Showing posts with label Raised Bed Gardens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Raised Bed Gardens. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Bananas N Egg Shells N Garden

 Bananas N Egg Shells N Garden

*Clean dry egg shells
*DRY banana skins
* 2 TBSP baking soda
*1/3 cup USED coffee grounds
Grind together in food processor.

Use as:
- mulch
-top soil
- a large batch and put in empty #10 can
-1 teaspoon full of dry mix into water can for garden 

-seal and use all season long
-mix into compost
-sprinkle on garden after first snow, let it soak in during winter!

Dry banana peels between two window screens laying out in sun.
Vent them by placing them on cinder blocks.
Bring them in at night to avoid moisture.
Tear to thin strips - dry quicker.
Place on black garbage cans - for quicker drying. 




You need approximately 5 pounds of dried banana peels for every 100 square feet of soil to see benefits in plants.



 How to Dry Banana Peels for Fertilizer thumbnail

Tea Bag In Garden

Tea Bags In Garden






~ Used tea bags ? Garden loves them.
*Bury them in the soil
*Tear them opened and sprinkle the tea all over the soil
*Put them in compost pile
*Many use them in their worm boxes too, I'm just starting worm box - so I'll let you know how that goes.


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Coffee And Grounds In Garden



Coffee And Grounds In Garden





 Folgers Classic Roast Coffee Canister
  photo from Folgers site. THANKS Folgers......my plants LOVE YOU.
*I don't drink coffee . I buy it at lowest price . NO flavored coffee, NO decaf.
*Plants love coffee.
*I make coffee (outside it gives my spouse asthma attacks).
*1 cup coffee - cool
*4 cups water
*Dump all around garden, never on the roots. If you are going to put on the roots use 5 cups water.

~~Coffee Grounds -
*I take them to my corn mostly ~ but I do bury some in each area of garden.
*1/3 cup coffee grounds mixed in 4 NEW cups of soil sprinkled on top of soil.

COMPOST
* I use coffee grounds from friends too ~ they go to my compost.


Crushed Egg Shells In Your Garden

Crushed Egg Shells ALL Over Your Garden...




*Crush your egg shells.
*Put them in your soil.
*When you crack an egg to fry / scramble rinse them.
*If you hard boil eggs KEEP the water - cool and use water in garden..
*I tuck them away in my soil, everywhere - all over my garden, in my garden containers -from March - the first snow (October).
*Remember DO rinse them out. The bugs love them if you don't and you DO NOT want bag bugs moving into your garden spaces.
*Keep your eggs from winter, rinse, dry & keep in a zip plastic bag.

















Water Your Plants When Not At Home Cheaper


Water Your Plants When Not At Home Cheaper













Water Your Plants When You're Away














Place the other end of the string into the water bottle.
 A little improvement - tread the exposed string into straws to lower evaporation into the air.

Maybe elevate the water source higher than the plant, moist seeks lower level due to gravity.
(HomeMadeIsEasyblogger)

 http://snapguide.com/guides/water-your-plants-when-youre-away/
 The water will wick its way up the string and into the soil, keeping your plant watered while you're on vacation.


Friday, March 1, 2013

Raised Bed Garden Extended Growing Season


Build a raised bed cloche in 8 steps

 Learn to construct a covered raised garden bed in 8 easy steps, for around $200.

Sam Angima and Bill Biernacki, Oregon State University Extension  TEXT COPYRIGHTS. Jan 2013

Extend the growing season

A cloche is a glass bell jar that is set over individual plants, acting as a mini greenhouse and extending the growing season,
especially in cooler regions. This raised garden bed is built with a cover, essentially a cloche that covers an entire bed!
It is best suited for growing tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, melons, and other crops that need to be planted after danger of frost and generally mature late in the season.
Follow these directions to build a structure approximately 8 feet long and 4 feet wide at the base, and 5 feet high at the center.
Adjust the length by increasing or decreasing the length of the boards and number of PVC hoops, and alter the length of the polyethylene plastic appropriately.
The cost for materials is about $150-$250.

Gather your materials

Before you begin, compile all your materials. Label the boards as indicated.
  • 2 A boards: 2-inch x 12-inch x 8-foot boards, treated with water-based preservatives
  • 2 B boards: 2-inch x 12-inch x 4-foot boards, treated with water-based preservatives
  • 3 C boards: 2-inch x 4-inch x 8-foot boards, treated with water-based preservatives
  • 8 D boards: 1-inch x 4-inch x 10-foot boards, treated with water-based preservatives (to be cut to fit)
  • 1 piece of 6-mil polyethylene plastic sheeting, 9 x 10-foot wide (cloche sides)
  • 2 pieces of 6-mil polyethylene plastic sheeting 5 x 5-foot (cloche ends)
  • 3 10-foot lengths of 0.75-inch schedule 40 PVC (hoop supports)
  • 1 rubber bungee cord, 18 inches long
  • 20 schedule 40 PVC clips (see Step 4/Detail. Obtained by sawing off one-third of a section of 1-inch PVC)
  • 0.5 lb (approximate) 3-inch galvanized or stainless steel screws
  • 0.5 lb (approximate) 1.5-inch galvanized or stainless steel screws
  • 12 0.75-inch galvanized pipe straps
  • Hand saw
  • Appropriate screwdriver (preferably a power drill)


