Sunday, February 24, 2013

Why Glass is BAD for the Cold Frame


Falling backwards onto this plastic lid was scary.

You can see the mounds of snow behind the frames.

New lid in place.

I have a fun video of feeding the fish but have trouble with uploads-Sorry.

Inside the cold frames some ice has built up - not good for seedlings

Neosho National Fish Hatchery last week - feeding the fish was fun.


I have been trying to keep the snow off the cold frame lids but the snow seems to be winning.  Yesterday I was trying to get the mounds of snow behind the cold frames knocked down so I could push more snow off  and I fell backwards on the lid of one frame - plastic easily breaks - glass would have been a disaster!  So just another reason why not to put old windows as lids for any season extenders.  Old shower curtains, 4mil plastic doubled, or even fiberglass material is fine for the lid cover - but never - never glass.  OK, not much damage to me but my pride and today I put new plastic on the lid. 
The days are getting longer and the sun is warmer ( I fixed the lid in the greenhouse and it was Hot! in there).  All but one of the seed orders are in and I have the list below.  I put the list by supplier this year instead of seed types - easier to make  lists.  With March fast approaching it will be time to put up the plastic insulation in the greenhouse and get the furnace turned on - all this snow can't last.
Happy Gardening



2013 Seed List
I think this year I will list the seeds and the source together...

From Territorial Seed Company

Loma lettuce
Italiko Rossa – red stemmed dandelion
Perfection fennel
Ouinoa – brightest brilliant rainbow
Manny Hybrid – greenhouse cucumber
Summer Dance – garden cucumber
Space spinach
Olympia spinach
Improved Dwarf Siberian kale
Wild Garden kale
Gladiator Hybrid parsnip
Kong sunflower

From Johnny’s Selected Seeds (sent in a box to protect the pelleted seeds!)

Panisse green oakleaf lettuce - pellet
Bambi green romaine lettuce - pellet
Salvius green romaine lettuce – pellet
Venetian lettuce
Win-Win pac choi hybrid
Rubicon napa cabbage
Red Splendor mustard greens
Katrina hybrid cucumber
Alpine daikon radish
Red Rib Italian dandelion
Sweet Thai Asian basil
Aroma basil – pelleted
Genovese basil – pelleted
Titan leaf parsley
Orion fennel
Profusion F1 zinnia
Zahara Double Fire zinnia

From Pinetree Garden Seeds

Gigante Di Inverno spinach
Sbanach spinach
Roquette arugula
Prezzemolo Gigante D Italia parsley
Thymus vulgaris
French thyme
Zefa fennel
Watercress greens (will use an aquarium growing)
Starbor kale
Dwarf Blue Curled kale
Gloriette radish
Tomatoberry Garden tomato
Pacific Beauty mixed calendula

From Jung Seed and Nursery 

Sugary Hybrid tomato
Momotaro tomato
Country Taste tomato
Ultimate Opener Hybrid VF (free trial)
Muncher cucumber (free trial)
Cactus zinnia (free trial)
Carmen pepper
Planet pepper
Cute Stuff Gold pepper
Rover radish
Red Head radish
Dwarf Blueberry collection (Northcounty, Northsky, Northblue)
Rovada red current
Candy hybrid onion plants

From Sand Hill Preservation Center 

Carentan leek
Prizehead lettuce
Marvel of Four Seasons lettuce
Winter Density Cos lettuce
Spring radish mix
Queen Anne’s Pocket melon (fun and fragrant too)
Ledmon watermelon
Royal Golden watermelon
Rouge V’lf D’Etampes pumpkin (mostly for the fragrant flowers!)
Canary Bird zinnia
Enchantress zinnia

Impulse Buys  always a danger but just can’t be helped sometimes!

Hill Country Red okra
Joseph’s Coat amaranth-tricolor (edible leaves)
Illumination amaranthus-bicolor
Jewels of Opar (Talinum paniculatur)