Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Greenhouse makeover and the beauty of greenhouse veggies.

New potting bench. Thank you Allan.
I think I can safely say that I have not been this exhausted since last year when it took me a couple of weeks to clean out the greenhouse.
The whole bottom shelf was piled with pots and stuff.
ps...look at the lettuce bed on right.
I began by potting up the last of the tomato plugs. I planted up a bunch of tomato plants last week into one gallon pots. In one short week they went from sad, pale looking plants to lush dark green plants about twice as big as they were a week ago. I added a handful of my fertilizer. It's great stuff!!
These are the pale tomatoes just moved into small pots today.
These tomatoes were potted one week ago. They
are about twice the size and just beautiful.

Another shot of lovely tomatoes...I can't help myself.
Then I started moving all of the junk that was piled on the lower shelf in the greenhouse. Pots, dishes, spray bottles and on and on. As the top shelf is slotted, the water poured from the top shelf onto the bottom. That made the dishes and everything very water marked and dirty. I had to wash everything. Then lay it in the sun to dry. It took all day. I can't believe how much room that created in the greenhouse. I was able to move some plants to the lower shelf. It is amazing. The shed doesn't look any fuller either. It all just fits. Really got to use my new potting bench for the first time. It was a fantastic gardening experience.
I have so much lettuce in the greenhouse I have offered picking rights to my neighbours Barb and Judy. There is lots for all of us.
This lettuce bed is 12 x 3'. The lettuce is about a foot tall. Those are two gallon
pots that the peppers are in.
I weed whipped, with my new eye protector goggles, around the raised beds and spread a lot of cardboard. About four layers deep. Then we placed the bed on top. I forgot that I wanted to do a Hugelkultur bed, so I started bringing old bamboo poles and some of the birch tree that we cut down years ago. I hope Allan can help me pull it put from under the deck and fill the lower part of the bed. It is supposed to act a bit like a sponge. You hardly need to water. I'm not sure I would be using enough wood to accomplish that, but it can only be good.
Beginning of Hugelkultur bed.
This week I am going to have to put some real effort into weeding and cutting back in the flower bed. It gets pretty ignored when anything veggie needs tending.
I was 100% committed to getting the currants in the ground today. Didn't happen. Although by putting them in the blueberry row, they at least look neat.

***Special note one day after the above post: I do everything with my bare hands. Often after gardening my hands sting. Like little slivers and the nerves feel really irritated. I chalked it up to the gloves, the peat moss in the soil mix, etc....couldn't really figure it out. Today I did some more potting up and my hands were much sorer and redder than yesterday. They were SO dry again that they hurt. I feel kind of silly. I think I figured it out. I make my own organic fertilizer. It contains lime. Lime burns skin. I'm betting that if I wear rubber gloves when handling it...
***Another special note. The lime was irritating my skin, but what was causing me the most discomfort was the little tiny soft pointy things on the tomatoes. They don't bother everyone, but to me they feel like stinging nettles. Awful. Another reason to wear gloves!

11 comments:

Diana Studer said...

and a really good barrier cream, with hand cream when you go to bed?

Gardeningbren said...

Your potting table is wonderful! You must be thrilled. Love the words across the top.

As for your tomato plants...my goodness they are so fine..so fine...healthy and robust.

Lettuce...we are down by the head with salad greens also, but you know, folks like what they buy at the grocery store sometimes, and we don't grow that kind. So it is only a few neighbours who appreciate many of our greens.

Great garden blog update Erin. Sorry about your hands..but I know a great "Crystal Aromatherapy Cream" from Salt Spring Island that will work wonders. ;-)

Erin said...

Hi Diana and Brenda...thanks for the tips.

Brenda, who makes the crystal cream? I must admit that last year I found the lettuce way too strong tasting. I did get used to it. I now know that it was because I was used to the supermarket varieties which are meant to appeal to people who don't grow their own food. Just as you say!! Thank you for the kind comments about my tomatoes. Aren't they incredible. I'm so proud.

Ngo Family Farm said...

Your greenhouse is glorious! Everything looks beautiful, and your hard work really shines through :)
-Jaime

Erin said...

Thank you Jaime. I follow your amazing blog too. It is nice to know that the work is appreciated. :-)

Gardeningbren said...

Cream address is:

aromacrystal.com

Erin said...

Thank you Brenda. I'll get some for the store. Do you have it locally or do you have to order it?

.09 Acres said...

Looking great!

Erin said...

Hello .09 my fig buddy. Thank you do much. I have been super busy with three new raised beds / Hugelkultur beds. I have taken pictures and will do a post ASAP. It has been AWESOME.

Christine @ The Gardening Blog said...

What a fabulous work bench!! And how beautifully organised your green house is! Wow!!

Erin said...

Thank you so much Christine. It has been a hellish amount of work, but all in a good way. I am sunburnt, exhausted, but so content. Picture of progress to follow.