What I did on my homestead while it was zero fahrenheit

What I did on my homestead while it was zero fahrenheit

This morning the temperature dropped as low as 0° F. I was planning on completing my Berkey style water filter build today but it was just so cold.  I had to get creative to stay busy today.  

Frugal off grid Arizona High Desert pond below zero Fahrenheit

It dawned on me how much warmer it should be in the geothermal greenhouse.  I finally installed a large enough system to keep the fans and aquaponics system running 24/7. While it was 0° outside, it was 20° inside the geo. 

High desert geothermal greenhouse temperature regulated off grid

Although it's cold as hell today, I think this will be the last of the real cold nights.  I think we'll stay in the 20s and 30s going forward for the most part so I have been planning to start some seeds.  I already have several starts I direct sowed in the geo and I planted many more seeds a week ago but I want to start more seeds and push the boundaries by trying to get some to sprout that shouldn't be planted until spring.  

Grow tent starting seeds geothermal greenhouse

I really enjoyed my day, setting this grow tent up.  It was so comfortable and warm in there, while it was really cold and covered in snow outside.  

Simple cheap grow tent shelve

I decided to whip up a really simple, scrap material shelf that would tightly fit my seed trays so I could easily open the tent and spray them down.  

Grow tent shelf for starting seeds

These 9 trays are capable of starting 441 seeds. I loaded them up with my compost pile that's been breaking down a long time now.  There's even biochar in there.  

Frugal off grid homemade soil for seed starts

While I set it all up I set packets on each row to remember what I planted, where.  I did a full tray of green beans and one of carrots.  I mixed a tray with cosmos, nasturtiums and zenias.  One tray is black seed lettuce, spinach and red romaine.  I planted a tray of herbs, cilantro, parsley, oregano and bunching onions.  I made a tray of black locust trees and moringa.  One tray for pea flower and rose.  And a mixed tray of fruit, cantaloupe, honey dew, watermelon, and paya. I'm probably missing something.  I listed them from memory.  

450 seed starts

When I was finished planting all the seeds I drew a simple diagram of the grow tent and trays then labeled each tray with the seeds I planted.  

Frugal off grid garden journal

It was nice to feel like I was working on a spring day while it was so cold out.  I'm really looking forward to seeing the geothermal and aquaponics thrive this year. 

Leave me a comment if you have any questions or want to share what you've been starting for your spring garden.  

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12 comments

Really cool

Mike

Thanks Paul, I want to provide value to those who follow along and this seems to be a good way to offer a different perspective for anyone who wants more information or a different approach. I haven’t been gardening long but I recall many times wishing I had more successful rates of seedlings. I’m not rocket scientist but it seems if I try to start more seeds, I’ll end up with more seedlings. I may even learn there are a handful of seeds that wouldn’t be recommended that do well because of the geo.

Frugal Off Grid

I love the fact that your blogging as well. That’s awesome to see you still managing to be productive in the low temps. That’s great that your pushing the limits of mass planting a garden. Planting season is getting underway. Go big or go home. 👊🤠👍

Paul Lopes

Thanks for reading my blog Maurice. I chose black locusts because they fix nitrogen, they grow so fast people consider them invasive and the leaves are similar to alfalfa in regards to nutrient density so they make good feed. Of course the wood is great for furniture and burns hot.

Frugal Off Grid

That geothermal seems to serve many purposes! I’m gonna need one at my place 👌🏼
What’s your plan with those black locusts? Back in Indiana, they were for fence posts 🤔

Maurice

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