Wellll, the doors and face have been off my partially completed passive solar raised tomato bed for a week or so now here in the Southwest’s 4 Corners area.
Picked a tomato yesterday—wasn’t quite ripe but good enough.
The jungle is kind of bursting the seams but mostly leaves with some blossoms and some green fruit.
Might need to take a dead plant or two out. I’m not sure that the Hawaiian Pineapple tomato plant made it through the winter for some reason. The rest of the heirloom tomato plants seem to be quite robust.
Now the trick will be how to finish glazing the thing with poly carbonate sheeting on top and the front and still let the plants grow profusely. May end up putting another door on the front instead of another sealed panel. Probably will have more hinged sections on the roof, too.
Then, I’ll need to put ferro cement/plaster over the foam insulation on the back and lower sides and lower front.
May want to have a different crop in the winter. Tomato’s aren’t too functional . . . daytime temps could get up to 120 degrees and night around 45 degrees. Blossoms don’t germinate above 90 degrees and don’t set below 55.
It’s been an interesting project so far and not over yet! At least I have a head start on getting tomatoes to eat early.
Do you have pictures of your partially completed passive solar raised tomato bed? Sounds like an interesting undertaking.
I bought a two burner wood cookstove a few weeks ago at a yard sale for $85, and the piping cost about $40.
Since I live in the woods (no shortage of wood to burn) I have the means now to warm a greenhouse.
I plan to have one built by fall. I am serious about having year round food and enough flowers for my home to be a showplace.