April 2007

Homefront Update 2007-04-29

They're still growing, and all similar in size. Makes me wonder if there is any difference between red and blue, and if the white encompasses all of what's needed to suppliment every day lighting. More controlled experiments should yield more conclusive results, but I'm ok with what I've got so far, esp. since they're using approximately 3 watts of energy, vs probably 13W using a small CFL for the same area.

We're trying an upside down tomato planter that cost $0 out of pocket, as I had all the materials here. The plastic coffee can was originally planted upside down (as seen in this post), and once the material settled and enough was added to bring it close to the top, was seeded and sprouted with no problems so far. Now hanging upside down, it hasn't whithered, and is fighting gravity (picture coming soon).

This is the start of a "Japanese Tomato Ring" which has been documented in a number of places. Mine (have 2 so far, going for 3 or more) are smaller than the ones written about (instructions on the internet are for four ft diameter and three ft diameter, mine are 29" and 22", while the third will be only 12"). Other differences are the materials used are composted horse manure and wood shavings (animal bedding) instead of leaves. The rest will be the same.
Link to Japanese Tomato Ring
Link to Another Desc. of Japanese Tomato Ring
Another Link dedicated to tomatoes, citing the above links - with plenty more information and links to wile away a wet afternoon.

Gardening Podcasts! Total immersion Technique for Gardeners

There are a couple of podcasts that I can't do without: The Alternative Kitchen Garden (AKG), and Blue Collar Gardeners (BCG). They're from England and Texas, respectively, and while their styles differ dramatically, they both offer a great deal of good information in a way that's not dry, yet not full of themselves.
Emma, aka "Fluffy Muppet" - the host on AKG, focuses on one topic, covering it quite thoroughly, yet in a relaxed manner as if you were chatting with a friend from "across the pond". Her flickr site has some nice pics of what she's up to, too.
BCG are a couple of professional landscapers and gardeners (from what I can tell) from Texas, who really know their stuff, too. They have a relaxed and informative show that generally focuses on one topic, but they also read from their mail bag and joke around a bit - though not as much as "Click & Clack", the auto call-in show from National Public Radio. I listen to both podcasts (and re-listen) during my short commute to work and back, and I'm never disappointed, though the April Fool's show from BCG I just wasn't in the mood for (I must have gotten too many people telling me my loafers were untied that day). Give them a listen at: Atlernative Kitchen Garden
Blue Collar Gardeners

from Frugal Gardening.com - Garden for Free

Excellent site, no frills, just good information and plenty of it! "...Garden For Free Is it possible to have a lush flower garden, produce your own veggie patch or just add to the landscaping around your home all for free? Absolutely. One of the easiest ways to do this is to participate in your local chapter of Freecycle. This is a Yahoo list, available at FreeCycle.org. The organization began in 2003 and now boasts close to 3500 chapters, or communities, as they are called and over 2 million subscribers. ..." Her site includes monthly tips, getting plants, tools and more for low cost or free. - I've used this technique to get some strawberries last year, the gentleman that was giving them away had too many and was "culling the herd". Just took a phone call and a short drive! I may be doing the same with some of my tomato plants this spring, as I went a little overboard looking for more "green" in my surroundings. Link

Novel Container Gardening: Tubers and Tubular

Potatoes that began to grow in our back closet were placed in our back yard to "fend for themselves" a couple of years ago: they weren't acclimated to the little beasties that finally took them down. This year, if I can get some seed potatoes, I'll be growing them in a container, and watching for the varmints. The DIY has a great Step-by-Step that walks you through it without breaking your back digging: "... To start, get the seed potatoes ready by placing them in a warm spot and letting them sprout, just as you would do if you were planting them in the garden. If they're large, cut them into pieces, leaving at least two eyes per piece, and set them aside to cure for a few days. For a container, you can use a 15-gallon kitchen trash bag or a 30-gallon leaf and clean-up bag (figure B). The clean-up bags are usually thicker and less likely to break. ..." Link

This project is great for indoors, as long as you can keep them watered. If you go to the follow-up, you'll find Tucson is NOT the place to do this. Excellent Step-by-step! "... On my next visit to the neighborhood home store I wandered around the plumbing department looking for possible solutions to make a hanging plant tube. What I found was some 4-inch diameter plastic drain tube, two different kinds of end caps, chain, screw eyes, and a set of hole saws. Everything else I figured I already had in my tool shed. I ended up using a hack saw to cut the plastic tube to length, an electric drill for making holes, a Philips head screwdriver, tape measure and pencil, and some clamps and scrap wood to hold the tube in pipe in place when I drilled the holes.

