|
could a mix of red and blue LED's serve for this function?
|
#
?
Feb 26, 2010 23:07
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 29, 2024 15:34 |
|
|
Blckbuster posted:could a mix of red and blue LED's serve for this function? Not sure if it would work. Fluorescent lights work good because they emit an entire spectrum of wavelengths. The cool whites emit mostly blue, but the yellow and red are not zero. Same with the warm ones too. Let me know if I'm wrong, but colored LED's emit only one wavelength, and you would probably miss a lot by not having all the shades and intermediate colors. Edit: It seems that there are specialty LED grow lights, but I don't think the regular single color ones are it. Zeta Taskforce fucked around with this message at 01:38 on Feb 27, 2010 |
|
#
?
Feb 27, 2010 01:28
|
|
|
I've made some serious progress on my latest garden project: a cold frame.  The big piece of plexiglass was left behind by the previous owners of the house, I basically just built a frame to fit it. Total cost of materials was about $30, that includes the thermometer. I also have a handle for the lid which is not pictured, as the bolts I'd bought turned out to be the right size for the hinges but not the handle, so I'm going back to the hardware store tomorrow. I've got it in position on the south side of my house, under a bay window. It gets full sun during the spring and fall, but over the summer when the sun is higher the bay window overhang puts it in mostly shade. I just need to keep an eye on it for the next couple days, watching the temps inside the frame to determine if it needs any extra insulation. Once the temps look good I'll start moving my perennial seedlings out.
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2010 02:33
|
|
|
/\/\/\ Yes, I need to do this. When I was about 12 my father had a tiny farm, I found a large multi-paned house window and built a cold frame. Man that worked well in Colorado with the late cold nights. The glass is always the main expense so I am going looking for the largest piece of second hand glass/window frame I can find.
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2010 03:10
|
|
|
Last frost isn't until early to mid april here. So It's time for me to start planting my first seeds. I might have gone overboard with the 21 seeds I picked out. But I'm hoping that at least some of them sprout so that I can transplant them outside. My ultimate goal is to save money on herbs and produce that cost so much money at the store (3 dollars for basil? come on it's a weed). As far as the ginger, should I try rinsing the chemical off (storebought) then doing the water trick? I'm making a setup and using the spare room for all these starters. Including this 76CRI 6500K fluorescent bulbs. Some of the seed packets when starting indoors say to keep it out of direct light. Do I just raise the a few feet above or do I need to put some material between the greenhouse case and the light? Plus as far as transplanting I'm unsure if I'm going to keep them all potted or just some. I'll be moving in september so I'd rather not have them die after taking them out of the ground potting then moving 1800 miles. From a 6b to a 3 climate. Trying to figure out how much of each I can grow in the starter greenhouse. Should I just get a few habanero and jalapeno starters or try for 4? If the seed packet is a mixture how much should I start before I will get a variety of them all sprouting? roma and a hybrid tomato seed I picked up, should I just do 3 of the starters? With herbs that the seeds are of concern how much should I be growing. Caraway and cumin for example? HClChicken fucked around with this message at 16:15 on Feb 28, 2010 |
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2010 14:41
|
|
|
I'm going to reply to myself since I was able to do research along with getting the magazine "starting from seed" which is fine gardening's' yearly publication. Ginger: it appears putting it in a plastic bag, unsealed with peat moss in a cool area for a couple of weeks works best. Plus the light-setup I have should work. Many of the stuff I'm expecting to grow are annuals so transplanting when I move will be a moot point. I could always make a box for the stuff I'd want to and plant those when transplant time comes. The magazine actually mentions quantity like expect 5-9 bell peppers per plant, 9 artichokes per plant, and a few others of note. With 15 culinary herbs and 20 edibles. It even tells how to harvest seeds for any plant in use for future seasons, how to store and shelf-lifes.
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2010 22:22
|
|
|
This is my second year of trying to grow anything. Last year's tomatoes went pretty well, but my supports for the plants were improvised out of plastic coathangers wedged into the soil, so there's definitely room for improvement this time  I planted some tomato seeds and spinach seeds last weekend and the tomato seedlings have started appearing in the last couple of days. Very exciting! I've been reading about coffee grounds and tea leaves being good for the soil. Would it just be a case of applying the used leaves to the surface of the soil, or should I properly mix them into the soil when it comes time to transfer the seedlings to bigger pots?
|
|
#
?
