Here’s one of the best way to get plants up early and hardy ... well equipped for dealing with spring weather ... without need for space indoors or hardening off. This is SO low maintenance, you can pretty much chuck them outside and forget them until planting out time.
They get plenty of light and they don’t suffer rotting off in stale air.
Picture credit:
https://threepsandq.wordpress.com/2012/04/16/planting-updatewinter-sowing-and-square-foot-garden/
This year I was planning to winter sow in my green house but it got blown down! So I’m going back to my old stacks of milk bottle mini greenhouses ... so there’s a bit of recycling going on too.
I’m starting to save milk containers ready to sow all the veg and flower seeds that are pretty frost hardy.
I’ll use soil made in the garden and a marker pen & maybe a bit of duct tape. That it!
Each time we empty a milk container I’ll rinse & cut it and fill the bottom with soil and sow whatever takes my fancy (which would naturally grow in my climate). It’ll come up right when it is supposed to. It knows how!
Here’s a great explanation of how to go about it.
https://getbusygardening.com/winter-sowing-seeds/
Just be aware of slugs when the weather warms up.
The first year I did this I forgot about them and lost a lot of seedlings. I still had more than I’d achieved before learning about winter sowing.
This is cool to read! Just started back again with gardening myself. Very different living in the Caribbean climate now, how you have to treat your plants compared to European temperatures. Trial and error right!
PS: those milkbottles do work great actually
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I'd LOVE to be gardening in the Caribbean! My favourite would be all the citrus fruits I'm guessing you can grow there ... and tomatoes & cucumbers outdoors! I don't know a lot about the climate except that it is warm. What kind of challenges do you have there?
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The biggest challenge is that it is just too hot! The combination of heat and wind makes the soil dry very very fast, and the sun literally burn the leaves.
So trying now in the shade, a bit of water twice a day. See if that works out :)
Citrusplants should be do-able with the right amount of water. Also papaya and banana not too much of a challenge, but those are big trees/bushes. Not really porch material ;)
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Another great possibility for you if you struggle with dryness is a keyhole garden:
http://www.sendacow.org.uk/lessonsfromafrica/resources/keyhole-gardens
If you have space constraints this also can maximize the soil space (as can hugelbeet).
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Ah yes! Those are challenges!
Have you come across hugelbeet gardening where you create a reservoir of water below the plants?
https://permaculturenews.org/2010/08/03/the-art-and-science-of-making-a-hugelkultur-bed-transforming-woody-debris-into-a-garden-resource/
Perhaps you can use a reservoir technology?
Also mulching with something water retentive like manure to keep the soil from drying?
Stones will do it in pots too.
I tend to get away without watering all summer (it’s the UK and even we get some hot, dry summer days 😂) because of having a high water table where I am. I had to raise my beds a bit so my plants aren’t sitting in water in wet times. I mulch heavily too as I do no-dig gardening.
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I am really enjoying these ideas! I see it , I really need a proper garden! Especially that log tower would be a fantastic corner ornament in a large garden. Loving it!
Yeah trying to make my own menure is I think the best way to go now, with some challenges. Heat dries it out too fast, it doesnt get a chance to properly rot. But still this is the way to go. I dont have the space for the lowtowers and the branches hehe.
In Holland I always used hydroculture little balls for inside pots. Those things absorb a lot of water and let it run gradually. That always worked perfect!.
Ow well! Practise will make perfect!
But ej, raising even because of the water!! Wow hahaha.. whoooole different issues there going on haha
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Yes indeed! I have the opposite problems to you. :-)
Manure will compost well in dry environments if there is a large enough pile! Maybe you have some stables nearby? They are always trying to get rid of manure and might deliver for a small fee.
I reckon your space limits mean that the hydroculture balls are best ... or an automatic microwatering system.
When I was in Crete in the summer they were using a microwatering system and managing to grow quite some stuff.
I did NOT see a lot of lettuce in the local shops admittedly!
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best @sallylloyd
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I think I'm a few years away from trying to winter gardens.
But, I do have some carrots still in the ground and I think some pumpkins made an attempt, but the hard freeze stopped that.
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This is SERIOUSLY so simple you could even pot garden this stuff. Grow a bit of kale or something! 😄
I’m not sure this is the best method for root crops. They often do t like to be moved.
It’s great for brassicas, lettuces, onions, and most flowering plants. 😄
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Kale...ugh.... that's mostly the reason. LOL
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hahahahahahaha. Kales is like Marmite [if you've heard of the stuff]. You either are a lover or a hater! :-D
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Vegimite?
It's like minced meat.
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