i got a clear plastic carton containing 4 large muffins at the super
mkt a couple of weeks ago and the more i looked at it the more i
invisioned a greenhouse! I also have clear plastic egg cartons that
have a double lid, one shaped like the top of an egg and the other
covering that. Another greenhouse! On 6/01/04 i planted Echinecia in
the egg carton and English Lavender in the muffin carton, placed them
in a light area with no sun and they sprouted on the 6th! Other seed
from same packets i planted in pots and the English Lavender planted
5/27 still isn't up and i had kept it moist, besides having pre-soaked
them, and some Stevia i planted in big pot on 5/22 didn't come up
until 6/05/04. Normally i pre-soak, especially large seed like
Nasurtiums, corn etc.. my corn is over 4 feet tall already and the
beans that are to grow up them are about 15 inches mostly. I didn't
start them in the "greenhous" though G

Just thought here may be someone who overlooked the potential of the
plastic cartons.
Lee h

"Lee" wrote in message
om...
i got a clear plastic carton containing 4 large muffins at the super
mkt a couple of weeks ago and the more i looked at it the more i
invisioned a greenhouse! I also have clear plastic egg cartons that
have a double lid, one shaped like the top of an egg and the other
covering that. Another greenhouse! On 6/01/04 i planted Echinecia in
the egg carton and English Lavender in the muffin carton, placed them
in a light area with no sun and they sprouted on the 6th! Other seed
from same packets i planted in pots and the English Lavender planted
5/27 still isn't up and i had kept it moist, besides having pre-soaked
them, and some Stevia i planted in big pot on 5/22 didn't come up
until 6/05/04. Normally i pre-soak, especially large seed like
Nasurtiums, corn etc.. my corn is over 4 feet tall already and the
beans that are to grow up them are about 15 inches mostly. I didn't
start them in the "greenhous" though G

Just thought here may be someone who overlooked the potential of the
plastic cartons.


I've been saving the clear, clamshell containers that strawberries come in
to use for seed starters.

"Vox Humana" wrote in message ...
"Lee" wrote in message
Just thought here may be someone who overlooked the potential of the
plastic cartons.


I've been saving the clear, clamshell containers that strawberries come in
to use for seed starters.

yes! that sounds good! I'll have to look aroud for more ideas. I
usually use the zip locks or soft drink bottles cut down for a topper
on the small pots. but after so may different things are used, things
get a bit cluttered! G
lee h

"Lee" wrote in message
om...
"Vox Humana" wrote in message
...
"Lee" wrote in message
Just thought here may be someone who overlooked the potential of the
plastic cartons.


I've been saving the clear, clamshell containers that strawberries come
in
to use for seed starters.

yes! that sounds good! I'll have to look aroud for more ideas. I
usually use the zip locks or soft drink bottles cut down for a topper
on the small pots. but after so may different things are used, things
get a bit cluttered! G
lee h

You can find all sorts of clear containers at the self-serve salad bar in
the supermarket. I bought some one year as containers for cookies that I
was giving as gifts. I suppose you could just get a stack and ring them up
at the self-serve check at using the PUL for the salad bar.

Lee wrote:

i got a clear plastic carton containing 4 large muffins at the super
mkt a couple of weeks ago and the more i looked at it the more i
invisioned a greenhouse! I also have clear plastic egg cartons that
have a double lid, one shaped like the top of an egg and the other
covering that. Another greenhouse!...

Just thought here may be someone who overlooked the potential of the
plastic cartons...




Sounds good, but remember that ventilation is an important part of any
greenhouse. I assume you're using these small containers indoors
(otherwise you run the risk of having them blow away in a wind).
Indoors, there's probably no need to close up the "greenhouse" since
most houses have some form of temperature control, which is the primary
reason to use a greenhouse. You could just pull the lid off and use both
halves as trays to start seeds on a windowsill.

As an example of the necessity for ventilation, I have a small (14 x 20)
greenhouse. One sunny February day I closed it up. 30F outside.
Estimated 135F inside (it was off the scale of my thermometer). I now
store stuff in that greenhouse (since I now have a larger one). On sunny
hot days, if I don't keep both doors open, the temperature will get high
enough to melt the plastic flats.

"Vox Humana" wrote in message news:%oLxc.8247
You can find all sorts of clear containers at the self-serve salad bar in
the supermarket. I bought some one year as containers for cookies that I
was giving as gifts. I suppose you could just get a stack and ring them up
at the self-serve check at using the PUL for the salad bar.

