1st year SFG and NEVER going back!

Regarding the last three posts, can you hear Carole King singing the chorus from her song "You've Got a Friend"?

@Boffer, Indeed I do!!

@Cincinnati, Coolville area, which is about 40 miles south of Marietta. I couldn't imagine having to deal with all the insects and humidity down south, yuck! You could always plant some mosquito repelling plants around your SFG as well. The cedar seemed to work pretty well, but I still had to put some dust on my green beans. I bought some of those shade screens for green houses on clearance that I am going to put on a pulley system like giant blinds to allow some shade during the worst of summer. I thought it might help in areas I want to continue to grow lettuce and spinach. The $800 is a guess-emate. I didn't keep track of receipts because, well... I didn't want to know! I did use my own compost, and my husband bought the fencing and didn't tell me how much he spent, so the actual cost may be more but what's done is done. I bought the mulch by the truck-load so it was a lot less expensive than buying bags.

@Nicola, the way I did the boxes I had room to reach in from either side, its just hard to tell from the photos. This year I am going to do some 1 ft x 8ft boxes around the perimeter for tomatoes (then I can use the fence on the walls for trellis) and then do the 4 ft boxes inside. Since I am doubling my space I can do that. It will be a pain to move the dirt around, but oh well. It is part of the fun!

@Luci, most of the supplies were either from craft stores or Wallyworld, but sometimes you can find canisters that are water tight and use them too!

@TooTall, many thanks for the compliment!

@FurballsMom, Deer are the bane of my existence. They are cute, but I am glad they can't jump my fence!

@MsMinchin, thank you, and I commiserate with you on the fence. Yikes, such hard work to get it right!!

@Altagarden, therapy is right, mental and physical!! It is indeed a bargain!

@Sherryeo, not doing so good with updates, but hope to do better in the future

@Goosegirl, thanks! I just enjoy looking out there at it, even in the dead of winter. Just a few weeks ago I was out there pulling out the old stuff in a down jacket and gloves and hat. NO MUD!! No frozen clumps of clay. I was happy as a lark!

Thanks for checking back in! I was away from here for some crazy, now un-remembered reason last summer, so I missed this first time around. I love, love, love the table and chair!

Thanks for checking back in Tina
We look forward to hearing your progress with the expansion and additions.

So, I've been adding to the garden and am expanding from 64 sq ft to 248 (heaven help me) and built a greenhouse for starting plants and extending the growing season. Here are some pictures and explanations where necessary.

This is before I got started this spring.


This is the base. The greenhouse is 8 ft x 12 ft.


This is with the span (cattle panels)


This is the entire "Garden Compound" 16 x 32 for the garden, plus the greenhouse.


This is after I added the film. It is a three-ply that is 4 year UV and isn't supposed to condensate on the inside.


I finally wrapped things up, and here it is with a sun shield so my plants don't bake. It was 100 degrees in there yesterday while I was finishing up.


Here is my table. All of the barrels are filled with water, and two of them have 200 watt aquarium heaters in them that heat the water to 80°. The table has rope lights under ceramic tile to act as a grow mat.
I have mulched the floor so I can spray it down to add moisture to the air as it evaporates.


Here are tomatoes. These were given to me as starts and I am going to finish them out until I can plant them outside.


Lastly, here is the final plan for the garden. Last year I only had four 4 x 4 boxes. I wanted to make something pretty as well as functional. Now I just have to figure out what all to plant. I want to put in place a permanent herb garden, so a bit of it will be designated for that. The outer ring on the north side is for tomatoes and cucumbers so they will get plenty of light and not crowd out anything else. I can't wait to get started!

WOW that is incredible.
I have a very similar hoop house to yours, with the cattle panels, but never thought about using large barrels for the solar heating.
I have just a plethora of milk jugs and brown wine bottles.
I am definitely going to go for the large barrels. I just had to show a photo of mine to show that we have the same DOORS....
Wecome back, I love the way you take pictures as you go along,

now if i can convince my fiance to let us do this.... hahaha.

