt pattern (i.e., no more than two adjacent squares with the same crop) except that I have multiple squares of garlic planted together.

trolleydriver wrote:I also sowed seed for

1. One square (16/sq) of Danvers Half Long Carrot.
   
2. One square of Nasturtium flowers in the Table Top.
   
3. Radish in one of the squares containing a Kale seedling.
   

Finally, I planted seven Yukon Gold seed potatoes. As described in the "Potato growing" thread I planted them in the hardware cloth compost bin which contains leftovers from the earlier compost screening. This is more of an experiment than anything else.

Note: I tend to plant in a patchwork quilt pattern (i.e., no more than two adjacent squares with the same crop) except that I have multiple squares of garlic planted together.

Yippy for nasturtiums! And intercropping/mixed squares! And patchwork! (I try, and I love how it looks, but frustratingly there are some crops that just work better in blocks, especially when trellises get involved.)

Photos of some of the seedlings under various grow lights in the basement workshop. I'll start hardening them off outside this week. The pots were recycled from a couple of garden centers that were throwing them away last year. The large black trays are winter shoe/boot trays from the dollar store. 

Are the boot tray sides tall enough to bottom water? It looks like it from the photos.

Yea, I have been eyeing those boot trays.  Living in the south, I never heard of a boot tray.  Hmm, they may sell them around here, but I have never seen any.  Question same as CC, what is depth of trays.  What are the dimensions of the trays.

CC and yolos ... The trays are 1-1/8" deep by 13" wide and 27" long. For me that is plenty of depth for bottom watering if they are level. I had to prop up the end of one of the trays to get consistent water depth everywhere in the tray. That is because the shelf underneath is not quite level. I would definitely use these trays again.

Wait just a minute!  What is this I see on TDs patio?  Could it be the beginnings of yet another SFG box/bed?

Yes it is!  I went to Home Depot and picked up two 2"x8"x8' pieces of lumber. Wow this stuff is getting expensive.  Also got me a box of screws and a couple of food grade 5 gallon buckets. The plan is to build a 2'x6' bed between the existing 4x4s and the regular soil garden. On the way home I stopped at my local Tim Horton's coffee/doughnut shop to leave one of the buckets. The manager has agreed to have the employees fill the bucket with coffee grounds. I'll leave another bucket when I pick up this one. And while I was there I did some dumpster diving for some of their throwaway cardboard. Gotta love the free stuff.




I put some of the seedlings out on the front porch for hardening off.

There is always room for just one more bed.  Your seedlings are looking great.     And, I see you are back to dumpster diving - score!

sanderson wrote:There is always room for just one more bed.  Your seedlings are looking great.     And, I see you are back to dumpster diving - score!

Thanks sanderson. It's always a plus when I get your comments. 

Wondering if I should go 2x6 or maybe 3x5 for the new bed. The first gives me 12 squares and the second 15 squares.  But the second may be a tighter fit for the location I have in mind. Need to go do some measuring.  I'm also wondering if I can use some of the white PVC that I have on hand to build a trellis framework for the new bed. The wheels are turning. 



It's a little windy here today but the mini greenhouse is holding its position well. I need to start using it.

A 2 x 8? Or is that too long? A new bed

How well is the barrel holding heat through the cold snaps in the greenhouse?

sanderson wrote:A 2 x 8?  Or is that too long?  A new bed

Unfortunately, it's too long for the spot I have in mind.

Turan wrote:How well is the barrel holding heat through the cold snaps in the greenhouse?

Haven't checked yet today. Yesterday the water was about 84F and the barrel did a good job of holding the greenhouse in place with 40 Km/Hr wind gusts. I still don't have anything growing in the greenhouse so I need to get moving to make that happen.

The indoor started seedlings have been moved from the front porch to the back patio for hardening off. They spent the night in the garage.

Are they in full sun now? For how long?

CapeCoddess wrote:Are they in full sun now?  For how long?

They have been in full sun for about 5 hours. Hope it's not too much for them. For the previous couple of days they had partial to full sun for several hours. It's currently 86F with 44% humidity out there.

86??? Dat's hot! We were in the 70's & full sun here, same expected thru Friday.

You're plants look GREAT!

CapeCoddess wrote:86???    Dat's hot!  We were in the 70's & full sun here, same expected thru Friday.

You're plants look GREAT!

Yup ... too hot too fast. The Okra seedlings llike it. Same again tomorrow but with showers. Then the highs will be in the mid 60s for a few days.

I'm planning on putting most of the transplants into the garden this coming weekend.

My new SFG bed is underway.  I have toyed with the idea of a 2x6 and then a 3x5. Sanderson suggested a 2x8 but that is too long for the available space.  I measured things out again and determined that I can fit a 3x7 oddball size in the space.  So that is what it is going to be and it will give me an additional 21 squares. My intention is to grow winter squash on ladder trellises along one of the long sides. 

I began the preparation by using my weed-wacker to take down the grass and weeds to soil level. The area will then be covered with cardboard and I'll put down wood chips in the aisles. I usually put weed barrier under the SFG bed but I am not going to do that this time. Mistake?




This shows the approximate position and size of the new bed (using cross-country ski poles and wood for the outline).



It was a bit cool outside this morning so instead of putting the seedlings on the patio I put them inside the mini greenhouse and kept the door open when the sun came out later. Since we expect 4 degrees Celsius (39F) overnight I'll move them into the garage for their bedtime.


 


These are the Okra seedlings ... they like the greenhouse.

I've never used weed barrier under my boxes. No problems yet.
CC

Sown indoors on May 19 in 4 inch peat pots and at two seeds per pot (they will be thinned to one):

1. Melon - Sakatas Sweet (seeds received from SR ... with thanks )
   
2. Squash - Acorn Sweet Reba (Greta's Organic Gardens, Ottawa)
   
3. Squash - Canada Crookneck (Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds)
   
4. Squash - White Scallop Bush (Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds)
   
5. Squash - Golden Zucchini (Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds)
   

My understanding is that squash do not like to become root bound in the pot and need care not to disturb the roots when transplanting. That's why I used peat pots that I had on hand.  I may sow more as a backup in plastic pots or wait and direct sow outside if necessary.