every one's scrambling to protect animals and plants from four nights of freezing weather...
the citrus...
lettuce...
beets...
herbs...
cabbage...
I'm really not sure how much I'll have left when it all thaws out, but it's beautiful in it's own way while it lasts...
...but there's a lot at risk....we'll just have to wait and see what we have left...
...meanwhile in the cozy inside...my seeds are sprouting!!!
Byron built me a light, inexpensive A frame stand with a plant light. It's been way too cold to put the seedlings on the front porch like I usually do, and they were crowding up my limited kitchen counter space. This is working wonderfully. It's also collapsible and will store nicely in the loft of our shed until it's needed again next season.
See my little solar oven underneath waiting for a sunny day? I've planted my tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Everything else I direct seed in the garden.
Here's a close up of the top. See the hinges? The framed chicken wire shelf is held on with nails that slip in and out easily. You just remove the light and shelf, fold it up and it'll store nicely. It only took a couple of hours for Byron to make it. The supplies were: 4-6 ft 1X2 boards, 2- 8ft 1X2 boards, 2 small utility hinges, 8- 1 1/2 inch nails, chicken wire, staples, plug in florescent light fixture ($9. something at home depot), and two plant spectrum florescent light tubes ($10 a piece at home depot). We bought everything but the chicken wire at home depot to make it and the total cost was $60.00 even.
5 comments:
Love the new light-wish I had one-hope the freeze doesn't do too much damage.
I love the snow on your flowers it's look's pertty love carmencita
One of my sisters lives (and gardens) in Lafayette, LA, and she had frozen plants, too!
It is great that you have a new set-up for starting seedlings, but you might want to see about longer chains on the light fixture so it can be lowered some. Even though those fluorescent bulbs seem pretty bright, they need to be closer to the seedlings (2-6 inches) to keep the plants from getting too spindly.
Thanks for the posting the great pictures!
We had a couple weeks of frost and low temperatures as well but that was before Christmas. It has been raining since. Love the light. Byron is so talented. Great job!
Love the light fixture maby i should buil one
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