I think I have door envy Your greenhouse is lovely!
Thank you for the kind comments!
If I ever build another greenhouse, I am not attaching it to the garden compound! It was so hard to get the plastic around it. I am sure I have lots of air holes.
I hope to be able to do more pictures as I go, but I tend to get distracted in the summer with all all the projects I have going on!!

If I ever build another greenhouse, I am not attaching it to the garden compound! It was so hard to get the plastic around it. I am sure I have lots of air holes.

Good thing to know about, the one I pictured is actually from our previous residence and the hoop house I have now is much more rudimentary...NOW I want a door that opens, instead of clipping closed the plastic

Such a shame that you moved and lost your greenhouse to a hoop house. After all the work I've put in I would be beside myself.

I do have a question though, did you use your greenhouse just to start seedlings, or over winter, or extend the growing season?

I am curious, because people have been asking my why on earth a built a greenhouse, and I'm not real sure how to answer. "Because I wanted one"" gets me some odd looks.

now if i can convince my fiance to let us do this.... hahaha.

I just kinda said... I'm building it and started...sigh.. my poor husband..

lol that would be my mother. I tried explaining compost and the soil mix and I got a look and a comment of that's one man's opinion and a slight roll of the eye on the book from the fiance. Plus we rent the place. and we have chickens... I'd love a greenhouse if just to have a safe place for my plants.

Well... you COULD build it on a skid frame so you could move it if you moved.
Mine wasn't on level ground so I didn't do that, but as long as you had a level area you could.

Sometimes you just have to put these things you want to do in a light that the "other half" can see as making sense to their way of thinking..some people might call that manipulation, but not me...I call it determination!

Yeah but at the moment it seems like the materials for any kind of greenhouse is out of budget. I have thought about putting together an ad for locals to drop off any unwanted wood and things....

I have the level ground and the space. so that's not an issue. We also need a new chicken coop.... sooo maybe i can recycle some of that into a protected container... hmmm...

Thanks for another update, stranger! I just finished my greenhouse, or I'd be stealing some of your design ideas!

How are your barrel heaters working out? I put one barrel in my greenhouse, and have been monitoring the temp swings. On a typical PNW overcast day, I'm only getting about a 10° differential. I'd like to have more than that for our cool nights.

I

do have a question though, did you use your greenhouse just to start seedlings, or over winter, or extend the growing season?

Good question
Where I lived before it was in oregon.
I had a greenhouse and the reason I built the hoop house was as a place to grown cold weather plants over the winter, such as spinach and kale, AND as a place to plant things in the spring (in their final resting place so to speak) and just gradually raise the plastic and eventually remove it altogether.Then with any luck to replace the plastic in the fall to allow the tomato plants to have an extra few weeks or more without the risk of them freezing
What I was following was the Elliot Coleman winter gardening model. This is a picture of my "hoop houses in the summer

I have door envy Mine is a flap of plastic that I weight on the bottom. So you are using yours for seed starting mostly? What zone are you?

My greenhouse is small, 6 X 8, made from cattle panels with a similar green house film over it. It has a U shaped bed in it, 2 feet wide along 3 sides. I put my plant starts in it like using a cold frame. At first in and out every day, later in all night as well etc. Then I plant tomatoes and other crops that want to live in warmer climates than ours. I have not had much luck yet with season extending for greens. Mostly because of poor planning on my part.

I loved looking at all your pictures. You inspire me to put a few chairs out in mine and some how a little table for tea cups would be nice. In your new design are the narrow interior beds that connect larger beds going to be planted with short stuff so you can easily step over to go to the other sides? Or is it totally a walk around garden?

How are your barrel heaters working out? I put one barrel in my greenhouse, and have been monitoring the temp swings. On a typical PNW overcast day, I'm only getting about a 10° differential. I'd like to have more than that for our cool nights.

Steal away, boffer! Goodness knows I didn't come up with any of that on my own!!!
I just put the barrels in yesterday afternoon (as usual running behind) and currently only have two of the four with heaters in that are set at 80 degrees. We had a 45 degree night last night, and the temp in the greenhouse was 60 at 5:30 am this morning, so I figure that if I put the other two in, I will be in very good shape. I was very happy with that overall. From what I read, those should keep you 10 - 20 degrees warmer, and as the sun warms the others, it will release that warmth at night to try to equalize the air to the barrel temps.

