I'm subbed to a few gardening/ homesteading channels that I enjoy watching, and often learn new things from, BUT most of the channels are in more temperate zones, and while seeing green in their recent videos brightens my day, it's also nice to see someone's land that looks brown, soggy, and cold just like mine is right now to snap me back to reality, but to also give me hope, because I know spring will be here soon. (I'm in Ohio zine 6a as well). I say all of this to say, it's good to know I'm not behind in my planting schedule, and like you, I'm constantly planning for the gardening season and projects. Tulips and hyacinths are popping up through the ground, so I know spring is just around the corner. Your parents' property is beautiful. I tend to overthink as well, last year I kinda let go and just "did" and accomplished so much more with my garden, not perfect, but it provided an abundance of food nonetheless. I love chipdrop! Thanks for the video and for sharing your plans with us. 🌱🌱🌱
If it provided you with an abundance of food- it sounds perfect to me 😄. But thank you for sharing this- it's what I needed to hear. And I'm totally with you on the brown, soggy, cold of Ohio... I get a bit jealous seeing all that green elsewhere, but it will be here before we know it! Take care!
@@GrowfullywithJenna it is very helpful to see what’s happening in colder climates as there aren’t many on UA-cam. Even though you are a bit warmer than 5a it’s more relevant. Thank you.
There is no way to get a perennial bed right from the start, but that's also what makes it interesting. It's all an experiment because every planting bed is different. My approach is: give whatever ought generally to do well a try and double down on what thrives.
I like that! Takes a lot of the pressure off. Plus, I know you're right. I've watched my mom move and change her perennial beds for several decades now!😁
Hi Jenna...I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS !!!! I am in Medina County northern Ohio....I have been gardening since about 5 years old...with my Grandfather. I am 79 and have physical challenges so...no more large gardens!! Last year my husband & I "moved" our garden to our south facing deck by way of 4 large stock tubs! I now sit on my garden stool and can still dig in the dirt and grow veges. Your videos are SUCH A BLESSING...you encourage me to try new & different things...your love of growing is evident and joyful!! Just wanted to...THANKYOU !!!!
Hello Diane, wonderful to hear from a fellow Ohio gardener! I'm so glad to hear you've been able to change your garden so that you're able to still enjoy it. Those stock tubs are certainly useful. I hope you have a wonderful gardening season this year, and take care!
We enjoy eating fiddleheads in the spring. Ostrich ferns (Matteuccia Struthiopteris) might grow well in some of your shadier areas. They do spread though! Preparation: Wash fiddleheads really well, boil for 15 minutes, cool down in cold water (blanched), transfer to skillet and sauté in olive oil with a little garlic, serve with a light squeeze of lemon juice or a light coating of balsamic glaze - yum!
I love ferns! I tried a couple in the house beds with no success... but I don't think I planted ostrich ferns. I'll have to give those a try- thank you!
Where i live in TN most if not all lumber in contact with the soil only last about three to five years due to ants, termites and moisture. My raised beds are made of metal. I also use plastic food grade buckets and grow bags. So the most important thing is knowledge of the area you are growing in. I also have a Bermuda grass problem. The Bermuda grass even works i's way into the grow bags so I use them on my deck in large plastic totes . The grow bags sit in low-sided totes that have water drainage holes about two inches up from the bottom so they don't overfill in a heavy rain. The raised beds go about six inches down to help keep the Bermuda grass from coming in the bottom and about 18 inches up to keep the Bermuda grass from coming in the top. It might be over kill, but it helps keep me from spending days upon days fighting the Bermuda grass out of my crops. It is even more important around any perennials. Bermuda grass has killed off my strawberries, taken over my blackberries and I have just put more and higher barriers around my blueberries. I want so much to mover to an area without BERMUDA GRASS!!!!!!
I'll be giving metal a try. And you're right- one's climate is going to make a huge difference in material choices! And Bermuda grass is no joke... sorry you're dealing with it!
Dear Jenna.. Thanks for this video. I have a few random thoughts. 1. Consider using pressure treated lumber for your raised beds. The chemical formula has changed several years ago such that chromium, copper and arsenic levels are basically non-detectible in the soil next to current pressure treated lumber. There are several videos confirming this. Nonetheless, the lumber still deteriorates in 7-10 years, since I have been using it. 2. Consider using the shaded side of your home solely for perennial flowers. Besides the classic recommendation for Hosta, I have great luck with Japanese Andromeda, and Desdemona Lingularia, which are bulletproof and beautiful. I will send you some plants if you want them. 3. I have two German Shepherds, and I don't know how your chickens can free range. Mine keep the rabbits at bey, at the cost of having to keep my chickens cooped up i.e. they can no longer free range. Kind Regards. Craig
We have built our last few beds with treated lumber and used reclaimed roofing tin for the sides. No problems. You are correct the chemicals are different now.
Thanks Craig. I actually do have a few newer beds towards the back which are treated. I came to the same conclusion about the new treatments used for wood. I do still tend (just out of an overabundance of caution) to grow more flowers and less edibles in those beds. Would you be able to share links to the videos confirming this? I get questions about this topic a lot and would love to be able to check out these videos. Thank you for the bulletproof shade perennial recommendations! I need these types of plants! And the chickens can only free range towards the back of the property, where the dogs are not allowed to go. Unfortunately, we've had issues with both our dogs and the chickens, so we have to keep them separated. We actually have a fenced in 'pasture' area for our flock, but we've got a group of 6 or so hens who always escape 😆 .
@@GrowfullywithJenna you're in ohio and should have easy access to Amish/Mennonite community like i do in PA. I've built my raised beds from their custom rough sawn boards of larch, which weathers essential like hemlock or cedar. Relative to your normal box store pricing, it's a bargain.
OMG! YOUVE NEVER GROWN MUSHROOMS?! im so excited for you its the best thing ever! its so easy and the pride you get from growing this weird alien...i am obsessed! im struggling with an outdoor bed bc humidity issues but im getting really good with the indoor blocks. i love giving the blocks or spawn as gifts. i know youre going to have a blast growing them! my favorites are any oyster mushrooms or lions mane. good luck with all your plans this year!
If you can locate "basket" willow, a very effective, cheap barrier is a "growing willow" fence. 1 branch upright, 1 branch diagonal, woven after spring planting. The branches are just pushed into soil that's been softened. Second choice could be using weeping willow tree branches done in basket weave along the lower edges. As for "heat sinks" around that greenhouse bricks, either dark in colour or painted with black, dark blue, etc placed on the south perimeter should moderate the temperature. 3, maybe 4 high depending on the size.
About rejuvenating clay soil. My experience on clay soil is that I need to use a heavy layer of mulch in the winter spring and fall. At least a foot. This enables the microbes and worms to work more of the year because the soil is insulated and kept moist. I also shoveled the rows onto the beds first and filled in the rows with wood chips. They act like a sponge and decompose fairly rapidly. My soil is still heavy, but grew plants well, the first year. My soil was so hard that a walk behind rototiller wouldn't penetrate it. I had a friend flip the massive chunks of clay over with a fork lift. Thats when I knew I had a huge problem. 8 months later, I had an amazing garden. Try it.
That’s what I did. Put a mound of any organic matter I could get then dug down paths and filled the paths with wood chips. I figure I could rotate the rows over the paths later and have built in reservoirs. I have sand.
Totally agree with this. We focus on always keeping the soil covered- I'm a big fan of alfalfa hay as it rots down quickly and suppresses weeds. I've got a large back garden covered in wood chips now!
Greenhouse heat suggestion: stack hay around the outside of the greenhouse, blocks wind, allows a growning area on the hay for potatoes and more later, is an insulator, cheap, usable in other parts of the yard. couple that with a heat source and the added insulation should help.
Thank you for the tip! The silly thing is, I actually did this the first year and it helped- I don't know why I didn't try it again! I appreciate this reminder.
"I can't seem to stop" (re: new garden beds) so true! I have a painted jug of water in my mini greenhouse that I suspect helps with overnight temps! But I'm on a much smaller scale 💚
Great video. Ohio Prarie Nursery is an amazing resource for Ohio native perennials and they are a wealth of knowledge about specific sites. I'd suggest reaching out to them on your flower beds.
Fences! Gates! Clay! Oh My! 😂 Moving fence is an annual spring workout for us😂 If we don’t have time for gates we leave a section of tall fence that we can open wide. I have many new varieties and huge amount of WS jugs and husband says, “Where are they all going?” Me, “Everywhere!” 😅 We are in the second year of starting small orchard and it’s growing again this year. Last year was some hardscaping like grape arbor to have a place to get out of the sun. I’m sticking with in ground wide raised rows it will be easier to irrigate and to set up irrigation vs. raised beds and more real estate path free. I am not a no till, I like to lightly till as I believe the air does it good. The water source is not to close so we have a lot of hose. My suggestion is if you are want to continue using raised beds instead of in ground wide rows I would Not use wood again. We used reclaimed corrugated metal and my husband showed me that it can be scored and snapped to cut it for lengthwise, but we have to cut width for lengths. A PVC pipe can be fit to cover sharp edges or wood toppers. Our lean to greenhouse is on our list to refurbish. We have reclaimed refrigeration building panels that are 4” thick that I will dig down and use for base and about a foot on sides above ground. Inside the pit will be laid 4” plastic drain pipe surrounded by heat holding brick/stone, whatever I come up with and fill in cracks with gravel of some sort to prevent wildlife nests. I plan to pump hot air from roof to floor to store heat. I might line the greenhouse shed wall with dark brick as well as floor. There was an old solar project years ago that used aluminum cans painted black inside a box that allowed air to move through and it was attached to an open window so might fashion something like that to pipe hot air down to floor. New polycarbonate and vents with a few operable storm windows and door. The last touch would be solar and wind power bank to run fans, heater, lights. We currently use this set up on the ‘Man Shack’😅. It’s the special batteries that are the expense. This small greenhouse 6x8 is easy to heat, but need a couple more feet. Did water jugs ect and not worthy and they were black. They still use room, can freeze and get algae. Only way I could see jugs useful is if there was a cold frame box built in front open to greenhouse, but that’s where my greenhouse house roof sheds snow. I thought I would like that, but no can do. It’s also crowded there as the asparagus and room hog strawberries are nearby. We have too many cloudy days for water to work, but solar, wind still work. It’s cloudy right now 32.8 and GH is 46.2*F with no improvements or heat. If you haven’t already get a remote temp station that can monitor and alarm you of changes in temp and humidity-it has been a great learning experience-mine is not connected to smart phone and works great. No room for large anything and not doing smelly compost mess. Only adding a couple feet to GH, but the north wall of garden shed is key. Just want an easy to heat seed starter house. For shade area I could see azaleas and rhododendrons. Caution about bramble berries. I’m thinking of a low tunnel to avoid having to cover up early spring crops only. It’s tough to get things planted early enough when spring is March 20th to June 20th and snow and freezing threatening most of March and April then unbearable heat. Our poor husbands😂😂. Does yours say, “How much more?”😂😂. They sure do like those great tasting meals all winter. And I rarely go grocery shopping only for the basics we don’t produce. Mine doesn’t mind he just jokes about my uncureable addiction.😅 I have quite a few bare roots arriving In April same time as our chickens. We use to raise them and are at a different location now and need to get things set up. Going to put more of those reclaimed refrigeration panels to use for coop. Things are SO Expensive! And everyone wants to sell something and the only money I want to spend is on plants and seeds and my books on propagating and seed saving. I need ROI=Return On Investment. 💥⚡️💥Heads up on saving seeds==I was just informed a bare root plant will be unavailable because of crop failure! 💥⚡️💥This was a Hardy climbing rose, not a necessity, but for beauty and pollinators. Now if such an indestructible plant had crop failure, just think if it happens to seeds! We need to start saving seeds and I praise Luke in a video he made about doing just that because of disasters And he sells seeds! I’m concentrating on many varieties to find which ones do the best for me and I hope they are heirloom. Once I find those varieties I won’t have to worry too much about cross pollination, but I need to get or make some of those blossom bags. Those 2 books on seed saving and propagating are pure GOLD to me. Oh it’s going to be a busy busy year!🎉. WI, Z5a.
