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Cooler nights coming? Build this affordable mini-greenhouse
Cooler nights do not have to end the garden. A simple protective structure can give fall crops a warmer, more stable place to keep growing without the cost or permanence of a full greenhouse. Build an affordable mini-greenhouse or tall hoophouseOur step-by-step guide shows how to build a tall, walk-in protective structure using readily available materials. It is designed to be affordable, adaptable, and useful for shielding crops as temperatures drop. BEFORE YOU BUILDChoose a sunny, well-drained location and think through access, wind exposure, ventilation, and anchoring. A protected space can overheat quickly on sunny days, even when the air outside feels cool, so plan a simple way to vent it. USE PROTECTION STRATEGICALLYSeason extension does not create summer in winter. It buffers wind and cold, protects established cool-season plants, and can make the difference between steady growth and weather damage. Start with crops suited to your climate and planting window, then use the structure to improve their odds rather than forcing heat-loving plants far beyond their season. Here’s to stretching the harvest a little farther, Aaron & Susan
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Tyrant Farms
We're educators and bloggers focused on the topics of raising pet/backyard ducks, no-dig organic gardening & rare edible plants, foraging, wild recipes, and related topics. Subscribe and join thousands of newsletter readers every week!
Have you ever watched a duck suddenly tilt her head toward the sky and wondered what she sees that you do not? Quite a lot, as it turns out. Nine amazing duck eyesight facts Ducks have a 360-degree horizontal field of vision and can see distant objects more clearly than humans. They can focus underwater, detect subtle motion, perceive ultraviolet light, and protect their eyes with a translucent third eyelid. Their side-set eyes trade some depth perception for a much wider view—useful when you...
By mid-September, some summer plants are still producing while others are clearly finished. That in-between stage is the perfect time to decide what stays, what goes, and where the next round of food will grow. Five ways to grow a fall and winter garden You do not need a large traditional garden. Our guide compares five practical approaches—from in-ground beds to containers and protected growing spaces—so you can match the method to your climate, property, and available time. Choose your fall...
The vibrant pink-purple clusters of berries make American beautyberry hard to miss. They also make it easy to mistake for a non-native look-alike that doesn't have the same culinary potential. Before picking, learn the plant. American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is a native Southeastern shrub whose tight berry clusters sit directly against the branch. Similar Asian beautyberries form looser clusters on visible little stems called peduncles. Identify, grow, harvest, and use American...