Step 1: Build the frame

Attach the two B boards to the ends of the two A boards using 3-inch screws at each end.
Cut six lengths of 11.5 inches each from one of the C boards and attach them to the inside of the longer side of the cloche frame you have just made. 
Use 3-inch screws to attach one 11.5-inch board in each corner and one on each side,
centered in the middle and flush with the bottom. These short pieces will support the corners and serve as anchors for the PVC ribs.

Option: Add support to the corners

You may add outside corner metal straps to the corners to further stabilize the raised bed base

Step 2: Add PVC hoops

Slowly bend each of the three 0.75-inch, 10-foot PVC hoop supports into each corner and one in the center to shape the arch of the cloche.
Secure each hoop flush at the bottom of the anchors using the 0.75-inch pipe straps and 1.5-inch screws.

Detail: Pipe straps

Use two galvanized pipe straps on each side, making sure ribs are vertical.
Instead of using pipe straps, you can attach sections of 1-inch PVC pipe to the anchors and just insert and
anchor the0 .75-inch hoops into these sleeves if you prefer.

Step 3: Build the backbone

Lay one of the D boards across the top of all three hoops, creating the top backbone and support of the cloche.
Check that the backbone is level and that the three hoops (ribs) touch the bottom of the backbone.
The ribs can be adjusted by loosening the pipe straps and making the necessary adjustment.
Measure the height of both ends of the frame from the bottom of the frame to the bottom of the backbone to make sure they are equal. 
You will use this information in the next step.

Step 3, continued: Build the backbone

Cut two C boards to the length measured in the last step (approximately 51 inches) and attach them to the outside of each end,
centered and flush with the bottom of the frame (B boards), using 3-inch screws. Cut the backbone to make its ends flush with
the C boards just placed (approximately 8 feet, 4 inches).
Attach each end of the backbone, flush to the outside of both vertical C boards, using 1.5-inch screws.
Check to make sure each PVC hoop is vertical and secure with a 1.5-inch screw down through the backbone and rib.
The remaining seven D boards can be cut to the same length as the backbone.

Step 4: Cover the ends

Open, spread, and attach the 5x5-foot plastic sections of the 6-mil polyethylene plastic sheeting to both ends using the
PVC clips, five on each side. Make sure the plastic covers the entire end, and tuck the plastic against the inside of the frame.

Detail: Make PVC clips

Make the PVC clips by sawing off a third of a section of 1-inch PVC. Pull plastic tight and make adjustments,
being careful that clips do not dig into the plastic. Trim extra plastic but leave a good 6 inches of excess.

Detail: Trim as needed

The plastic should be tucked against the end of the frame and trimmed to fit.

Step 5: Add the top cover

Drape the 10'x10' piece of 6-mil polyethylene plastic sheeting over the hoops, making sure each end and the
bottom sides are even. Do not trim excess plastic until later.

Step 6: Secure the plastic

Place another D board on top of the backbone, sandwiching the plastic between the two, and screw down using 1.5-inch screws.

Step 7: Hold the sides in place

For the side plastic curtains, use one D board on the inside of the plastic curtain and another on the outside,
sandwiching the plastic in the middle. Screw the D boards tightly together, resting on the frame, using 1.5-inch screws.
Curtain should hang with no slack. Trim excess plastic, leaving 6 to 8 inches of overhang below the sandwich assembly.
The overhang prevents rain from entering the cloche. Repeat on the other side.
For more wind resistance, you can wrap the plastic once around the first D board and then sandwich it with the other D board.
You also can attach a hook to the outer D board at each end and two hooks to the frame.
Attach bungee cords between the two hooks to prevent wind from flapping open the curtain.

Step 8: Finishing touches

For added strength and support, attach a D board to each rib (or hoop) on each side about 10 inches down from the
top of the backbone using 1.5-inch screws.
Attach the rubber bungee at the top center of the cloche.
When the side curtain is rolled up, the bungee will hold it in place.

Detail: Opening the cloche

Attach the bungee cord at its center to the backbone.
This will hold the rolled-up plastic for easy access to both sides of the raised-bed cloche.

One last tip

The cloche can get very warm on sunny days, especially. You may want to cut and leave open the top 6-12 inches of each end to allow for ventilation.


Photos and text copyright Oregon State University. Used with permission from Angima, S., and Biernacki, B. 2008.
How to Build Your Own Raised-Bed Cloche.
EC 1627. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Extension Service.