Early Starts

[Admin]

I see the Amish always start a lot of thier gardens under plastic domes and tents and they have outrageous harvest. What tricks do you folks do that enables you to get the plants in the ground a little sooner?

[mike692]

Wall O Waters! I've had them frozen SOLID and the tomatoes inside them alive and well!

[Admin]

I've heard good things about those mIke. Thanks for posting. Anybody else have any solutions for early planting?

[cleosdad]

JC, a lot of people built a cold frame, a cold frame is a shelter made with a old window with wood sides that you early start your plants in outside, similar to a mini greenhouse, protects from frost and act like a small hot house. Steve

[mike692]

I always wanted to try a traditional hot house Steve. With horse manure. That's how they started seedlings way back when. The way I understand it, they dug a trench, filled it with horse manure and then soil. Covered the whole deal with a cold frame and planted their seedlings. The horse manure created enough heat to keep the seedlings from freezing.

[mike692]

admin said:

I've heard good things about those mIke. Thanks for posting. Anybody else have any solutions for early planting?

My only complaint is how difficult they are to fill. I found a small hose that was made for screwing onto a bottle of windshield washer fluid to fill those tanks that they put in tight places. It will screw onto a garden hose. The small hose then easily fits into the individual cells of the Wall O Water. I have about 2 dozen of the things. I didn't use them last year. I should get them out this spring.

[cleosdad]

Mike, wish I had the time to try every thing, never tried manuer in one, we had one on the south side of the house, had to almost vent the thing during the day , it got so warm, Steve

[trapperjosh]

if we do start growng stuff early, we have an old wood table in the basemant with a growing light above it. works out good. if frost is expected when the plants are in the ground they are covered up with a sheet or a jar. good luck to everyone with their gardens this year.