The Cheap Vegetable Gardener

Cheap Homemade Cold Frame

14.6 years ago cheap, cold season crops, outdoor seed starting 4 Comments

When we bought our house we found a screen door in the garage.  Not wanting to have or install the screen door we tried many times to get rid of it without success. 

Finally  I decided to use the parts to create a cold frame.  I did consider using the whole door and hinges as a cold frame but decided I could make something that looked a little better by taking it apart.

The construction was very simple, by taking measurements of the windows I made the box out of cedar with similar dimensions.  Wanting to try out my new circular saw I decided to make the cuts at 45 degrees for a more finished look.  Last I simply screwed the sides into a length of 2” by 2” I placed at each corner

I have two squares of glass and a screen of the same size so I should be able to switch these in/out to make sure I am not frying the plants when it is time to harden them from the nice warm garage.

Later I plan on making a more secure (from the wind) hinged top but wanted to see what I could create with a small budget and I could not resist the 3 pack of seedling trays which took a decent chunk of my budget from this project which was sponsored by my Lowes Gift card winning from Rob’s World.

Successive Pea Planting

14.5 years ago outdoor seed starting, peas, spring 4 Comments

Last year by 5 year old learned she likes to pick and eat fresh pea pods and was very diligent on harvesting new peas as she found them.  Unfortunately this meant less peas for me.  This year I am using successive planting to ensure I get my fill this year but also do not get overwhelmed with one big harvest all at once.

I started the process about a month ago by soaking my sugar snap peas in water overnight…then forgetting about them and ended up planting them by flashlight in the rain the following day.  I couple weeks later I did the same for my snow peas in a separate part of my garden. 

If everything goes as planned I should get some early snap peas and followed by some snow peas 2-3 weeks later.  Even if my plants do not cooperate and I get overwhelmed with too many peas I can always leave a few on the plants and harvest the pea seeds for next year.

2-liter bottle upside down tomato planter

14.4 years ago cheap, peppers, tomato, upside down planter 70 Comments

Though my first attempt at an upside down tomato planter worked out great, I have a habit of forgetting to water the plants everyday.  More commonly when we have decent rains when only the hanging tomato planters need to be watered.  So this year I have modified my design a little to make this a little easier.  As a bonus you can create this new version much quicker and minimal tools.

Materials required

• Empty 2-liter bottle
• Spray paint
• Drill or hot nail
• Chopstick or 1/4 in stick

Step 1 — Cut off bottom

There is a natural ridge at the bottom of the two liter bottle, simply cut at this ridge and remove the bottom.

Step 2 — Attach water reservoir

Take the removed bottom, flip it over, and insert it into the bottom of the bottle until flush with the top.

Step 3 — Drills Holes

First you need to drill a small hole in the bottom of the reservoir (the bottom you cut of)  Use the smallest drill bit you have, this will reduce the water flow coming into the planter during rainfall and/or manual watering.  With this reduced flow there should be much less soil loss during watering.

Second you need to drill two holes about 1/4 inch from the edge with a 1/4 inch drill bit.  It is a little difficult to get enough pressure against the plastic to make this hole without causing the plastic to collapse.  To take care of this place a small piece of wood on the floor and drill the holes from the inside.

Step 4 — Paint planter

You want to protect the roots from being exposed to direct sunlight so you need to cover the outside.  This can be done with contact paper, duct tape (as I have done in the past) or for a fast cleaner look just quickly add a quick coat of spray paint to the outside.  It is probably best to use paint that is made to adheres well to plastic, though in my case I had some nice multipurpose light green paint leftover from another project that with a few hard rains appears to be holding up well.
Step 5 — Secure with stick (chopstick) and fill with soil

Now add your plant (tomatoes and peppers are my favorites) to the bottom (previously the top) of the planter by carefully pushing the roots through the hole or alternatively you can the plant out from the inside.  If your plant is too large to do this safely you may also cut a larger opening in the bottom, but I would recommend wrapping a sponge or coffee filter around the plant to assist in keeping the dirt in the planter.

Fill your planter with a mixture of 1 part perlite to 2 parts (potting mix, peat moss, coconut coir) with the top 1/2 inch being only (potting mix, peat moss, coconut coir)  After a couple of waterings, this 1/2 inch layer will compact and restrict the water flow for a slower and more distributed watering.

Use the thinner end of your chopsticks to thread it through both holes and both sets of plastic, attach a piece of twine attached to bother ends, and hang wherever the plants can get some good full sunshine and you should have plenty of early tomatoes this summer.

Growing Pepper Plants Indoors

14.3 years ago Bhut Jolokia, indoor growbox, jalapeno, peppers 6 Comments

Pepper plants need specific environmental (temperature and humidity) conditions to establish growth and create high yields.  If the temperatures get too low it will stunt its growth or not produce blossoms, when the temperatures get too high the plant will drop it blossoms resulting in no or reduce yields.