I've been looking at the metal beds too! I have one here (a kit) that I'm going to try out, but I've seen so many beautiful DIY versions too. I'm also thinking about just using stones- because I like the look and we've got plenty to spare. Thanks for sharing your firsthand greenhouse experience- it's always so helpful to hear from folks that are actually doing it! I love azaleas & rhodies, but they don't love it here. Soil is too alkaline, too clay-ey. And we're fortunate that bramble berries don't really take over like they do in other growing areas. My husband rarely says anything- except when he sees me digging out new garden spaces... then he just kind of gives me that look like "do you really need more beds" 😆He's very good at taking things in stride. And yes! Saving seeds is definitely a skill we all need to focus on. The prices are just becoming astronomical. Admittedly, it's not something I've focused on. Being as, I'm constantly sent new seeds every year for my job, I just didn't have the need to save my own. But I've become a bit obsessed with the idea of perfecting localized strains or selections of certain varieties, which entails good seed saving practices. Definitely going to be a busy year! Best wishes for all your projects!
My husband and I just finished two hinged hoop covers for raised beds. It has already made access so much easier, no more clip on and take off covers. I think more will be in my future.
We live in Central PA, and had an incredibly mild February allowing us to get an early start on a new Currant/Gooseberry Bed. We are still digging out clay, but will soon be placing logs to create a Hugelculture Bed. After the Currants are transplanted, we are planting Elderberries in the old Currant Bed where they were getting sun scald. We also have Apricot Trees coming in April.
Hey Jenna I have a passive solar greenhouse but there are aspects you could use in a smaller greenhouse such as heat sinks with thermal mass - mainly being water. If you have access to tidy cat buckets or even milk jugs. Fill those with water and place them all over the bottom levels of the shelves. They will warm up during day and keeping the inside cooler and then release the heat at night. Won’t solve your problem completely but I have a few 55 gallon drums I have filled with water and I place plants on top of those that I want extra heat at night. If the containers are painted black helps even more. Another thought is getting a solar generator like an eco-flow and a panel - soak up the sun during day to charge the battery and use that to run like a heat lamp at night. I did that and use it to run my grow lights after the sun goes down to give them a little more light as seedlings. Free energy! And when ya don’t need to it for greenhouse can be used for other things like camping.
To heat your greenhouse you could try using a solar pool heater and a 65gal drum... that's my plan for my chicken pen/greenhouse plan for this summer...up here we get -40C sometimes and I don't want to rely on electric heat lamps for my chickens. I haven't done this personally, but there are people around here who have done it successfully, you do have to run a pump...but a 12v pump, on a battery with a solar panel last's for a long time :)
My list of projects for this spring pales in comparison to what you have going on. I will be redoing my 20X8 jumping worm infested bed. Will put up a couple cattle panel arches and the rest of the bed will be a key hole type of raised bed to allow access for weeding. In the front, my cattle panel trellis needs permanent beds, used straw bales the 1st year and grow bags last year. Going to try and use metal roofing for those beds. I also need to set in concrete a couple 4x4's to support my everbearing raspberries, I never knew they would grow to be over 7 feet tall. Because the price for treated lumber has been so high and cedar is untouchable for me, I have been using house wrap to line my pine boards. It is only going on the 4th year, but no signs of decay so far, just a thought. You have beautiful gardens! Enjoy your videos, Stay Well!!!
I've been advised to stack bales of hay around the exterior of the greenhouse. Sink them about six to eight inches below the ground and it will help insulate the house and will also release heat from decomposing. You would need to replace them or add on top of them yearly, I think. Just a thought I'm thinking about doing. I don't have the plastic/glass one. I have a cheap one that is essentially plastic that has to be replaced frequently. They disentigrate over time and leave holes all over it.
I did this with straw the first year I had my greenhouse and it worked great. I then used the straw that had sat out all fall & winter for straw bale gardening. I don't know why I've not thought to do this in recent years-- silly oversight and no straw sitting around I suppose! Thanks for the reminder!
You make me smile. We are alike in many ways. Overthinking is one of them. The things that came to mind while watching this video... Don't stress out about the "permanent" plantings. There is no such thing. Okay, I know what you mean and I probably will be in the same boat in a month or so. 🤣 As huge as these gardens are you must have a good bit of help to keep them up as well as you do. If you tell me you don't have a lot of help then I have to say you are amazing and it's no wonder from time to time some spaces get away from you. My raspberries will be here in a day or two, and looking out at the 4 or 5 inches of snow we have on the ground (WOW it is green at your place) AND along with my raspberries I am getting... another winter storm ! It's forecast to dump a half a foot of new snow on what I have. Any thought of planting bare root raspberries in this weather?!
My dad helps a LOT with the gardens at his house. And my husband helps at home with the big 'infrastructure' projects. The day to day is on me. I'm trying to task the kids with more garden chores (weeding, picking and the like) but it's like pulling teeth 😆 . We just got snow last night! From 70 to 30 in a span of a couple days... gotta love Ohio! As long as your berries are dormant, and the ground is thawed enough to dig, you can plant. Once they start to leaf out, it's another story.
If the ground is frozen so that you can't plant, you could "heel them in" - make a mound out of sawdust, woodchips, compost, potting soil - whatever you have on hand and put the roots in there and water. I'd put the "heeling spot" in a shady location to delay the raspberries from leafing out too early. I also think, that "permanent" is a slight bit overrated. Plant! If you notice later, that plants are not quiet in the right spot, dig them out and replant in a better area. Okay. With trees, I'd be a bit more careful. But everything else -can be easily changed later, if necessary 🙂
Too early arrival of bare root happened to me last year and some were broke dormancy so I potted them up temporarily and put in unheated greenhouse. If they aren’t leafing out just keep them cool and don’t let roots dry out and don’t smother in water in a garage or similar. Another commenter said heal in which could possibly be done outside. There are a few spots in our yard that aren’t frozen, but we have sand and those areas are generally full sun. Just keep them from leafing out if they haven’t already. Permanent plantings, lol, I need to move 2 dwarf apples this spring. I could probably leave them as I was going to grow them columnar and since realized they sell a variety for that. So going to move, but as we get older things that weren’t so permanent become just that😅. Grow where your planted they say😂😂
Here in MD Ive only been gardening since 2019 and growing every year and expanding what i have been doing. Starting in 2019 i started with peppers and tomatoes and now I'm up to growing many root crops, greens, brassicas, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and many other vegetables. This year I'm growing more potatoes and trying mushrooms via grain spawn, sawdust spawn, and plugs. I too have found North Spore for the spawn but there is also Field and Forest mushroom company you should check out as well. I enjoy learning organic and sustainable methods from your videos to apply to my garden. Each year I've been doing more projects for my garden like raised beds, tables, compost barrel tumbler, rain barrel, DIY ollas, and many other projects. I cant wait to get this season of crops going.
Oh how fun!! I'm glad to hear you're growing and expanding. I'll look into Field & Forest- thank you for the tips! Best wishes for a fantastic season, David!
I didn’t know about the mulch delivery link up. We have so many trees and leaves on our new property I think we might invest in a chipper / mulcher for long term.
I've looked at chippers so many times! I'd love to have one, but it's quite an investment. ChipDrop isn't super active in all areas- this is the first time I ever actually got a drop (after being signed up for 3+ years), and it was because the mulch place down the road wasn't open for the tree guys to deliver to. But some people are able to get them regularly.
Last year was the third in a series of garden expansions that included cardboard and woodchips over the entire 20'x125' area. I also reconfigured the garden and added three more trellises. This year I am lowering the work, but there is always something that needs done. I mainly do container gardening, and a lot of the totes were trash rescues a few years ago.when I found about twenty 27 gallon ones. A lot of them are now cracking, so they are being replaced with heavy duty HDPE forty gallon totes that I am painting to increase uv protection. I would love to do in ground gardening, but a buried petroleum pipeline under the backyard makes that more risky.
Hey, you going to do an 2023 gardening afterglow video? One where you look back and state what went well, and what you not going to do in the future? This one is good too because you had envisioned plans of what you were going to do. Well? Spill! How'd that work out? Those are nice because we can maybe relate to similar issue we also might be having. Plus, we get to see the big, big, picture of the whole garden(s).
I'm building a greenhouse and I'm going to build in a rocket mass heater. It's for wood burning but because of how the burn chamber is constructed it's extremely efficient with less wood. The smoke travel through a pipe build in in a stone and clay bench which retains heat. You should check it out
Just a low-cost tip on the greenhouse. Pile-up hay or straw bales around the greenhouse. All the way up the north wall, since you won't get sun there till the middle of the summer. And one bail high around the other walls. A greenhouse like that is never going to perform well in the winter. Just way too much heat loss and there's no real way to control it on a greenhouse like that. You can put in as much solar mass as you want but I don't think you really going to absorb enough energy to offset what is lost the poly panel's at night up to the sky. I'll try to post some pics of my passive solar greenhouse project on your Facebook page. I have figured out that winter greenhouse and spring/fall green houses need to be very different in our Northern climate.
Thank you! I did this the first year with my greenhouse, and I don't know why I didn't continue (no straw bales lying around, I suppose). If you're able to share the pics via FB, I'd love to see them!
All great projects. I’m making two 9’x4’ hot frames so I can over winter/ extend my growing seasons. I live near Colonial Williamsburg and they have a few in their historical garden which is where I got the idea.
Have you considered a walipini? Probably a longer-term project but I've heard good things-- you bury half the green house underground to take advantage of the more stable underground temperatures. I'm interested in one myself but haven't found a ton of info about building them online.
Yes! I'd love to have one, but right now don't have access to the digging equipment I need. I keep telling the kids I'm just going to send them out with shovels every time they're bored... so I might have a base dug by 2043 😆
I watched some of your videos very informative. especially since I also live in Ohio and have clay soil. Some things I already do, but you showed some things I was going to but will not now, basically you saved me a lot of time and money thank you.
