Maine 4-Season Greenhouse Grow

[Pennywise]

Ok that’s true enough.

 

[Bode]

Highya BH,

I wondered how you've been. Good to see you posting again.

I'm with you concerning this crazy world. I just keep my head down, and do what I can around the house, while the world goes it's way! Really sad!

You'll need an extension ladder to see the tops of those in the pig pasture! Maybe we'll get more sun days this year!!

Happy 420 day, and month!! Happy Smokin'

 

[StoneOtter]

Happy 420 Day Blew

 

[smokesbetter]

Happy Belated 420 Guys hope it was a good one , Look forward to the summer grow . Blew

 

[Van Stank]

Hope everyone is keeping their sanity and health intact out there...I have been shitty about posting here, but as you can imagine...things are a little crazy We are all healthy and doing our part to maintain social distancing...which, to be honest, is my preferred mode anyway. We have been getting the farm prepped for summer which means a lot of field and tractor work, getting early crops in, and generally addressing things I was avoiding when the wind and snow were blowing. We have expanded our personal garden this year...just in case. I still plan a summer cannabis grow, and am flirting with the idea of putting them in the field with corn and oats...probably hedge my bets like last year with a few in multiple locations.

For those of you out there in the medical community...I feel for you and I applaud you. I wouldn't do it for a zillion dollars, but I am glad there are those that do. Stay safe and remember the lessons learned from all of this.

Thought for the day: You can only bitch about the system if you actually went and voted. Otherwise, stfu.

Hey Blew.....we are right there with you on the social distancing....its our normal preferred way of life, minus the name. I just called it being a recluse LOL. This stuff doesn't really change any aspect of my life......I rarely left the house prior to this and I was already very skeptical of people. The only real difference for us is that the stores don't have the stuff we normally want. Luckily I have a meat delivery service that has a private farm and we topped our freezer off with 6 months worth of meat the beginning of March so we are set.

Veggies are getting planted now....peas are already in, tomatoes and peppers were started indoors and getting big already. Still been too cold down here to transplant them into the garden. I figure another week or two and we might be good to go.

Hope the family is doing well Blew! Good luck with the spring gardening!!

 

[bobrown14]

Hey there Blew whats up?? Hope your farm is doing well and you aren't in for too much snow this weekend.

We moved to upstate NY - have 30 acres. Wish I had a bigger tractor. Beds are being dug slowly we have been getting freeze and frost off and on for the last 10 days and snow in the forecast along with freeze. So only very hardy plants in the ground.

We moved from the big city to the country mid December ... timing eh? Social distancing? Is that when you cant see your neighbor but can text or call? Cause we cant see anyone and well to be honest I'm glad we out in the middle of the middle of nowhere nothing but farmers here and Amish. Amish dont mingle much unless teenagers sneaking out at night to do "something" in the woods. lol but that aint mingling..

Now trying to figure out how to get a tractor for gardening. Wood love a 4 wheel deal but thinking a BCS walk behind with a tiller or a harrow. Being patient for a good deal. Not seeing any yet.

Our intro to country living in January was stacking 30 chords or more of wood someone split and piled up never stacked it. ffs. We have solar and geothermal so no real need for the fire wood but plan B is a thing never know plus Barter Town open. Everyone around these parts burns wood for heat cept us of course. We have enough dry cut timber to heat 1/2 the local village tho.

Have you started your grow for the summer yet?? Strains?

Someone smarter here can maybe elaborate on what economic theory involves the government sending $1,000 to every adult...

Votes.... we getting 2400 at some point... I voted DEM so likely we get our checks in September. lol

Hey Bode - you are about level with us, over near Lake Simcoe in Ontario but does the Ocean moderate the temps there??

We have a cottage on Weslemkoon Lake a bit east of you. We in NYS so doubtful we be gettting across the boarder this spring/summer with the virus going and our great leadership opening everything back up while the pandemic rages on. Shame weed already be getting ready to get on up there. Boats in the water. nope.

 

[Blew Hiller]

Hey Blew.....we are right there with you on the social distancing....its our normal preferred way of life, minus the name. I just called it being a recluse LOL. This stuff doesn't really change any aspect of my life......I rarely left the house prior to this and I was already very skeptical of people. The only real difference for us is that the stores don't have the stuff we normally want. Luckily I have a meat delivery service that has a private farm and we topped our freezer off with 6 months worth of meat the beginning of March so we are set.

Veggies are getting planted now....peas are already in, tomatoes and peppers were started indoors and getting big already. Still been too cold down here to transplant them into the garden. I figure another week or two and we might be good to go.

Hope the family is doing well Blew! Good luck with the spring gardening!!

Yo Stank, good to hear from you. I figured you were knuckling down during all of this. Good to hear you got the freezer packed. We have 3x freezers (and saw they are a sold out items these days) and have been dropping eggs and random cuts of pork to family and friends. I just took 3x pigs up last Sunday and they should be ready for pickup and a restocking of the freezers. We also put in a larger garden this year and have our tomatoes/peppers/cucs in the GH waiting for as transplant (we built a raised bed in the GH for more protection). I am sitting here looking out the window at SNOW coming down...May 9 Good thing I don't have anything outside that can't cope with it.

Keep your head down and always be moving forward. Say hello to @Ms Stank for me.