LOL! i don't get around much, and there may be one here somewhere in
our small town, but the super i go to doesn't have a self serv salad
bar..gues i'll have to check out a few more place G
have a good day.
lee h/tvksi

I'm new to this stuff. I've always pretty much stuck to tomatoes but this
year I'm going for more. I dug up the corner of the back yard to about 12
ft. square and planted the tomatoes along the wall. I have some corn started
in pots and some beans. I like your idea of letting them grow up the corn
stalks. I wish I had started the corn much earlier. They are only about 8
in. and in starter posts still. How many bean plants do you use for each
corn stalk? Anywhoo ...... thanks for the tip.

"Lee" wrote in message
om...
i got a clear plastic carton containing 4 large muffins at the super
mkt a couple of weeks ago and the more i looked at it the more i
invisioned a greenhouse! I also have clear plastic egg cartons that
have a double lid, one shaped like the top of an egg and the other
covering that. Another greenhouse! On 6/01/04 i planted Echinecia in
the egg carton and English Lavender in the muffin carton, placed them
in a light area with no sun and they sprouted on the 6th! Other seed
from same packets i planted in pots and the English Lavender planted
5/27 still isn't up and i had kept it moist, besides having pre-soaked
them, and some Stevia i planted in big pot on 5/22 didn't come up
until 6/05/04. Normally i pre-soak, especially large seed like
Nasurtiums, corn etc.. my corn is over 4 feet tall already and the
beans that are to grow up them are about 15 inches mostly. I didn't
start them in the "greenhous" though G

Just thought here may be someone who overlooked the potential of the
plastic cartons.
Lee h

dps wrote in message ...
Lee wrote:


Sounds good, but remember that ventilation is an important part of any
greenhouse. I assume you're using these small containers indoors
(otherwise you run the risk of having them blow away in a wind).
Indoors, there's probably no need to close up the "greenhouse" since
most houses have some form of temperature control, which is the primary
reason to use a greenhouse. You could just pull the lid off and use both
halves as trays to start seeds on a windowsill.

True.. ventilation is necessary. I normally open them to check once a
day and since i think maybe a bit of my breath blowing on them will be
helpful, i blow on them ; ) however, i have rooted cuttings without
removing lids and even in a zip-lock with a bit of soil and never open
them until they have rooted well.

no, at this particular project, i have them on a roofed patio with a
brick wall and have them on the floor and on a bench in a shady, cool
corner where they get light shade, and if i am expecting wind, put a
weight on them until the all clear. Right now, since they have primary
leaves on the two subjects, i took the lids off and have them where
they will be safe from the cat with a brik on the opened lid to keep
the cat from knocking themoff the brick wall....which reminds me..
thank Heaven...to go out and check them and perhaps put them back to
bed! i waned them to get a bit of a feeling for normal light so they
won't get spindly.

As an example of the necessity for ventilation, I have a small (14 x 20)
greenhouse. One sunny February day I closed it up. 30F outside.
Estimated 135F inside (it was off the scale of my thermometer). I now
store stuff in that greenhouse (since I now have a larger one). On sunny
hot days, if I don't keep both doors open, the temperature will get high
enough to melt the plastic flats.

When i had a 14 x 44 ft solarium with east, south and west all glass,
i kept a couple of fans going to keep circulation otherwise some of
the plants would sort of damp off. it would be 3 degrees outside on a
sunny day and 110 in the solarium if not vented. i vented it into the
house on sunny cold days. in the summer i just kept the screened
windows open. i had a place under the board walk in the solarium with
3 sets, if i remember right, of shop lights and 4 sets of
incandescents hidden in the top of it where i grew African violets
like in the wild. had a small fan to kep air circulated and would
stick a leaf in the soil and in a couple of months more violets. i
decided that the lord watered the violets wherever he grew them by
rain falling from above, so i sprayed them with water from above and
they did beautifully. never could keep one living in a pot, though!

gotto go and check those two little projects!
Lee h/tvksi

'well, momma always planted 3 seeds in a spot, one for me, one for the
critters, and one for sure, so that's what i usually do and in the
case of the corn, right next to the corn stalks which were about a
foot high when i planted the beans. I am also a novice at this as it
has been about 50 years since i have planted corn myself. Left that
job to others during the past years. I really don't know what the
optimum number of beans vines a stalk can handle : )
i am in US zone 7 so can plant earlier than some on the group. we have
had 90+ degrees many times already this year.
---lee h/tvksi

"Forrest" wrote in message ...
I'm new to this stuff. I've always pretty much stuck to tomatoes but this
year I'm going for more. I dug up the corner of the back yard to about 12
ft. square and planted the tomatoes along the wall. I have some corn started
in pots and some beans. I like your idea of letting them grow up the corn
stalks. I wish I had started the corn much earlier. They are only about 8
in. and in starter posts still. How many bean plants do you use for each
corn stalk? Anywhoo ...... thanks for the tip.

