How To Keep My GreenHouse Warm
“Great balls of fire in the morning” Youve often heard that expression. But this morning it was literally true at our house. Maybe you can learn from our experience and avoid what might have been serious. The motor on the hot water circulating pump for the cool section of the greenhouse was put in close to the ground under one of the benches. Dirt was scooped out, a board put under it to keep it out of the dirt, and a piece of plywood put over the top to keep out any drip.
But this morning the motor shot out flashes of fire, then shuddered and died. I thought surely the motor had burned out. Upon examination, however, I found that dirt had filled in under the motor, it was all wet around there, and the lead-in wires had shorted out, blowing a fuse fortunately.
So cleaning out under the motor and retaping the connecting wires was all that was needed. But you may rest assured that this will have a periodic checking. This was one of those just below freezing early spring or late winter mornings, so it wasnt bad. But I shuddered to think what it might have been.
It seems that for several months now I have been so busy spouting off about various things that I have failed to report on the feathered company weve had all winter. In late summer we seldom saw anything of the blue jays and the cardinals. But with the first cool days, they showed up looking for their handouts.
The bird feeder was back in the wind-break shrubbery border. This has now grown into a thick mass that really does give the birds protection from the icy blasts. But the bird feeder was practically covered up, so we did move it out in the clearing. It is easier to get to now, and the wind can turn it to keep the open side away from the wind. The feeder is mounted on a metal post to keep out squirrels and cats.
Speaking of cats. After the excitement of the motor, I got my laptop out and sat down with a coffee in front of the window overlooking the back yard. Suddenly I became conscious of something out of the corner of my eye and looked out.
There was a HUGE black Angora cat with long, long hair at the edge of the pool. He was magnificent and had limpid amber eyes. I had never seen him around here before, but he was beautiful, and moved gracefully, slowly and very dignified.
He came up and lapped at the thin scum of ice to get a drink. Then as he walked along the edge of the pool, he spied a gold fish just under the surface. I almost thought I could hear him say to himself, “Ah! a tasty, after breakfast snack.” He cautiously stepped out on the ice with one foot, the other raised to land his meal. Of course he broke through. He backed out, settled on his haunches and vigorously shook first one foot, then the other.
Frankly, I laughed uproariously. But Mr. Black Kat resumed his dignified stroll on his way across the yard. He seemed to shrug and mutter to himself, Oh well, it was all full of bones, anyway?
After years of discussion we finally decided to make another rose bed. There are just too many new roses on the “must” list. We prepared this in late fall, but there still is time to make one. You can dig up almost any place and plant roses, but I like to give them special treatment.
The area decided upon was four feet wide by 28 feet long, and ran at right angles, making an ell to the present bed. First the sod was tilled to break it up. Next the soil on one half was spaded 18 inches deep, sand thrown on top of the other half. Then in the bottom of this trench bone meal, leaves, peat moss and sand were mixed with the soil.
Some wide boards were laid along the edge to hold the overflow. The other half of the bed was prepared the same way. The added material left us with a raised bed. It would have been nice to line the outer edge of the bed in some way. We decided to use a decorative landscape brick.
I am happy that roses cant read. Some place I once read that it was a waste of time and material to use steamed bone meal. All I know is that whenever we have used it, roses and other plants have always seemed to do exceptionally well. It is true, bone meal is not high in nitrogen one to three per cent.
Steamed bone meal is of organic origin, and its real value lies in the fact that its 23 to 25 per cent phosphorous becomes available slowly, and over a long period of time. Dont expect quick action. Just like expecting a healthy landscape color it takes up to a year for it to become available in any appreciable quantity. But it sort of takes over when the landsape plant has exhausted the normal phosphorous in the soil.
For long, happy plant life use 5 pounds of steamed bone meal to 100 square feet, and get it mixed up well, deep down in the soil, where the roots will be searching for it in a year or so.