Hi Jenna, look up on compost heating. I have seen some gardeners on UA-cam using this method to heat up their greenhouse naturally. Making a compost heating is my project for this year 😄
If you’re looking for inspiration for your front bed - “The Living Landscape” by Rick Darke & Doug Tallamy, My yard bakes in the hell hot sun All. Day. Long. I’d love to have a spot like that with some mature trees!
A other plant idea for your “flower beds” is witch hazel. We are in the same zone and have very much appreciated adding witch hazel as an understory tree in our Japanese garden….
Oh my word we need a mushroom foraging video 👀 I’ve heard some folks say that a compost pile in a cold frame can help to heat it, but I’d guess it would have to be huge…and enclosed.
i'm glad i stopped having issues to do with raised beds, when i ditched them. now i can freely change rows if i wish to. i can set up and take down easily trellises and other supports on any rows or part thereof. i dont have projects; i just grow veggies with minimal work required.
I can give you a suggestion that could get you more than what you can sell eggs for. I have been doing it for almost 15 years. Barter your eggs. I have found that taking eggs to farmers markets and local produce stands I can trade for fresh veggies and scrapes as well. Cost for cost you can typically get more vegetables than cash could buy you. Additionally, most produce stands have rotten vegetables that the chickens eat or you can compost. You may have to search around but they are out there. Once you find a place it's a gold mine. Another thing I do is trade my neighbor eggs for farm fresh beef. The bottom line is people are willing to trade more than give up cash. But you couldn't sell eggs then buy what you could trade eggs for.
Hi Jenna, sounds like lots of good projects this year, thanks for taking us along on the journey! A few things: 1. We made the decision to use pressure treated wood. All the current research points to it not being a health issue. I respect the idea of an abundance of caution as well, but ultimately we decided to make the 20 year investment in pressure treated 4x4 lumber beds. 2. For a greenhouse heater that won’t necessarily be on all the time look into the “MyBuddy” propane heater. You can connect it to a larger propane tank and it will last about a week or so. If the goal is to just heat occasionally this could be a good option! We use them for tents when camping in the Fall so don’t have direct greenhouse experience but I think it would be a good option. 3. For season extending infrastructure I just started using EMT conduit instead of PVC for hoops and have been very impressed. Mounted to the wooden beds they are extremely sturdy and solid. I made a short video about bending the 10’ long EMT conduit recently. Excited to see how everything grows this summer!
I came to a similar conclusion about treated wood, and some of the newer beds in the back are treated. But I've heard from some folks that even the treated beds don't last incredibly long (7-10 years maybe?) if you don't line them (which I didn't)... not sure how accurate that is. But these were given to me and I just couldn't pass them up! I've got a corrugated metal bed I want to try out, but I really like the rustic/natural look of stone or rough hewn logs and found materials, so I think I'll primarily go that route in the future. Thank you for the lead on the greenhouse heater! And definitely looking at EMT conduit-- I tried a small bed with PVC and was NOT a fan. I got ahead of myself and was going to ask if you used the conduit bender from Johnny's... then saw you had the video... those look great!!
@@GrowfullywithJenna I’m hoping with the thicker boards (4x4s) we will get a couple decades out of them but we will see! I agree with you about the esthetics of the wood, plus much better at insulating the soil and I like that you can easily add hoops / trellises since you can screw into them. Excited to see how yours turn out!
I love how knowledgeable you are ❤️ We can all learn SOOO much from you! I really hope you consider putting the hardware cloth under your new raised beds for rodent protection 👍 I would LOVE to watch you grow all kinds of mushrooms 😋
I think I need to get a trap set. We seen a cute vole. Didn’t think much about it nor the tunnels Until a comment I read about them eating bulbs! Yikes! The tunnel was in the bed with a lot of bulbs! I’ve never had this problem. We have gophers we had to trap by the dozens and they do enough damage. We need barriers on Everything or we’d have nothing.
In the fall I extended growing in my hoop tunnel by doing several things where I was vertically growing San Marzanos, no tables: First, I put a brick path down the center. Second, I clipped row covers completely around my plants just before the temps dropped for extra protection, and to preserve ground heat which rises. I moved some of my large planters in which contained heat mass/ carryover. Last, I used one of those old fashioned radiator heaters that heats up water. It has 600 and 900 amp levels and a control dial, so I could adjust how much heat it put out. It would be ideal to run it on solar, if possible. I was surprised the difference even the lowest setting made, and I kept it on a timer. I have read about people using rocket stoves for risidual heat, though I have not. I'd like to find a simpler way to keep it heated, too, but this extended growing by 2 months.
To heat your greenhouse you should use a survival mini woodstove for yurts, they are only like $100 on eBay..just stoked the fire in the evening and then put it on low so it smolder throughout the night keeping it warm in there.....As for your new mushroom garden you should grow your mushrooms on large hardwood logs freshly cut and let them set 3 months before inoculating because the tree is still producing anti-fungal properties for three months after being caught and you don't want to use and already dead tree because it already has a mycelium Network that's taking it over, you want to add a fresh mycelium network of what you desire so it doesn't have to compete..you want to use logs for your mushrooms because after inoculating you can have 10 years of mushrooms while the log decays, if you are growing mushrooms in bags you have to keep buying mushroom food and sterilizing it or buy it already done and then there is the waste from the plastic bag and in my opinion mushrooms are more hardy growing outside in nature than inside a bag......you might like electroculture gardening, stick copper rods in the ground near your plants so that they can absorb the conductivity in the air, the copper rod stimulating the plants roots with natural electricity...If you like that you might like magnetic gardening, place a magnet with the Northside of the magnet facing up next to your plans and put a rock on top of the magnet so it doesn't flip over while your watering it because you do not want south-facing up because it will mess up the magnetism of the plant and make the terpenoids and flavonoids have more of a chemical nature to them making your food taste like Windex.
Hello, Jenna. Loved seeing all of the fun projects you have in mind. I wondered if you had any thoughts on the corrugated raised beds that are on the market now, as I've been considering a couple of those. Some of the projects that this little mammal will get to enjoy this year will be the building of more hugel beds for a few people, moving all of my raspberry plants to the front yard, and basically trying to revive one garden that is all clay and poor drainage. My mother is now asking me to build her her own replica of the Serpent Mound now, so thanks for that. 😜 Also hoping to plant more flowers that are bee and butterfly friendly. And the big thing I hope to accomplish - drum roll please - air layering a number of trees and bushes throughout the yard. Geekin' to try that this year. Hope you have a great week. Best of luck with all of your projects.
I actually have one sitting here that I plan on setting up soon! I've heard a lot of positive things about the metal beds and seen some beautiful DIY versions. I feel like I can't make a full judgment until I've lived with mine for several years- but I'm hopeful. And you're welcome- I'm sure you've plenty of time to build a hugel-serpent-mound, right?! 😂 (while you're at it, please come build mine 😆). Best wishes with the air pruning project- that is a great idea!
many good ideas in this video. My little project I am working on is to grow different types of alpine strawberries. I ordered some seeds and have them germinating under a growlight, and I ordered a mr. stacky planter so I can put them on my porch, and hopefully eat them before the animals. I have a strawberry bed, and have had no luck with it, chipmunks have set up camp there, also birds, eat what little harvest I have before I can get to them, so I am going in a new direction with the alpines.
I have an 8x10 polycarbonate greenhouse in NH and have done well with the Bio Green PAL 2.0 to keep it to 36-38 F overnight for early seedlings at this time of year.
Near term projects for me: rebuild several rotted beds (pressure treated lumber maybe???), fix the soil in my one bed that always seems to underperform (got a bad batch of topsoil that evidently is clay soil), FINALLY get my lazy rear end to build a couple of cold frames. We'll see about that last one....
Sounds like some good garden projects! I need to build some cold frames too- meant to have it done by now, but it might have to wait till next winter. Hope you get yours done!
I recently saw someone using a small compost system to generate heat in a greenhouse. Using a garbage can compost system will generate enough house for a small greenhouse
Wonderful video, as always. I'm so glad to see you've widened your gate!!! LOL The cattle panel arch looks great! Two thoughts...first, bravo on your dad for his "Wilderness." He is providing invaluable habit for insects by just allowing things to grow wild in that area. And second, if you are looking for ideas for the flowerbeds by your house, natives are the way to go. If you've not listened to any of the presentations by Dr. Doug Tallamy here on UA-cam, those are very sobering and eye-opening. You could plant natives in your flower bed and add your flowerbeds to the map of the "Homegrown National Park" movement.
Thanks! My arch is a little wonky- but once I have plants growing all over it no one will notice :) And I appreciate the suggestions. I've not listed to Dr. Tallamy, but will now!
I too am starting to rearrange my garden beds, I recently aquired a compact tractor with a 54" bucket so I need to make my aisles wide enough for my tractor. As for your upcoming raised bed hoops I've had a new experience with mine this winter. I have bug mesh covering my brassica beds and heavy snow and ice issures this year collapsed them 3 times. I'm considering making more ridged frames. The pvc tubes alone don't hold up to weight. Lastly, the cheapest and in my opinion the best option for heat storage woud be gallon jugs of water on the backside of your lower shelves. That area is difficut to reach so placing them there would be a good use of that space. Just put them around the entire perimeter of the greenhouse.
Great stuff! The garden must always keep perpetually growing, pun intended. I would love to have a food forest area that size. My next video (finally) will also be my goals for 2023, and one of those goals will be digging into part of the hugel beds to see what's happening, so if you're interested in another collab on that, let me know!
Got to get to lecture, but I just made it to the pcm tiles. Brilliant! Thank you! And it's another NC company. Goodness. Oh, earlier on the paths. :) Both my brother and I committed to that last year. Watching the rest later. 👍
Ooh, mushrooms! There ya go! I would think that wood chips tilled and left to decay would be the quickest way to change the compostion before planting when it is ready. And you know, not quickest like in months. ha ha. We have done the til once and add aged manure, regularly for well over a decade. In our lawn you hit the solid clay 2-4 inches down depending on where you are at. And grass paths quickly fill in with crabgrass as the soil looses that needed air. That leads to the water on top, of course. Compacted clay path with weeds, lol.
I have a raised bed that gets just enough sun and thinking of turning it into a shade garden and start a new one in a sunnier area. I have a couple of maples growing in front of my current garden and i don't really want to cut them down. i love the wind block idea using trees and may try to do something similar on my 1 acre
Loved seeing your project plan for the coming year. Also, your parents property is dreamy!! I hope that we see more of it in the future, it's so inspiring!
Have you already heard of the Miyawaki Method? It might be something worth looking into when it comes to growing trees fast in a small space. I am also adding willows as a buffer or living hedge to keep the deer out of my property. Thanks for the channel, love following your garden journey here and there.
Lady, that is an AWESOME garden! A cattle panel arch is on my wish list for my garden when I figure out exactly where I want it. I want to plant climbing roses on it. I want it for beauty than for vegetables. Maybe put a bench under it and have it for a sitting area in the middle...I'm not sure yet. Love your channel!
