Garden Update for 10/27/2014
It was such a beautiful day up here in Minnesota on Monday that I had to get out and video a Garden Update for 10/27/14. It was in the mid-60’s (Fahrenheit) and very sunny with few clouds in the sky, so in other words, perfect for a garden update video.
I know I am on borrowed time since we have gotten some massive snow storms in late October and early November. I will take what I can get!
Times are A-Changing
After I filmed the update on Monday, the weather turned colder rapidly. A front moved in yesterday (10/28/14), and it is getting progressively colder as we roll through the week. I am growing concerned about the temperatures as I look at the forecast moving forward, it is looking really cold. The lows also tell me that there is a high probability of a hard frost in the next couple days.
Weather in Minneapolis – 10/29/2014
That means I will have to harvest what I can and cover the Hybrid Rain Gutter Grow System with spare bed sheets at night. See more about protecting plants from frost in my video and my article.
Walking the garden tonight, I saw the signs. The peppers are withered, and the tomato plants are looking tough. Time to close it down. The 2014 season is over; it’s time to move on.
Next Steps
All in all, it has been a great season, but all good things must come to an end. I will be picking the tomatoes and peppers that are left, and I will be harvesting the “compost potatoes” in my re-purposed recycle bin. I will post an update when I unload it.
As I discussed in the video, my work is not yet done. I am moving into #wine season, and I have three batches either in the works or ready to roll (i.e., mixed in my primary fermenter). Also, I have been working with Larry Hall who invented the Rain Gutter Grow System, and I will be working with him to roll out a new garden system that will allow me to garden all season, all year, along.
More to come on Larry Hall’s announcement in two days. It is going to be epic!
Let’s Grow this Together!
“I will be working with him to roll out a new garden system that will allow me to garden all season, all year, along.”
any updates in the new garden system ?
Absolutely! I will be posting this up tonight! I have to say, I am VERY impressed with the system and the possibilities.
looking forward to your post tonight 🙂
Tonight turned into today. I was pretty involved with #gardenchat last night on Twitter, and it was a very good discussion. Check it out: every Monday at 8:00 PM Central at #gardenchat.
Ok! Got a video uploading now, and I am working on a post.
very cool
the picture on top of the post looks familiar. is that laundry basket from Dollar Tree ? I saw a similar one that is apx 12″ in diameter and 8.5″ high ? I’m sure for tomatoes and pepper might be a little small. Do you think that will work for green leaf vegetables like kale, lettuce, broccoli and etc ? Not too shallow for those plants ?
Yes, you nailed it! I used the Dollar Tree baskets rather than use a container and drill holes in them to promote air pruning. I planted dill, lettuce, arugula, spinach, broccoli, and basil in these containers. They worked quite well. Tomatoes: no, I wouldn’t use these baskets. They are too shallow for the root systems on those plants. I think a 5 gallon grow bag (www.growbaggardensystems.com) or bigger bag would be the thing to use for tomatoes.
Peppers….Square Foot Gardening method says 1 pepper per square foot. Larry’s system shows 1 pepper per container, and I know he had production in a 1 gallon bag. As I pulled my peppers this weekend, I noted that their root systems spread out horizontally, but not too deep. I think a pepper plant could do well in this system, and I will be trying it next season.
interim before I build my system next year I’m going to try that laundry basket from dollar tree and a couple of walmart bags. maybe another laundry basket from Walmart which is about 3x the square footage of the laundry basket from dollar tree. just a kiddie pool style for now. seems a lot easier to setup.
I am going to try some root bags right in the water this winter. I want to test that out, although it seems to work like a charm. I am going to move everything that I want to keep inside this weekend and set an indoor system (temps are dropping to the teens and we might get snow). It’ll be pretty basic at first, but I am going to automate it as we go (lights on timers and watering). More to come on that.
hello again,
I see that you are also familiar with the Mittleider method ? Have you implemented this method in RGGS ?
If so, who did you made both methods work together ? Are you using sawdust and sand for the “potting mix” ? MGM weekly feeds.
do you feel like that the weekly feeds is just too much chemical fertilizers ? I want to stay organic “as much as possible” but willing to make some reasonable compromise.
Hope you don’t mind sharing some details ?