Greenhouse completed

     After my plans of August 7. and my update of August 25, the greenhouse is finally ready for use. And first frost is still a couple of days away. I didn't keep an exact record of costs, but I made about 4 trips to Home Depot, 2 trips to Fleet Farm, and spent about $50 on hardware and lumber.  I had some of the hardware and lumber on hand, maybe $25 worth, plus of course the remains of the collapsed greenhouse, which was priceless.
     With my limited skills, it took several weeks to complete.  I made preliminary plans, but was constantly changing them due to my inexperience and the need to adapt to the materials that I had on hand.
     The door panel can be removed in warm weather to prevent overheating. With the door and vent closed, on a sunny 68 degree day, the inside temperature went up over 90 in a short time.  The whole thing is light enough to be moved by three strong teen-age grandchildren, with one old grandpa to supervise.  Because it is so light, I'll have to stake it down to prevent our winter winds from blowing it away.

Door and vent closed to maintain heat.

Door and vent open for circulation

      I still have some air leaks to plug up and some painting to do, but I've moved in some herbs and will be moving some tomatoes in.  Soon I'll probably also be starting some fall salad crops.  Next spring I should have plenty of room to start my new plants. 

Left to right: basil, thyme, chives and spearmint

 Other Winter Preparations

     We've canned 10 quarts of tomatoes and 7 jars of plum jelly.  We'll continue to can more tomatoes as they ripen up til frost, but as I've mentioned before the garden hasn't been that great this year with the drought and such.  We've eaten all the rest as it came in, with no surplus for canning or freezing.  We should be able to save some acorn squash and potatoes for winter, but hard to say how much at this point.  I'm hoping for some Halloween pumpkins before frost, but they're still green at this time.  I started some fall tilling today, have a long way to go.  A more detailed report will come later.

Week-end Family Visit

     We had a wonderful time visiting with Cathy and Savannah this week-end.  Savannah helped harvest some sweetcorn, potatoes and carrots to take home.

     Hopefully we'll have some pumpkins and acorn squash for them when they come on their next visit this fall.

     I think the family I raised came out much better than any of my gardens.  Of course that's because Amber helped me more with the family than she did with the gardens.

Greenhouse and Watering Sytem Update

     In my previous post on August 10 (Click here), I showed my initial plans for the greenhouse and watering system.  I've concentrated mostly on the greenhouse, as I would like to use it this fall.  The watering system is not as pressing, as I won't be using it until after spring planting.  Nevertheless, here's where I'm at now.

 Greenhouse

     The framing of the greenhouse will be complete with a few more hours of work, but it's too hot to continue this afternoon.  Besides that, my daughter and granddaughter are here for a visit.  I'll probably continue on Monday, after they've returned home.  It's been a slow process trying to make sure the spacing is correct for the panels I have.  Whenever I make a wrong cut, which tends to happen every hour or two, I take a coffee or beer break until my brain clears.  2 beer breaks signals the end of that day's activity.  I should still be able to finish before first frost comes, though I hate to set deadlines.
     Notice the steep pitch of the roof.  Remember that I got the metal framing from a greenhouse that collapsed under the weight of snow on the roof.  I shouldn't have that problem here.

     This shows the current location in the garden, but it's designed to be easy to move, so it will change location from time to time.

 

Water Reservoir and Distribution System

     This is the beginnings of my water holding and distribution system.  No rain gutters are installed yet, but the pool sits under a 6 foot section of the barn roof, and the 1/2 inch of rain we received on August 15, resulted in 2 1/2 inches of water in the wading pool/duck pond/water reservoir.  The rain gutters and additional water storage will probably wait until spring.

     The drain plug at the bottom of the pool is connected to a hose that comes out by the edge of the barn door.

     I tested it out by watering the corn patch a few days after the rainfall.  I still have to figure out how I can get even distribution with the least effort, but I'm not going to worry too much about that until next growing season.

In Other News

     This is the only surviving sunflower after the chicken attack this spring.  They truly loved those freshly planted sunflower seeds.  I put in a hill of pumpkins to take up the space.

A lonely sunflower

     Amber made the best cole slaw out of one of the cabbages today.

Cole slaw and cooked cabbage. Mm-Mm

     Black tomatoes.  They're still hard yet, but should be ripe before frost.  Thanks Gerry and Teri for the plants.  We've gotten about 20 red tomatoes from the Early girl and Roma tomatoes, but they've been small, maybe 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter.  The Better Boy tomatoes are still green.

