so to speak... i simply couldn't stand it anymore.. all this beautiful weather, seeds to be planted, decks to be sat on, tea to be sipped on in the afternoon sun... ahhhh pre-spring... so back to the 'wrapping it up', i have the greatest little gadget which i got a few years ago and i LOVE it... didn't cost much, easy to use, no mechanical or technical devices.. just my cuppa tea!!
tada!!!! all ready for some potting soil... no trip to the feedstore for peat pots just recycling newspaper and recycling those plastic flats from way back when... gotta love it!!!
yesterday i splurged and bought myself 2 heat mats.....
today i planted up cilantro/coriander, lettuce, dill, some very old seeds which are some sort of greens... i figure if they grow, they grow, if they don't... i still have plenty of time to replant with something else..
i found a baker's rack at the salvation army that i've converted into my seedling stand(mini greenhouse)...
i also recycled the stupid styrefoam packing container that a heater came in.. it's just the bottom piece but i think it's going to work just fine...
all got wrapped up in more 'recycled' plastic... thanks Home Depot!!!
it's located under the covered portion of my deck, i'm monitoring it with a thermometer and later tonight will put a blanket over the rack... should be warm enough for the seeds that i planted... all are semi cold season crops so have my fingers crossed and said a prayer, grow babies grow!!!! if necessary, in the event of a cold snap or spring snow, i can move all of it into big shed, where it's not heated but warmer than my deck...
Mr. H.. thanks for the great link to BugGuide , i had been there, many moons ago, and had forgotten about it... in my own quest for good sites, i've found these sites too... the MOST INCREDIBLE photos about bees from THE BEE PHOTOGRAPHER .. if you've not been to his site, please go check it out, snoop around, the photos are absolutely amazing...a very complimentary site to The Bee Photographer and where i read about Eric Tourneret's site is Pencil and Leaf an interesting blog by a very talented artist with a passion for bees.... another pretty awesome site is An Inordinate Fondness which is dedicated to Beetles....
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7 comments:
You are very clever, the reuse parts is a great idea. Also thanks for the Bug link, I love it. Peace
You know, I have always wanted to try making newspaper pots. I think I will make sure that happens next year, I always forget about it until someone shows off theirs in a post.
I'm glad you found the bug site to be of interest and I am looking forward to peeking at the links you provided...thanks.
thanks Ruralrose and Mr. H... was a fun morning reusing my 'junk' the baker's rack was only $2.00 so was even more fun :D cheap is good ;) Mr. H, i'll bet your grandson would find making those pots is great fun ;)
I love that wee pot maker! I want one of those! Where did you get that? And that heat mat, how does that work?
Heiko, you can buy the little Pot Maker online, i see that you are in Europe and i 'googled' and came up with Amazon.co.uk, which had them.. it's a great invention i must say! i think if you know someone with a wood lathe, a similar device could be fashioned!! i bought mine in a little offbeat store...
the heat mat sits underneath the seedling tray and keeps it 10-20 degrees F. warmer, so the soil is toasty warm ... mine don't have a thermostat but i know other types do, as for the brand i have, my daughter informed me that one of the local hydroponic stores carries a thermostat which they can be plugged into...
Newspaper pots! What a good idea! I wish I'd thought of that years ago.
Never too late, though; my next pots will be made of those horrible advertising "newspapers" the mail person brings.
thanks wandering weeta... they work great... i'm now getting the seedlings in bigger pots, it's so easy to rip the damp paper, leave on the bottom to hold the soil... the roots don't get disturbed... i love it!
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