 

[Blew Hiller]

Happy Belated 420 Guys hope it was a good one , Look forward to the summer grow . Blew

I'm thinking I have a little flexibility with a global pandemic unfolding this year...hence a few "wild" ones in the field

 

[Bode]

Highya BH,

I'm looking forward to this grow season! Warmer weather will take all the cold blues away (with the blackflies, hopefully) and growing season will be looking up. I have seedlings marking time because of all the spring cold.

Sounds like you're winding up for the season as well. You must have a large garden area. Do you sell produce at farmers market, or roadside, or just grow enough for you and yours? Happy Homesteadin'

 

[Blew Hiller]

Social distancing?

We say if you can piss off your porch without your neighbors seeing you, you're "rural"

Now trying to figure out how to get a tractor for gardening. Wood love a 4 wheel deal but thinking a BCS walk behind with a tiller or a harrow. Being patient for a good deal. Not seeing any yet.

If you have flat ground you'll be fine with a 2WD tractor...plus cheaper and more of them out there. If the tractor has enough power (25hp+) you should consider a fixed ground ripping implement over the tiller. Much cheaper and if you run it over the same patch enough it gives similar effect. I haven't hooked my tiller up in 2 years and was going to sell it this year (keeping it now with all of this happening). I use a box blade with a 4x teeth that can be adjusted ...at their lowest they get in about 6"...it's perfect to turn the pig field after a year of them compacting the ground. I usually spread cover seeds before and then I am done.

We have enough dry cut timber to heat 1/2 the local village tho.

Like money in the bank

Have you started your grow for the summer yet?? Strains?

I'm sticking with same as last year mostly. I totally botched the dry/curing on the Fruitylicious, so I'd like another try with that. I am currently popping some Satori & Mandala #1 seeds that I got from harvest last year...those I plan to run in the open, which I normally avoid because guests in the cabins might see them. This year I think we will have less lodging so I am less concerned.

with the virus going and our great leadership opening everything back up while the pandemic rages on

We have been lucky with covid so far in Maine. Our lifestyle really hasn't been affected much with "stay at home" and we like being around our kids. My wife just finished chemo in Feb so we are cautious about her mostly but only have seen 1o total cases in our county since it all started. But, we are also starting to see a lot of NY/Mass plates in town and at the grocery store....which is concerting considering there is still a 14-day quarantine in place...the law says they should have brought enough supplies with them. I have definitely gotten more tribal during this thing and have been giving the stink eye to them, especially if they are mask-less. Not too surprising to see a small uptick in confirmed cases in Maine in the last week, and this is a major concern when deciding when/how to reopen to visitors. While tourism is the second largest industry in Maine and my main income, you can't spend it if you're dead! I'd be a lot happier getting it when we at least have a treatment (or a better idea overall).

Take care.

 

[Blew Hiller]

Highya BH,

I'm looking forward to this grow season! Warmer weather will take all the cold blues away (with the blackflies, hopefully) and growing season will be looking up. I have seedlings marking time because of all the spring cold.

Sounds like you're winding up for the season as well. You must have a large garden area. Do you sell produce at farmers market, or roadside, or just grow enough for you and yours? Happy Homesteadin'

lol...just got reminded of the black flies the other day....they're baaaaack...my winter project was a screened porch that can also be used as an outdoor kitchen (and even a bunk house if ever needed). "Timber frame" (we used timber screws, not mortar and tenon) with 4x4" rough hemlock, it is 7x10" on skids that I can move with the tractor. Built it in the barn and dragged it (for this season) overlooking our brook.

We don't sell anything...but we do trade. For the last 5x years we've raised a pig for our local food pantry, but this year we are salting and storing it in our root cellar. Told my wife I'll donate cash, not meat, during these times.

 

[Bode]

Wow, your craftmanship is extraordinary, as well as your imagination! Great job, and great idea! You must be the busy type, like myself, thinking up ideas all the time, then trying to make the ideas better. Don'tcha love the snow?!? Happy Smokin'

 

[greenjeans]

We have a cottage on Weslemkoon Lake a bit east of you.

Hey Bob - You are close!!! Actually I had never seen that name on a Lake - larn't sumpin' new!!!

 

[greenjeans]

We say if you can piss off your porch without your neighbors seeing you, you're "rural"

Well, OK, I'm in this category - but - do I jump a grade if I did it even if they could see me???!!???

 

[smokesbetter]

Cool outdoor screened in Kitchen , never seen anything quite like that before

 

[Blew Hiller]

Wow, your craftmanship is extraordinary, as well as your imagination! Great job, and great idea! You must be the busy type, like myself, thinking up ideas all the time, then trying to make the ideas better. Don'tcha love the snow?!? Happy Smokin'

I wish that was all my doing, but I am the "assistant" to the same guy that built the Cabin with me.

 

[bobrown14]

Where do you get your Hemlock from?? That porch looks sweet be nice for a green house. Black flies are showing up here right now but not too bad. The snow kept them down I'm thinking.. we had 4 days in a row of snow and freezing temps.

 

[Pennywise]

No snow here but temps are all over the place.

 

[greenjeans]

I was gathering a load of deadwood in the bush today and the black flies were bumping into me. They usually do that for a couple of days and then start biting!! The only good thing is they don't follow you into the house like the mosquitoes!!

 

[greenjeans]

I have a question about kelp. Do you collect it in the shore? I presume you use a fair amount of it. I'm near the water and could harvest it on the beach and wonder how to process it properly.

I gather the pond weed from my pond and let it sit in a pile for the winter - my compost worms seem to love it - is it good to use straight into the soil mix or should it be composted further??