Definitely on the wish list for the next greenhouse. With the way we have this one set up and the gravel pad underneath it, I can't do it with this one. Thank you for the tip!!
Thanks for another awesome video. I started a second garden last fall and have been cautious about laying it out for long term use and not congest it - your videos definitely have helped. I also started indoor gardening with LED grow lights and for my first time starting seeds, I find it difficult to get the seedlings to grow past 1"-2" in the 72 plug trays. I used indoor potting soil and haven't started fertilizing as the seedlings I think are too small. I don't have dampening off issues but maybe not enough light. I did just increase the time from 12 hours to 14 hours. Maybe that will help. Schooner Farms is just down the road from me and Don is a great guy to work with. Thanks Again for the great videos.
Congratulations on seed starting! I’ve been doing it awhile and still learning. Tip: as I was up-potting yesterday I realized very quickly why the petunias weren’t progressing-They were Root Bound! I didn’t think this would happen as I was using air root pruning cell packs. Well they did around the top where the slits in the cells were not. Already Today they have perked right up. So I would pop one out and check the roots. Then it’s time for half strength fertilizer. I can’t believe I didn’t realize it. I have one of those all connected cell propagation flats, but don’t care for it. I think if I was doing all one variety and planned on potting up right away after true leaves, maybe.
Oh how cool! I'm assuming it was Don who I saw speak at OEFFA one year (he shared the image of the mound and talked all about their farm). What type of seeds do you have started? I'm not a big fan of the 72 cells for much- with the exception of onions, some leafy greens and some herbs. Dusty Flats may be right- they tend to outgrow those cells very quickly- I'd definitely check the roots. I just had to up-pot my kale & chard yesterday from small cells like the 72.
@ Jenna & Dusty Crops I've started are brassica's, peppers, and salad greens. Yes, I'm starting to think the 72 trays are too small which leads to me either overwater or underwater (seems to be a very fine line with the 72's). I did do the half fertilizer and that had noticeable affect on my seedlings. I'm very afraid of over fertilization. This weekend, I did transplant to 4" square pots (using fresh indoor/outdoor potting mix) and am leaving my fans on longer to help dry out the top of the soil. Grow lights are now 16 hours and also helping. I think this will solve a lot of my issues. Thank You Jenna and Dusty for the help with this. Starting seedling is WAY harder than I expected.
I have a 6 x 8 greenhouse and we just put a small heater in it today. It worked great last year. I tried so many things last year before putting in a heater but nothing worked, only the heater. We keep it set on low, just so it never drops below freezing.
Wow you have so much going on! I’m jealous of all the space you have to use and experiment with in the two properties. The hugelkuktur reproduction of the serpent mound sounds rad!
Such a fun video! I’m so excited to see your weather extension ideas come to life and the mushrooms! Your parent’s property is so awesome, love the wilderness area and your Moms pretty flowers in the footage from summer. I have the same small cold frame box as you do, I always look for it in your videos 😂 ours is currently in a raised bed over our in-bed worm composter to keep them warm.
I was really happy to see a new video from you! Projects for me here in western Colorado desert are always to do with irrigation water management. We use furrow irrigation from the local canal system, and I'm narrowing my row width from about 28" to something like 18-20". The other big project is propagating trees and shrubs to finish building the ~2 acres of mixed trees, shrubs, and wildflowers.
I admit, I take water for granted here in Ohio. For folks like you, gardening in arid climates, it's a hugely time-consuming task! Best of lick with this year's irrigation project. The mixed tree, shrub, wildflower plantings sound amazing!
Hi, Jenna! Very enjoyable video to watch, thanks! Wood chips in new garden have been cooking since last year, fruit trees arriving this spring...food forest, let's gooooooo!
Thank you! 2023 is the first year of growing with a greenhouse for me and I joined a local family owned farm’s CSA so I don’t have to grow ‘everything’. We are taking down the free pallet fence to put in an archway, expand the garden enclosed space and planting MANY more herbs to be perennial for harvesting/storing my own spices, making teas and tinctures. I’m most excited to fill my gardens with items not usually found in gardens around here. Toothache seedlings are awaiting a chance to get outside. 😊
You have a lot of shelves in your green house. Have you thought of buying some cheap paver bricks and paving the shelves with those to use for heat energy storage?
Great video. You've really developed a ton of expertise, but it's cool that you put your mistakes out there for everyone else to see and learn from. Cheers to a great 2023.
If you don't make mistakes you're not learning :) (at least that's what I tell myself). But I do think it's important to share. I get a little frustrated with social media that only paints a rosy picture of everything all the time- it's just not real!
Absolutely love your goals for the coming year and especially the changes you did to the garden beds, can't wait to see how everything comes to life this summer! It's actually our first year growing so we're experimenting and decided to reinvest a month's food budget into seeds and see how much more food we can grow ourselves out of that same budget!
84 Lumber used to sell redwood for less than cedar, and it lasts much longer. It would be worth a call, but they do have to order it, so plan a week ahead. Also, pull it apart, a friend of mine got some that looked worm eaten. They took it back and got him good boards, but who wants to haul wood home, unbundle it only to return it?
Yes! you should absolutely get cold hardy kiwi, just not in that shady spot. Perhaps on your new entrance trellis, they like sun, also the chickens are big fans of the leaves. I think bulbs can be a good thing to plant in shady spots, especially if you don't want excessive maintenance. For berries, lingonberry and wintergreen could be nice. American cranberry can take the shade too.
@@GrowfullywithJenna, neither did I, 🤣🤣🤣 I bought them from burpee, I think? Last spring I ended up caging around them to keep the chickens off. I bought both cold hardy kiwi and regular kiwi (which can tolerate down to 10). Our coldest night was 19 this winter, and I didn't do a thing to even try and protect them. The leaves came back beautifully this spring on both.
Always fun to watch what others are doing and you have a lot of doing to do lol. I always have to replace a raised box each year to keep up with the decay but I've been using metal instead of cedar lately since the lumber prices increased. It's about the same price but the metals should last longer. And your outside the fence log beds is exactly what I've been doing the last couple years and using them for garlic , onions and potatoes. Nothing bothered the potatoes I grew in those beds last year so hoping to continue to get away with that. I only have a couple small projects planned for this year but I did order shortcake raspberries from Jung and also sweet potatoes for the first time from Maine potato lady so looking forward in seeing how they do for me. Good luck!
Great video! Hopeful for your current and future projects to cross the finish line. We're diving into mushroom farming this year, as well! Can't wait to see your results. We stay in almost lockstep with you throughout the Ohio growing season and greatly appreciate everything you share.
Im in portage county OH & have a harbor freight poly greenhouse with a floor made of pavers. We use a wood stove to heat our house so I put some embers/charcoal into a metal pale & place it in the center of the floor. It warms well but please be careful- its definitely a fire hazard. Hot water in jugs did not work for me
I have no idea if it would work but they sell reflective material that people place in tents and pop up campers to keep heat in or out. They’re similar to those made for your car window. Maybe they would help if you lined your greenhouse walls with them
Your Dad had the right idea. My Wife’s Dad stacked some rocks around a buttercup and showed it to everyone that came to visit.
I'm subbed to a few gardening/ homesteading channels that I enjoy watching, and often learn new things from, BUT most of the channels are in more temperate zones, and while seeing green in their recent videos brightens my day, it's also nice to see someone's land that looks brown, soggy, and cold just like mine is right now to snap me back to reality, but to also give me hope, because I know spring will be here soon. (I'm in Ohio zine 6a as well).
I say all of this to say, it's good to know I'm not behind in my planting schedule, and like you, I'm constantly planning for the gardening season and projects.
Tulips and hyacinths are popping up through the ground, so I know spring is just around the corner.
Your parents' property is beautiful.
I tend to overthink as well, last year I kinda let go and just "did" and accomplished so much more with my garden, not perfect, but it provided an abundance of food nonetheless.
I love chipdrop!
Thanks for the video and for sharing your plans with us.
🌱🌱🌱
Wonderfully said.
@@yogininamaste 🕊💜🌱
If it provided you with an abundance of food- it sounds perfect to me 😄. But thank you for sharing this- it's what I needed to hear.
And I'm totally with you on the brown, soggy, cold of Ohio... I get a bit jealous seeing all that green elsewhere, but it will be here before we know it! Take care!
@@GrowfullywithJenna 🌱💜
@@GrowfullywithJenna it is very helpful to see what’s happening in colder climates as there aren’t many on UA-cam. Even though you are a bit warmer than 5a it’s more relevant. Thank you.
There is no way to get a perennial bed right from the start, but that's also what makes it interesting. It's all an experiment because every planting bed is different. My approach is: give whatever ought generally to do well a try and double down on what thrives.
I’m all in for eclectic design😅. If it grows it stays. I do love a formal garden, but the hodgepodge is much easier.
I like that! Takes a lot of the pressure off. Plus, I know you're right. I've watched my mom move and change her perennial beds for several decades now!😁
..lol..”I can’t seem to stop…”. The motto of every dedicated gardener…😉
😆
"I tend to overthink the garden." Glad to hear I'm not the only one doing this Jenna! Best of luck planning.
💚
Hi Jenna...I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS !!!! I am in Medina County northern Ohio....I have been gardening since about 5 years old...with my Grandfather. I am 79 and have physical challenges so...no more large gardens!! Last year my husband & I "moved" our garden to our south facing deck by way of 4 large stock tubs! I now sit on my garden stool and can still dig in the dirt and grow veges. Your videos are SUCH A BLESSING...you encourage me to try new & different things...your love of growing is evident and joyful!! Just wanted to...THANKYOU !!!!
Hello Diane, wonderful to hear from a fellow Ohio gardener!
I'm so glad to hear you've been able to change your garden so that you're able to still enjoy it. Those stock tubs are certainly useful. I hope you have a wonderful gardening season this year, and take care!
We enjoy eating fiddleheads in the spring. Ostrich ferns (Matteuccia Struthiopteris) might grow well in some of your shadier areas. They do spread though! Preparation: Wash fiddleheads really well, boil for 15 minutes, cool down in cold water (blanched), transfer to skillet and sauté in olive oil with a little garlic, serve with a light squeeze of lemon juice or a light coating of balsamic glaze - yum!
I love ferns! I tried a couple in the house beds with no success... but I don't think I planted ostrich ferns. I'll have to give those a try- thank you!
Where i live in TN most if not all lumber in contact with the soil only last about three to five years due to ants, termites and moisture. My raised beds are made of metal. I also use plastic food grade buckets and grow bags. So the most important thing is knowledge of the area you are growing in. I also have a Bermuda grass problem. The Bermuda grass even works i's way into the grow bags so I use them on my deck in large plastic totes . The grow bags sit in low-sided totes that have water drainage holes about two inches up from the bottom so they don't overfill in a heavy rain. The raised beds go about six inches down to help keep the Bermuda grass from coming in the bottom and about 18 inches up to keep the Bermuda grass from coming in the top. It might be over kill, but it helps keep me from spending days upon days fighting the Bermuda grass out of my crops. It is even more important around any perennials. Bermuda grass has killed off my strawberries, taken over my blackberries and I have just put more and higher barriers around my blueberries. I want so much to mover to an area without BERMUDA GRASS!!!!!!