"The most difficult part of the project was deciding on the spacing between the holes for the different sized tubes I constructed and actually putting in the plants. ..." Link

Taking a Little Chance with a Tomato

Finding out myself about Tom's Wild Cherry Tomato. They look like tiny grapes, though nice and red. There's mixed reviews at GardenWeb.com, some people loving them, and others saying "never again". Sounds like about as much contoversy as I'd like to be in at the moment. Link to reviews - link to pics and picks from past years garden in Texas

Planting your carrots in time, on time and easily.

Here's a gardening site from the BBC that goes through step-by-step, many different plants. Today's link is carrots. Taking only 35 minutes start to finish (love the punctuality!) Link

Companions work better in Tight Spaces

Square foot gardening works in apartments and on patios as well as in small outdoor gardens. The last thing you need is plants robbing each other of nutrients or making each other taste "off" (my parents have a camphor tree close to a grapefruit tree: the grapefruits near the camphor tree taste awful, while the other side of the tree tastes fine.). From square-foot-gardens.com: "...Reason number 2. Plants may help each other indirectly - mineral accumulators — plants use leaves they are going to shed as dumping grounds for unwanted minerals and by-products. That will then feed the micro-life and thus the future crops. There are minerals which are essential to the health of many plants. Some excellent examples for the square foot gardener are: iron which help leaf growth and is provided by beans as a companion; magnesium aiding leaf and root growth supplied by potatoes; manganese assisting in beet growth given by comfrey; ..." Link
Another great site ie kidsgardening.com, offering more reasons to companion plant: "...Gardeners often tuck garlic and onions between other vegetables for the same purpose. Here are some plants thought to repel specific pests:

• onions for carrot rust flies
• tansy for colorado potato beetles
• marigolds and basil for flea beetles on eggplant
• marigolds for Mexican bean beetles
• nasturtiums for squash bugs
• marigolds, mint, or thyme for cabbage moths..."

Link

GardenHacker Home Update

	The vitamin greens in the hydroponic container are showing mixed results: Three are growing, two are stunted, three never showed up. As this is the first try with vitamin greens ever, I should have put some into another container as well, but did not.
	Also on the "lab" table:My LED experiment. They're growing, but all about the same. As I'm not doing this under strict laboratory conditions, the plants are getting some diffuse light from the grow table, though no direct or indirect sunlight. They're not leaning terribly one way or another and they're not spindly, so the light appears to be working.
	Here's a peek at something I'll be writing about soon, in the space hacks section.

Keeping the Taller Invaders out of Your Garden

Deer have annually ravaged my mother-in-law's garden, eating the tops off of flowers, bedding down on her tigerlillies, and more. If they had opposable thumbs and a credit card, they'd probably be putting graffiti on their house as well. Mohonk Mountain house has a good list of plants deer don't find palatable. "... The following list of plant material was developed over the past 18 years. This list of rarely eaten plants is based on observations of whitetail deer browsing plant materials during the growing season at the historical gardens of Mohonk Mountain House, a National Historic Landmark in the Hudson River Valley near New Paltz, NY. ..." Link
Some more tips come from Flower-Gardening-Made-Easy.com "...Human or dog hair: Some folks swear by putting human hair from salons around the garden so deer can readily catch the scent. Dog hair from a dog-grooming establishment can also do the trick. ..." "link" Some commercial products include motion activated sprinklers, "hot" wax (spicy) that you can spray on your plants along with coyote urine (no thanks), or this frugal tip from " HGTV.com: "...The best known deer repellent is ordinary bar soap. Hung from strings in trees or large shrubs, whether wrapped or unwrapped, the scent of the soap is said to keep deer away. Some people even attach soap bars to stakes, placed at 10- to 15-foot intervals along the perimeter of their property or garden area. ..." Link

Mexican Square Foot Gardening - Same Idea, Different Latitude

Interesting site with lots of great information, worth a perusal. The information about cucumbers was very good, and may incorporate it into my garden soon: "...Feed cucumber plants every week or two with a side dress. More than most vegetables, cucumbers are sensitive to how much and how frequently they are watered. But rules f watering are useless because climate and other conditions are great variables that make every square foot garden different! It is up to the gardener to decide. Remember, as in everything else, that raised beds seem to be the solution! ..." Link

