| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Mama Jewel |
Posted - Nov 02 2010 : 08:00:08 AM
I'm seriously thinking of trying to do some indoor vegetable gardening or something. Seeing the garden with frost and knowing we won't be able to garden until after the snow and ground's not frozen any more, I am curious to know if anyone tries to garden indoors somehow. I've got a few indoor herbs. I have an unheated greenhouse, that's more like a mouse haven than anything  (lol)
I'm thinking of trying to grow some microgreens. Do any of you do year round gardening and/or grow microgreens. Any recommendations or pictures of your set up? I'm thinking of getting some shelves & some florescent lights.
Farm Girl Sister #1683 Living Simply & Naturally on our lil Sweet Peas Farmette
"Do Everything in Love." 1 Cor 14
http://www.piecemama.etsy.com |
| 16 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| earthmamaT |
Posted - Jan 16 2011 : 08:38:28 AM
Glad I found this thread! We just moved to Portola CA where our elevation is 5000 ft and we are in zone 6. So this elevation and climate is all new to me.
I am currently growing some greens and lettuces in containers. That way I can move them inside if there is a major snow or freeze ( both of which we have here). That seems to be working. There is one raised bed that I am planning on taking and building a tunnel over. I am hoping that will allow me to grow a few more items. Has anyone else used the plastic covered tunnels?
Tammy ~
"Be the change you want to see in the world" Gandhi |
| natesgirl |
Posted - Jan 16 2011 : 07:54:35 AM
I have an indoor greenhouse my Hubby built for me that is workin great! It's 2x4 frame with a plywood shelf up high and a plastic outdoor folding table for the lower shelf. It has grow lights in it and the sides and top are of viqueen(spelling?) with some of those metal rings put into it to hang from nails around the top, curtian stlye. The plastic is the kind you get in a roll for putting down in a room your gonna paint in. I have a small space heater to keep it warm enough and provide air flow. I also have a $1 thermometer on each shelf to prevent cooking my plants.
I am growing lettuces, green onions, beets, and carrots currently. I also will be starting my own garden plants this spring.
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
| draiodoirmna |
Posted - Jan 16 2011 : 07:09:21 AM
Microgreens are incredibly easy to grow and quick too! You can buy seeds from Botanical Interests or www.sproutpeople.org (they have a much more extensive selection). I use the big plastic lettuce containers to grow my microgreens. The Urban Farm article on growing microgreens also has a good recipe for fertilizer.
www.restoringwellness.com
http://restoringwellness.wordpress.com |
| HookAngel |
Posted - Jan 04 2011 : 11:31:41 PM
microgreens... what a great idea! I have to try some of these this year |
| rough start farmgirl |
Posted - Dec 09 2010 : 3:22:22 PM
I have learned o much today. I have never tried all year planting. Thanks for all the info.
marianne |
| msdoolittle |
Posted - Dec 09 2010 : 09:38:09 AM
Urban Farm's current magazine has an article on microgreens. It is put out by the Hobby Farms magazine line. I LOVE this magazine. It is geared toward smaller spaces, which I enjoy because it gives great tips on how to get the most out of the land that you have. I have yet to read the article, but you may want to look for it. I bought my copy at Lowe's.
I have been utilizing Eliot's methods for about a year and a half. I am VERY PLEASED with the results, and it is so easy and NOT expensive at all to do. I am fortunate enough to live in Zone 8, where I can get away with 'low tunnels', which are like minigreenhouses that run along the ground.
Everyone should have his book, Four Season Harvest. It will open your eyes!
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
| Hallie |
Posted - Dec 02 2010 : 4:55:37 PM
Yes, this discussion has been featured in the December Cluck! Neat-o, huh? And thanks for the explanation, Mama Jewel. I just heard about microgreens from a chef the other day but didn't get a chance to find out about them. How serendipitous to find this discussion!
Hallie
Sister #1112
www.maryjanesfarm.tv |
| Mama Jewel |
Posted - Dec 02 2010 : 4:50:41 PM
Hi Hallie! Wow! I haven't had a chance to read the newest Cluck --how cool is that?!  I'm new to the microgreens thing, but the difference is that sprouts are "grown" with water by rinsing them and they sprout. Microgreens are grown in a soil and/or vermiculite medium and when they grow (sprout) you cut them with scissors and can get several cuttings. Whereas sprouts are eaten whole when they've finished doing their sprouting thing. I hope I explained that okay.
Farm Girl Sister #1683 Living Simply & Naturally on our lil Sweet Peas Farmette
"Do Everything in Love." 1 Cor 14
http://www.piecemama.etsy.com |
| Hallie |
Posted - Dec 02 2010 : 4:09:17 PM
Hi ladies, I just noticed this thread in the Cluck!
Mama Jewel mentioned "microgreens" and I was wondering what is the difference between microgreens and sprouts? I mean, they look like sprouted greens to me!
I love to sprout in the winter and you can sprout just about anything. It doesn't take up much space and it doesn't take much time -- just a rinse once or twice a day. I like to sprout in jars with screen on the top but there are other methods as well. It's so nice to have something fresh to eat when nothing's growing outside.
I haven't done any winter gardening yet. I'm a southerner living in the north so I'm just trying to keep myself alive in the snow. I figure my garden can wait until spring.
