Re: [CH] Plants, Seeds, PLANTS? Totally Podular man!
Hobby Farmer (hobbyfarmer@t-one.net)
Fri, 06 Oct 2006 20:23:37 -0400
Ted Wagner wrote:
> Do some of you guys have small green houses...or yet, even larger?
We have a 6' X 8' greenhouse that holds about 2000 plants on
home-built racks. It is aluminum framed and skinned in twin-wall
polycarbonite panels. They are on sale right now at Harbor Frieght
for $299.00. They also have a 10' X 12' X 10 ' tall on sale now for
$599.00. I've had mine for a couple of years now, and really like
it. I set the panels in clear silicone caulk for additional
weatherproofing and strength, and added a solar-powered vent opener
($20.00 at Harbor Freight). The same 6' X 8' unit is about $1100
most places. We also run fall lettuce, spinach, etc. in the greenhouse.
> What size property/garden do you have?
We garden a 110' X 40', a 100' X 50' and a 120' strip for Pumpkins,
squash, guords and cucumbers. Then there are 3 acres in pastures
and 5 acres in hay (plus leased land for hay), a wooded gully with a
part year stream ("Sunny Gully Farm") and way too much lawn that we
let grow a bit long and harvest for mulch.
> How many plants do you grow?
Varies from year to year. This year about 800 pepper plants, we run
600 to 1200 depending on my projected work schedule and ambition.
> Do you COLLECT seed? (not sure about this, seed is only good
for a couple years I thought, what's the point... ???)
We do save seed, but haven't yet isolated plants except for Rocotos.
The seed grows mostly true, with an occasional interesting cross.
We don't save seed from the crosses. I save the dissicant
packages from products we buy - and saved hundreds of them from work
before I retired - and dry them in the oven on low. I seal the
seeds in small plastic bags, putting a dissicant package in each.
Then they are packed in 5 gallon buckets with lids. Germination
percentages go down after a couple of years, but we still have good
results from 5 year-old seed kept this way.
Hobby Farmer