The perfect temperature range for peppers is between 70 and 80 degrees F for Bell peppers and hot peppers can handle a little warmer temperatures up to 85 degrees.  If their environment gets below 70 degrees the plants will struggle, which given even in August we don’t hit an average of 70 degrees F for any success a greenhouse, hot box, or a growbox is requirement.  If you are a frequent reader of this site you probably already know I go with the last option.

With a few CFLs (or incandescent if extra heat is needed) the peppers plants are happy in the growbox.  With exception of once a week watering with a diluted fertilizer at 50% recommended on the box they pretty much take care of themselves.  If we do get a nice warm day I will bring them out for some natural light.  This also invites some natural organic pest control of any aphids which may have found their way into the growbox.  When the plants begin flowering this also gives some bees an opportunity to do a little pollination, this can be done by hand with a paint brush or Q-Tip though my success rate is much less than the bees, though they have been doing this for millions of years…I am still a little new at this

As mentioned above controlling the proper temperature is critical, I do this with a combination of computer controlled fans and lighting to maintain the proper temperature, though this could also be achieved by using a $10 outdoor digital thermometer and a occasional adjustments to venting or fan control to maintain a good temperature range.

Last year I only grew jalapeno pepper plants, but this year I am also trying Cayenne, Sweet Yellow, and Bhut Jolokia pepper plants.  Though it is quite a bit more work growing peppers in my area, I like challenges and to do things that others say can not be done, call me stubborn.

Starting seeds in paper towels

14.3 years ago indoor seed starting, seeds 9 Comments

Most often I start my seeds in a mix of coconut coir and perlite in seeding cells or small containers, though there are occasions when it may be better to start your seeds in a simple paper towel.

Before going into the benefits first lets go over the technique:

1. Get a paper towel, napkin, or coffee filter and spray with water so it is moist (not soaking wet or the seeds could rot)
2. Add a few seeds and folder over the paper to cover them.
3. Place the paper and seeds into a zip lock bag (I like to use the snack sized ones) and place in a warm location (top or refrigerator, water hearer, etc)
4. Check every day or so do see if seedlings have emerged and water as needed
5. When seedlings emerge very carefully place the strongest seedlings into dirt cups.

Tips

• Instead of trying to remove the seeds from the paper, you can simply cut around the seedling and plant both into the ground.  The paper will eventually erode away without affecting the seedling.
• You can also use this technique to plant the seedling right into the ground.

This technique is great for many reasons:

• Allows for faster germination rates and times
• Great if you have limited space for seedlings (stack of zip lock bags take up much less space than 40/50 seed cells)
• More consistent moisture
• Less dirt on your counters
• Great option for rare, poor germination rates and/or very slow germinating times (think hot peppers with 3-4 weeks germination delays)  With this method you can keep close tabs on the progress and know after a week or two if you need to start some more (or buy some new seeds)

For the home grower this is a great space saving technique and due to the water retention in the bags it is nearly impossible to lose seedlings due to lack of watering.

Saving Thanksgiving rosemary and sage cuttings by cloning

10 months ago Uncategorized Leave a comment

Hey, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones. Sage and Rosemary are two repeating ingredients in which I typically would get from my herb garden but appears I was a bit lapsed on my watering this summer and plants didn’t make it, so I was forced to buy some fresh herbs from the grocery store. To avoid having to this next year I am repeating what I have done in previous years and cloning them to use next year. Here’s how.

First, you need to trim the cuttings to remove any leaves or flowers. You want to have a clean stem with a few nodes (the bumps where leaves grow). Then, you need to dip the cut ends in some rooting hormone, which you can buy at any garden center or online. This will help the cuttings develop roots faster and stronger.

Next, you need to prepare some pots with moist potting soil. Make a hole in the soil with your finger or a pencil and insert the cutting. Gently press the soil around the stem to secure it. You can put several cuttings in one pot, but make sure they have enough space between them.

Another option here if you are lapsed in remember to keep up in watering and you have an aerogarden you simple put these stripped stems in the water and then once they are more established with some solid roots then transplant to a small pot filled with some quality dirt.

Finally, you need to place the pots in a bright spot, but not in direct sunlight. You also need to keep the soil moist, but not soggy. You can mist the cuttings with water every day or cover them with a plastic bag to create a humid environment. In a few weeks, you should see new leaves sprouting from the nodes. That means your cuttings have rooted and are ready to be transplanted into bigger pots or into your garden.

And that’s it! You have successfully saved your rosemary and sage cuttings from Thanksgiving and cloned them to use next year. You can do this with other herbs as well, such as thyme, mint, basil, oregano, etc. It’s a great way to save money and enjoy fresh herbs all year round. Happy gardening!