Mother's Indestructable Tomato Cage

A Triangle of PVC and Electrical Conduit is a thing of beauty. Okay, maybe not, but it won't fall over, and it's very inexpensive to make! Link

Year of the Spinach (2002)

Dated 2002, this link is chock full of information on Popeye's favorite greens: "... The number one reason for growing spinach in containers is so you actually get the harvest. Rabbits and other four-footed creatures like spinach but they cannot reach it if you grow it in pots up on a deck or steps. The second reason is space; if you live in a townhouse or apartment, in suburb or city, a balcony or rooftop may be your only access to a garden. ..." Link

Year of the Spinach

It's a bit dated, but there's several good ideas here, including containerizing, and mixing in with your herbs and annuals. "... The number one reason for growing spinach in containers is so you actually get the harvest. Rabbits and other four-footed creatures like spinach but they cannot reach it if you grow it in pots up on a deck or steps. The second reason is space; if you live in a townhouse or apartment, in suburb or city, a balcony or rooftop may be your only access to a garden. ..." Link

Free Plants from Cuttings

The Frugal Gardener has some great tips. This one I'll expand upon after the quote: "...Learn to grow plants from cuttings. There are a variety of ways to prepare cuttings depending on the plant so a little study is necessary. Timing is also of great importance to the success of getting the plant cutting to generate on its own. That being said, it's not difficult to accomplish once you know the correct procedure for your type of plant. Spending some time to study the best way to go about using cuttings from the plants you want will help ensure that you have a beautifully full garden. ..." Tomatoes: Cuttings from Determinate varieties don't seem to work, indeterminates (ones that just keep growing and producing) are the best.
Potatoes:"...If we employ slightly more sophisticated methods, we can take cuttings from a Russet Burbank potato plant such as the upper portion of the stems, treat the stems with rooting powder and plant the stems in soil. The plant will grow and produce Russet Burbank potatoes. ..." from phytocultures.com
Marjoram "... Marjoram cannot tolerate subfreezing temperatures, so it usually is grown as an annual, but it can be carried over because it is one of the easiest herbs to propagate from stem cuttings (described below), and it grows beautifully indoors in winter near a sunny, south-facing window.
In the garden, marjoram never grows more than 15 inches tall, and the soft stems tend to sprawl as they mature, so this herb makes a good edging plant. You can start with seed sown indoors in late winter, but germination usually is only about 50 percent, and early growth is very slow; a faster option is to buy new plants in spring. ..." Link to Mother Sweet Potato "... Just before frost, take cuttings of sweet potato vines and put them in water. When roots appear, transplant them into 6-inch pots and grow them in a south-facing window. By early spring, they will have developed into vines that also can be cut and rooted, allowing you to increase the number of starts for setting out in late spring. ..."Link

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Indoor Gardening and Gardenhacker takes a tip from his site

Taking some of the information I've gleaned and am putting it to use:

Eight cups of "Vitiamin Greens" from Johnny's Select Seeds. From an instructables link reported earlier here. We'll see how it progresses.
Also there's a great site on indoor gardening on the oldhouseweb.com, which goes into basic details on what you need, including: "... The containers used for indoor gardening must provide drainage and adequate room. Follow the planting directions in seed catalogs or on seed packets to calculate the number of plants per container. Recommended containers vary, providing a number of aesthetically pleasing options. Some suggestions are: pots, wastebaskets, buckets, aquariums, waterproof bushel baskets, crates with black plastic with a few holes for drainage, a hollowed-out log for flowers, and washtubs. One unusual example of an indoor container is a 24-inch washtub with holes punched in the bottom for drainage. This container will hold: 25 bean, beet, spinach, leaf lettuce, or turnip plants, 18 endive or Swiss chard plants, 50 dwarf carrots, radishes, or bunching onions, 12-18 small to medium size annual flowers, and one cucumber, tomato, or squash. ..." Mmmm right up my alley! Stay tuned for progress on the passive hydroponic eight cup salad, and link up to the oldhouseweb.com, too!

