quasar's Blog

I haven't posted for awhile,  no excuses,  just a busy life,  distractions, etc.

Here on the 7th of September I still have in production:   Beans--Cabbage--Tomatoes--
Lettuce--Onions--Winter Squash--Banana and Green Peppers--Turnips--Carrots--Cuc
umbers--Swiss Chard and Onions.

Planted for Fall:   More Onions, Lettuce, Kale, Radishes, Spinach,  Edible Pod Peas, Broccoli,  Brussels Sprouts,  Mustard Greens, Beets.

Overall it has been a pretty good growing season.  Not without it's trials but pretty good.  Had to battle the bugs and dry weather but that is usually the case isn't it?

Now that the fall garden has been planted I am starting to prepare for my winter garden.  That's what I said,  "winter garden". 

I had thought about investing in a small greenhouse but instead I am going indoors. I have a small section in my basement where I had installed a grow light a few years ago.  One of those with a hood,  ballast,  and a 1000 watt metal halide bulb.  (see below).   This rig is good for about a 5x5 foot area.   I had been using it to winter over some of my wife's plants and had grown some lettuce in there the past couple of winters.  This year I want to expand it and grow lettuce,  spinach,  radishes,  kale,  onions and mustard greens.  In other words I want those fresh salads coming all winter.  This will be a grand experiment but I think I can do it.  Wish me luck.  I am now in the process of trying to figure out when to plant each vegetable so that it will be maturing in January and February.   I plan to use rope handle tubs and those plastic storage bins as planters.  I will post a picture when I get it all set  up.

If this all works I will for the first time in my life be growing vegetable 12 months out of the year.  Of course this is nothing new for people with greenhouses,  but it is new for me.  I'm excited.