Build an Aztec Floating Garden

The Aztec floating garden looks like a floating garden. In reality, it is a garden that is supported by pylons. This picture is an Aztec floating garden called a Chinampas. The benefits of growing a Chinampas garden are: they provide shelter for the pond fish against predators, Chinampas use far less water than traditional irrigation, and vegetables grow healthier and yield 7 times more crops.

Learn how to make your own Chinampas at: http://www.pondplantgirl.com/aztec.htm

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

GAiL

The Pond Plant Girl

FEED the HUNGRY GARDEN - ROCK

ROCK for HUNGER has caught the Feed the Hungry Garden buzz. Chris from Rock will be helping to launch the fund raiser to help turn empty city lots into vegetable gardens to feed the poor and hungry. Way to go Chris!

Wheatgrass BLOG Day 1

Wheatgrass Blog - day 1

Just slight growth poking out! How exciting! These seeds were purchased from a neat lady on eBay andI was amazed to see how fast they started! Gotta love it!

How to Grow a Winter Vegetable Garden

How to Grow a Winter Vegetable Garden

A vegetable garden can be started even if you live in a very cold region. A few simple tools will help you get started!


The Best Winter Vegetables
All winter veggies can be sown before the last frost of the season. Begin your garden by sowing seeds indoors. The following are vegetables that grow best in cold weather.



► 90 Days to Maturity Plants


Cabbage

Planting: Plant young starter plants 10" apart with leaves partially buried in surface soil.
Growing: Moderate watering. Fertilize 1 time per month.




Carrots

Planting: Mulch a 12" hole then plant young starters in the soil about 3" apart.

Growing: Moderate watering. Do not allow soil to dry out. Harvest when carrots are deep orange.


Globe Onion

Planting: Mulch an 8" hole with compost then plant young starters about 5" apart.

Growing: Easy to grow & produces beautiful flowers. Moderate watering.

See more 90-day Winter Plants at http://www.pondplantgirl.com/veggie.htm

☼ 60-Day Veggies ☼ 30-Day Veggies

Lighting
Also see: ☼ Winter Water Gardening LIGHT BOX

All vegetable plants grow best in Full Sun. The minimum amount of sunlight your garden will need is 6 hours per day. When starting the plants indoors, it is heat and water that will get the seeds started instead of light. After they have sprouted, however, the seedlings will need a sunny window to grow. Light may also be increased with the use of mirrors reflecting the sun's rays and a simple LED grow light too.


Mulching
The process of "mulching a hole" involves mixing the ground soil or potting mix with cured garden manure or compost. The compost should consist of decomposing leaves and grass clippings. Mulching the topsoil involves spreading out fall leaves, grass clippings, or straw to keep the plants warm and to keep the moisture in the ground.

Heating
Germinate your seeds faster with a heated grow mat from Burpee Seeds online or any hydroponics store. The one in the image shows a growing tray with a dome lid; which is the most effective way of propagating seeds. You will definitely notice the difference with a setup such as this. The mat is water proof, safe to use, and cost effective too.

Outdoors, add a string large Christmas tree lights on top of the soil to keep your young plants from freezing. Inside a greenhouse or cold frame, Christmas lights will increase the air temperature by 20 degrees.

Greenhouses and Cold Frames

Also see: Affordable Greenhouses and Cold Frames
and Build a Greenhouse for Under $25

Cover plants with a cold frame or small pvc greenhouse. A greenhouse not only protects young plants from frost, but also increases the humidity needed for growth. The use of a greenhouse with C-9 Christmas tree lights will increase air temperature up to 20 degrees. Grow a vegetable garden in the middle of winter even when the weather gets down to freezing.


ALSO SEE: ☼ HOW TO GROW house plants and ☼ HOW TO GROW Wheatgrass

Questions?

Contact The Pond Plant Girl at: gail@pondplantgirl.com

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

Build an Easy 5 x 5 Greenhouse for under $25
See detailed step-by-step instructions at http://www.thepondplantgirlshow.com/

Cold Frames & Greenhouses by The Pond Plant Girl
Gail M. Gates 11/08

A 4' x 6' greenhouse like this one can cost $329.00 or more! The best price I have found for a decent small greenhouse is at Harbor Freight and Tools online and costs $329 for a 4 x 6 foot Plexiglas and aluminum structure. This is actually an impressive greenhouse for the price. For those of you who live in snow country, this is the way to protect your winter plants. Heating a greenhouse such as this one is another challenge and will be covered in future articles. However, there are affordable options such as a hot wire to keep off the snow pack and a small pellet stove to keep the air temperature above freezing. In extreme cold climates, not all water garden plants can be wintered over in a greenhouse and a few will need to be brought indoors and placed in a bright window in a hydroponics container.

