Newman’s Ganja Greenhouse

[FarmerJake]

70f and partly cloudy

No active ventilation yet only passive. Still have to apply whitewash to the roof and probably another layer to the glass on the walls. For whitewash I went with diluted outdoor water based latex primer. I honestly eyeballed dilution ratios and test sprayed a broken pane to check the shading. The shading eventually lightened as it dried so another coat should do the trick. Initially applied with a simple spray bottle, but I quickly upgraded to a pressure sprayer. Hoping it reduces visibility even more as law states the crop cannot be visible from a public way without binoculars or Aerial assistance so I have to obstruct the view as the greenhouse is visible from the road/sidewalk . If the whitewashing doesn’t satisfy that need I have agribon row cover used to cover crops early season that I will tack up inside. The row cover will 100% be implemented over any screen area. These screen areas are where my garage windows will eventually go but I had to improvise as I won’t have those until later this season. Sorry for the novel

 

[FarmerJake]

Today was overcast so I got a chance to work in the greenhouse without cooking myself so I whipped out the mantis tiller.
In this photo it is the raw ground with the leveling sand removed. The site of the greenhouse was an above ground pool for over a decade from the previous homeowner so the soil has zero seeds or roots.

I worked the soil in quarters, removing the soil and going deeper until I hit 16” deep.

once the whole bed was worked it was then raked level and the dry amendments where spread, followed by a bag of compost and a bag of raised garden bed soil. All OMRI listed. This photo is of the dry amendments just as I was putting down the compost. The bed was tilled again to incorporate

The soil was again leveled and then a trench was dug down the center, as well as a small landing pad for me at the doorway. A 2-3” layer of straw mulch was then applied

Solo cups were left in place where the plants will go for ease of access to soil once ready for planting/transplanting

 

[FarmerJake]

Worth mentioning I got my window fan turned greenhouse vent installed

the day I installed it was 75f and sunny and temps only hit 97f in the greenhouse and kept the humidity way more consistent. Compared to 120f in the unventilated greenhouse on a 72f overcast day it is pretty effective(plus the whitewashing). Placement was based loosely on info found here

Ventilation for Greenhouses

Excessive greenhouse temperatures result in poor plant growth, the need for frequent watering and fans that seem to run all the time, increasing the monthly electric bill. Here are a few pointers that will help you improve your system. Natural Ventilation The concept of cooling a greenhouse with...

ag.umass.edu

Running the fan on high all three fans blowing in

 

[FarmerJake]

My greenhouse this season is still missing some of its windows I have yet to rob from the garage. This would make implementing a conventional heater difficult, plus my wife doesn’t want the expense(I’m the one kneeling here if it’s in question). Desperate for a solution I thought out of the bucket. Everything was lying around so the materials may be imperfect and the execution primitive but its functional

a clamp light
2 buckets(inner one white for reflection. Outer one dark for light spill reduction)
GE 9w LED seedling full spectrum bulb
Some duct tape
And probably a blanket to go over it at night for insulation
Dirtiness in bucket is white cement from tiling my bathroom

Used the full spectrum setting on the Photone app at the “ground level” mouth of the bucket

if this ends up working it might actually benefit the plants growth. Tonight is a late season 34f so great dry run test with a recording thermostat, then the real thing tomorrow night with ogreberry on a more mild night

 

[FarmerJake]

Set out my bucket propagator for a dry run. Placed the thermometer on the soil center of the bucket, then took the sweater off my back and insulated the bucket

I’ll report back in the AM

 

[FarmerJake]

If you were my neighbor you saw me wake up at the ass crack of dawn and check on my propagator like a kid at Christmas. Wipe the car windshield on the way out…. Light frost, weather app says 34, strawberries beside the greenhouse had frost kissed leaves. Greenhouse interior was about 42f, yet inside of my bucket with a 9w light

the low was 59 to start last night so I’m thinking it sat somewhere between 79 and 73 all night, Ogreberry auto hits the ground running today.

when I checked was the lowest temp of the night typically between 3-6am bottoms out

 

[FarmerJake]

Feeling confident so I planted out the Auto Bruce Lemon Diesel too. ABLD lower left, Ogreberry lower right. These two varietals are supposed to be the smallest and quickest of this run, so I chose to put them close to the door so later in the season it opens up for easier access. Also 117f max today so far and the plants are like honey badgers, zero fucks given

I also took apart an old lamp, gutted the electrical and sketchily made another bucket propagator. Fire hazard anyone? Only blue buckets available for free so blue it is

 

[FarmerJake]

Since @SuperSativaSeedClub_John gave very generous amounts of seeds I am sowing a bean now and testing the waters for direct sow, in two weeks I may repeat and then compare and choose which one to keep, or if all seems well just do this one. Either way we have the numbers and time
I’ll try to whip up one more propagation bucket, maybe she gets an autoCOB instead of a weak little GE light.

 

[FarmerJake]

No movement from Auto elephant yet. But I looked it up and average nightly temps max out at 55.2f in July so hoping that doesn’t prove to be a deal breaker for success. In an attempt to diversify my approach I am starting a seedling in a root riot and directly planting that outside once I either see a root at the bottom or the seedling pops up. I only have two of these seeds so I hope I’m not pulling the trigger to early. My last one from this pack was also a photoperiod so hopefully that doesn’t happen again. The smoke was incredible though
Seedstockers Wedding Glue Auto

 

[FarmerJake]

So apparently seeds are willing to spring to life direct planted to native soil! Tempted to leave her in the raw elements to test the waters, row cover blanket but no electrical assistance