I'll be giving metal a try. And you're right- one's climate is going to make a huge difference in material choices!
And Bermuda grass is no joke... sorry you're dealing with it!
Dear Jenna.. Thanks for this video. I have a few random thoughts. 1. Consider using pressure treated lumber for your raised beds. The chemical formula has changed several years ago such that chromium, copper and arsenic levels are basically non-detectible in the soil next to current pressure treated lumber. There are several videos confirming this. Nonetheless, the lumber still deteriorates in 7-10 years, since I have been using it. 2. Consider using the shaded side of your home solely for perennial flowers. Besides the classic recommendation for Hosta, I have great luck with Japanese Andromeda, and Desdemona Lingularia, which are bulletproof and beautiful. I will send you some plants if you want them. 3. I have two German Shepherds, and I don't know how your chickens can free range. Mine keep the rabbits at bey, at the cost of having to keep my chickens cooped up i.e. they can no longer free range. Kind Regards. Craig
We have built our last few beds with treated lumber and used reclaimed roofing tin for the sides. No problems. You are correct the chemicals are different now.
Thanks Craig. I actually do have a few newer beds towards the back which are treated. I came to the same conclusion about the new treatments used for wood. I do still tend (just out of an overabundance of caution) to grow more flowers and less edibles in those beds. Would you be able to share links to the videos confirming this? I get questions about this topic a lot and would love to be able to check out these videos. Thank you for the bulletproof shade perennial recommendations! I need these types of plants! And the chickens can only free range towards the back of the property, where the dogs are not allowed to go. Unfortunately, we've had issues with both our dogs and the chickens, so we have to keep them separated. We actually have a fenced in 'pasture' area for our flock, but we've got a group of 6 or so hens who always escape 😆 .
@@GrowfullywithJenna Gardener Scott has an excellent 10 minute video on use of pressure treated wood in raised beds. He's on youtube. Craig
@@craigdreisbach5956 Thanks! I love Gardener Scott's channel, but hadn't seen that video yet!
@@GrowfullywithJenna you're in ohio and should have easy access to Amish/Mennonite community like i do in PA. I've built my raised beds from their custom rough sawn boards of larch, which weathers essential like hemlock or cedar. Relative to your normal box store pricing, it's a bargain.
My "project" is to relax more.....Try It ! LOL Happy Planting 🤣
I should!!
OMG! YOUVE NEVER GROWN MUSHROOMS?! im so excited for you its the best thing ever! its so easy and the pride you get from growing this weird alien...i am obsessed! im struggling with an outdoor bed bc humidity issues but im getting really good with the indoor blocks. i love giving the blocks or spawn as gifts. i know youre going to have a blast growing them! my favorites are any oyster mushrooms or lions mane. good luck with all your plans this year!
Your excitement is making me look forward to this SO much!!
Your parents property is absolutely BEAUTIFUL!! I always love looking at gardens that have been built up over years and how they have matured ❤️
Thank you!
If you can locate "basket" willow, a very effective, cheap barrier is a "growing willow" fence. 1 branch upright, 1 branch diagonal, woven after spring planting. The branches are just pushed into soil that's been softened. Second choice could be using weeping willow tree branches done in basket weave along the lower edges.
As for "heat sinks" around that greenhouse bricks, either dark in colour or painted with black, dark blue, etc placed on the south perimeter should moderate the temperature. 3, maybe 4 high depending on the size.
Working on rooting quite a few weeping willow cuttings right now!
Thank you for the tips!
About rejuvenating clay soil. My experience on clay soil is that I need to use a heavy layer of mulch in the winter spring and fall. At least a foot. This enables the microbes and worms to work more of the year because the soil is insulated and kept moist. I also shoveled the rows onto the beds first and filled in the rows with wood chips. They act like a sponge and decompose fairly rapidly. My soil is still heavy, but grew plants well, the first year. My soil was so hard that a walk behind rototiller wouldn't penetrate it. I had a friend flip the massive chunks of clay over with a fork lift. Thats when I knew I had a huge problem. 8 months later, I had an amazing garden. Try it.
That’s what I did. Put a mound of any organic matter I could get then dug down paths and filled the paths with wood chips. I figure I could rotate the rows over the paths later and have built in reservoirs. I have sand.
Totally agree with this. We focus on always keeping the soil covered- I'm a big fan of alfalfa hay as it rots down quickly and suppresses weeds. I've got a large back garden covered in wood chips now!
Greenhouse heat suggestion: stack hay around the outside of the greenhouse, blocks wind, allows a growning area on the hay for potatoes and more later, is an insulator, cheap, usable in other parts of the yard. couple that with a heat source and the added insulation should help.
Thank you for the tip!
The silly thing is, I actually did this the first year and it helped- I don't know why I didn't try it again! I appreciate this reminder.
"I can't seem to stop" (re: new garden beds) so true! I have a painted jug of water in my mini greenhouse that I suspect helps with overnight temps! But I'm on a much smaller scale 💚
I'm glad to hear that the jug seems to be helping!
It's refreshing to hear a familiar accent and see a garderner facing the same, soggy, cold clay soil hehe.
😁
Great video. Ohio Prarie Nursery is an amazing resource for Ohio native perennials and they are a wealth of knowledge about specific sites. I'd suggest reaching out to them on your flower beds.
Thank you for the tip! Is this the correct website for OPN: www.opnseed.com/ ?
That's them!
Fences! Gates! Clay! Oh My! 😂 Moving fence is an annual spring workout for us😂 If we don’t have time for gates we leave a section of tall fence that we can open wide. I have many new varieties and huge amount of WS jugs and husband says, “Where are they all going?” Me, “Everywhere!” 😅
We are in the second year of starting small orchard and it’s growing again this year. Last year was some hardscaping like grape arbor to have a place to get out of the sun. I’m sticking with in ground wide raised rows it will be easier to irrigate and to set up irrigation vs. raised beds and more real estate path free. I am not a no till, I like to lightly till as I believe the air does it good. The water source is not to close so we have a lot of hose.
My suggestion is if you are want to continue using raised beds instead of in ground wide rows I would Not use wood again. We used reclaimed corrugated metal and my husband showed me that it can be scored and snapped to cut it for lengthwise, but we have to cut width for lengths. A PVC pipe can be fit to cover sharp edges or wood toppers.
Our lean to greenhouse is on our list to refurbish. We have reclaimed refrigeration building panels that are 4” thick that I will dig down and use for base and about a foot on sides above ground. Inside the pit will be laid 4” plastic drain pipe surrounded by heat holding brick/stone, whatever I come up with and fill in cracks with gravel of some sort to prevent wildlife nests. I plan to pump hot air from roof to floor to store heat. I might line the greenhouse shed wall with dark brick as well as floor. There was an old solar project years ago that used aluminum cans painted black inside a box that allowed air to move through and it was attached to an open window so might fashion something like that to pipe hot air down to floor. New polycarbonate and vents with a few operable storm windows and door. The last touch would be solar and wind power bank to run fans, heater, lights. We currently use this set up on the ‘Man Shack’😅. It’s the special batteries that are the expense.
This small greenhouse 6x8 is easy to heat, but need a couple more feet. Did water jugs ect and not worthy and they were black. They still use room, can freeze and get algae. Only way I could see jugs useful is if there was a cold frame box built in front open to greenhouse, but that’s where my greenhouse house roof sheds snow. I thought I would like that, but no can do. It’s also crowded there as the asparagus and room hog strawberries are nearby. We have too many cloudy days for water to work, but solar, wind still work. It’s cloudy right now 32.8 and GH is 46.2*F with no improvements or heat. If you haven’t already get a remote temp station that can monitor and alarm you of changes in temp and humidity-it has been a great learning experience-mine is not connected to smart phone and works great. No room for large anything and not doing smelly compost mess. Only adding a couple feet to GH, but the north wall of garden shed is key. Just want an easy to heat seed starter house.
For shade area I could see azaleas and rhododendrons. Caution about bramble berries.
I’m thinking of a low tunnel to avoid having to cover up early spring crops only. It’s tough to get things planted early enough when spring is March 20th to June 20th and snow and freezing threatening most of March and April then unbearable heat.
Our poor husbands😂😂. Does yours say, “How much more?”😂😂. They sure do like those great tasting meals all winter. And I rarely go grocery shopping only for the basics we don’t produce. Mine doesn’t mind he just jokes about my uncureable addiction.😅
I have quite a few bare roots arriving In April same time as our chickens. We use to raise them and are at a different location now and need to get things set up. Going to put more of those reclaimed refrigeration panels to use for coop. Things are SO Expensive! And everyone wants to sell something and the only money I want to spend is on plants and seeds and my books on propagating and seed saving. I need ROI=Return On Investment.
💥⚡️💥Heads up on saving seeds==I was just informed a bare root plant will be unavailable because of crop failure! 💥⚡️💥This was a Hardy climbing rose, not a necessity, but for beauty and pollinators. Now if such an indestructible plant had crop failure, just think if it happens to seeds! We need to start saving seeds and I praise Luke in a video he made about doing just that because of disasters And he sells seeds! I’m concentrating on many varieties to find which ones do the best for me and I hope they are heirloom. Once I find those varieties I won’t have to worry too much about cross pollination, but I need to get or make some of those blossom bags.
Those 2 books on seed saving and propagating are pure GOLD to me.
Oh it’s going to be a busy busy year!🎉. WI, Z5a.
I've been looking at the metal beds too! I have one here (a kit) that I'm going to try out, but I've seen so many beautiful DIY versions too. I'm also thinking about just using stones- because I like the look and we've got plenty to spare.
Thanks for sharing your firsthand greenhouse experience- it's always so helpful to hear from folks that are actually doing it!
I love azaleas & rhodies, but they don't love it here. Soil is too alkaline, too clay-ey. And we're fortunate that bramble berries don't really take over like they do in other growing areas.
My husband rarely says anything- except when he sees me digging out new garden spaces... then he just kind of gives me that look like "do you really need more beds" 😆He's very good at taking things in stride.
And yes! Saving seeds is definitely a skill we all need to focus on. The prices are just becoming astronomical.
Admittedly, it's not something I've focused on. Being as, I'm constantly sent new seeds every year for my job, I just didn't have the need to save my own. But I've become a bit obsessed with the idea of perfecting localized strains or selections of certain varieties, which entails good seed saving practices.
Definitely going to be a busy year! Best wishes for all your projects!
My husband and I just finished two hinged hoop covers for raised beds. It has already made access so much easier, no more clip on and take off covers. I think more will be in my future.
Love that idea. Hope to have time to do this. I have a couple of raised beds and going back to in ground, but do like them for a few things.
I'm glad to hear this! Definitely gives me motivation to actually get this project done!
Flower beds : you can start a mix of annual (perhaps self seeding) and perennial. You won’t have so much pressure
Wet spot : you can plant basket willow or poplar, clumping bamboo (still protect from runners) r any stake-growing operation...