Feb 28, 2010 23:54
|
|
|
They're just good sources of organic material really. Ideally you would compost them all first but I don't see how adding a little bit of them directly would hurt anything.
|
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2010 00:20
|
|
|
Some Starbucks give away free spent coffee and espresso grounds. It's hit or miss whether they collect them. Currently the woman works at one who fails to do it, so she gets them whenever she throws them away. So I planted my two trays, have them in the computer room( warmest in the house). With the fluorescent light having 2 feet over. The light is on an adjustable chain so I can raise it if needed. I have a timer for 16 hours of the day. But do I need to have it on now, or wait until the first sprout?
|
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2010 02:33
|
|
|
HClChicken posted:Some Starbucks give away free spent coffee and espresso grounds. It's hit or miss whether they collect them. Currently the woman works at one who fails to do it, so she gets them whenever she throws them away. Seeds will sprout without any light
|
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2010 06:11
|
|
|
Most seeds will sprout without light. There are a few exceptions, lettuce being one I can think of off the top of my head.
|
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2010 14:07
|
|
|
I am SO tired. This weekend we took down the shed in the back, evicted one (1) live possum from the foundation, removed one (1) dead armadillo from the same foundation, and burned the giant pile of brush (that fell during the Jan 09 ice storm) in my back yard. I've got at least two five-gallon pails of good quality wood ash.
|
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2010 16:50
|
|
|
Marchegiana posted:Most seeds will sprout without light. There are a few exceptions, lettuce being one I can think of off the top of my head. As a general rule, the tinier the seed, the closer it need to be planted to the surface, the likelier light is needed. I know light aids in the germination of lettuce, and fairly intense light is needed for many flowers. Other than lettuce, I don’t know of any other vegetables where it is needed.
|
|
#
?
Mar 1, 2010 19:39
|
|
|
My cucumber seedlings are already a few inches tall and I had to move the tallest ones under their own light. Peas are shooting upwards, tomatoes and spinach are just emerging. I'm going to need to get some pots ready for those cucumbers pretty soon because I'm betting by the end of the week they'll have their first true leaves.
|
|
#
?
Mar 2, 2010 05:57
|
|
|
Omg you guys check this out. Zeta Taskforce specifically but some of you may remember a short discussion about growing tea in the beginning of the thread. I'm so gonna try this, and now is the perfect time to start for me. quote:Plant seeds immediately in a jar three-quarters full of moist Germination sounds pretty typical really. The guy mentions the best way is to propagate cuttings from existing plants, but I don't know of anyone who has a tea plant.
|
|
#
?
Mar 2, 2010 18:36
|
|
|
You might be able to find Camellia sinensis at a (good) nursery local to you if you look around a bit, though they're a lot harder to find than the C. japonica and C. sasquana species. Also the season for planting Camellia is when they're blooming, generally late fall through winter, so they might be harder to find now (except for the japonica species, which can be planted until spring) If you want to mail-order I know there's a specialty camellia nursery in NC, you can see their selection of sinensis here. Camellia are really beautiful plants, I have a 5 year old C. japonica (Professor Sargent, a double-flowering red variety that blooms mid-spring) and last fall I planted a 1 year old C. sasquana (Yuletide, puts out red flowers at Christmas). If you're zone 7 or above you can just grow them in the ground, just be sure to give them some filtered sun protection during the midday and keep their roots mulched and odds are they'll do great.
|
|
#
?
Mar 2, 2010 19:41
|
|
|
landis posted:Omg you guys check this out. Zeta Taskforce specifically but some of you may remember a short discussion about growing tea in the beginning of the thread. I was wondering if anyone tried growing it. I still want to try, but there is a bunch more stuff I want to do to the yard first. Either way it’s going to be marginal in New England. It looks like cuttings or buying the plant through a mail order nursery is the way to go. Last year I posted this link for Sochi Tea, which I’m guessing refers to the same city in Russia that will be hosting the 2014 Winter Olympic games. But before you get the idea of tea thriving in the Russian Taiga, Sochi is more known for its beaches and people are still scratching their heads about its choice as Olympic venue.  Another image slightly  Marchegiana posted:you can see their selection of sinensis here. Thanks! One of those is hardy to Zone 6B. I'll really have to try it. I have no excuses now. Zeta Taskforce fucked around with this message at 20:54 on Mar 2, 2010 |
|
#
?
Mar 2, 2010 19:49
|
|
|
Marchegiana posted:You might be able to find Camellia sinensis at a (good) nursery local to you if you look around a bit, though they're a lot harder to find than the C. japonica and C. sasquana species. Also the season for planting Camellia is when they're blooming, generally late fall through winter, so they might be harder to find now (except for the japonica species, which can be planted until spring) If you want to mail-order I know there's a specialty camellia nursery in NC, you can see their selection of sinensis here.  (but I'm still going to go look anyway).I just ordered two packets of seeds from here. There's a small plant being offered here too but I'm glad I didn't get it because your link is cheaper with older plants, thanks for that. I'm definitely going to give germination a shot (obviously) but I'll most likely buy a plant or three at some point as well. I'm anxious to try making tea.
|
|
#
?