Indigo Rose Tomatoes

     The broccoli is done now, (I think) but it was good.  As we didn't have big production, we usually mixed it with beans and/or peas when they were in season.

Broccoli and late planted corn

     I've only picked 2 ears of corn so far, but we will have a bunch for tomorrow to share with Cathy and Savannah who are visiting this week-end.

Early corn, second picking tomorrow

Poultry Report

     My two setty hens didn't have any chicks.  They each tried on two different sets of eggs, but none hatched.  Our rooster seems to have relationship problems.  It's late in the year, so we'll probably wait until next year to try again.  I think we'll also buy a new rooster next year.
     Comments or suggestions?  Post a comment below.

Plans for Fall, Greenhouse and Watering System

     As I sit in the shade of the boxelder tree contemplating next year's garden, my mind often drifts over a number of things.  Lately, it's been a greenhouse and a rainwater collection and distribution system.

Greenhouse

    I have enough space in the house to start plants in the spring, but when re-potting time comes in April, finding space for these plants has been a challenge.
     2 years ago, I acquired the remains of a small greenhouse that had collapsed under a heavy snow load.  There were a number of bent and broken pieces, but some of the framing is still good and I have 18 panels 77" by 23", 4 panels 68" by 23", 2 doors 32" by 76", and a number of smaller pieces.  With these and a little lumber I am hoping to build a 6 foot by 8 foot greenhouse to put in the space between Missouri and Illinois.  I would also like to make it moveable so that once a year or so when I get a big load of manure, or if I need access behind the barn for bigger equipment, it can be moved out of the way.  I hope to have it ready by this fall's frost so I can save a few tomato plants, and maybe grow some greens for later in the year.

Rainwater System

      I mulch a lot, so the need for watering is reduced.  However, this year and all past years when I've felt the need for watering, I've used well water.  Besides the use of electricity to pump the water, cold well water is not as good for plants as warm rainwater.  For collection of rainwater, I've been thinking of installing new rain gutters on the front of our house, so would be able to collect rain from half of our roof, an area of about 420 square feet.  One and a half inches of rain should produce about 400 gallons of water, which is enough to put a half inch of water over the entire 1200 square foot garden.  If next year I decide I need more, I can put rain gutters on the south side of the barn, close to 1200 square feet, which would almost triple the amount collected.  For holding tanks, I have a 4 foot by 5 foot children's wading pool, most recently used as a duck pond, that holds about 125 gallons, and an old satellite dish, most recently used as a goose pond, that holds about 200 gallons.  We no longer have geese or ducks, but I could set one of the pools in the chicken yard, in case we ever do get waterfowl again.  The other will be an elevated water feature in the Alaska area, which is the highest spot in the garden.
     For distribution in the garden, I've done some experimenting with holes drilled in PCV pipe that should work out.  I'll have to do some more tests because of the low pressure of gravity feed, but I'm sure it will work out.   PCV pipe is quite inexpensive. about $2 per 10 foot section.
     With a little luck, my initial investment will be only a few dollars for hose fittings, and maybe $30 to $40 for lumber for the greenhouse.  First frost will be coming in about a month, a little later if I'm lucky, so I better get to work.  I hope my results look better than my "artist's conceptions."
     Any helpful suggestions or comments, please click on "comments" below, or e-mail me at bemidjidavid@gmail.com.
    

Bemidji Walks

     My daughter and my two grandchildren came to visit for a few days.  It's always great to see them.  We just sent them home with a couple dozen eggs and about 5 pounds of Yukon gold potatoes.  I was hoping our sweet corn would be ready before they left, but not quite.  We did, however, eat up all the broccoli, green beans and asparagus that was ready while they were here.
     My daughter went for a walk on the pathways near the downtown area of Bemidji and painted several area scenes.  I especially liked the ones by the lake between downtown and the campus of Bemidji State University.  Check them out at her website, T Nara paintings and drawings, Bemidji walks

The corn is hip high by the 4th of July

A Fourth of July Sampler

MM-MM Good!