A 5' x 5' Cold Frame costs only = $20.50



If you live in zone 7-8 and above where the temperature rarely sees the freezing point, then a cold frame will support your pond plant needs well. The photo to the left was a cold frame that I constructed by myself in one day. This one is 10' long x 5' wide. The 3.5 mil thick plastic was attached with zip ties and came in a box at Home Depot containing a 25' long x 10' wide sheet. Be sure to slice small holes for rain drainage. If you live in a cold winter region, I would suggest using 6 mil thick plastic for your cold frame. This type of cold frame will not withstand a snow pack unless Plexiglas is used. I plan to construct a smaller 5' x 5' cold frame (with instructions below) for my kiddie pool pond.

What You Need for One 5' x 5' Cold Frame / Greenhouse

☼ 1/2" PVC Pipe

☼ 1/2" Corner Elbow Connectors

☼ 1/2" pvc Adapters
☼ Scissors
☼ Long Zip Ties
☼ Hack Saw or Pipe Cutter
☼ Visquene or Plastic Sheeting 6' x 6', 3.5 mil (6 mil is ideal) Thin clear plastic will not withstand past one season.

Putting it Together - Here's the good news! I was able to construct this cold frame all on my own and you can too! See Video

Assemble the pipe on a dry surface in a well ventilated area, such as a patio or driveway.

Cut 2 of the 10' sections of PVC pipe in half, making a total of 4 - 5' sections of pipe.

Swipe the inside of the elbow pieces and the ends of the PVC pipe with the purple primer. Do not swipe the inside of the threaded elbows.

After the primer dries, attach the elbows to the ends of the two 5' section of pipe with the PVC cement.

Attach the 10' section of pipe to the unthreaded end of an elbow with PVC cement and press down firmly.

After the cement will dries within a few minutes, carefully bend the 10' section of pipe and attached to the other unthreaded end of the 5' section of pipe with cement. Leverage might be needed to bend the pipe, such as leaning up against a wall to prevent slipping while bending the pipe.

Your basic end-piece shape should look like this!


Repeat steps 3-6 for the other end of your cold frame.

Lay down the cold frame end on the plastic sheeting and cut out the end piece to attach. Be sure to leave at least 6 inches overlap. Allow for corners to be cut out in an L and pleat curve side. Only cut pleats about half way into the sheeting. Do not cut all the way down to the pipe line. See pattern below.
Attach the plastic sheeting to the frame with zip ties starting with the straight edge. Be sure to tuck plastic around the pipe. Slice small holes through plastic close to the frame. Pull ties tight and trim tails. Repeat all the way around the frame.

Screw in threaded adapters to threaded elbow ends

Attach the remaining 5 foot sections of pipe to the adapters to complete the frame.

Cover frame with remaining plastic sheeting and cut to size.

Attach sheeting to frame ends with zip ties from top of frame to half way down. This will allow for access to the inside ofyour cold frame and will allow for airflow on windy days.

Edges of plastic sheeting can be weighed down with metal washers or clamped to frame.

To keep your frame from blowing over in the wind, anchor it down with camp tent spikes.

Slice small holes in top of cold frame plastic to prevent rain water from puddling.

A small cold frame can be assembled in 1-2 hours. Cover your garden or pond to keep plants warm on cold winter days and nights.

Touring Southwest Aquatics with Gail!!

Hi all,

I had a fan-tastic day at the Southwest Aquatics. While there I was able to show you some really beautiful, healthy plants.

The day was absolutely beautiful and being out there with the plants just makes Spring more of a reality. I know I am ready and itching to get my hands dirty!

I have done business with Southwest Aquatics for a good ten (10) years and I want to tell you that I have seen only the finest in top quality, healthy plants.

Patrick Haynes, our host at the nursery, was very accommodating to me and I really do appreciate that and thank him very much.

Until next time, Happy Ponding!!!

Gail

Wow! Ants! Upside-down tomato gardens! Come see!

Hello everyone;

Wow! I've got so much to tell you! I am so excited about all that has been going on with the show! Episode #8 was too much fun I could barely stand it! It was all about ants and why I am afraid of them. You'll learn how to get rid of those pesky boogers naturally with a recipe that will make them literally POP! It's safe and cheap too, because you can get all the ingredients from the grocery store for under 5 bucks.
Upside-down tomato gardens are the latest thing, and Episode #9 is on how to make one of your very own. Come join me and see how you can make a creative garden and have a ton of fun too!
Happy Gardening! Happy Ponding!

GAiL