Hallie
Sister #1112
www.maryjanesfarm.tv |
| sherrye |
Posted - Nov 05 2010 : 07:11:01 AM
hey jewel, so glad you found part of your wedding set.yes i will let you know next week about apples. i am hoping it is not too late. would love to see you. we are still working on getting set up for a hard winter. its weird here how we had the big cold snow storm then a warm fall. i know we have a storm coming now. long cold week ahead. we moved 2 of our 4 freezers very carefully and 2 stopped working. go figure.lol so now we need to rethink before i butcher. will get repair person out first. i am going to clean our winter greenhouse next week or so. then decide if i am going to run it this winter. would be fun. i need some concrete blankets first. i plan to pull them over the house at nightt to help hold day heat. we are being told here that el nino is going to make winter hard cold and wet. so hoping to get doors on loafing sheds for goats. i put 2 gardens to bed so far. have 3 more veggie ones to get done. hoping you all have a fine day happy days here sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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| Mama Jewel |
Posted - Nov 04 2010 : 9:17:21 PM
Hi Sherry! I've got the Coleman book on hold at the library (there are several holds on it before me --guess a lot of fellow central oregonians are thinking the same thing (lol). Next time I'm at your place, I would love to see how those blocks work and see what seeds you're using. I honestly didn't know there were two different kinds of seeds, something called "cold hardy." Where do you get seeds like those? Anywhere locally? As you know, so many of our local nurseries don't really have seeds this time of year. May have to order online. Hmm. Yes! I would be game for apple picking again --whoo hoo --sounds fun! I'll email you. As for my wedding rings, my littlest was rolling in our grass and found *one* of my wedding rings (the wedding one, not the engagement part --which is fantastic!! It's the one that if I were blessed with finding one, it would be that one because it has my husband's birthstone & mine on it, and it's the wedding one. So very sentimental. My hands get cold, so they slipped off. We've all been on our hands and knees in the grass trying to see if we can find the other ring. Since my son found the one, we're super hopeful. Still very grateful to have found the one, though.
Farm Girl Sister #1683 Living Simply & Naturally on our lil Sweet Peas Farmette
"Do Everything in Love." 1 Cor 14
http://www.piecemama.etsy.com |
| sherrye |
Posted - Nov 04 2010 : 07:07:21 AM
hi jewel, the elliot coleman book is great for us here in central oregon. you will need some way to store some day time heat. blocks work great. i have some you can have here on the farm. the girls are right. you need tough seed and plants. you can come get kale babies from me free. they are up now. also some other seeds i already have. call me. did you find your wedding rings. charles the apple farmer called yesterday. i am calling to see what he wants. maybe the other apples are ready. hope your day is good. what a fine colorful fall we are having in the desert. farmgirls we get to minus 10 at night here in the desert in winter. then you get up and it will be 60 in the sun. it can fluctuate in temp 50 degrees in hours. so growing here gets tricky in winter. we do have LOTS of sun for heat and solar through in day.happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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| natesgirl |
Posted - Nov 02 2010 : 5:29:23 PM
Peas are self pollinating! The flowers are already pollinated when they open. You can also grow green beans if you provide a little heat, they are like peas. There is also carrots, beets, and turnips with just a little heat. Plus there is always green onions.
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
| vegetarian farmer |
Posted - Nov 02 2010 : 3:15:44 PM
I plant directly in the ground. Seeds go in the ground between September and I did my last planting today. You have to have cold hardy seed and you should have no problem with germination. You should get Eliot Colemans Book "the four season harvest". He really does a good job explaining how to grow year round in our zone in an unheated greenhouse. Does your greenhouse get enough mid day sun to get the temperature up? Maybe your soil is bad. Or the moisture was not right. Maybe it was summer lettuce, not cold weather seed. I have never needed to use heat and last winter we had two weeks of temperature at 0. The lack of daylight sun is what you are working against and stops growing.
http://hardworkhomestead.blogspot.com/ |
| Mama Jewel |
Posted - Nov 02 2010 : 1:35:27 PM
Hi Jane! Yep, we're in the zone 5/6 area. Re: the lettuce, do you plant in the ground in your greenhouse or in pots? Do you start your seeds indoors first before putting them in your outdoor greenhouse? I haven't been the wisest when it comes to the greenhouse in the off-growing season (it's been mostly used as storage for tools & pots). I think I've got to figure out a way to provide heat because when I've tried to plant things in the winter, no germination's taken place.
Farm Girl Sister #1683 Living Simply & Naturally on our lil Sweet Peas Farmette
"Do Everything in Love." 1 Cor 14
http://www.piecemama.etsy.com |
| vegetarian farmer |
Posted - Nov 02 2010 : 09:12:34 AM
I am not sure why you don't use your greenhouse. I also have an unheated greenhouse and I grow over 40 types of lettuces and greens all winter long in my zone 5 growing area.I use additional row cover when temperatures go below 20 degrees and plant cold hardy plants. I also grow sprouts and microgreens inside, but I use no special equipment but a sunny window seal. Microgreens are picked after just a few days of sprouting so no need to add extra light. You just need daylight to activate the chlorophyll. Good luck
http://hardworkhomestead.blogspot.com/ |
