February 26, 2018

 Sometimes I think in far west Texas hardening off veggie seedlings is as much about acclimating seedlings to our light levels as it is about the temperature thing. This time of year, it is both but by far most of the year it is the light thingy.

My cold frame is a rube Goldberg sort of thing. It is a couple pairs of windows leaning up against the south side of my house. A sheet of Agribon 70 over the face and boards and blankets over the ends. This has worked quite well for me. Save for 2011 I do not think it has ever frozen in this contraption. In 2011 I was growing an Arkansas Traveler tomato that was beginning to bloom (in February) when the big freezes that year burst my daydreams of extra early tomatoes.

Like I said this is not any high security sort of contraption. Frequently the cat likes to crawl inside for dappled light, winter warmth and no wind. So just about anything with a drive could get inside. Some how though I have foiled the chickens. Greens, chickens and winter, the veggies would be destroyed in a Nano second.

Having gotten my veggies of size on my light table, it was time to harden them off. The first bunch of tomatoes were hardened and out planted. As I was planting I noticed one appeared to have a chunk out of the stem right at the base. Made some comment about cursed rodents and planted it so that roots would grow above the browsing. 

Once the toms were out of the cold frame I put in my jalapenos. This past Sunday I went to bury them and how taken aback I was, when over half of them were gone, save for a few leaves. These were 12-inch-tall plants and all that was left was a stump maybe ¼ inch tall. Boy howdy did the cat drop the ball?

I have more seedlings to set out, but unless I can catch the perpetrator, not in the cold frame. Maybe having the chickens in the front yard kept the rodents at bay too. Just not sure.

So back to the drawing board. I have erected a bit of a shelter out in the garden with lots of covers in case we have one of our infamous temperature swings.  This should work and also be away from that rodent.

We are doing some work on the house and one of the plans is to build a more secure cold frame.

In the meantime, one rube Goldberg follows the other. I have also started some more jalapenos to fill out that bed.

Gotta love agriculture!!