FWIW, here is a set of gardening links that I have recently compiled. These are some garden things that I've found to be pretty helpful. If you got a recommendation of your own, add it! It'd be cool to get everyone's favorite item on the list:
Extension Bulletins:
This one tells you when to plant what. These are the dates for a transplant, not from seed.
If you are starting from seed, use the dates in the previous doc and use this to back track from there to know when to start from seed.
I like my starts a little bigger so I would pad that date by about 1-2 weeks.
LED Grow light: This is the one I bought off Amazon. Seemed to work fine last season and definitely reduced the hardening off period.
Heat mat + Temp control: This is the set I bought. It's been working fine for me the last few years.
Light hanging ratchet cord: If you aren't using these to move your lights up and down, you are trying too hard.
https://www.amazon.com/Light-Hanger-Rope-Ratchets-Extended/dp/B00K9R26RO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1547583123&sr=8-3&keywords=rachet+cord
Garden Stakes: Just some generic strawberry/weed barrier stakes. They seem pretty high quality.
https://www.amazon.com/Gray-Bunny-GB-6871B-Galvanized-Irrigation/dp/B076XGM63D/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_2?keywords=GrayBunny+GB-6871B&qid=1552940530&s=lawn-garden&sr=1-2-fkmrnull
Plant tags: These are industrial, no rust tags made out of aluminum. You can just write on them with a pen and it will emboss whatever you write. This is my first year trying them.
https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Gardening-Durability-Applications-Aluminum/dp/B01LP3KFWS
Potting Soil: Mark J told me about this one. It's a huge cube of potting soil for $25. It fills up one of those galvanized old timey trash cans. Great deal and pretty decent quality although, complete disclosue, some herbs I started in it came up a little sickly. Still, for the money, this is what I'm going to use.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/SunShine-Mix-4-2-2-cu-ft-Professional-Growing-Mix-with-Mycorrhizae-5047041-CFC002-2P/205674316
Thermometer: This thing is fantastic for under $20. I left it outside in my soil for two years straight and it still works great.
https://www.amazon.com/Vee-Gee-Scientific-Thermometer-160-Degree/dp/B00JE5GI3U/ref=sr_1_3?crid=OO3S7G0FY1NP&keywords=vee+gee+thermometer&qid=1552941492&s=industrial&sprefix=vee+gee+%2Clawngarden%2C184&sr=1-3
Garden Stakes: Just some generic strawberry/weed barrier stakes. They seem pretty high quality.
https://www.amazon.com/Gray-Bunny-GB-6871B-Galvanized-Irrigation/dp/B076XGM63D/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_2?keywords=GrayBunny+GB-6871B&qid=1552940530&s=lawn-garden&sr=1-2-fkmrnull
Plant tags: These are industrial, no rust tags made out of aluminum. You can just write on them with a pen and it will emboss whatever you write. This is my first year trying them.
https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Gardening-Durability-Applications-Aluminum/dp/B01LP3KFWS
Potting Soil: Mark J told me about this one. It's a huge cube of potting soil for $25. It fills up one of those galvanized old timey trash cans. Great deal and pretty decent quality although, complete disclosue, some herbs I started in it came up a little sickly. Still, for the money, this is what I'm going to use.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/SunShine-Mix-4-2-2-cu-ft-Professional-Growing-Mix-with-Mycorrhizae-5047041-CFC002-2P/205674316
Thermometer: This thing is fantastic for under $20. I left it outside in my soil for two years straight and it still works great.
https://www.amazon.com/Vee-Gee-Scientific-Thermometer-160-Degree/dp/B00JE5GI3U/ref=sr_1_3?crid=OO3S7G0FY1NP&keywords=vee+gee+thermometer&qid=1552941492&s=industrial&sprefix=vee+gee+%2Clawngarden%2C184&sr=1-3
Great info Aaron. I am already starting cool season crops in a few of my bed areas that get more sun as the soil is workable and no longer frozen. If we do get another cold snap I have plastic or fleece to cover them with. Here in CO, we seem to go from winter to summer instantly, so getting the cool crops in sooner is imperative. I am done with trying broccoli since it would just go straight to seed since the temps get high so fast.
ReplyDeleteI would also add that everyone should start a compost pile or bin if possible. I also am an advocate for worm farms to make vermicompost. I have 2 bins and it's amazing how fast they can turn food waste into useful soil.