We live in Central PA, and had an incredibly mild February allowing us to get an early start on a new Currant/Gooseberry Bed. We are still digging out clay, but will soon be placing logs to create a Hugelculture Bed. After the Currants are transplanted, we are planting Elderberries in the old Currant Bed where they were getting sun scald. We also have Apricot Trees coming in April.
That sounds amazing!!
Hi Jenna, You truly have a lot of energy. You even garden at your parents' place. Amazing! Best, Albert from SF
I wish I had more!
That made me tired just listing to all your to-do plans Jenna. 🤣🤣
😆
Hey Jenna I have a passive solar greenhouse but there are aspects you could use in a smaller greenhouse such as heat sinks with thermal mass - mainly being water. If you have access to tidy cat buckets or even milk jugs. Fill those with water and place them all over the bottom levels of the shelves. They will warm up during day and keeping the inside cooler and then release the heat at night. Won’t solve your problem completely but I have a few 55 gallon drums I have filled with water and I place plants on top of those that I want extra heat at night. If the containers are painted black helps even more. Another thought is getting a solar generator like an eco-flow and a panel - soak up the sun during day to charge the battery and use that to run like a heat lamp at night. I did that and use it to run my grow lights after the sun goes down to give them a little more light as seedlings. Free energy! And when ya don’t need to it for greenhouse can be used for other things like camping.
Thank you! I've also made notes of some of the things I've seen you post on IG about your greenhouse for future reference!
@@GrowfullywithJenna anytime you might be headed over this way - more than welcome to stop by and check it out.
To heat your greenhouse you could try using a solar pool heater and a 65gal drum... that's my plan for my chicken pen/greenhouse plan for this summer...up here we get -40C sometimes and I don't want to rely on electric heat lamps for my chickens. I haven't done this personally, but there are people around here who have done it successfully, you do have to run a pump...but a 12v pump, on a battery with a solar panel last's for a long time :)
Thanks for the tip!
hosta, strawberrys, herbs
My list of projects for this spring pales in comparison to what you have going on. I will be redoing my 20X8 jumping worm infested bed. Will put up a couple cattle panel arches and the rest of the bed will be a key hole type of raised bed to allow access for weeding. In the front, my cattle panel trellis needs permanent beds, used straw bales the 1st year and grow bags last year. Going to try and use metal roofing for those beds. I also need to set in concrete a couple 4x4's to support my everbearing raspberries, I never knew they would grow to be over 7 feet tall.
Because the price for treated lumber has been so high and cedar is untouchable for me, I have been using house wrap to line my pine boards. It is only going on the 4th year, but no signs of decay so far, just a thought.
You have beautiful gardens! Enjoy your videos, Stay Well!!!
You're definitely keeping yourself busy!
Thanks for the tip on house wrap!!
I've been advised to stack bales of hay around the exterior of the greenhouse. Sink them about six to eight inches below the ground and it will help insulate the house and will also release heat from decomposing. You would need to replace them or add on top of them yearly, I think. Just a thought I'm thinking about doing. I don't have the plastic/glass one. I have a cheap one that is essentially plastic that has to be replaced frequently. They disentigrate over time and leave holes all over it.
I did this with straw the first year I had my greenhouse and it worked great. I then used the straw that had sat out all fall & winter for straw bale gardening. I don't know why I've not thought to do this in recent years-- silly oversight and no straw sitting around I suppose! Thanks for the reminder!
Really appreciated your thoughts and tips, and suggestions.
"and this kale that refuses to die", that made me LOL
😆
"Plant Abundance" on UA-cam has used a small aquarium heating thing to heat a medium water container to add ambient heat.
Oh cool! I’ll have to check that out- thank you!
I would love to see a Q&A from you! And I would love to learn about your dogs! I love seeing them in your videos.
If I start talking about my dogs, I might never stop 😂
@@GrowfullywithJenna Haha I love it!! 😂
You make me smile. We are alike in many ways. Overthinking is one of them. The things that came to mind while watching this video... Don't stress out about the "permanent" plantings. There is no such thing. Okay, I know what you mean and I probably will be in the same boat in a month or so. 🤣
As huge as these gardens are you must have a good bit of help to keep them up as well as you do. If you tell me you don't have a lot of help then I have to say you are amazing and it's no wonder from time to time some spaces get away from you.
My raspberries will be here in a day or two, and looking out at the 4 or 5 inches of snow we have on the ground (WOW it is green at your place) AND along with my raspberries I am getting... another winter storm ! It's forecast to dump a half a foot of new snow on what I have.
Any thought of planting bare root raspberries in this weather?!
My dad helps a LOT with the gardens at his house. And my husband helps at home with the big 'infrastructure' projects. The day to day is on me. I'm trying to task the kids with more garden chores (weeding, picking and the like) but it's like pulling teeth 😆 .
We just got snow last night! From 70 to 30 in a span of a couple days... gotta love Ohio!
As long as your berries are dormant, and the ground is thawed enough to dig, you can plant. Once they start to leaf out, it's another story.
If the ground is frozen so that you can't plant, you could "heel them in" - make a mound out of sawdust, woodchips, compost, potting soil - whatever you have on hand and put the roots in there and water. I'd put the "heeling spot" in a shady location to delay the raspberries from leafing out too early.
I also think, that "permanent" is a slight bit overrated. Plant! If you notice later, that plants are not quiet in the right spot, dig them out and replant in a better area. Okay. With trees, I'd be a bit more careful. But everything else -can be easily changed later, if necessary 🙂
Too early arrival of bare root happened to me last year and some were broke dormancy so I potted them up temporarily and put in unheated greenhouse. If they aren’t leafing out just keep them cool and don’t let roots dry out and don’t smother in water in a garage or similar. Another commenter said heal in which could possibly be done outside. There are a few spots in our yard that aren’t frozen, but we have sand and those areas are generally full sun. Just keep them from leafing out if they haven’t already.
Permanent plantings, lol, I need to move 2 dwarf apples this spring. I could probably leave them as I was going to grow them columnar and since realized they sell a variety for that. So going to move, but as we get older things that weren’t so permanent become just that😅. Grow where your planted they say😂😂
@@GrowfullywithJenna I do most all myself and another reason irrigation needs to be addressed this year.
So miss all our folks. Enjoy this time.
We like using plastic wood used for decks. My husband also built some waist high beds using metal sheeting.
Sounds like a great idea!
Here in MD Ive only been gardening since 2019 and growing every year and expanding what i have been doing. Starting in 2019 i started with peppers and tomatoes and now I'm up to growing many root crops, greens, brassicas, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and many other vegetables. This year I'm growing more potatoes and trying mushrooms via grain spawn, sawdust spawn, and plugs. I too have found North Spore for the spawn but there is also Field and Forest mushroom company you should check out as well. I enjoy learning organic and sustainable methods from your videos to apply to my garden. Each year I've been doing more projects for my garden like raised beds, tables, compost barrel tumbler, rain barrel, DIY ollas, and many other projects. I cant wait to get this season of crops going.
Oh how fun!! I'm glad to hear you're growing and expanding. I'll look into Field & Forest- thank you for the tips!
Best wishes for a fantastic season, David!
I didn’t know about the mulch delivery link up. We have so many trees and leaves on our new property I think we might invest in a chipper / mulcher for long term.
I've looked at chippers so many times! I'd love to have one, but it's quite an investment. ChipDrop isn't super active in all areas- this is the first time I ever actually got a drop (after being signed up for 3+ years), and it was because the mulch place down the road wasn't open for the tree guys to deliver to. But some people are able to get them regularly.
Last year was the third in a series of garden expansions that included cardboard and woodchips over the entire 20'x125' area. I also reconfigured the garden and added three more trellises. This year I am lowering the work, but there is always something that needs done. I mainly do container gardening, and a lot of the totes were trash rescues a few years ago.when I found about twenty 27 gallon ones. A lot of them are now cracking, so they are being replaced with heavy duty HDPE forty gallon totes that I am painting to increase uv protection. I would love to do in ground gardening, but a buried petroleum pipeline under the backyard makes that more risky.
Wow!! You are certainly keeping yourself busy!
This year I am going to strategically grow the Sudan grass to create some partial shade in my garden.
Smart!!
Hey, you going to do an 2023 gardening afterglow video? One where you look back and state what went well, and what you not going to do in the future? This one is good too because you had envisioned plans of what you were going to do. Well? Spill! How'd that work out?
Those are nice because we can maybe relate to similar issue we also might be having.
Plus, we get to see the big, big, picture of the whole garden(s).
I am indeed!! But - spoiler-- I did not get a lot my plans done this year!
Hi Jenna, Thank you for sharing your "mistakes" with us. We can certainly learn from your experiences. Best, Albert from SF
Happy to share!
I'm building a greenhouse and I'm going to build in a rocket mass heater. It's for wood burning but because of how the burn chamber is constructed it's extremely efficient with less wood. The smoke travel through a pipe build in in a stone and clay bench which retains heat. You should check it out
I will! Thanks for the tip!
Just a low-cost tip on the greenhouse. Pile-up hay or straw bales around the greenhouse. All the way up the north wall, since you won't get sun there till the middle of the summer. And one bail high around the other walls. A greenhouse like that is never going to perform well in the winter. Just way too much heat loss and there's no real way to control it on a greenhouse like that. You can put in as much solar mass as you want but I don't think you really going to absorb enough energy to offset what is lost the poly panel's at night up to the sky. I'll try to post some pics of my passive solar greenhouse project on your Facebook page. I have figured out that winter greenhouse and spring/fall green houses need to be very different in our Northern climate.
Thank you! I did this the first year with my greenhouse, and I don't know why I didn't continue (no straw bales lying around, I suppose). If you're able to share the pics via FB, I'd love to see them!
All great projects. I’m making two 9’x4’ hot frames so I can over winter/ extend my growing seasons. I live near Colonial Williamsburg and they have a few in their historical garden which is where I got the idea.
Nice!!
Have you considered a walipini? Probably a longer-term project but I've heard good things-- you bury half the green house underground to take advantage of the more stable underground temperatures. I'm interested in one myself but haven't found a ton of info about building them online.
I ran across a youtube video on one of those a couple years ago. It's an excellent option if you have cheap access to heavy equipment.
Yes! I'd love to have one, but right now don't have access to the digging equipment I need. I keep telling the kids I'm just going to send them out with shovels every time they're bored... so I might have a base dug by 2043 😆
I watched some of your videos very informative. especially since I also live in Ohio and have clay soil. Some things I already do, but you showed some things I was going to but will not now, basically you saved me a lot of time and money thank you.
I'm glad to hear that- thank you!
Hi Jenna, look up on compost heating. I have seen some gardeners on UA-cam using this method to heat up their greenhouse naturally. Making a compost heating is my project for this year 😄
Thanks for the tip!
Love the video Jenna! Thanks for sharing. Sister you better wear that hat!!!
LOL! I can relate, never ending to- do list and the constant desire ever year to expand the garden.
Yes!!
