We all know that growing our own food is becoming more and more popular.
Mainly because the food we buy is not what it used to be, and for families on a budget, organic produce is not always an option.
I have had a Summer vegetable garden for the last 8 years,
but this year is the first time I am attempting a Winter garden,
with my homemade hoop house
(green house).
with my homemade hoop house
(green house).
I started out by tilling the soil and adding
some of the decomposed wood chips that I got for free last August/September.
some of the decomposed wood chips that I got for free last August/September.
I made a simple "hoop house" by using flexible pvc pipes, a clear heavy plastic sheet and rocks to hold the plastic down.
(plastic is not pictured as today we are having temperatures in the 50's and that would make the inside of the green house very hot. Last week we had single digits temperatures)
(plastic is not pictured as today we are having temperatures in the 50's and that would make the inside of the green house very hot. Last week we had single digits temperatures)
This helps me to know how far apart I need to plant them and how many seeds I need to have.
Being this my first time,
I am planning a "smaller" garden 8'x6',
so I am using about half of the space I have 16'x10' area.
I am planting buttercrunch lettuce, salad mix, spinach and kale.
They should all do well in cooler weather, and the hoop house should keep them safe from the frost during the cooler night temperatures (and cold days).
This is also the first time that I sprouted the seeds indoor.
This should help "soften" the seeds and kick start the sprouting process outdoor.
Just wet a paper towel (not dripping with water) and lay your seeds.
I lay them according to my planting map.
This is also the first time that I sprouted the seeds indoor.
This should help "soften" the seeds and kick start the sprouting process outdoor.
I lay them according to my planting map.
My cost for the 8'x6' "hoop house" was $18:
4 flexible pipes $2 each
clear heavy duty plastic sheet $10
rocks -free
Stay Frugal,
Daniela
10 comments:
Dani,
You're such an inspiration, and this post is great. You should consider a profile on Hometalk - you would have a huge following with posts like yours.
I'm on HT, but not superactive. I have some original posts that are home 7 garden related (and follow my blog posts), but occasionally they'll ask me to curate a board (much like Pinterest), and it always draws followers.
Your content is all original and so helpful, both in the home and garden sections, esp. for those who want to and need to save money.
Kudos!
Rita
I'd like to have a winter garden in the future. It's difficult with my job now, but I'll follow how you're doing to inspire me for later.
This is going to be great! So intriguing already. :-)
I did a small one this year, as well. I use grape vine and fresh bamboo for my hoops and some plastic I had for drip cloth. So far , so good. the cost was 0 as a friend gave me leftover seeds. I figure for zero investment, I might as well try it. I just hope the deer stay out in the Spring!
Dearest Daniela,
Guess that even your little ones will eagerly await their special home grown lettuce, spinach and kale!
Smart move and also for mixing in some decomposed wood chips.
Sending you hugs and blessings for the weekend.
Mariette
Rocks free...LOL! Looks like a great way to start your garden and inexpensive too!
I love the hoop green house idea. I can't wait to show it to my husband.
Good luck with your winter garden! We thought about doing one, but never did. I agree that it will be a healthier and less expensive way to eat too. I've never grown anything from seed before. That's even cheaper!
This is awesome! I had a friend that gardened year round and I would always help water when she left town. I do love doing a garden, but I have never tried a winter garden.
I have pvc hoops too, but we need them for shade. However, I love your plastic idea, because the sheet method did not save my winter garden September- January. The cold killed my tomatoes in January just as we started picking them. If I used plastic it might have worked on those three cold nights that we got freezing temps. I will have to have that ready to go next December and January, because that is only time it might get cold.
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