While there's still a hideous amount of snow on the ground, we can at least be grateful for warmer temperatures and more and more sunlight each day. Rose helps Eric get the growing seedlings out on the deck to bask in the sunshine until dusk.
It was two degrees outside today but the thermometer in the greenhouse hit twenty five with the end vents partially open. The onions have been moved in for now but they may need to take shelter in the basement if we get another deep freeze overnight this weekend.
Now if we could just get rid of this snow ...
Just enough time before school to give the onion seedlings a little spritz of water. Right now they've got a sweet spot indoors next to a sunny south exposure window. Once the overnight temperature stays reliably above -7 Celsius they'll move to the greenhouse.
I never fail to get excited when I see the first seedlings pop up. The seeds work!
These are early broccoli seedlings, currently being pampered in the most prime location under grow lights. They'll get bumped outside when the tomatoes and peppers are up.
This is a picture of my little hoophouse. It's unheated, but if buttoned down tight overnight it's just enough protection to start cold-hardy transplants. Unfortunately, after digging out the snow from the sides I found a solid three inch layer of ice firmly holding the plastic to the ground - left over from the ice storm plus all the melt since then I guess. There's no getting in until we have some warmer days.
Time for a new plan. I built a little A-frame structure and covered it in some extra greenhouse plastic that I had left over. You can use cheaper vapor barrier plastic from the hardware store but it's not UV stabilized so it doesn't last as long and creates a lot more waste.
Although it took longer to build than the bent hoop design, I can vent it through the end walls (the black clamps on the frame hold the plastic open or closed) instead of rolling up the sides and I can walk inside to water so it will save me a bit of time down the road.