Planning is Everything

Planning is essential for all hacks. Seems counter-hack, doesn't it? Hacks are often off-the-cuff quick little things you do to get things done in the shortest amount of time, but planning can take only a short while, giving you a roadmap to implement several hacks that save you lots of time. Unhacking a hack is a counter-hack, I guess... Well, anyway:

• From the Oregon State University Extension Service, a great overview with this great oversight: "... Air Drainage: Air drainage is very important and often overlooked. Because cold air is colder and denser than warm air, it flows like water down gullies and valleys. This cold air dams up behind obstacles and settles in low spots. ..." Full PDF
• Rutgers University has a nice capsule for planning your garden, with a lot of basic information, including the real estate basic - location location location, and "...Once you've decided where the garden will go, it's time to choose which vegetables to grow. First, make a list of those vegetables you like. Next, put a plan down on paper. This will help you make the best use of space and will save time when planting by showing you exactly where to place your seeds and transplants. The plan should include the following information: garden size, space between rows and within rows, crops and varieties, planting dates, seeded crops, and transplanted crops. ..." PDF available as well in the upper left hand corner. Link to "Planning a Vegetable Garden"
• From GardenWeb.com, an easy assessment of soil conditions, and what to do with them "...The three main constituents of soil are sand, silt and clay. Sand has the largest particles and clay has the smallest, which is why it packs so tightly together. Silt particles are of intermediate size. An ideal garden soil, or loam, would be about 40% sand, 40% silt and 20% clay. The easiest way to see what type of soil you have is to dig a few holes and take some samples. There are a number of simple tests you can do to determine the composition of soil. One method is to take a fistful of soil and squeeze it into a ball. If it is unable to hold its shape, your soil is probably too loose, or sandy. Now try to break the ball apart by pressing on it with your thumb. A good soil will break apart readily; if not, you probably have too much clay in your soil. Another method is to take a couple of cups of soil and put them in a half-gallon jar half filled with water. Agitate the mixture until all the soil is in suspension and then let it settle overnight. The next day you will see that three distinct layers have formed: sand at the bottom, then the silt and at the top a layer of clay. ..." Link to "Preparing a New Garden"

Frost protection links

As I watch the snow coming down outside, I'm wondering how my beets are doing in the cold frame. They're the first ones to inhabit the space from indoors, moved out during a warm spell to make more room inside (don't have the bunk bed yet for the garden,but I'm working on it).
There are a number of things you can do to help out the seedlings, and to protect them from frost and uncertain weather. From a quick mulch of straw, gently covering seedlings when frost is in the forcast to clotches, "wall-o-water", cold frames, etc.
The forums on gardenweb.com have a couple of ideas worth perusing, including covering with a blanket, mulching (as mentioned), to bottles cut in half, and more. Link Gardenaction.co.uk has a some ideas using poly-tunnels, or "floating cloches" - basically a light woven blanket available from many places in the US as well, Wildlifedamagecontrol.net has a great idea for those almost ready to start a garden, and want to see what "critters" they're up against: "... Before putting down your lure, brush off an area in the dirt (alittle dust is good) so that you can read the tracks of your animals that you expect to eat your lure. ..." more good information there too. Link

Money Hacks Saturday Roundup

We could all go broke buying everything we think we want for our gardens. Here's a roundup of ideas for Saturday:

"...Shop end-of-season sales. It's easy to remember to do this when shopping for clothes and other household items, but I forget the same goes for plants. You can get a great deal on outdoor plants and trees shopping at the end of the season. Even annuals that are almost out of season are a good buy. They won't bloom again until next year, but for the savings you're getting it's worth it to plant them now and wait until next year to enjoy them. ..." continues...

Saving money from landscaping to seeds and more, "Ask the Miserly Mom" has some good advice: "... Growing your own plants from seeds can save you a tremendous amount of money. A packet of seeds that costs $1 can yield up to 50 plants. That's 2 cents per plant, as compared to $2-3 per plant for full-grown. ..." full post here

The 10 Commandments of Frugal Gardening - this is a treat to read, I shalt not spoil it: read more:

From the Catholic Mom, here are 10 tips (not commandments) that can be very helpful, including: "... 2. Remember that a good soaking of water less often is better than a light sprinkling every day -- for veggies and for your lawn. 3. If your neighbor has a plant you particularly like, ask for a cutting, instead of going to the nursery and buying one. Maybe you could trade a cutting from one of your own plants...." full post here:

Hydroponic Passive Floating System

Hydroponics are a wonderful thing, but always seemed a bit pricey to me. Here's an Instructable for making your own with very little up-front cost. Link

Friendly Bedfellows Make a More Prolific Garden

Companion planting (like "the three sisters": corn, beans and pumpkins) allow for some symbiosis in your garden. "...Companion planting is based on the idea that certain plants can benefit others when planted in near proximity. The scientific and traditional bases for these plant associations are discussed. A companion planting chart for common herbs, vegetables, and flowers is provided, as is a listing of literature resources for traditional companion planting. ..." Link with tables and more.

