One Alaskans greenhouse

[Alasgun]

In another month, both levels will be pretty jungle like!

 

[thistlebloom]

Another tidbit on the lacto subject.
My first exposure to the role milk could play in the garden came about during a super soil experiment. This involved combining two base soils with a large group of amendments and after mixing everything together on the garage floor the mix was shoveled into 32 Gallon brute containers to

You left us hanging!
So you shoveled the soil into the containers to... ??

Waiting for the rest of the story!

 

[AMKuska]

You left us hanging!
So you shoveled the soil into the containers to... ??

Waiting for the rest of the story!

Also waiting!

 

[Alasgun]

Old man thing i guess, sorry. I was focused on getting the celery uppotted this afternoon and got up to finish that and the post related to it and had no idea that my previous draft would auto post if you left it for a bit. I guess i assumed id have to start it over again. Learned something today!

Shoveled the soil into the containers and poured a gallon of whole milk in each one the feed the microbes. Put the lid on and left it for several months. I wasn't sure what id have but expected it to be way too rich to grow in without cutting it down some. That wasn’t the case, the plants flourished without burning and i began to piece all this together at that point.
the time spent cooking in the containers with the help of the microbes balanced the various amendments to the point they were useable by the plants.
this got me to looking into the milk thing further and i stumbled onto the lacto subject. It’s so much easier to work with than milk alone and it seems to have more going for it than simply a food source for the microbes.
read any of these articles you find and before long little tidbits will start showing up in those articles. These are the nuggets i refer to, some are gold nuggets with value and others are simply nuggets like you goat might leave on the driveway!
these days, the lacto is something im very comfortable with and continue to use it for numerous things.
they list it as an odor eliminator also which i find funny because it smells like baby puke! However when sprayed on an offensive odor it will neutralize it and the puke smell dissipates quickly!
have fun with it.

 

[Alasgun]

Within a couple weeks we’ll be moving into “starts”. I’ve got a few things to do in the greenhouse yet but not before it warms a bit. Once it gets to 20 it will be 50 in the greenhouse and comfortable to work without having to run the heater.
However, my enthusiasm was dampened a bit when i awoke to minus temps and more snow this morning.

Unlike my mate @Alaskan, down on the Kenai, im up here in the banana belt And grateful for the snow we have, but not really wanting a lot more. My manicure skills always get sloppy about this time of year.

while clearing the porches etc, i took a hike out to the bees to clear the entrances and on the way back saw a lone strawflower hanging in the fence. I really just wanted a picture of the snow on the beds but the flower sorta “gave me hope for tomorrow”.

 

[Alasgun]

Im going to say we have 2 ft. On the level at this point, weather people talk about all those inches like it stays in a nice fluffy column. It doesn’t thankfully!
here’s a picture from today and the same shot from the last couple year‘s. Looks about the same to me, yet they tell us how much more snow we had last year?

if i appear bored this afternoon, i kinda am And had a little time to kill before my apprentice shows up in a bit.

next time there will be some real garden stuff

 

[Alasgun]

20 degrees outside today, who- ho! The bright sun makes it feel like 50, so after batting the latest snow from the greenhouse gutters and going inside im treated to this. Another week of this and i’ll be able to get the door all the way open and move the lawn chairs back in. where i will eat my morning fruit cup and pretend for another month

in the mean time a lot of stuff is ready to go into 5” pots now, in the start room.

 

[thistlebloom]

Spring is definitely on it's way! We were up above 50 today and wall to wall sunshine.

 

[Alasgun]

I’ve blown the whistle and we’re off!
Beside the wheatgrass i’ve now sorted and kept the keepers with two kinds of celery and some parsley being moved into the 5” pots yesterday.

And on the next shelf, a couple trays of seeded onions, 50 some tomatoes, some comfrey and the left over parsley / celery. These orphans will be given away in the next week, making room for this weeks plantings.

each year i increase the Comfrey patches around here. I like the pretty flowers and i make use of the whole plant either fresh or dried as a soil amendment and in every batch of compost tea i make. This will be my forth “patch” and each seems to have a personality of they’re own, most likely due to varying soil conditions.

of the tomatoes, i’ll only keep 4 or so; the rest going into friends hands! I’ve learned a lot about tomatoes by starting so many each year and by the time i chose mine, im pretty sure i’ve got some good ones!

Early this coming week crookneck’s, basil, broccoli, cabbage, kale, chard, pumpkins, kobachi and hyssop will go into starting cubes.

Toward the end of the week i’ll commission the big room and fire up the L.E.D’s where some of this stuff will reside until going to the Greenhouse, Mid April.

 

[thistlebloom]

Looks amazing! I'll be starting some seeds this week, but nowhere close to your quantity and quality. I'm keeping track of your progress. I think your greenhouse and gardens with your soil mixes and amendments is very intriguing. And encouraging too!