Mar 2, 2010 22:10
|
|
|
I'm starting to see some of my cotyledons sticking out after 3 days. One type is even half an inch tall. I'm getting pretty excited.
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2010 02:36
|
|
|
Anybody know about anything about white LED spectrums? Wikipedia sez that they are like fluorescent tubes. I ask cause drat.
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2010 19:19
|
|
|
2 watt LED bulbs would put out hardly any light at all.
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2010 19:38
|
|
|
Something like that might benefit a houseplant languishing in a shady corner of your living room, but would be inadequate for starting seeds or anything else.
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2010 19:53
|
|
|
landis posted:Anybody know about anything about white LED spectrums? Wikipedia sez that they are like fluorescent tubes. I bought a standard 2 bar workshop light (workshop usually means powered through a 3-prong outlet instead of having to do wiring. With the highest rated t-8 bulb they had. It only cost me 38 bucks including the chain to hang from the ceiling. Plus I found the timer at my dad's workshop. So it's on from 7 am to 11pm.  Click here for the full 1536x2048 image.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2010 01:07
|
|
|
Got my peppers and 'maters started for the year. Orange and white habanero, Caribbean red habenero, Thai burapa, and some bhut jolokia seeds in the post from South Carolina. Stuck with some safer tomato options: better boy, brandywine, and san marzano. Expanding the garden Saturday for all the new sauce components. 
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2010 05:38
|
|
|
mischief posted:some bhut jolokia seeds I myself bought some bhut jolokia seeds to plant. For those not in the know, it's the hottest pepper in the world. It's name in fact translates to "ghost pepper". I plan on going all out with the spot too, caging it off with a skull and crossbones sign on it. That's mainly to prevent passersby from touching it, since that's enough to... make your day unpleasant.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2010 07:53
|
|
|
Pepper Joes has had a lot of success down in South Carolina growing them, I'm hoping that will translate over to NC. The habs and the jolokia are occupying a new part of the garden that I will make a little sandier, etc. I'm also only growing probably 3 cucumber plants this year. I had six last year that grew over 9 feet tall and we were just sick of cucumbers halfway through the season. Tearing apart some palletes over the weekend to build some tables for a container lettuce garden idea I've been nursing all winter. Those are some hateful bastards, but hey.. free wood for tables.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2010 23:31
|
|
|
Went out properly for the first time this year and did my spring dig-over. God I've missed digging with the sunshine on my back. Finally got round to harvesting the last of the leeks in plot 2! There was 1.7kg of them. Any ideas what to do with a glut of leeks? At the moment I'm thinking of letting my dad take them to church so anyone can take them, or cutting them up and freezing them in ziplock bags. Don't know what I'm growing this year, but it's not going to be leeks.
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2010 15:56
|
|
|
madlilnerd posted:Went out properly for the first time this year and did my spring dig-over. God I've missed digging with the sunshine on my back. potato leek soup. Or do it cold and call it vichyssoise
|
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2010 17:16
|
|
|
madlilnerd posted:Went out properly for the first time this year and did my spring dig-over. God I've missed digging with the sunshine on my back. landis fucked around with this message at 17:25 on Mar 6, 2010 |
|
#
?
Mar 6, 2010 17:23
|
|
|
Dug up my plots today. 3 of them, 4x10 apiece. The dirt in my yard is beautiful, I can tell I'm going to do well. About to start seeds indoors.
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2010 00:19
|
|
|
Those leeks rings do look delicious, but I'm a bit scared of deep frying!Jonny 290 posted:The dirt in my yard is beautiful, I can tell I'm going to do well. I had that feeling today. Compared to last year there were so few weed roots, better soil consistency and so many more worms, it felt fantastic.
|
|
#
?
Mar 7, 2010 02:03
|
|
|
I planted 95 tomato seeds today in a pair of plug trays. I have a smorgasbord of cultivars, from Cherokee Purple and Green, to Black Crimson, Napoli, and some cherries too. My seed rack is sitting at 77*, thanks to poly and an electric blanket. I used a different type of growing mix this year - it's essentially peat, perlite, and compost. I might play around with making my own potting soil next year, possibly retailing it, as my parents have a soil mixer. The mix they make for their nursery is too coarse for seedlings, as I found out last year. (side view) 
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2010 00:26
|
|
|
 Guess what arrived in the mail yesterday.