Have a jungle right in your Apartment - via Sherry's Greenhouse

Super Dwarf Banana Trees - saw "banana trees" and redwood trees in test tubes about 10 years ago in a little shop near us (A 2 Z science shop), but was reluctant to try one since I was moving so much. Now that I'm more settled - and the fact that these are low light plants that stay small (3-4 feet), I think it's about time I try one or two... and maybe one of the larger ones for the family room... "... According to Oglesby Plants International (who developed this particular banana): "Super Dwarf Banana will tolerate a wide range of light intensities but grow best under lower light conditions..." so I would think that you would have a very good chance of getting fruit even growing them in a house. I have not grown this one, but would like to try it also. ..." See the site:

Compost Bins: Bigger is better...

From a link via the previous post, heres some timely advice, including: "...SIZE OF COMPOST BINS.

A small aquarium will have much higher fluctuations in water temperature then a large one as small amounts of water are much more prone to temperature variations. Ph and ammonia levels will also tend to fluctuate more. Similar principles apply to compost bins. Small bins will dry out more quickly and are subject to greater temperature variations outside of the heat generated from the process of composting...." Complete post here:

Urban Planning - works in the suburbs, too!

Plan your garden so you can manage it.
"...3. DISTANCE FROM THE KITCHEN
The vegetable patch should not be too far away from the kitchen as it is important to be able to get to it easily for planting, weeding and harvesting. Generally the further away a vegetable patch is from the kitchen back door the more likely that it is neglected and the produce left to go to seed. ..." More links of interest, too continues...

High Yield Meddling with a side of Urban Legend, please. ...

First, the hack: you're making a "compost feeding station" for your tomatoes. A small one that you shouldn't have to make squirrel-proof. Make it in a sunny location, and enjoy. This one I'm going to be doing and hoping I'll be able to post my progress. Original story and instructions from UrbanGardeningHelp.com The Urban Legend and links to salsa and Gazpacho is found here:

How to Get Rid of Standing Water in Your Yard

We have several "pockets" of water in our yard... in fact we have pictures of our daughter "sailing" in one during the wet spring of 2006. Here's an article that I'll be taking advantage of since we can get some of the materials for free, and since I don't want to be the one mopping the kitchen floor 6x a day! Full article...

Make it rain in the Sun!

Ok, maybe not rain, but at least water your plants during the day. By using a solar "fountain" from either crystalbay.net or finding something similar on eBay, you can set up a system similar to what we reported on here, or - this easy to follow DIY from berzerker.org without the dreaded 110v AC threat. SolarHome.org has replacement pumps for the true DIY'er

DIY Drip irrigation system from You Grow Girl

Made one of these "systems" awhile back by poking holes into quart milk bottle bottoms and setting them into the planter - it was ugly, but it worked great for the hanging baskets. This is much nicer:

"...One of the best ways to provide a steady water supply to your plants without your constant attention is the gradual watering system or drip irrigation. Through this method a device is employed that slowly delivers water into the soil directly around the roots. Commercial watering spikes can be purchased from you local garden centre however, using recycled materials you can make your own drip irrigation system for free. ..." Full step-by-step instructions here...

Another Good Hacker - MrBrownThumbs

Ran across Mr. Brown Thumb's Blogger site called www.gardenhacker.blogspot.com. A very good site, though no relation to me. He's got some great links, and his site is worth keeping tabs on. One particular hack of his that I like is his plant label hack: "...I was in the greenhouse of a local garden center and came across these plant labels from Ferry Morse the other day. The price is pretty steep when you consider that they're just thin pieces of plastic and you could easily make your own plant labels to keep track of your growing houseplant collection or the seeds you start making mini greenhouses out of used soda bottles. You can make something similar and just as useful by cutting..." continues...

LED Grow lights: the eBay Connection

You can find anything on eBay - from screw-in type LED Spotlights (RED and BLUE), to kits, to specific flora types. The competition is hot, each comparing themselves to the others. Have no idea how well or poorly they work, but the prices are all over the board. Doing a search on "LED grow light" will bring up a number of vendors, you can narrow down from there. I'm thinking on going with the spot lights myself, one red, one blue and one white for a reading lamp (or maybe an energy efficient patriotic light show).

