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zoegardenaz

My Chandler AZ Greenhouse Tomatoes on 1/10/08

zoegardenaz
16 years ago

Here's my DIY Greenhouse. I bought a car cover from Home Depot and cut 18" off the legs. I screwed lumber into the metal posts on each end. It's just two layers of 6 mil plastic. I have a 1500w heater that raises the temp 10 degrees. I also have a propane camping heater that raises it an additional 22 degrees. As I type, it's 62 degrees in the greenhouse and 42 degrees outside. I had to stake it down inside. I also had to add two ropes around the outside to keep it from 'inflating' in the wind. It's not real fancy, but it really works. If you look inside the door you can see the fan that circulates the air at night. I have used Gorilla Tape to tape the plastic to the door. It's pricey, but it works great. If you look through the plastic on the right you can see the camping stove.

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Below. Here's the inside. Everything is either in a container or a haybale. The containers are pool chemical containers. They are taller than 5 gal paint buckets. None of the soil is native. Its all a mix of fine pinebark, peat moss, pearlite, Oil Dry and about 10-15% commercial garden soil. I get superb drainage. The tomatoes that are very heat-tolerant which you can see on the right (Sunmaster) are just holding on, but all the cherry, early girl, beefsteaks and brandywines are doing fine.

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Below - This is my pride and joy - a beautiful Brandywine Sudduth about 4" across which I harvested on 1/10/08. Both Brandywine plants seem to have done the best of all the varieties I planted.

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Below. Here's my other Brandywine. Its a bush variety and seems happy. My new seedlings are in the brown container behind. I got so busy with the greenhouse that I started these later than I should have. The good news is, all the existing plants are putting out flowers.

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A Beefsteak. They aren't that big but they sure taste good.

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