Build your own Cold Frame – the super-easy way

Want to start your growing season early? Maybe extend in into the winter months? Then build a cold frame or sometimes called a mini greenhouse. A cold frame is 4 walls that secure heat and protect plants from the elements and a top that allows light through.

Step 1) Find a good location that gets lots of sunlight and faces south.
Step 2) Build the walls. I used straw bales. They’re great at holding in heat and no tools are needed.

Step 3) Use some old windows to put on top. I used some storm windows I found in the trash at a local church.

Step 4) Fill with plant trays full of seeds.
Step 5) Keep an eye on temperature, moisture and airflow. Open up the lid a few inches to circulate fresh air in.
Step 6) Acclimate your seedlings by taking the lid off when they get bigger.

Happy Planting!

Next Post: Starting your seeds in the cold frame.

Read Full Post »

Fun Opossum Facts and Video

I was hoping to trap a raccoon that’s been trying to get into the chicken coop but instead, I caught this little guy. I also made a 34 second video of his catch and release below the facts part.

I didn’t know much about these marsupial creatures so I looked up some facts about them:

• The word opossum refers to the North American species (those found in other areas are called possums)
• The Virginia opossum is only found in the United States
• Opossums are related to Kangaroos, Koalas, Tasmanian Devils, and Brazilian Short-hair Pigmy Possums
• Opossums help gardens by eating snails, slugs, insects, snakes, rats and overripe fruit.
• Opossums are highly resistant to diseases such as rabies because of its efficient immune system and lower body temperature.
• Opossums are not a public health threat.
• There is far less of a risk of infection from opossums than from house pets.
• The opossum’s greatest enemies are cars and domestic pets.
• Another predator of opossums is people, who hunt them for food, sport, and pelts.
• Other enemies include owls, foxes, and larger wildlife.
• Opossums compete with sheep and rabbits for food.
• Opossums have more teeth than any other North American land mammal (50).
• Opossums are not territorial and move to wherever food is available.
• Opossums cannot hang upside down by their tail, but use their tail to climb.
• Marsupial refers to the reproductive system, which entails the very young embryos being born and attaching to the mothers nipples
• Opossums do not have good eyesight or hearing — they rely mainly on their sense of smell.
• Opossums are very clean animals and groom themselves much like a cat does.
• Opossums are also found in Australia and South America

These facts were found at: http://biology.clc.uc.edu/students/114-sum98-opossums/misc.htm

My favorite part of this video is at the end when I pan over to the chickens… They’re all like “What the heck was that?”

Read Full Post »