Your low tunnels are doing more than you think

[@kriswhite1344]

Thank you Ben, for the great informational videos. The rational thought is so inspiring. Happy Thanksgiving to you and family.🦃🙏🏼

[@sandybottomhomestead]

Thank you I m glad it helps. Happy Thanksgiving.

[@michaelparsons3951]

If you use electrical PVC (the grey pipe) you get some additional UV protection for the hoops and you get more seasons of use out of them.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

These are showing no signs of wear yet. When I have to replace them I remember that. Thank you.

[@DanlowMusic]

"It's pretty simple, that was my finger." 😂😂

[@sandybottomhomestead]

it happens all the time especially when I am using u nails.

[@jeffengland1862]

Jeff here. Happy thanksgiving!! Just taking it easy today. My sickness is still hanging around. Not too bad. A cold with a cough. In my garden I will cut some cabbage that are ready. After that it’s up to the plants to weather the cold. In the low 20’s is not good. My garden may just die from that kind of shock. I don’t want to even try to cover that many plants. 50 or more plants. That’s a lot. December, January, and February is just too cold for most plants. Not everything but most. I guess after I burn out on working on this firewood I will start seeding more plants. I will fill that garden up fast when it hits 2025! Thanks.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

I hope you feel better soon Jeff!

[@DsHomeyGarden]

Great presentation. My question is, I have low tunnels that are approximately a foot above my tallest plants. Will that capture the same amount of heat as one like what you are using? I can't believe we're getting a freeze before our first frost...4 mornings of 22-28 lows here in Suwanee Georgia. I'm so glad to have joined your journey. Thanks

[@daveb1870]

We didnt put anything on our stuff DS, were in warner robins but we only have one day this week at 28°. Honestly though very few pf these temps come to fruition here, ur a bit more north and u probably do have a dang good chance youll see what they claim. As for down here i can add at least 5° until we start getting into constant lows.

[@sandybottomhomestead]

That will be plenty

[@DsHomeyGarden]

Thanks to both of y'all and be thankful

[@jaytoney3007]

I've had three frost days up until now. Starting tomorrow, there are four days of heavy frost (27F-30F) and a freeze on Monday, 24F. My pepper stumps are trying to put out new growth. They'll make it through the frost days, but the freeze will do them in-maybe? It should, anyhow. Let's see what I have to protect, Swiss Chard and beets-cold tolerant to 20F, and I've had it survive 9F with a little leaf damage which it quickly recovered from. Pak Choi, not really cold cold tolerant. It will do okay in the frost, but not the freeze. Will I cover it? Nah, its close enough to being ready to harvest, that I'll harvest it on Monday-problem solved. Napa Cabbage and red cabbage, they can take temperatures down to about 20F, so no problem with them. The red cabbage is a little more sensitive to cold, but it is close enough to the house that it is in a microclimate that gets a little more heat-my potato bed. What's left? Broccoli and cauliflower. I have two types of broccoli growing, Waltham and Calabase. Both can take temperatures down to about 20F. Last is carrots and parsnips, they can take temperatures down to 5F, so no problem with them. I have a lot of greenhouse rated plastic that I can use. The decision to cover the Pak Choi for one day comes down to laziness. Nope, I'm not going to do it, then harvest them two days later. Rain last night will put them in a growth spurt, so instead, I'll harvest then two days ahead of schedule. They are ripe enough/large enough to pick now if I wanted them for a meal, or three, but they can wait. Yellow Heart Winter Choy, If I still had some growing, can take temperatures down to 5F. I'll definitely be growing more of that come February, maybe earlier. Fall is my favorite time to garden. because I don't have to do a lot work other than a little fertilizing-maybe, and watering-no pest control. Frost usually takes care of any bug issues, but not this year. I've had a problem with aphids. They weren't doing a lot of damage, and were mainly hibernating on the undersides of leaves. Klaus Schwab-WEF, "You will eat Z bugs!" Like hell I will! A soak in the sink with a little salt and vinegar takes care of them. They drown, drop off, and sink to the bottom. Then it is down the drain, through pipe, and into the septic tank for them. Winter is pretty much the same as fall, but the choice of vegetables changes depending on what I have left in my freezers, and plants that are a little more tolerant of heat. I start in January with seed starts right after my birthday, and have cold tolerant plants, and do some direct seed sowing, in the ground come February 20th. Earlier if I think I can get away with it. If there is snow on the ground, I just move it aside. Yellow Heart Winter Choy and peas will grow right through it. Radishes can take a dusting of snow too. Snow doesn't even slow me down. And by February 20th, the worst of the cold weather has passed. It still frosts and snows, but it isn't likely that I'll get a heavy freeze. Generally the temps stay above 26F. Actually, my winter garden is bigger than my fall garden. I like to get tomato plants in the ground as early as possible, so I can harvest them before peak summer heat. However this year, I'll be using my tomato beds for cabbage, turnips, beets, and stink weed-cilantro. So, timing is going to be tight. I'm not growing potatoes this year, so instead will be using that raised bed for Tokyo Bekana Mustard and Malaga Radish (purple radish), followed by a crop of sweet potatoes. Between the red cabbage, mustard, and radish, I should have the nitrogen in the soil fairly well depleted-perfect for sweet potatoes. I want taters, not vines.

[@DanlowMusic]

We joke that my Dad has a rule "if you can't use duct tape, wd-40 or Shoe Goo, then you might throw it away." Lol