"Lee" wrote in message
om...
corn etc.. my corn is over 4 feet tall already and the
beans that are to grow up them are about 15 inches mostly. I didn't
start them in the "greenhous" though G

Lee wrote:

...I am also a novice at this as it
has been about 50 years since i have planted corn myself. Left that
job to others during the past years...


Corn, being wind pollinated rather than insect pollinated, needs a
fairly large block to form good ears. A few stalks here and there won't
hack it. I would plant 3 rows minimum. If you're strapped for space, you
might get away with rows 5 or 10 feet long, but bigger is better. If the
ears don't get pollinated thoroughly, you will get ears with lots of
missing kernels. Not only does it reduce the edible yield, it makes them
harder to eat.

oh-oh--- guess i'm in trouble if i expect a lot of roast'n ears!
Thanks so much for reminding me of the pollination method.. i'd
totally forgotten,but having been forwarned, i will not suffer so much
disapointment when thelittle ears come out snagle-toothed..: )... i
only have an area 4 ft by about 20 feet planted and i pretty much
saturated the area and the long sides of the area run north and south,
so hopefully, since our wind is primarily from the southsouth west,
maybe some of it will end up polinated, but not all of it. BUT!! it is
so pretty! it has even tassled! i will enjoy it whether or not it
bears, just enjoy sitting on the porch/patio and watching the breezes
ripple it. beautiful shades of shiny green... taller than the fence...
have a chain link fence and while practical, not very pretty, but the
corn is.. and this fall, i can make a corn shock thingie for
thanksgiving and/or hallow'en!!!
I'll have plenty for that!...i think..
lee h/tvksi

dps wrote in message ...
Lee wrote:

...I am also a novice at this as it
has been about 50 years since i have planted corn myself. Left that
job to others during the past years...


Corn, being wind pollinated rather than insect pollinated, needs a
fairly large block to form good ears. A few stalks here and there won't
hack it. I would plant 3 rows minimum. If you're strapped for space, you
might get away with rows 5 or 10 feet long, but bigger is better. If the
ears don't get pollinated thoroughly, you will get ears with lots of
missing kernels. Not only does it reduce the edible yield, it makes them
harder to eat.

Lee wrote:
oh-oh--- guess i'm in trouble if i expect a lot of roast'n ears!
Thanks so much for reminding me of the pollination method.. i'd
totally forgotten,but having been forwarned, i will not suffer so much
disapointment when thelittle ears come out snagle-toothed..: )... i
only have an area 4 ft by about 20 feet planted and i pretty much
saturated the area and the long sides of the area run north and south,
so hopefully, since our wind is primarily from the southsouth west,
maybe some of it will end up polinated, but not all of it. BUT!! it is
so pretty! it has even tassled! i will enjoy it whether or not it
bears, just enjoy sitting on the porch/patio and watching the breezes
ripple it. beautiful shades of shiny green... taller than the fence...
have a chain link fence and while practical, not very pretty, but the
corn is.. and this fall, i can make a corn shock thingie for
thanksgiving and/or hallow'en!!!
I'll have plenty for that!...i think..
lee h/tvksi




Since you don't have much, you might try the following:

Watch for the ears to show silk.

When you see silk, cut off a tassel and gently rub it on silk. Do this
on all the ears. Next day cut off another and wipe it on the silk. Do
this on the upwind corn first. If you enjoy the view of the corn, you
can cut the tassels that are least visible from your patio. Repeat this
process for a week or so, until you start to see some of the silk
turning brown.

This is not guaranteed to work, but it may take the place of limited
wind pollination.

dps wrote in message ...
Lee wrote:
oh-oh--- guess i'm in trouble if i expect a lot of roast'n ears!
Thanks so much for reminding me of the pollination method.. i'd
totally forgotten,but having been forwarned, i will not suffer so much
disapointment when thelittle ears come out snagle-toothed..: )...



Since you don't have much, you might try the following:

Watch for the ears to show silk.

When you see silk, cut off a tassel and gently rub it on silk. Do this
on all the ears. Next day cut off another and wipe it on the silk. Do
this on the upwind corn first. If you enjoy the view of the corn, you
can cut the tassels that are least visible from your patio. Repeat this
process for a week or so, until you start to see some of the silk
turning brown.

This is not guaranteed to work, but it may take the place of limited
wind pollination.

Thanks for the sugestion. Sounds good.. i'll do it! I pollinted some
tomatoes with a feather one year in the solarium and did have a few
tomatoes!! not many, but some!thanks. Did you know that cornsilks are
supposed to help relieve urinary track infections?
lee h/tvksi

Lee wrote:
.... Did you know that cornsilks are
supposed to help relieve urinary track infections?..



Didn't know that, but I get a lot of silk stuck in my teeth during the
summer and haven't had any infections, so does that mean anything?