digitS'
Garden Master
A few of the tomato seedlings showed up to enjoy some sunshine.
with, Steve
with, Steve
In the South Window
- Thread starter digitS'
- Start date
so lucky
Garden Master
Well, hello there, little tomatoes! None growing at my house yet. However, I did get a cultivator all put together and ready to do some work, if the ground ever dries up enough to walk on.
And, I bought a bunch of onion seedlings today, with the hope that I can keep them alive till they can go into the ground.
I really need to start some seeds...tomatoes and peppers, especially. I don't like to buy plants for those veggies, so I better get busy.
We had bad storms last night, strong winds blew shingles off again. My sis and bro and their families live in Nashville. Cookeville and Nashville really got hit hard with tornadoes. Fortunately my family didn't get damage.
And, I bought a bunch of onion seedlings today, with the hope that I can keep them alive till they can go into the ground.
I really need to start some seeds...tomatoes and peppers, especially. I don't like to buy plants for those veggies, so I better get busy.
We had bad storms last night, strong winds blew shingles off again. My sis and bro and their families live in Nashville. Cookeville and Nashville really got hit hard with tornadoes. Fortunately my family didn't get damage.
- Thread starter
- #3
digitS'
Garden Master
Checking twice a day. Yesterday morning, there was a couple of bent stems struggling to pull leaves out of the soil, there in the kitchen. By last night, I knew I was in trouble.
It's okay, now that they are in the South Window - a sunny day!
Steve
It's okay, now that they are in the South Window - a sunny day!
Steve
thistlebloom
Garden Master
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What? You have sun? We are totally overcast. 
Those little guys will be looking good by tomorrow.
Those little guys will be looking good by tomorrow.
- Thread starter
- #5
digitS'
Garden Master
By noon, I had the greenhouse fan on. Only a few things out there.
By 2pm, the fan was off, the greenhouse closed up, it was hailing on me while I was trying to finish some work in the yard. I left in the car and it began to snow. Didn't last long.
I said elsewhere that if I set up the hoophouse the March snow won't collapse it as has happened in the past. Then, I checked the forecast. The WS is making Saturday look very much like a snow day right now!
Steve
By 2pm, the fan was off, the greenhouse closed up, it was hailing on me while I was trying to finish some work in the yard. I left in the car and it began to snow. Didn't last long.
I said elsewhere that if I set up the hoophouse the March snow won't collapse it as has happened in the past. Then, I checked the forecast. The WS is making Saturday look very much like a snow day right now!
Steve
- Thread starter
- #6
digitS'
Garden Master
Six weeks of running heat in the greenhouse begins soon. Forecast for the weekend is lows into the teens. I may have to put the onion flats on the floor in there and cover them with a tarp. Other seedlings will have to be happy in the South Window for awhile.
I should have listened to @flowerbug about firing up the furnace now and then during the "off-season" to blow out the spider webs. There are no guarantees for that little natural gas, garage heater, not after 20 years. I have had repair guys out through the years but the last one said that it should be replaced. It's failed a few times but quickly comes back online. I put an electric heater in there as backup and check the remote thermometer through the nights thru the last few seasons. Actually, the furnace performance has been exceptional in since that repair guy walked away with me guessing that it will cost well over $1000 to replace.
I tried to fire it up yesterday morning ... The control couldn't keep even the fan running by itself. After allowing it to struggle for about 30 minutes the fan decided it would work but not controlled by the thermostat. Late morning, I'd opened the vents a little and just left it on for about an hour. Tried again on automatic on the cooling cycle - it worked!
Still wouldn't kick on when the thermostat called for heat, this morning. I turned the fan on first then tried to get it to fire up. It did! ... But I don't want the fan to run continuously so that the heat can click on as needed. Still, I ran it like that for about an hour, burning out the spider webs. The greenhouse was at 60°f while it was 25° outdoors. Cycle on, cycle off ... soooo, switched fan to auto ... It worked!
By now, the sun was high, solar heating only allowed 2 cycles. We will see how it does tomorrow morning
.
Steve
C-3PO: Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1.
Han Solo: Never tell me the odds.
