Weatherproofing your plans for your garden

[Marianne]

Wow, great tips everyone. Thanks Pat, I know that took quite a while for you to type all that info for us.

 

[Denim Deb]

I have never tried this since its not really needed in this area, but I have heard of others trying this w/great success.

Take an old freezer or an old fridge. Remove anything from it that can harm the soil as well as the door. Then, dig a large hole, large enough to bury most of it, place it in the hole, then stick the dirt inside. If you wish, you can make some kind of framework to put plastic over it. Then, plant anything that needs a long, warm growing season in this. The insulation will help keep the soil warm. And, the plastic can trap the heat in.

 

[savingdogs]

NOW I know what to do with that old fridge!

 

[moolie]

If you want training for weather disasters, come garden in Colorado for a few seasons

A biggie here is hail. It can easily wipe out your entire garden.

Similar here in Alberta.

We have cool springs with frost danger till the end of May and sometimes into June, usually very wet in June (only month of the year we really seem to get any rain and it makes up for it most years), hot summer days and nights, cool nights beginning mid August onward (although we've had hot hot hot summers that lasted till the end of September and into October), and September 1 seems to be the day that the leaves on the trees turn colours. We can get snow any month of the year, but July and August are usually spared.

Our garden is made up of raised beds, some with frames made of copper water pipes with netting/chicken wire for things that climb like peas, cukes etc.

I will run outside when thunderstorms blow up to clamp sheets over the tops of the frames with small plastic clamps to make a roof to keep the hail off the plants.

I've also been known to improvise a "greenhouse" bed or two by clamping thick household vapour barrier plastic around the frames as well. Whatever it takes to keep things alive

The clamps are not much bigger than a clothespin (actually used to use clothespins but they aren't strong enough) and they look like this:

I got the first set at Canadian Tire, but have since found more at dollar stores.

 

[Wifezilla]

I have a bunch of those. So handy. I got mine at Lowes.

 

[country freedom]

One way to retain extra water for the garden, is to switch to garden safe soaps for personal and dish use.
Then open up the drains under all the sinks and place buckets under them.
Find a tub that will fit in your shower as well, and stand in that while showering.
All that water can then go in the garden.

And mulch, mulch, mulch.

ETA I guess part of my post is redundant

Great ideas!
Now to talk my DFiance' into doing the kitchen and bathroom sinks like that.
What kind of tub for the shower, that'll fit into a bathtub?

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

One way to retain extra water for the garden, is to switch to garden safe soaps for personal and dish use.
Then open up the drains under all the sinks and place buckets under them.
Find a tub that will fit in your shower as well, and stand in that while showering.
All that water can then go in the garden.

And mulch, mulch, mulch.

ETA I guess part of my post is redundant

Great ideas!
Now to talk my DFiance' into doing the kitchen and bathroom sinks like that.
What kind of tub for the shower, that'll fit into a bathtub?

I have a tub kicking around, that probably would be called a tote.
Looks like this one, and holds about 20 gallons.
http://bereadyforservice.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/19-gallon-tub-with-rope-handles2.jpg

I have never needed to save water this way, as we have an artisan well that has to be specially capped to stop the geyser, so we use it to mix chicken feed.
But, if it came down to it, we have everything needed to save water out of every drain in the house.

 

[country freedom]

One way to retain extra water for the garden, is to switch to garden safe soaps for personal and dish use.
Then open up the drains under all the sinks and place buckets under them.
Find a tub that will fit in your shower as well, and stand in that while showering.
All that water can then go in the garden.

And mulch, mulch, mulch.

ETA I guess part of my post is redundant

Great ideas!
Now to talk my DFiance' into doing the kitchen and bathroom sinks like that.
What kind of tub for the shower, that'll fit into a bathtub?

I have a tub kicking around, that probably would be called a tote.
Looks like this one, and holds about 20 gallons.
http://bereadyforservice.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/19-gallon-tub-with-rope-handles2.jpg

I have never needed to save water this way, as we have an artisan well that has to be specially capped to stop the geyser, so we use it to mix chicken feed.
But, if it came down to it, we have everything needed to save water out of every drain in the house.

Ok,
Thank you!

 

[Denim Deb]

You can get tubs like that in Wal-Mart.

 

[country freedom]

You can get tubs like that in Wal-Mart.

Cool - I will go to my Walmart next week and check this out.
Thank you.