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2010 00:39
|
|
|
landis posted:
I'm growing some of those in my litter box. No, really, what are they?
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2010 00:46
|
|
|
Well, if it isn't the little thread that could. Glad to see everyone in the southern hemisphere had fun while the rest of us were digging out from more snow then I care to remember. Fun updates on my own garden: I planted 2 dwarf apple trees last fall (each 2 years old, a Fuji and a Golden Delicious, mainly because they are complementary pollinators). I'm researching into what kind of pest control I want to engage in, bagging seems like the obvious choice but that also seems like it would be a ton of work and the bags wouldn't hold up to rain very well. Anyone have experience with this? Early seed germination has gone horribly, nothing has come up yet even with seed heating pads under the flats. I'm going to have to figure out what I am screwing up on and likely just settle for buying plants again this year. I'm guessing it's the soil mixture I'm using, going to maybe try again with a different mix.Goals for this year: *Get a new bed up and running, closer to the house to promote more consistent watering for tomatoes. *Plant the 100 strawberry crowns that I ordered and hope at least 40 make it to full growth. *Build a net cage for the blackberries. *Expand the blackberries from 2 plants to 6. (also enjoy our first year of harvesting blackberries!) *Build a composting system. I'm thinking I can pick up an unused 55gal barrel fairly cheap and replicate something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Mantis-4000-00-02-ComposT-Twin-Composting-Bin/dp/B00008Z9ZF/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1268005221&sr=8-8 for a whole lot cheaper. (any one got some ideas to share?) *Make a nice little wooden fence to replace the cheap wire one I have, in order to keep my dog out. At minimum make and install a wooden garden gate. It's going to be a busy spring.
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2010 00:48
|
|
|
Richard Noggin posted:I'm growing some of those in my litter box. No, really, what are they?  Camellia Sinensis otherwise known as tea. It's going to be quite the experiment for me.And yes, my first thought was gerbil turds or something.
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2010 01:01
|
|
|
Dug out more plots today, reloaded on topsoil and compost for mixing in and loaded 72 coco pucks with veggies and herbs. I'm dead tired. Adventure begins! Edit: the big list: radishes, zucchini, carrots, oregano, catnip, sweet basil, lemon basil, snap peas, spinach, cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers and green onions Jonny 290 fucked around with this message at 02:30 on Mar 8, 2010 |
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2010 02:21
|
|
|
Finally finished turning some unusable space on the side of my driveway to something that could possibly be productive. (assuming someone other than me plants in it). We planted spinach in mid feb and they sprouted around the 1st. Hopefully we will get one harvest in around easter, then I'll start planting for summer the usual stuff (tomatos, hot peppers, cucumbers, etc..) Each box is 26" wide by 8' long by 24" deep. I used pressure treated lumber and some sort of outdoor deck screws. They look like they are plastic coated instead of galvanized since that doesn't react well with new pressure treated lumber. I'm keeping an eye on it for now to make sure the boards don't spread apart. If they do, I'll add some lag bolts. Before:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. After:  Click here for the full 720x540 image. I installed the plumbing for sprinklers which, as I found out today, don't actually water my garden boxes, but instead water the outside of the boxes. I'll continue watering by hand this week and convert at least one over to drip irrigation since I happen to have a kit on hand. Each box can be shut off or on so that if I plant something that needs less water in one, I can still run the other. Plumbing:  Click here for the full 540x720 image. To see the entire process, click here El Bano fucked around with this message at 02:59 on Mar 8, 2010 |
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2010 02:54
|
|
|
omgomgomg first time ever with a real back yard and I'm very excited! Also, its my first time in zone 7 so I have NO idea when I should start my seeds. I got all seeds this time, though if I have issues with some stuff I guess I can get transplants. Got all edibles and herbs, I have about 22 sq ft to work with, fenced in land, still pretty rough and completely untilled but I am excited nonetheless. Any pointers on growing in this zone?
|
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2010 04:18
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 29, 2024 15:34 |
|
|
El Bano posted:Finally finished... Those look great! I'll have to post pictures of my hacked together palette planting tables once they're done. I am decidedly unskilled as a carpenter.  teknicolor posted:Also, its my first time in zone 7 so I have NO idea when I should start my seeds. http://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates Congrats with the first time backyard. It's quite an adventure the first year but it's all fairly obvious if you pay attention. Take pictures, we love pictures in the thread. mischief fucked around with this message at 04:24 on Mar 8, 2010 |
|
#
?
Mar 8, 2010 04:22
|
|