I found a new use for my solar oven: possibly redeeming my unconscionable procrastination in getting my seeds started. Note, please, that the seed trays are on top of the oven, not in it. The empty looking tray contains all the heat sluts: tomatoes, chili peppers, and basil. Yeah, I know, I'm waaay behind schedule. But with the sun we're having, the soil in those trays is toasty, toasty. They should be popping their heads up any moment now. Fortunately, there's a breeze to keep the little lettuce sprouts cool. They're probably getting about 2.5 times as much sun as it's possible for them to get otherwise. Grow, dammit, grow! The weather has been just gorgeous. I don't trust it.
Gotta go. More outdoor work to do!
what a good idea using your solar oven.... as long as you don't make veggie stew!!! LOLOL.. just kidding... i'm behind as well... i have seeds up and growing, but they slowed right down with the down turn of the weather... brrrr they need a little solar oven like yours :D
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea! But in my area you aren't behind yet. We don't plant the Hot loving seeds in side until the end of this month. and we can't set out the plants until near the end of may. I just barely got my cool loving seeds set out in the Garden (Carrots, beets, Swiss chard, spinach etc)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! I'm headed out into the backyard to set up my rig now.
ReplyDeleteIngenius! Just discovered your blog and have been having a great time catching up with older posts. Looking forward to more...
ReplyDeleteHearth Cricket
Ah, your my kinda gal ...
ReplyDeleteLast year when we set up DH homemade grow light stand(PVC design) I enclosed 3 sides with foil. He laughed everytime we walked by it. But it worked.
I was thinking about using our old 10 gallon fish aquarium for a veggie nursery next year...
ReplyDeleteWhen is the potatoes-in-bucket post coming? I have my 'taters "chitting" and buckets at the ready - and I'm clueless!
Roasted Garlicious, thanks. I like multi-purpose tools!
ReplyDeleteDunappy, I don't set my tomatoes out until the 1st of June usually, so I'm not incredibly behind with them. But I've hardly done anything else. I'm afraid I'm going to end up buying starts.
BTM, glad to share!
Cricket, welcome! Have a good root around the blog.
pelenaka, yeah, I'm into doubling or tripling up wherever I can.
Momma Pajama, that might work rather well. The potato post is at least a week off yet. But stay tuned for the figs in containers post, because the principles are basically the same. That will come sooner, definitely this week. And if you get desperate with the potato buckets, you can always try what I did last year: just drill holes for drainage at the bottom of the bucket and you're good to go. I'm trying something fancier this year, but there's absolutely no guarantee it'll improve yields.
http://confessionsofasineater.blogspot.com/2010/04/happy-101.html
ReplyDeletexox,
susan
Good idea, although I'm looking forward to using my oven for cooking again once we complete our move. In some ways, I'm glad that half my sweetie's starts died (in my too-hot compost) because that means less stuff to move.
ReplyDeleteAre you going to help the starts adjust to less light (away from the oven) by removing the side panel for a few days before taking them entirely off the oven?
where did you get the solar oven?, I really would like one but don't want to build my own.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant! Necessity, as always, is the mother of improvisation. We rigged up a makeshift cold frame a couple weeks back with two of those plastic window well covers you use for ground-level windows. But now I want a solar oven.
ReplyDeleteKate,
ReplyDeleteSeveral posts ago you had mentioned that you had a recipe for home made ketchup. Could you post the veggies included in that recipe so I can start those seeds in anticipation of making the ketchup from my own fruit?
Thanks,
Elizabeth
Susan, very sweet of you, thanks! I'll have to give it some thought before I post something to pass along the award.
ReplyDeleteChile, I'm looking forward to cooking with it too. It had never occurred to me that I might need to wean these seedlings off their high-sunlight diets. I'll think about that...
Laura, my oven is a Tulsi. Check out Chile's blog. She's got reviews of sun ovens which helped me make my purchasing decision.
Tamar, I saw that post! Very clever indeed. You could be more ambitious than I was and make your own solar oven. I've read that they're not hard to make.
Elizabeth, actually I never said I had a recipe, only that I had tasted a fabulous lacto-fermented ketchup and had been promised the recipe. Sadly, the woman who made the ketchup never followed up. She did tell me when I tried it though that it contained smoked chili peppers. So that's a good place to start. If I ever do get that recipe I'll be sure to post it.
Oh, I'm sorry. I misunderstood.
ReplyDeleteWell, shoot. I was really looking forward to some grrrreeeat ketchup.I guess I'll just keep trying and tweaking recipes that I find online. Thanks anyway.
Elizabeth