One Alaskans greenhouse

[Alasgun]

Here we go!

Once breakup begins, all the snow on the hill runs across my drive creating an 8in. Deep stream. I never miss this opportunity to capture some To make a “first batch” of Compost tea. All my plants go crazy after watering with it. The cool part is even stuff still in the Cototelden stage will not be harmed!
As of today; all indoor starts are in soil, including the flowers. The remainder will be started in another week when i have the greenhouse temp stabilized.

Most of that last flat of lettuce will be eaten out of the pots and never get moved again.

P.S - these guys play a big part in the creation of the Compost tea

 

[Alasgun]

The foot of ice left from winters plowing makes it like walking across the face of a Glacier as i head up to the Greenhouse. I’ve dug out the gate to one of the cold frames and stuck a couple lettuce starts in, as an experiment, sorta like when Noah tossed that Dove out the window for the first time.

In the Greenhouse all surfaces were sprayed down with a 3% peroxide solution. When it empties out in the fall it gets the same treatment.
I started the TOYO which will keep the night temp in the 50-60 range, right now it’s 77 in there from the radiant; had to open the louvers to work comfortably in there today!
Since the heat’s on a couple weeks early i decided to start moving some of the starts in and good ole Parsley was the first. I even ate a sprig off of it so i could tell you “Im all ready eating Parsley out of my greenhouse!”
Also seeded a tray of Cilantro and once the cold frame warms a wee bit i’ll get some seeded in there as well.

move over energizer bunny, it’s on. i can feel it.

 

[Alasgun]

Well, the Dove didn’t return! - - (my lettuce starts survived a couple 16/17F nights in the cold frame; so i’ll go ahead and move the others in!
Moved the Artichokes out to the greenhouse today for (hopefully) 10 days of 45-55F, to accomplish the suggested vernalization.

Next will be the Celery. It’s just a wee bit early for the rest, i’m looking for a soil temp of 50F before i’m comfortable populating the cukes, beans and tomato’s.

 

[Phaedra]

3% peroxide solution

May I ask what is this solution for? Is it for disinfection purpose? Thanks a lot!

 

[Alasgun]

Yes @Phaedra, disinfection is the purpose. A lot of folks recognize us for our very short AND aggressive growing season; they just don’t realize that aggressiveness includes all life forms. Fungus gnats and Mites are my primary target, either of which can cripple the Greenhouse and due to the shortness of the season there’s no time to bounce back once they are established!

The old adage, “an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure” is certainly applicable in this instance.

In the fall after were done in there i go over the inside of the structure with a pressure washer to clean any film off the inside walls as well as washing down the wooden frame work and the exterior of all the planter boxes; then follow with this same Peroxide treatment. Then in the Spring i go back over the entire inside with Peroxide to include the surface of my soil. I also run a Commercial de-humidifier capable of handling 2500 sq.ft in my 300 sq.ft Greenhouse all season to keep the relative humidity at 65%; a happy place in terms of controlling the sometimes un-controlables!

Excessive; probably, but i guess “excessive” could be a word describing how i’ve lived a large portion of my life.

 

[Alasgun]

Stoners say us Alaskans live in a “free State” because of our lax pot laws. Be that as it may, them same stoners operate a number of “high end” garden centers with every conceivable thing and none of it is free? Today i made my yearly pilgrimage to the “weed store” for some new pots and organic potting soil. These 10 - 25gal pots will house some extra Artichokes, Pumpkins and Kale.
There’s also 7 of the big bags of Roots organic 707.

$699 must be a real special deal; probably because we live in a “free state”.

 

[Alasgun]

With so much snow it seems a shame to make everything wait so i moved a bunch of the starts today. Some into their intended location (celery, some lettuce, pole beans, cucumber's & stevia and the remainder was up-potted as it waits another couple weeks to go out. Tomorrow i’ll finish moving everything from the house and close all that down; 5 days earlier than any previous year.

Nen there’s that fly! Looks like a good Sockeye deceiver and an easy one for me to tie. Usually i’ll tie a few each morning, waiting for things to warm up a bit outside. This one should work well as a #8 or #10.

In that last picture an illusion might lead you to think i built this, my biggest planter box to perfectly hold those 10/20 trays! No way Ho’se, i aint that smart! id say it was more of an “act of God thing”! It is nice early on before i fill that section up. Later this week i’ll set up the saw-horses to hold several trays of flowers and the stuff i’ve raised for others And it’ll be crowded for a little bit but still a very pleasant place to sit and eat our fruit cup in the mornings.

 

[Dahlia]

With so much snow it seems a shame to make everything wait so i moved a bunch of the starts today. Some into their intended location (celery, some lettuce, pole beans, cucumber's & stevia and the remainder was up-potted as it waits another couple weeks to go out. Tomorrow i’ll finish moving everything from the house and close all that down; 5 days earlier than any previous year.

Nen there’s that fly! Looks like a good Sockeye deceiver and an easy one for me to tie. Usually i’ll tie a few each morning, waiting for things to warm up a bit outside. This one should work well as a #8 or #10.

In that last picture an illusion might lead you to think i built this, my biggest planter box to perfectly hold those 10/20 trays! No way Ho’se, i aint that smart! id say it was more of an “act of God thing”! It is nice early on before i fill that section up. Later this week i’ll set up the saw-horses to hold several trays of flowers and the stuff i’ve raised for others And it’ll be crowded for a little bit but still a very pleasant place to sit and eat our fruit cup in the mornings.

That is an awesome greenhouse! I bet that helps out the pocket book and is fun at the same time! Ive heard veggies are super expensive in AK.

 

[Alasgun]

Thank you, it is a lot of fun for me, a lot of work as well. Now that everything is in place “it’s paying off” but the bigger thing for us is the quality And assurance that everything was grown as cleanly (organic) as is humanly possible.

 

[Alasgun]

This afternoon, i drug the sled out to the back fence and two at a time; loaded 8-20 gal. Pots of frozen soil on the sled and yarded them to the greenhouse. There, they were dumped into 8-25 gal pots. The remainder will consist of my compost, organic garden soil and Root’s organic potting soil in equal qty’s. Once each pot is mixed & temp stabilized they will receive transplant’s . Pumpkin, Artichoke and some orphan Kale And remain in the Greenhouse till were past freezing. (Another 6-8 weeks).
The 20 gal. Pots will get re-filled with all new soil and new pea starts and stay in the greenhouse as well, for a bit.

Each of these pots weigh roughly 140 lbs. each which made me feel a little like Buck in “call of the wild” as i leaned into the rope around my waist and drug the sled thru knee deep snow; probably sleep good to night!