If you’re looking for inspiration for your front bed - “The Living Landscape” by Rick Darke & Doug Tallamy, My yard bakes in the hell hot sun All. Day. Long. I’d love to have a spot like that with some mature trees!
Thank you! I’ll check it out. And yes- I’m definitely thankful to have the trees!
You and your folks have such beautiful places!
Thank you!
A other plant idea for your “flower beds” is witch hazel. We are in the same zone and have very much appreciated adding witch hazel as an understory tree in our Japanese garden….
Oh Yes! Thank you-- I love witch hazel and definitely want to add at least one!
Oh my word we need a mushroom foraging video 👀
I’ve heard some folks say that a compost pile in a cold frame can help to heat it, but I’d guess it would have to be huge…and enclosed.
Yes! I love the compost/heat sink idea- but it'll have to wait for my bigger, dream greenhouse!
Just got my 1st hardy Kiwi for zone 7 in NJ. Glad to hear you may try it also.
oh Nice!!
Cool video Jenna, thank you.
Thank you!
i'm glad i stopped having issues to do with raised beds, when i ditched them. now i can freely change rows if i wish to. i can set up and take down easily trellises and other supports on any rows or part thereof.
i dont have projects; i just grow veggies with minimal work required.
Glad that's working for you!
I can give you a suggestion that could get you more than what you can sell eggs for.
I have been doing it for almost 15 years.
Barter your eggs. I have found that taking eggs to farmers markets and local produce stands I can trade for fresh veggies and scrapes as well. Cost for cost you can typically get more vegetables than cash could buy you. Additionally, most produce stands have rotten vegetables that the chickens eat or you can compost. You may have to search around but they are out there. Once you find a place it's a gold mine.
Another thing I do is trade my neighbor eggs for farm fresh beef.
The bottom line is people are willing to trade more than give up cash. But you couldn't sell eggs then buy what you could trade eggs for.
LOVE this idea! Thank you!
Hi Jenna, sounds like lots of good projects this year, thanks for taking us along on the journey! A few things: 1. We made the decision to use pressure treated wood. All the current research points to it not being a health issue. I respect the idea of an abundance of caution as well, but ultimately we decided to make the 20 year investment in pressure treated 4x4 lumber beds. 2. For a greenhouse heater that won’t necessarily be on all the time look into the “MyBuddy” propane heater. You can connect it to a larger propane tank and it will last about a week or so. If the goal is to just heat occasionally this could be a good option! We use them for tents when camping in the Fall so don’t have direct greenhouse experience but I think it would be a good option. 3. For season extending infrastructure I just started using EMT conduit instead of PVC for hoops and have been very impressed. Mounted to the wooden beds they are extremely sturdy and solid. I made a short video about bending the 10’ long EMT conduit recently. Excited to see how everything grows this summer!
I came to a similar conclusion about treated wood, and some of the newer beds in the back are treated. But I've heard from some folks that even the treated beds don't last incredibly long (7-10 years maybe?) if you don't line them (which I didn't)... not sure how accurate that is. But these were given to me and I just couldn't pass them up! I've got a corrugated metal bed I want to try out, but I really like the rustic/natural look of stone or rough hewn logs and found materials, so I think I'll primarily go that route in the future.
Thank you for the lead on the greenhouse heater!
And definitely looking at EMT conduit-- I tried a small bed with PVC and was NOT a fan. I got ahead of myself and was going to ask if you used the conduit bender from Johnny's... then saw you had the video... those look great!!
@@GrowfullywithJenna I’m hoping with the thicker boards (4x4s) we will get a couple decades out of them but we will see! I agree with you about the esthetics of the wood, plus much better at insulating the soil and I like that you can easily add hoops / trellises since you can screw into them. Excited to see how yours turn out!
I love how knowledgeable you are ❤️ We can all learn SOOO much from you!
I really hope you consider putting the hardware cloth under your new raised beds for rodent protection 👍
I would LOVE to watch you grow all kinds of mushrooms 😋
I think I need to get a trap set. We seen a cute vole. Didn’t think much about it nor the tunnels Until a comment I read about them eating bulbs! Yikes! The tunnel was in the bed with a lot of bulbs! I’ve never had this problem. We have gophers we had to trap by the dozens and they do enough damage. We need barriers on Everything or we’d have nothing.
Thank you for the reminder Joanna! I NEED to do this!
In the fall I extended growing in my hoop tunnel by doing several things where I was vertically growing San Marzanos, no tables:
First, I put a brick path down the center.
Second, I clipped row covers completely around my plants just before the temps dropped for extra protection, and to preserve ground heat which rises. I moved some of my large planters in which contained heat mass/ carryover.
Last, I used one of those old fashioned radiator heaters that heats up water. It has 600 and 900 amp levels and a control dial, so I could adjust how much heat it put out. It would be ideal to run it on solar, if possible. I was surprised the difference even the lowest setting made, and I kept it on a timer. I have read about people using rocket stoves for risidual heat, though I have not. I'd like to find a simpler way to keep it heated, too, but this extended growing by 2 months.
Ooh-- extending the season by 2 months would be awesome! Thank you for sharing!
To heat your greenhouse you should use a survival mini woodstove for yurts, they are only like $100 on eBay..just stoked the fire in the evening and then put it on low so it smolder throughout the night keeping it warm in there.....As for your new mushroom garden you should grow your mushrooms on large hardwood logs freshly cut and let them set 3 months before inoculating because the tree is still producing anti-fungal properties for three months after being caught and you don't want to use and already dead tree because it already has a mycelium Network that's taking it over, you want to add a fresh mycelium network of what you desire so it doesn't have to compete..you want to use logs for your mushrooms because after inoculating you can have 10 years of mushrooms while the log decays, if you are growing mushrooms in bags you have to keep buying mushroom food and sterilizing it or buy it already done and then there is the waste from the plastic bag and in my opinion mushrooms are more hardy growing outside in nature than inside a bag......you might like electroculture gardening, stick copper rods in the ground near your plants so that they can absorb the conductivity in the air, the copper rod stimulating the plants roots with natural electricity...If you like that you might like magnetic gardening, place a magnet with the Northside of the magnet facing up next to your plans and put a rock on top of the magnet so it doesn't flip over while your watering it because you do not want south-facing up because it will mess up the magnetism of the plant and make the terpenoids and flavonoids have more of a chemical nature to them making your food taste like Windex.
Thank you for all of these tips!!
And now I have more research to do-- I've never heard of electroculture or magnetic gardening!
Hello, Jenna. Loved seeing all of the fun projects you have in mind. I wondered if you had any thoughts on the corrugated raised beds that are on the market now, as I've been considering a couple of those. Some of the projects that this little mammal will get to enjoy this year will be the building of more hugel beds for a few people, moving all of my raspberry plants to the front yard, and basically trying to revive one garden that is all clay and poor drainage. My mother is now asking me to build her her own replica of the Serpent Mound now, so thanks for that. 😜 Also hoping to plant more flowers that are bee and butterfly friendly. And the big thing I hope to accomplish - drum roll please - air layering a number of trees and bushes throughout the yard. Geekin' to try that this year.
Hope you have a great week. Best of luck with all of your projects.
I actually have one sitting here that I plan on setting up soon!
I've heard a lot of positive things about the metal beds and seen some beautiful DIY versions. I feel like I can't make a full judgment until I've lived with mine for several years- but I'm hopeful.
And you're welcome- I'm sure you've plenty of time to build a hugel-serpent-mound, right?! 😂 (while you're at it, please come build mine 😆).
Best wishes with the air pruning project- that is a great idea!
Tis but a skosh over a thousand feet of trenching. Shouldn’t be a problem. 🥴
many good ideas in this video. My little project I am working on is to grow different types of alpine strawberries. I ordered some seeds and have them germinating under a growlight, and I ordered a mr. stacky planter so I can put them on my porch, and hopefully eat them before the animals. I have a strawberry bed, and have had no luck with it, chipmunks have set up camp there, also birds, eat what little harvest I have before I can get to them, so I am going in a new direction with the alpines.
That sounds like a wonderful project!
I have one little chipmunk who will perch on my raised beds eating a strawberry in plain view just to taunt me 😆
Omaha, Nebraska. We are still renting so I am limited. Would love to have our own place. I guess I will have to live vicariously through you for now!
Hi Sarah- I hope you can get the place of your dreams- with lots of room for gardening, some day!
I have an 8x10 polycarbonate greenhouse in NH and have done well with the Bio Green PAL 2.0 to keep it to 36-38 F overnight for early seedlings at this time of year.
Thank you! I appreciate the tip!
Near term projects for me: rebuild several rotted beds (pressure treated lumber maybe???), fix the soil in my one bed that always seems to underperform (got a bad batch of topsoil that evidently is clay soil), FINALLY get my lazy rear end to build a couple of cold frames. We'll see about that last one....
Sounds like some good garden projects! I need to build some cold frames too- meant to have it done by now, but it might have to wait till next winter. Hope you get yours done!
I recently saw someone using a small compost system to generate heat in a greenhouse. Using a garbage can compost system will generate enough house for a small greenhouse
Wonderful video, as always. I'm so glad to see you've widened your gate!!! LOL The cattle panel arch looks great!
Two thoughts...first, bravo on your dad for his "Wilderness." He is providing invaluable habit for insects by just allowing things to grow wild in that area. And second, if you are looking for ideas for the flowerbeds by your house, natives are the way to go. If you've not listened to any of the presentations by Dr. Doug Tallamy here on UA-cam, those are very sobering and eye-opening. You could plant natives in your flower bed and add your flowerbeds to the map of the "Homegrown National Park" movement.
Thanks! My arch is a little wonky- but once I have plants growing all over it no one will notice :)
And I appreciate the suggestions. I've not listed to Dr. Tallamy, but will now!
Looks good! T-post and welded wire are great! Super versatile and long lasting. 👍
It is SO handy- I've used T-posts and welded wire so much for my garden and chickens!
@@GrowfullywithJenna lol, I need a lighter weight post maul. We have a homemade one I think my FIL made out of tractor parts and it’s a bear😅
I too am starting to rearrange my garden beds, I recently aquired a compact tractor with a 54" bucket so I need to make my aisles wide enough for my tractor. As for your upcoming raised bed hoops I've had a new experience with mine this winter. I have bug mesh covering my brassica beds and heavy snow and ice issures this year collapsed them 3 times. I'm considering making more ridged frames. The pvc tubes alone don't hold up to weight. Lastly, the cheapest and in my opinion the best option for heat storage woud be gallon jugs of water on the backside of your lower shelves. That area is difficut to reach so placing them there would be a good use of that space. Just put them around the entire perimeter of the greenhouse.
Oh nice! A tractor would be super useful- glad you were able to get one.
Thank you for the tips!
Great stuff! The garden must always keep perpetually growing, pun intended. I would love to have a food forest area that size. My next video (finally) will also be my goals for 2023, and one of those goals will be digging into part of the hugel beds to see what's happening, so if you're interested in another collab on that, let me know!
Yay! I can't wait for your next video!
