The weather has been yuck for the past few days. We have light snow flurries, the heavy snow showers, woke this morning to about 2 or 3 inches of snow. That has all melted now, well really by early afternoon. Now the wet has all frozen over again. I guess we are all tired of the weather and are wishing for spring.
I started some seedling last weekend and they are sprouted and up thru the dirt now. Last resort was to get the fluorescent shop lights and hang them over the plant flats. I have to set the flats in the house as I don't have any other choice at this point. So I took the ironing board, which I don't use anyway, and used little "s" hooks with pieces of small chain and suspended the lights from the ironing board. The little hooks will fit through the holes from the underside of the ironing board and then you can raise or lower the ironing board to adjust the light closer to the plants. I only have things started that need to be started 8 weeks or more before transplanting to the garden. And I did start a few tomatoes and cabbage for really early plants. I have a swing set frame at the rental house that I can use for a temporary greenhouse frame but that cant be used till the weather warms a bit. With night time temps getting into the teens plants would freeze outside without additional heat. So for now I guess I will have to make do with my rigged operation.
I have a little dark Cornish hen that is wanting to set, and that cant happen yet. I have no where to put a momma and her babies to keep warm and safe from critters. If the weather gets better in a week or so and she is still wanting to set I may be able to get the pen built and get the other hens moved to the other chicken yard and she can set in the building where they are all living now.I would prefer to let hens raise babies than to do them in the incubator. Mother hens just do a better job with biddies than people do. We just have to wait and see what happens.
Till next time, blessings from the McGuire homestead.
Stella
2 comments:
The ironing board, of course! I was jus' thunkin' I was going to have to come up with some way to use the lighting strip in the house since the greenhouse is not yet up. Great idea, Stella! Have a terrific, weathery day!
hey Ms Mike, well its call hillbillie ingenuity there. Ya jus make do wif what ya got. Well the ironin board dont get used and besides i have an antique one if I really wanted to iron something. this one has lil holes in the top surface that are perfect for puttin the lil "S" hooks into. then you jus raise or lower the ironing board as needed to adjust the light. I did this a few years ago and had some beautiful veggie plants started. ANd they are in the house so I dont have to worry about heat or frost, cause if they get frost bit in here, the plants will be the least of my worries. lol
stella
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