I should have listened to @flowerbug about firing up the furnace now and then during the "off-season" to blow out the spider webs. There are no guarantees for that little natural gas, garage heater, not after 20 years. I have had repair guys out through the years but the last one said that it should be replaced. It's failed a few times but quickly comes back online. I put an electric heater in there as backup and check the remote thermometer through the nights thru the last few seasons. Actually, the furnace performance has been exceptional in since that repair guy walked away with me guessing that it will cost well over $1000 to replace.
I tried to fire it up yesterday morning ... The control couldn't keep even the fan running by itself. After allowing it to struggle for about 30 minutes the fan decided it would work but not controlled by the thermostat. Late morning, I'd opened the vents a little and just left it on for about an hour. Tried again on automatic on the cooling cycle - it worked!
Still wouldn't kick on when the thermostat called for heat, this morning. I turned the fan on first then tried to get it to fire up. It did! ... But I don't want the fan to run continuously so that the heat can click on as needed. Still, I ran it like that for about an hour, burning out the spider webs. The greenhouse was at 60°f while it was 25° outdoors. Cycle on, cycle off ... soooo, switched fan to auto ... It worked!
By now, the sun was high, solar heating only allowed 2 cycles. We will see how it does tomorrow morning
.Steve
C-3PO: Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1.
Han Solo: Never tell me the odds.
- Thread starter
- #7
digitS'
Garden Master
Well, I lost one. It's leaves were trapped in the seedcase, couldn't rise above the soil, and stem began to decay.
Puny-ness may take out some others but that's true in a few containers, not just the one that I left in the darkness of the kitchen too long. Also losing some snapdragon and aster seedlings to what I diagnose as fusarium wilt.
Snapdragons have this nearly every year - will lose a few while their neighbors continue to grow. My remedy for them is to get them out to the greenhouse during the daytime and hope that there is plenty of healing sunshine and some fresh air that I can bring in. I've never had to toss out very many. In a couple of weeks, survivors are growing vigorously and can be transplanted and out into the garden for a full season. I should point out that this has not been true with basil. Thankfully, I can be fully committed to the fusarium resistant basil varieties.
Asters and Snaps in greenhouse at the moment, along with some cool-season veggies. The furnace was started right at sunrise, did what it is supposed to do, but I have had to pay close attention to the thermometer out there to control ventilation from late morning on! Temperatures topped out above 50°f but fast moving clouds and 30mph wind gusts meant that I have been out there about every 2 hours to do one thing or another. One might think that it is March!
Dang, I'd better go look at that thermometer. Just got the greenhouse completely closed up and there is all this blue sky and sunshine!
Steve
- Thread starter
- #8
digitS'
Garden Master
I could have done some transplanting to pony packs, today.
I didn't plan on it. It wasn't the coldest night of the winter but temperatures were down in the teens this morning. The afternoon temperature failed to reach 40°f. We might have a 50 degree afternoon, tomorrow. Yay!
The South Window won't have enough room once they are transplanted. Overnight greenhouse heating coming soon! Taking the morning chill off and moving a few things out ... and then back into the house ... won't be an option.
Steve
I didn't plan on it. It wasn't the coldest night of the winter but temperatures were down in the teens this morning. The afternoon temperature failed to reach 40°f. We might have a 50 degree afternoon, tomorrow. Yay!
The South Window won't have enough room once they are transplanted. Overnight greenhouse heating coming soon! Taking the morning chill off and moving a few things out ... and then back into the house ... won't be an option.
Steve
- Thread starter
- #9
digitS'
Garden Master
Sometimes the little guys need some help from above to stand up straight.
Steve- Thread starter
- #10
digitS'
Garden Master
I did it. Out in the greenhouse with lots of sun on me and the transplants. I had to take off my hat, it was so warm.
I will also have to pick up my speed and choose hours with less sunshine. Before I had finished, the first ones that I moved were horizontal. They perked once the 4-packs were in a basin of water. They were moved to some shade and stayed upright. Those plants are on the utility room floor now, after DW told me just how to do it.
More plants will fill that flat soon and more containers will come out of the kitchen and crowd into the South Window. Some will soon be spending 24 hours of each day in the greenhouse.
And, it's Spring.
Steve
