Posted on 11/25/2023 7:29:19 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you.
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It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread. Planting, Harvest to Table Recipes, Preserving, Good Living - there is no telling where it will go - and that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us! Send a Private Message to Diana in Wisconsin if you'd like to be added to our New & Improved Ping List.
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The answer to every need, want or desire around here is either cattle or hog panels, LOL!
That is a great looking pup! We have a litter of five; started with 7 - Life Happens...or not :( puppies right now. We are keeping one of the two males; the others are already sold. (Plott Hounds)
Beau told me this week we are getting a pup from Sunshine, (Treeing Walker Coon Hound) who I raised with her two brothers (both of which we still have) in 2019. ‘Sunny’ has gone on to win ‘Best Raccoon Dog in Minnesota’ so she’s quite the BIG DEAL already. Her brothers are both bear-hunting dogs.
So, that means this winter I will have 2 Beagles, 2 Cats and 2 Puppies in the house!
And I’m pretty sure that when I moved out here I said, ‘Beau? I don’t want ANY pets in the house!’ That lasted exactly 6 months, LOL!
“Some of these concepts will also be used for the high tunnel tanks so yes, this is a gardening subject. ;~)”
Your posts are always informative and interesting. Our one ‘freezing’ trouble spot is the line to water from the fridge and on below 32 nights I leave the door open under the kitchen sink and leave the water dripping overnight so THOSE pipes don’t freeze.
Now that I think about it, a few sheets of that solid insulation across the back walls under the sink (it’s a corner sink) would do wonders...
See? You’re helpful! :)
18 Natural Christmas Decor Ideas For a Greener Holiday
1. Foraged Branches
2. Pine Cones (I’m a BIG user of pine cones in home decor)
3. Driftwood
4. Greenery
5. Make a natural wreath
6. Pretty rocks
7. A foraged greens and fruit table runner
8. Painted branches (white)
9. Dried Fruit slices (Dehydrator or oven)
10. Simple wall hanging
11. Floating candles in Mason jars
12. Evergreen branches as a bouquet
13. Clam shells, recycled
14. ‘Spruce’ up an Entryway
15. Twig stars
16. Decorate a mirror you already own
17. Leftover greenery clippings on the mantle
18. ‘Starfish’ decorating a wreath
All instructions to projects are linked here:
https://www.thespruce.com/natural-christmas-decorations-4177526
Yesterday, I was eyeballing the cattle panels I have here to use as a truck bed extender.
Just getting ready to go out and do that. $30 for a bed extender is a good deal.
My firewood rack next to the wood stove is a single cattle panel cut up and welded to make a 2'x2'x6' rack with 5 shelves.
Our pots and pans hang on racks with hooks I made from a cattle panel 20 years ago when I didn't even know what a cattle panel was. Found it laying on the ground at a house we were renting.
I see they use some white birch. Growing up, there was a road going to my aunt and uncle’s house that was lined with them, overhanging the road. After a snow, it was like a white tunnel.
That’s a nice website thanks. (BTW flower buds keep growing slowly).
Our goat pasture was made with cattle panels. Half of it was taken down, have used a couple of sections in the garden. One is a raspberry wall and one a tomato plant wall. The insect eating birds love them as they are great perches while they are bug hunting.
One of the coolest uses is a gabion wall, using cattle panels filled with rocks.
Yay! :) Mine is in partial bloom, and Mom’s is blooming right now, too. (Thanksgiving Cactus)
Will try it as is and check it once or twice on the way back to make sure the back isn't bowing out too badly. Really should have a horizontal brace or two and maybe add two more horizontal wires to make the top two rows of 6x6" holes, 3x6"
If I stack the firewood across the back instead of tossing, it should be fine.
A very clever fix.
Santa’s hat is awesome! :)
I take no credit, found this a few years ago. I think with a red border it would make a great Christmas card for a gardener.
Kansas high tunnel growers reported that heat is more challenging than cold to control or moderate. During the fluctuating weather of spring and fall (sunny days, cold nights) sidewalls are rolled up during the day and back down at night. Failure to ventilate on a 60 degree, sunny day can result in indoor temperatures over 100 degrees.
Lifting or other frame damage is best managed by closing the tunnel during wind events. This can be especially challenging in the summer as a tunnel closed prematurely on a sunny day can quickly cook the produce inside.
“It’s like adding livestock to your vegetable operation. It’s just a whole ‘nother set of responsibilities that takes you out of the field.”
“I could not use tunnel at all for the first couple years because I was working off farm at the time. It was too hot if I left it closed all day, and too cold if I opened it because I didn’t get home until 9 p.m.”
“Monitor the buildings especially in the spring and early fall. Buildings have to be opened and closed, sometimes in very short notice (storms).
Timely opening (morning) and closing (night) of the structure is necessary in the spring and fall, making it difficult if you have an off-farm job or leave for the weekend. Structures may need to be closed at a moment’s notice if high winds develop.
“Take an honest look at your operation! High tunnels are a great tool, but they are just a tool. If you are doing a poor job raising produce now, putting up a tunnel will not fix that. You will just be a poor producer with a high tunnel. I’ve seen far too many tunnels in disrepair or sitting unused or abused when people find out it still takes work to make them succeed. They are not a silver bullet.One other bit of advice would be: plan on spending more than you originally budgeted to get your house totally finished like you want. Lots of incidentals with these things. When we started tunnels were cheap. To put up a quality tunnel now is expensive.”
Sidewalls: Options include roll-up or drop-down. Roll-up are simpler and cheaper. Drop-down sides protect young plants from harsh winds, making them much more desirable. A gearbox makes raising and lowering sidewalls much easier than the hand crank method. Programmable thermostats that automatically roll up and drop down sidewalls are available for several thousand dollars.
(a 30’ x 96’ structure sheds 1,728 gallons of water for every inch of rain). Build a slightly elevated pad that extends several feet beyond the structure and slopes away from the sides to allow water to flow off of and away from the structure. Create a drainage ditch around the perimeter of the structure with outlets that run away from the structure.
Tunnels help 37% of surveyed tunnel farmers grow year round. Another 36% gain 4-8 weeks extra production on each end of the season.
“Tomatoes are a month earlier & a month later. Spinach can take you right through winter if established well before the darkest coldest days.”
"Season extension is part of the benefit, but just general quality & yield is significantly higher for most crops.”
“Depending on the crop, we can grow year round. Extension of tomatoes is approx. 6 weeks on average, leaf lettuce/greens is approx. 10 weeks but can be longer if marketed correctly. We plan on starting our 2014 high tunnel plantings at the beginning of February (six to eight weeks ahead of our outdoor planting schedule).”
Thanks. It worked well too. I made one nice tight stack of bigger pieces across the back and the back didn’t bow out at all. No need to brace it.
Bah humbug
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