Bucket Brigade

Buckets are easy to come by, and so are air pumps. Then there's the growing medium... Er, and - gee, I've never done this before.. Hmmm. Maybe I should fork over the cash for everything in one easy to use system... Or look at their instructions and try it myself... It's cheaper than the cabinet system under extreme hacks... Hmmm....

"...Our Bucket System (a.k.a. The Tomato Machine) is perfect for growing one large plant or a few small ones. We've actually grown banana trees in these units that reached almost 7' tall and produced awesome bananas! Perfect for keeping mother plants. A popular configuration for these units is to plant a tomato vine in the center and 4 or 5 basil plants in a circle around the perimeter. ..." Site and particulars:

The Closet Gardener

Don't want to reveal your softer side to your hunting buddies? Did an overwatering accident kill your office plants (and your computer, and printer), and ruin your chances of ever growing anything green in your office again? Like the clean lines and look of putty-colored cabinets, but your partner wants to "go green"? Fear not, for in the land of opporknockety we're in tune with you (at least once). Sunlight sheds have "turn-key" cabinets that look oh-so-drab, yet locked inside is your little garden of eden. Several sizes to choose from, and they're now offering Fungus growing kits to go with that venison... Full disclosure here...

LED Grow Light Roundup

Prices are coming down s-l-o-w-l-y. They've been between $200 - $300 per. Now others are coming into the fray. The first one I remember that has been noted regularly is the LED Grow Master for approximately $170 - $210. The Next one highly noted and priced is the XB Series from growwithleds.com. These start at $300 and go up appreciably from there. The new(er) kids on the block are ledtronics.com with their "GrowMaster" like LED bars at $160, and enluxled.com for the Do-It-Yourselfer with screw in flood lights (red and blue being the choice colors) starting at $90.00 each.

Shelved Plants with Compact Lighting

Ahhh! now this is what I want to make (in triplicate!) Don't know if we have these lights in the good ol' US, but I'm sure we can make some modifications if need be. What's Ikea's # again? Pics and basic info:

Water, Water, Everywhere, and not a hose to spare...

Here's a picture of a snarl o' hoses that keeps your place green while you're basking somewhere else in the sun (or snow, or surf, or...). A little sparse on the details, but it gives you something to think about while you're sharpening your hose cutter and eyeing the aquarium. Hmmmm... Full Post

Gardening with the Simple Dollar

From the Simple Dollar Website, a quick list of good information for apartment dwellers, as well as those with little time on their hands. "...The truth is that one can have a small garden anywhere. All you need is a bit of time and the desire to grow some vegetables and herbs in your domicile. It’s quite easy, too. Here’s what you can do if you’ve never tried it before.

Start small - very small. This is especially true if you live in an apartment and don’t have much space anyway. Get one or two small pots and just grow everything in those. The first year I grew my own, I had a cherry tomato plant in one pot and some cilantro in another one; the pots sat near the window in a guest bedroom that also had a single natural light in there, too. ..." continue reading...

Growing Veggies in Grocery Bags

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - everything from cauliflower to tomatoes, and lots of pics. Great idea that should be expanded on. A good caveat from page six: "...Notice the stained mat. The Water seeped thru the holes of the grocery bag. To prevent this punch holes on 1 bag and put into another similar bag so the excess water collects on the latter. As for the mat, it had to be replaced. Cost 30 pounds." continue reading...

Spacing your Salads and more

Space is always a a premium, indoors and out. If you happen to own a lot of land, space can be the distance between your kitchen and your garden that's the issue.

From GardenGal.net:

"...Most leaf crops such as lettuce, endive, swiss chard and the like require cooler indoor temperatures. If you have a bright room which is more or less unused, it might make a good place to grow some of these plants. ...Vegetables such as tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, cucumbers and beans do require warmer daytime and nighttime temperatures in order to flower and set fruit. Ideally, daytime temps should be in the upper 70's and nighttime temperatures should not drop lower than 60. ..." Story continues:

Frugal Hacks

There are a number of ways I've come across to save money gardening. Doing some research, I found many other people have as well. Below are a list of some of the hacks and sites I've found so far:

From FrugalGardening.com:

Free Organic Fertilizers: "...A novel or brand new tip? Nope. This tip is as old as the hills. Enrich your soil this winter & you will reap the benefits later. ..." full story...

Free Plants for your Garden: "...it is quite possible to get an entire garden of plants for free. ..." full story...