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I'm collecting seeds from my yard and around the neighborhood already. There are a few things I tried cuttings earlier in the season. Some made it, some didn't so seed starting is my next trial.
I'm also thinking of building a hoop style greenhouse this fall. Any advice? I'd love to have my annuals in place about the same time as I can purchase them from the nurseries.
Location: somewhere close to Tampa, but closer to the beach
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...id say give it a try...just make sure that the greenhouse stays warm during the coldest nights during winter....also remember that alot of seeds won't successfully germinate unless soil temps. are 60 degrees or higher..depending on the species....other then that...when transferring the seedlings to the desired spots in the garden,...give them a little time to "harden off"..as greenhouse raised seedlings tend to be a little 'soft'..when first brought out of the greenhouse...i myself successfully started plumerias using a cold frame placed against a southern wall...what seedlings survived a long distance move,...are roughly 2' tall at this time....
I'm getting ready to start my fall garden. I think there's only a couple of months here in AZ where it might get too cold but basically year round gardening!
paperhouse:
You guys actually have winter in North Carolina???
In late December, we get a couple weeks of freezing weather. Then we get a nice break in January. Late February to early March it could be 70 degrees, it could be snowing. You don't know until the day is over what the weather was.
This summer has been way off too. It's 84 degrees at 3pm today. Last week it was in the lower 90s. However, in June, it was 105 for several days in a row. We've gotten more rain this year than the past few too.
Very few of my flowers I planted this spring did anything. I have a couple of petunias that were spectacular, a blue sage that went crazy, and the butterfly bush that seems to think it's a redwood (after complaining it hadn't grown much last year, it took off). My Rose of Sharon still aren't blooming - planted last spring. My roses have been lackluster to say the least (hybrid tea and knockouts). My 4 oclocks would have been better off staying in the bag the seed came in. I got three squash from 8 plants. I got a dozen cucumbers from 6 plants, and I'm still getting tomatoes. My watermelons are about the size of a really large grape - 2 months and counting. I know it's the weather. I've not done anything different than I would normally do. And don't even get me started on seeds that didn't germinate this spring. I planted Rudbeckia and Cone Flower twice in several spots. I got three plants from several hundred seeds (three packs each). The hot June temps killed most of my seedlings. No salvia, marigolds, or verbena sprouted.
After talking to people who have gardened here for years, we are in a microclimate. The Uwharrie mountains (hills, but hey, they were once larger than the Rockies) and the lakes (Badin/Tillery) cause odd things to happen with the weather. Our temps here are sometimes lower than surrounding areas and we get less rain than Charlotte or Greensboro.
Have your greenhouse going in a north-south direction to the sun's east-west direction so the plants get maximum sunlight.
The way my yard is, I'm surrounded by huge trees. I'm not talking developer planted trees either. I cut one down when I moved in and had enough firewood for the entire winter. The one that fell earlier this spring will be enough for this winter.
So I've already picked out my site. I'm just curious how well insulated against the cold it will be. I plan to paint milk jugs black and fill them with water to capture some of the sun's heat. I'm more worried about the temperature extremes than anything else. Too hot during the day, too cold at night.
The way my yard is, I'm surrounded by huge trees. I'm not talking developer planted trees either. I cut one down when I moved in and had enough firewood for the entire winter. The one that fell earlier this spring will be enough for this winter.
So I've already picked out my site. I'm just curious how well insulated against the cold it will be. I plan to paint milk jugs black and fill them with water to capture some of the sun's heat. I'm more worried about the temperature extremes than anything else. Too hot during the day, too cold at night.
That brings me to another point; remembered watching a show about the Bolivians and their crop techniques for potatoes. It was discovered that they had raised beds in a snake-like fashion with water on both sides. This was to help the plant not freeze over and die since the weather in the mountain was so extreme. The point is, with water, an open source like a few 5 gallon buckets in the middle of the greenhouse recessed in the ground will give off moisture like a misty fog when the weather dips to freezing thus saving the plant from freezing.
That brings me to another point; remembered watching a show about the Bolivians and their crop techniques for potatoes. It was discovered that they had raised beds in a snake-like fashion with water on both sides. This was to help the plant not freeze over and die since the weather in the mountain was so extreme. The point is, with water, an open source like a few 5 gallon buckets in the middle of the greenhouse recessed in the ground will give off moisture like a misty fog when the weather dips to freezing thus saving the plant from freezing.
Interesting. I'm looking for passive systems like this. I don't want to run a heater or exhaust. I do plan on putting in a few auto vents. Something that will open when the temperature reaches a certain point, and close when it gets too cool.
I tried Winter Sowing a few years ago when I lived in NJ and it was quite successfull. Hollyhocks were among the first ones to sprout, followed by Ageratum, varieties of lettuces, tomatoes, foxgloves, and many more that I can't remember. I started sowing pretty much right around January right up till planting day (May 15 for my zone). It was so much fun and much less headache than growing seeds indoor, and the grown plants were hardier and tougher than the store bought ones or the ones started indoor.
Be careful though, winter sowing can be highly addictive
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