The Greenhouse Volume 1

 Back in the early spring the Homestead Engineer set up a little greenhouse I found on sale at Harbor Freight for $200! We started a few little things, but since we got started late we didn't see much of an impact of having the house YET!

I've decided to give a fall garden a try in there. We are treating it like a big old cold frame. In the small pots we have a spattering of kale, salad greens, and spinach. The big feed tub I loaded up with compost ( my 1st year making compost and 1st time using it!!!) to aid in heating, and planted beets, turnips, and carrots.

It was a ton of fun to wade through the attic of our local hardware store to find seeds. So lesson learned I'll buy some extra next spring to put up for my fall garden.

I'm curious to find ways to help keep it warmer there. My dad once made a cold frame with beer bottles of water so I took that idea and went a step farther.

 At our local discount grocery they had salt 15 lbs for a dollar. Thanfully my friends and neighbors entertain me by collecting random crap when I put out an APB and these jugs were kindly brought over by a friend.

 I did some interwebbing and found 1/2 lb of salt per gallon of water should prevent my jugs from freezing and busting.

 With RKR'S help we painted the wall side black. What I read said to leave the inside clear for better heat transfer.

Then... we "installed" the jugs. Our temperature here was around 45 today tonight 4 hours after sundown the house was still in the 40s.

My ultimate greenhouse goal is fresh tomatoes on Christmas, but I'm loving the fact that even though we've had blustery days and even some snow I can seek refuge in 80 degrees in the greenhouse.

In love and light (because it heats me greenhouse)
~AVR