@GWN:
Love the hoops! I have the same hopes for my greenhouse. Head start in spring, maybe some winter spinach, etc. (research research research) drag some tomatoes in...

@Turan:

The doors on mine are recycled (one from a neighbor, and one was at our place when we bought it) so I am following the Three "R's" rule as much as I can. I am in SE Ohio so I am in zone 6 (until they decide to change it again) I am hoping to get much use out of the greenhouse, I will be putting a 2 x 8 table on the other side as well. I considered only one door, but I wanted access from both sides, as I will be finishing the enclosure soon on the second half of the garden. I also have bought enough deer netting to cover the top of the garden to keep birds out (large birds mostly) Interesting fact, deer netting is cheaper than bird netting even though the holes are the same size. I don't know why. I was able to buy enough to cover 16 x 32 feet for around $20.
The table and chairs are a great idea for the SFG-ing enthusiast. I got them as a lark at first (dig in the ribs, I can sit instead of weed ha, ha), but it really turned into a nice place to sit and relax. Any time we had company, that is where everyone wanted to go sit.
As for the narrow beds connected to the bigger beds... I am not really sure yet. I don't think I will mind walking around. I do know that my tall stuff is going around the perimeter (vine plants and tomatoes) and the bushy stuff (zucchini and Squash) are going in the half round areas. and I think the very center is going to be my herb garden that has perennials in it. I probably should be thinking a little harder on that, I am going to have to start planting soon... OH MY!

Boy thats a lot of typing

lonewolfrissy wrote:Yeah but at the moment it seems like the materials for any kind of greenhouse is out of budget. I have thought about putting together an ad for locals to drop off any unwanted wood and things....

I have the level ground and the space. so that's not an issue. We also need a new chicken coop.... sooo maybe i can recycle some of that into a protected container... hmmm...

Check out the "free" section on Craigslist for people getting rid of scrap wood or building materials.
There's also Freecycle- http://www.freecycle.org/

tinakocher2000 wrote:I am curious, because people have been asking my why on earth a built a greenhouse, and I'm not real sure how to answer. "Because I wanted one"" gets me some odd looks.

Because I wanted one is a perfectly acceptable reason! LOL! End of story.

Rofl..because I want one got me my little house! I love it and since it makes me happy, hubby is happy!

Because I wanted one IS a perfectly acceptable answer! Hubby gets what he wants, so why shouldn't I?

The tomato seedlings I put in on Sunday have doubled in size in a week. I have added a springy coil hose with wand for keeping everything watered, and some decorative lighting for night visits. Getting ready to start some more seeds. My home-made grow mat is keeping the trays toasty warm. Husband was surprised at how warm it was.

Because I want one and I'm spending your inheritance.

Kay

Finally have all the beds in place and everything planted. My square footage is 248, up from 48 last year.

24 banana peppers, 57 tomatoes, 16 bell peppers, 4 cayenne peppers, assorted herbs, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, 16 cucumbers, 180 Beet seeds, 360 bean seeds, zucchini and yellow squash.

Also, just ordered a Mr. Landscaper irrigation system per my husbands request. He said it took to much time to water every evening, lol.

Here are some photo updates:

Added decorative lighting so I can pick at night when it's cooler.



After two days of mixing vermiculite, horse manure, and peat moss...


Peruvian Daffodils from my husbands Grandmother's garden (kept going from 40 years ago)





Day 14: 10 Varieties of Tomatoes


Day 14: Cayenne Peppers



Day 14: Zucchini & Squash



Day 14: Beets, Banana & Green Peppers and Eggplant



Day 14: Lettuce, Spinach, Herbs, Broccoli & Cauliflower


Day 14: Two Varieties of Cucumbers


Day 14: Blue Lake Bush Green Beans

Wow, Tina...what an amazing garden! I hope you don't mind but I saved a couple of those photos of the layout to put on my bucket list. It all just makes so much sense to me.

CC

oh, i love every single thing about this garden.