Garden Season Extenders
Season Extenders are those wonderful tools that allow gardener's to enjoy
their hobby a month or two longer, spring and fall. In the spring, gardeners
are chomping at the bit to get out into the garden and plant something, anything.
Getting the jump on the season, and your neighbor, is every gardener's late
winter dream. In the fall, Jack Frost sometimes visits before our final crops
are ready to harvest. A true gardener can't allow something like a little
frost to ruin those final roses, or keep those pumpkins from ripening.
Enter the world of gardening season extenders. They can be anything from
a simple piece of plastic or an old blanket thrown on the tomato plants on
a frosty fall evening, to a walk-in greenhouse that allows you to start gardening
a couple months before anyone else in the 'hood. Let's explore them all.........
Greenhouses:
For the more serious gardener, a greenhouse is the perfect solution. They
come in a huge range of styles to fit the needs, and budgets, of any
gardener.
Basic types are:
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Walk-in, permanently placed- These are the most expensive, but look
superb in the back yard. They are every avid gardener's dream. Permanent
greenhouses usually have venting systems and heating systems, to allow you
to use the greenhouse 2-3 months longer, in both the spring and the fall.
In some areas, they can be used year round.
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Walk-in, movable- A newer product that is growing in popularity. They
are less expensive than a permanent greenhouse. And, they can be folded up
(or dis-assembled quickly), and stored away when not in use. They are usually
used one to two months before the last frost in the spring.
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Hobby Greenhouse Systems- These greenhouses usually consist of a raised
bed and a fitted, latched cover system. It allows you to begin your garden
season a month or so before the last frost, and about the same length in
the fall. It's easy to put on or take off the cover system. They are
perfect for small areas, limited budgets, and people who don't want
a big walk-in greenhouse. Attractive in appearance, they scream "an avid
gardener lives here" to friends and neighbors.
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Hoop House- A hoop house is made of PVC tubing anchored to the ground
to form a half circle. Plastic sheeting is secured over the tubing and on
the ends. It makes for a great temporary greenhouse, and is inexpensive.
Plastic sheeting usually requires frequent replacement. It's not as attractive
as other options, and is mostly used on farms.
More on Greenhouses
Buy a Greenhouse
Hot Caps and Such
Hot Caps, or "Hot Kaps" (also spelled: hotcap or hotkap), are used to protect
young seedlings from frost. They are intended to be placed over tender annuals
quickly, when frosts or cold evenings are in the forecast. Unless they have
holes in the top for venting, they must be removed in the morning, before
sunlight raises temperatures inside the hotcap to levels dangerous to your
seedlings. While they are inexpensive, they only afford protection against
frost, not extended periods of freezing weather. The plants often quickly
outgrow the size of the hotcaps.
Tip: Make sure hotcaps are stackable, so they can be stored in a small
space for next year's use.
In this group, we include the Wall O'Water, also called a "Garden Teepee".
The Wall-OWater is part hot cap, part miniature greenhouse. And, the neat
thing about it, is it's inexpensive. Wall OWater is set around a plant and
filled with water. It absorbs heat from the sun during the day, and releases
it at night. It can stay around the plant all season long, or be removed
after the last spring frost. Because of it's heating quality, it is better
than a hot cap, and can give your plants an even earlier start. The manufacturer
claims it can be used up to two months before the last frost. To us gardeners,
the thought of a two month jump on the season can prove irresistible. It's
certainly worth a try.
Wall O'Water can be used up to two months before the last spring frost.
An unexpected frost catch you off-guard? Something as simple as a
large plastic drinking cup can be placed over small tomato or pepper seedling.
If the plant is too big, try a five gallon bucket!
Cloche:
Need to protect a long row of plants from a late frost? Or, do you want to
start a row of vegetables a couple weeks early? A cloche may be the answer.
A cloche is a mini "Hoop House", standing one to three feet high at the center
of the row. A series of tubing, usually PVC, is hooped every couple of feet
along the row. Plastic sheeting is placed over the hoops. The ends are covered
during cold weather, and uncovered on warm days. It offers inexpensive frost
protection, and allows a few weeks' head start for your plants. It is removed
as warm weather arrives.
Cloches are popular around the world for early starts of a variety of vegetables
and tender annuals.
Quick cover -ups:
When frost is in the forecast, just about anything will do for a quick cover
up. The object is to cover your plants, so moisture in the air does not form
on the plant's leaves and freeze as the temperatures drop to 32 degrees or
below.
For covering large areas, a plastic sheet, a bedsheet, or a blanket will
do. These items are lightweight, as you don't want to crush the plant's leaves.
Commercially, you can buy inexpensive row covers. These items are commonly
used in the fall to extend the season beyond the first killing frost. A little
effort can be very "fruitful" as vegetable prices rise at local stores as
soon as the first frost hits.
Tip: Light-weight cover-ups need to be anchored to keep the wind from
blowing them off your plants.
Buy Hobby Greenhouses It's the perfect solution for gardeners
who want to extend the season longer in both the spring and fall. These Hobby
Greenhouses are attractive, long lasting and affordable. Pest screens and
insect screens are an available option. Organic gardeners find the pest screens
hard to resist.
More Information:
Buy Flower, Vegetable and Herb Seeds Finest quality
Ferry Morse Seed, America's oldest seed company with their famous "guarantee
to grow".
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