Remote Gardener

We had a great time at the Show Low Farmers’ Market and Artist Walk this weekend. New vendors are showing up all the time. This weekend we had Snow Peas, Golden Snow Peas (no pun intended), Snap Peas, Amish Peas, Lettuce Mixtures, Potted Lettuce Mixtures, Cookies, Lemonade, Orange Cranberry Muffins, Greenhouses and Earrings for sale.

Good food, good...

May is almost gone and it is time to change up the greenhouse a bit. We have pulled a lot of the gutter systems and are preparing to change that square footage into hydroponic systems for tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, ground cherries and other end of spring or summer crops.

You have seen our sprouted tomato and pepper plants. Now take a look at their new home to bring them to the next stage.

We have moved the tomato and pepper plants from peat pellets directly into 2 liter bottles.

This is a temporary situation to take them to the next level. The 55 gallon tank floods the support tank every so often to keep the roots damp. In just a matter of days I have noticed improvement.

This is a shot of the support tank full. This allows the peat pellets to get wet and the roots to get access to the nutrient solution they need.

You can see a full shot on our Greenhouse Web Cam.

If you live in the White Mountains and maintain a garden I am sure you have encountered the following problems:

Weather          Soil          Water          Animals

These are all difficulties in any garden but they pose specific problems here in the mountains of Arizona. Our weather gives us all four seasons compared to places like Phoenix or Tucson but this means desert heat in the summer and snow in the winter. Our soil is full of clay and rock with not much nutrient. Even though we live in the mountains water is still a precious commodity which we should conserve. Our animal and insect diversity is amazing to say the least but many of these animals and bugs want to eat your food.

Weather can be a serious problem when trying to grow vegetables. In the winter it’s too cold to grow much of anything edible. When spring arrives, we get wind and late snow storms out of blue skies which can easily destroy weeks of work. I walked out of my greenhouse May 2nd this year and started yelling obscenities at the snow falling out of the sky. I don’t think I’m alone in this reaction. Even though we are in the mountains, heat is still a concern during the summer. Our temperatures reach the 90’s each year and many plants are not accustomed to these levels and droop off or even die. When spring comes, we are usually hit with a cold snap that kills our crops or creates an early harvest. This is followed by weeks of warm weather which could have given more yield. Then the process starts all over again.

Our mountain soil is composed of clay and rock and is overall yucky to those vegetable plants we grow to eat. Clay doesn’t allow for good drainage or easy root growth. It also doesn’t hold or store many beneficial nutrients. Rocks are a royal pain to dig out or till and when pulled can cause pain and suffering. There are many plants which will grow in our soil but most vegetables sure don’t seem to like the stuff.

Even though we are located in the mountains, many overlook the amount of water that is being wasted in their gardens until they see the electric bill. We are still located in a desert state and this means that water is a limited resource. Fresh water is precious and going without can quickly destroy months of work. With an outdoor garden, watering at the wrong time of day can cause major loss to evaporation and run off. Planning your watering schedule according to the season will save water and money. Outdoor watering also attracts animals which can give you problems.

There are plenty of rabbit, deer, elk, birds, and bugs that are all more than happy to eat your time and effort. Insects come out at different times of the year to eat your food. If you are not on top of what is happening with the animals and bugs around you, plan on getting a very small portion of your garden in your belly. There is nothing worse than growing a vegetable to full maturity with a plan of picking it tomorrow only to come out in the morning and find that a bird or bugs ate it first.

The solution we have found is to use a greenhouse. It helps regulate temperature in a controlled environment and puts you in charge of your plants’ destiny: to be in your belly. If you live in the mountains you understand how there can be a difference of warm and frozen between day and night alone not to mention seasonal changes. A greenhouse minimizes these differences. If done correctly and with the right materials a greenhouse can be modest expense and can protect your plants against most of our mountain growing difficulties. A greenhouse will protect your soil mixture from blowing away. It also protects from snow and cold weather snaps which are all too common for the White Mountains. Water loss and pests are kept to a minimum allowing you to spend more time on your plants.

With a curved structure wind is not and issue. When the wind pushes against a curved greenhouse it pushes the structure to the ground rather than trying to lift it into the air. With a curved structure snow can easily slide off preventing collapse when snow reaches a high level. Since heat rises it goes up the sides of the curved structure to the exact center of the roof allowing easy venting in the summer months. This can also be used in reverse to blow heat downward during the winter. For any greenhouse you should face your longest side south allowing for the most sun exposure. If the structure is curved this variable is not as important since light can cover the entire length with no flat side shading.

When working in a greenhouse that is covered in the proper material, light gets diffused and helps to maintain a steady stream of photons to each area of the structure. You can easily work out of soil containers or hydroponic systems which makes planting and harvesting easier. Since light is coming from several directions you can set plants at different heights which will help them grow and save your back.

When using soil containers there is no need for digging, tilling or pulling rocks. Each year you can dump the plants into your compost pile and recycle the soil. You also don’t need to worry about losing your soil to wind or water erosion. Containers can be in various shapes and sizes to meet different planting needs. You can fully customize a greenhouse to meet your own personal desires. Water loss is also kept to a minimum and used to it’s fullest potential.

All of the water you use in a greenhouse is being used in a contained environment. You don’t lose moisture to the wind like you do outside. If you do spray in a greenhouse it creates a humid environment that your plants will love. With our dry air this can mean the difference between success and failure. Water can be recycled within the greenhouse and if using a curved structure, it can easily be harvested from the sides. Catching rainwater and using it in your greenhouse gives your plants additional nutrients which help growth. Watering within the greenhouse also does not attract unwanted animals.

It’s a lot easier to keep animals out of the greenhouse than it is out of the garden. Birds are not a problem in a greenhouse. Rabbits are not a problem nor are deer, elk, cats or the neighbors dog. If you release lady bugs outside, keeping them around is almost impossible. If released in a greenhouse you can expect to see lady bugs throughout the entire year. You can control the insects that come in or go out of your greenhouse allowing a balance in your plants’ favor. Identifying problems with insects is easier than it is outdoors allowing quicker response. In this way there is no need to use pesticides to bring the problem under control. You can release natural predators instead.

We have had success growing in the White Mountains using a curved greenhouse with the proper covering material using soil and hydroponics.

More to come,
RemoteGardener.com