Thank you, and yes, guilty as charged. A software engineer. I thought I would be a scientist until I spent a year doing lab work ... too slow even for me. At least while programming I get to design and build things.

In my dorm at college, we had a "Nerd of the Week" competition. I only won a few times, and I had to take up manufacturing contact explosives to grab the honor. (Nitrogen tri-Iodide - very sensitive once dry, and it gives off a lovely cloud of purple gas when it goes "snap" or "pop" or "boom".


>> He didn't kill them all.

That was my triumphant cry for my first three years gardeneing.

"I didn't kill them ALL! ... yet ..."

PVC Light Stand. I made this for $12-15 from HD PVC Class 200 and Schedule 40 pipe. The lights are two, 2-bulb fluorescent shop lights, mounted side x side on a sheet of plywood, flipped over and mounted from the Jack chain.

My stand accommodates four flats of seedlings.

PVC LIGHT STAND


LIGHT FRAME


MATERIALS & CUT LIST

1" Sch 40 PVC Pipe
6 pcs @ 24"
4 pcs @ 20"
6 pcs @ 5"

1" PVC Couplers:
Eight (8) 90º elbows
Four (4) Tees
One (1) 4-way Cross

Hardware
Four (4) Eye Bolts w/Nuts
Four (4) "S" Hooks
18" length of Jack Chain

Fluorescent Light Kit / Shop Lights
I use regular T12 shop light kits. Two mounted side x side gives me four suspended light bulbs. My plants do fine.

NOTE: You can make your frame any height and any width. Mine is 19" high, to fit a certain space. The original design uses a height of 20".

My stand is 15" wide. Adjust your width (+)(-) via the short pieces, top and bottom. I can cut 4 more short pieces to 8" each to widen my stand to ~ 21" width.

The whole frame is customize-able.

Here's my materials shopping list:

1 in. x 10 ft. PVC Schedule 40 Plain-End Pipe (thick-walled)
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unb...

1 in. x 10 ft. PVC DWV Plain-End Pipe (thin-walled)
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unb... in. x10ft. PVC DWV Plain-End PIpe#

Mueller Streamline 1 in. PVC Slip x Slip x Slip Tee
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Mue...

Mueller Streamline 1 in. PVC Pressure S x S x S x S Cross
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Mue...

Mueller Streamline 1 in. PVC 90-Degree Slip x Slip Elbows (5-Pack)
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Mue...

Cobra PST002 Ratcheting PVC Cutter, 1-5/8-Inch
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HSAPR8/


Godspeed, and Good Harvest!

Great job!

Here is a place I just found that sells tomato plants and has great reveiws at Daves Garden Watchdog.

http://www.tomatobabycompany.c...
Tomato Baby

Very nice, GG!

I can't even get up the snow covered stairs up to where my new veggie bed is right now. Snow coming down like crazy. Good thing I have nothing to plant currently.




The side yard near where I plant my tomatoes.

My stairs go down, not up, to my garden.
They're in the same condition though!
Can't even get the compost to the compost bin....

I hate weather like this!

I miss the garden, but I'd rather have January than July.
It's TOO HOT here from roughly 4th of July through Labor Day.
I get heat sick when I go outside so all I can do is watch the weeds grow from my window....
Even DAWN is too hot sometimes.

I am the opposite. I will take July any day. All sorts of wonderful things going on in the garden during July.

Newyorkrita said:All sorts of wonderful things going on in the garden during July.

And I get sick if I go out to enjoy them....

Oh so sorry Critter. I am a summer person and spend my days outdoors during spring and summer. I love to be outside and fussing about in my garden.

My tomato cages stilling in the snow of my square veggie bed this morning. Lots of snow!!!

My, my, my....

So today I ordered from Peaceful Vally Farm Supply which is in California but the only place I know of to get the Leonardite shale which I use in the veggie garden.

http://www.groworganic.com/act...

This is a sold form of humic acids. I discovered it years and years ago and have used it ever since. It does wonders for the fertility of the soil. Not instead of fertilizer but used once in each spring and then I also use fertilizer. Big difference in a veggie bed with and without that shale.

Well DO TELL, Rita!
I've never heard of this.
'splain....

Humic acid improves the fertility of soil. I have seen many humic acid products in liquid form but I never saw the big difference in my soil except when I use the dry form. Dry form called Leonardite shale. And I know it works. I have had garden beds with and without it and the ones I did not put it on did not do nearly as well. So much difference that anyone could tell. Now I make sure I don't forget to use it. And if you remember pictures of my 7 foot high tomato plants loaded with fruit, you will know that it works.

Basicly, throw it on the veggie beds early in the spring, let rain and snow break it down into the soil. Then prepare your beds as usual. Plant and fertilize as usual. It is not instead of fertilizer but works with fertilizer.

I don't think it is as well known in the backyard grower as it is in the commercial farming industry.

I would say if you have "tired soil", worn out soil that needs help this and compost are the best things one could do. As much as I love compost if I had to choose only one, I would add the Leonardite shale then use some organic veggie fertilizer.

Interesting.
Perhaps I shall!
Thank you.

I don't have room for a greenhouse. I just put tents on my raised beds and have two rolling four shelf lighted units in the garage that I fire up in March or April. Also being in a 4x8 sheet of plywood on sawhorses and lower the lamps (four 36" ea with two lamps ea) on chains down to the flats. So I just step out my kitchen door and into my greenhouse. Not as good as real sunlight but at least I can start early.

Sounds like you have worked out a plan that works for you.