     To the right is the produce I gathered on the fourth of July.  The onions in the foreground are about 2 inches in diameter.  I know they look dirty, but they cleaned up real nice.  The carrots are rather small, but I wanted to see how they were coming, and they needed a little thinning anyway.  Behind the carrots and the Hungarian wax pepper are the new red potatoes.  It's a little early for them too, but one hill was crowding my carrots, and the other hill was shading one of my cucumber plants.  In a week or two I should have lots of nice new red potatoes.  Behind the potatoes is my second picking of peas and one late-coming asparagus stalk, that we'll mix in with the peas for tonight's supper.

Tomato Patch

Tomato patch, July 4, 2012

     This is my tomato patch in Puerto Rico.  In the front are 8 Early Girl plants.  I know you can't see them but they have several green tomatoes a little more than an inch in diameter.  Behind those are 8 Better Boy, a later, larger variety, and then 6 Roma plants.  Bringing up the rear is one hill of cantelope.

Corn patch in Martinique, July 4, 2012

  

 

 

Corn Patch

     This is Early Bantam sweet corn that I planted in late April.  A little early for this far north, but what did germinate is about hip high right now.  Probably 2/3 of it did not germinate due to the cold weather in late April.
     The other corn patch I planted in late May germinated much better, but it's only a little more than knee high right now.
     In the background on the right is the large chicken house, the barn in the center, and on the left is the combination garden/chicken shed, formerly a milk house.

Poultry Report

      This is my first experience with setty hens.  I understand the eggs are supposed to hatch after 21 days.  I'm not exactly sure when they started, but I know they both looked real serious on June 12th.  July 3 was 21 days, and as of 3:30 pm July 4, nothing has happened.  I gently moved the white hen off her eggs to take a look, and the eggs looked fine.  However, I must have woken her up from a trance, because she got up and ran around clucking for at least 10 minutes.  From experience I know that any expectant mother would probably do the same thing.  Hopefully she settle back down again soon.

     If anyone has any suggestions or ideas on what I should do, or how long I should wait, please send me an e-mail, or write in the comments below.  Of course, you're always free to comment on any aspect of my homesteading endeavor.

Beginning of summer garden report

Master David, how you've slavêd, in your garden long.

What do you know? how does it grow? Was it worth it all along?

     Well, we've had 2 meals of asparagus off a 3 foot by 3 foot plot, and it's done now.  2 meals of spinach and some baby spinach leaves for salads, that is also done now.  Lettuce for salads keeps coming,  Peas should come in the next week or two.  Won't have more than a couple meals 'cause the chickens ate many of the sprouts as they came up.  The chickens also harvested string bean sprouts, but we'll still get enough,  Everything else is coming, looking fair to good.  I think I've planted everything I'm going to plant, though I might try some more salads and such in the fall.
     My most bountiful harvest has been the pleasantness of sitting in the shade of the boxelder tree on the southwest corner, watching the garden grow and contemplating my next move.

From the SW corner, June 20,2012

     Below you can see the peas starting to climb the fence in Montana, with the potatoes in Colorado, Kansas and Iowa behind them.  (For references to states, click on "Garden Map and Geography" at the top of the page.)  Below that is the sweetcorn, squash, broccoli and potatoes in the eastern states, and below that is the corn I planted earlier, on April 28th, and the squash, pumpkins, and tomatoes in the Caribbean, just south of the chicken yard.  I may have planted that corn a little too early, judging form the poor germination rate, or the chickens or crows may have eaten the seedlings.  The other corn I planted in Indiana and Ohio on May 20th had excellent germination.  But no problem.  The pumpkin and squash should fill in the gaps.

Peas beginning to climb the fence, potatoes in back. June 20, 2012

IN, OH, PA with ME in back June 20, 2012

 Martinique, Puerto Rico with chicken yard in back June 20,2012

 

A word from the poultry division

    Finally, if you've looked at my garden calendar, you've noticed that egg production is down.  That's because two of my best layers have become broody hens, who are working on our next generation of layers and chicken dinners.  I'm not sure when they started, but there should be little chicks any day now.  I go out at least twice a day to listen for little peeps.

Setting on 10 eggs-June 20,2012

Setting on 5 eggs-June 20,2012

 
     Thanks to my grandson, Al, for the use of his camera and his photography skills.
     That's the report for mid-summer, the longest day of the year. Remember, keep your hoe sharp and your chickens out of the garden.

 

It's been too hot, it's been too cold, too little or too much rain.

But if the goal is to feed my soul, then the gain is worth the pain.

                                 'til next time,     David