Let me know when you're thinking about digging into a hugel bed- I might be up for that.
@@GrowfullywithJenna awesome! Probably mid- to late-summer but I'll let you know.
I am so excited to hear you might try hardy kiwi, because it is one I would like to try as well!!
The farm I used to work at had a beautiful, mature planting and I always wanted my own! I hope it does well here!
Got to get to lecture, but I just made it to the pcm tiles. Brilliant! Thank you! And it's another NC company. Goodness.
Oh, earlier on the paths. :) Both my brother and I committed to that last year. Watching the rest later. 👍
Ooh, mushrooms! There ya go!
I would think that wood chips tilled and left to decay would be the quickest way to change the compostion before planting when it is ready. And you know, not quickest like in months. ha ha.
We have done the til once and add aged manure, regularly for well over a decade. In our lawn you hit the solid clay 2-4 inches down depending on where you are at. And grass paths quickly fill in with crabgrass as the soil looses that needed air. That leads to the water on top, of course. Compacted clay path with weeds, lol.
I'm super excited (and nervous) about the mushrooms!
And about the PCM tiles!
@@GrowfullywithJenna Those PCM tiles sound very interesting to me.
I have a raised bed that gets just enough sun and thinking of turning it into a shade garden and start a new one in a sunnier area. I have a couple of maples growing in front of my current garden and i don't really want to cut them down. i love the wind block idea using trees and may try to do something similar on my 1 acre
Sounds like a great project!
Loved seeing your project plan for the coming year. Also, your parents property is dreamy!! I hope that we see more of it in the future, it's so inspiring!
Thank you, Amanda!
Have you already heard of the Miyawaki Method? It might be something worth looking into when it comes to growing trees fast in a small space. I am also adding willows as a buffer or living hedge to keep the deer out of my property. Thanks for the channel, love following your garden journey here and there.
I haven't- but just looked it up and I am definitely going to consider this technique for my parent's place! Thank you!
Hello Jenna. Great job on the greenhouse. Just like you, I can't wait for spring to officially arrive to get my garden started 🌼🌼🌻🌻
I hope spring shows up for you very soon!
Lady, that is an AWESOME garden! A cattle panel arch is on my wish list for my garden when I figure out exactly where I want it. I want to plant climbing roses on it. I want it for beauty than for vegetables. Maybe put a bench under it and have it for a sitting area in the middle...I'm not sure yet. Love your channel!
Thank you!
I LOVE my cattle panel arches. I started with one and then just kept finding reasons to more up!
What about putting a hotbed on each side wall. 2 for 1- added heat to greenhouse and provides you a place to overwinter
Definitely on the wish list for the next greenhouse. With the way we have this one set up and the gravel pad underneath it, I can't do it with this one. Thank you for the tip!!
Thanks for another awesome video. I started a second garden last fall and have been cautious about laying it out for long term use and not congest it - your videos definitely have helped. I also started indoor gardening with LED grow lights and for my first time starting seeds, I find it difficult to get the seedlings to grow past 1"-2" in the 72 plug trays. I used indoor potting soil and haven't started fertilizing as the seedlings I think are too small. I don't have dampening off issues but maybe not enough light. I did just increase the time from 12 hours to 14 hours. Maybe that will help. Schooner Farms is just down the road from me and Don is a great guy to work with. Thanks Again for the great videos.
Congratulations on seed starting! I’ve been doing it awhile and still learning. Tip: as I was up-potting yesterday I realized very quickly why the petunias weren’t progressing-They were Root Bound! I didn’t think this would happen as I was using air root pruning cell packs. Well they did around the top where the slits in the cells were not. Already Today they have perked right up.
So I would pop one out and check the roots. Then it’s time for half strength fertilizer. I can’t believe I didn’t realize it. I have one of those all connected cell propagation flats, but don’t care for it. I think if I was doing all one variety and planned on potting up right away after true leaves, maybe.
Oh how cool! I'm assuming it was Don who I saw speak at OEFFA one year (he shared the image of the mound and talked all about their farm).
What type of seeds do you have started? I'm not a big fan of the 72 cells for much- with the exception of onions, some leafy greens and some herbs. Dusty Flats may be right- they tend to outgrow those cells very quickly- I'd definitely check the roots. I just had to up-pot my kale & chard yesterday from small cells like the 72.
@ Jenna & Dusty Crops I've started are brassica's, peppers, and salad greens. Yes, I'm starting to think the 72 trays are too small which leads to me either overwater or underwater (seems to be a very fine line with the 72's). I did do the half fertilizer and that had noticeable affect on my seedlings. I'm very afraid of over fertilization. This weekend, I did transplant to 4" square pots (using fresh indoor/outdoor potting mix) and am leaving my fans on longer to help dry out the top of the soil. Grow lights are now 16 hours and also helping. I think this will solve a lot of my issues. Thank You Jenna and Dusty for the help with this. Starting seedling is WAY harder than I expected.
I have a 6 x 8 greenhouse and we just put a small heater in it today. It worked great last year. I tried so many things last year before putting in a heater but nothing worked, only the heater. We keep it set on low, just so it never drops below freezing.
What type of heater do you have?
You might try using the compost heating method in the greenhouse
Thanks for the tip! Definitely on my list for my next greenhouse-- I just don't have the space in this one!
Wow you have so much going on! I’m jealous of all the space you have to use and experiment with in the two properties. The hugelkuktur reproduction of the serpent mound sounds rad!
We're very fortunate to have the space- that's for sure!
Such a fun video! I’m so excited to see your weather extension ideas come to life and the mushrooms! Your parent’s property is so awesome, love the wilderness area and your Moms pretty flowers in the footage from summer. I have the same small cold frame box as you do, I always look for it in your videos 😂 ours is currently in a raised bed over our in-bed worm composter to keep them warm.
Thank you, Angela!
And what a great use of the cold frame box-- I would have never thought of that!
I was really happy to see a new video from you! Projects for me here in western Colorado desert are always to do with irrigation water management. We use furrow irrigation from the local canal system, and I'm narrowing my row width from about 28" to something like 18-20". The other big project is propagating trees and shrubs to finish building the ~2 acres of mixed trees, shrubs, and wildflowers.
I admit, I take water for granted here in Ohio. For folks like you, gardening in arid climates, it's a hugely time-consuming task! Best of lick with this year's irrigation project. The mixed tree, shrub, wildflower plantings sound amazing!
Check into a diy clay pot heater. Love the channel as I'm from Southern Ohio. God Bless.
Thanks for the tip!
Hi, Jenna! Very enjoyable video to watch, thanks! Wood chips in new garden have been cooking since last year, fruit trees arriving this spring...food forest, let's gooooooo!
Exciting!! happy planting!
Thank you! 2023 is the first year of growing with a greenhouse for me and I joined a local family owned farm’s CSA so I don’t have to grow ‘everything’. We are taking down the free pallet fence to put in an archway, expand the garden enclosed space and planting MANY more herbs to be perennial for harvesting/storing my own spices, making teas and tinctures. I’m most excited to fill my gardens with items not usually found in gardens around here. Toothache seedlings are awaiting a chance to get outside. 😊
Ooh yay! Toothache plant is one of my favorites- have fun!!
You have a lot of shelves in your green house. Have you thought of buying some cheap paver bricks and paving the shelves with those to use for heat energy storage?
I hadn't- but now I will! Thank you!
Great video. You've really developed a ton of expertise, but it's cool that you put your mistakes out there for everyone else to see and learn from. Cheers to a great 2023.
If you don't make mistakes you're not learning :) (at least that's what I tell myself). But I do think it's important to share. I get a little frustrated with social media that only paints a rosy picture of everything all the time- it's just not real!
Absolutely love your goals for the coming year and especially the changes you did to the garden beds, can't wait to see how everything comes to life this summer! It's actually our first year growing so we're experimenting and decided to reinvest a month's food budget into seeds and see how much more food we can grow ourselves out of that same budget!
That's awesome! I hope everything goes great for you this year!
Schooner farms is a cool place we love going there we have a place between Rudolph and North Baltimore...
Good to know! I’ve not been there in person yet- I’ll have to make it up that way.
84 Lumber used to sell redwood for less than cedar, and it lasts much longer. It would be worth a call, but they do have to order it, so plan a week ahead. Also, pull it apart, a friend of mine got some that looked worm eaten. They took it back and got him good boards, but who wants to haul wood home, unbundle it only to return it?
Thank you for the tip!!
Wow! Big plans! Looking forward to your progress.
You and me both!
Yes! you should absolutely get cold hardy kiwi, just not in that shady spot. Perhaps on your new entrance trellis, they like sun, also the chickens are big fans of the leaves. I think bulbs can be a good thing to plant in shady spots, especially if you don't want excessive maintenance. For berries, lingonberry and wintergreen could be nice. American cranberry can take the shade too.
I had no idea chickens liked the leaves! I may end up putting the kiwi at mom & dad's (for more sun). Thanks for the tips!
@@GrowfullywithJenna, neither did I, 🤣🤣🤣 I bought them from burpee, I think? Last spring I ended up caging around them to keep the chickens off. I bought both cold hardy kiwi and regular kiwi (which can tolerate down to 10). Our coldest night was 19 this winter, and I didn't do a thing to even try and protect them. The leaves came back beautifully this spring on both.
Always fun to watch what others are doing and you have a lot of doing to do lol. I always have to replace a raised box each year to keep up with the decay but I've been using metal instead of cedar lately since the lumber prices increased. It's about the same price but the metals should last longer. And your outside the fence log beds is exactly what I've been doing the last couple years and using them for garlic , onions and potatoes. Nothing bothered the potatoes I grew in those beds last year so hoping to continue to get away with that. I only have a couple small projects planned for this year but I did order shortcake raspberries from Jung and also sweet potatoes for the first time from Maine potato lady so looking forward in seeing how they do for me. Good luck!
I’m looking at trying out a metal bed too. And have fun with those raspberries and sweet potatoes!
Great video! Hopeful for your current and future projects to cross the finish line. We're diving into mushroom farming this year, as well! Can't wait to see your results. We stay in almost lockstep with you throughout the Ohio growing season and greatly appreciate everything you share.
Exciting! Which types of mushrooms are you starting with?
@@GrowfullywithJenna
wine caps in our wood mulch, shiitake, lion's mane, and a variety of oysters in oak and maple logs.
Im in portage county OH & have a harbor freight poly greenhouse with a floor made of pavers. We use a wood stove to heat our house so I put some embers/charcoal into a metal pale & place it in the center of the floor. It warms well but please be careful- its definitely a fire hazard. Hot water in jugs did not work for me
Oh- that's smart! Thanks for sharing! How often do you have to replace them?
@@GrowfullywithJenna id say I take some more out every couple days. Then when it becomes just a bucket of ash I toss it in the compost pile!
@@HeyShayShay Thanks!
I have no idea if it would work but they sell reflective material that people place in tents and pop up campers to keep heat in or out. They’re similar to those made for your car window. Maybe they would help if you lined your greenhouse walls with them
That seems like it would work really well! Thank you!