Zen’s Winter Run 2025

[Zen_seeker]

Moved the girls after dinner last night. Light aren’t on until 4pm but I’m sure three survived the night.


We’ll see what they’re like tonight.

 

[Stoneyluv]

Moved the girls after dinner last night. Light aren’t on until 4pm but I’m sure three survived the night.
View attachment 116467

We’ll see what they’re like tonight.

is that a heat mat you have under them?

i know it's been getting cooler here so it's gotta be amplified up there.. have you had a freeze yet?

 

[Zen_seeker]

is that a heat mat you have under them?

No it’s a plastic garden walkway that unrolls. I used tie raps to hold two sections side by side to act as a riser. The washer flood tray has a raised middle that I had to deal with.

The black heat mat was in the section they just left. I’m hoping with the heat on since thanksgiving I can get by without it.

i know it's been getting cooler here so it's gotta be amplified up there.. have you had a freeze yet?

We had two frost mornings two weeks ago(?). Just before I brought the Thai pepper plant inside.

Since then it went from 2*-4* in the morning back to 10*-16*. So from lower than normal to higher than normal for this time of year.

Been a year of crazy weather and many poor crops. I think apples are the only thing that have done okay. Even the vegetables in the grocery stores look…off…not as large, off colours, and way too expensive.

I’d like to bring in the Cayenne pepper plant too but it’s bigger and bushier. We don’t have room for it. If we can keep the Thai alive until spring I’ll see about making indoor plans for some things next year.

How’s your outdoor doing? Don’t recall seeing any pics from your greenhouse in a while. You making arrangements for the Koi fish or are they good as is all year?

I’m considering bringing in some rain barrel water for the plants. It literally fed the vegetables for 1/3 to 1/2 the year with little to no fertilizer added.

 

[Zen_seeker]

20251019: GM & GGB#4

So the same night I move the plants from the small tent section to the largest section doesn’t the humidity drop? From high 70’s to low 50’s in the basement. High winds started and storms coming today so it might bump back up. I’d like 60-70% RH so added a coffee can of hot water this morning. We’ll see later. I might have to close the doors to trap the air.

The original Grease Monkey is doing great. I’m 90% certain I’ll top it and clone it by the end of the week.

Both of the GGB#4 are doing well. One’s a bit bigger than the other as it came up a day earlier. No funky leaves or colour issues.

The last GM is still trying. If it doesn’t kick in by the time I have a viable clone it’s getting replaced.

Guard dog is missing the Sunshine.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Haven’t touched the vegetable garden since Thursday. Light rain the last two days/nights with more coming. I imagine I’ll be ripping everything down by EOM.

Inside Thai pepper plant is doing better than I expected. Only two already yellowing bottom leaves didn’t spring back. No more flowers are coming in but that’s to be expected. We don’t get much sun inside. Mostly from 10am-1pm. The soil is still damp after it’s first watering a couple days ago so we’ll leave it for now.

It still has a lot of green peppers turning red daily. I picked 22 more yesterday.

 

[Zen_seeker]

Made this two years ago but wifey kiboshed the idea when she learned it was a worm compost. I’m hoping the small one I’m using now let’s her see it’s not a big deal. No escaping, no bad smells and no bugs or worse being attracted. (It’s an indoor outdoor plan so outdoors might need additional things to stop things like raccoons.)

Each crate is a bin. The top is a tumbler for mixing and dealing with either compost or the processing of the castings and soil.

Need to move it to the garage for now. But soon my precious.

 

[Zen_seeker]

Big a ass fat squirrel took my two biggest Teddy Bear sunflower heads I was drying for seeds. So I took all the remaining smaller heads inside to dry. Lots are immature and empty. So I filtered them with the worm casting screens, twice. The larger I’m saving and giving away. The smaller will go I the bird feeder.



I’m going to pop four to see if they are any good. I might keep them for my wife or toss them. She hasn’t been looking after her plants lately so we’ll see.

 

[Zen_seeker]

 

[Zen_seeker]

20251022: GM & GGB#4

The original GM is doing great. Debating if I’m going to top it or leave it alone.

The GGB#4 is doing its best to catch up.

The last GM is hanging on. More leaves are coming up.

They got their first watering today. 500ml for all but the runt. It got a little around in a ring.

 

[Zen_seeker]

I chopped the top of the Grease Monkey. It was too short to clone but I tried it anyway. Nothing to lose.



The rest of it got chopped up and fed to the worms. Now that’s gangster.



Had to close the tent door again. Much colder today and humidity is dropping fast. 50%RH and 6* this morning.

 

[Stoneyluv]

No it’s a plastic garden walkway that unrolls. I used tie raps to hold two sections side by side to act as a riser. The washer flood tray has a raised middle that I had to deal with.

The black heat mat was in the section they just left. I’m hoping with the heat on since thanksgiving I can get by without it.

oh man, giving them some tough love.. no heat for you!!! haha

We had two frost mornings two weeks ago(?). Just before I brought the Thai pepper plant inside.

Since then it went from 2*-4* in the morning back to 10*-16*. So from lower than normal to higher than normal for this time of year.

Been a year of crazy weather and many poor crops. I think apples are the only thing that have done okay. Even the vegetables in the grocery stores look…off…not as large, off colours, and way too expensive.

those thai peppers look great!!!! i can almost taste em from here!!!

I’d like to bring in the Cayenne pepper plant too but it’s bigger and bushier. We don’t have room for it. If we can keep the Thai alive until spring I’ll see about making indoor plans for some things next year.

my buddy did this with a coffee plant for a few years.. thing was huge, took up an entire room and couldn't use the room for anything else. had to be all gentle squeezing by to get upstairs.. no way man, not for me!!

How’s your outdoor doing? Don’t recall seeing any pics from your greenhouse in a while. You making arrangements for the Koi fish or are they good as is all year?

i didn't have an outdoor garden this year. never got started in time and once it started overgrowing to point where it would have been work i said screw it... turns out i've been getting pity veggies from all kinds of people and probably have more fresh vegetables than if i would have grown them myself!!! hahaha

i was just given some nice garlic and peppers today!!! a few jalapenos and something she called a one out ten pepper??? she said one out of ten were hot!! haha

idk, they look like cayenne to me???



my neighbors gave me some fresh picked apples yesterday.. said they picked them from the tree themselves.. we ate one with some peanut butter last night... drooool!!!!

i chopped down my outdoor plant.. i sprayed it real heavy with peroxide while it was raining out and washed it off before i chopped it and then hung it in the garage... still there now.. getting crispy and just about ready to jar...

I’m considering bringing in some rain barrel water for the plants. It literally fed the vegetables for 1/3 to 1/2 the year with little to no fertilizer added.

if you're ever worried about anything you can always peroxide it or UV it, i thought my water was a problem for a while but i was wrong, there's nothing wrong with it one bit and i will continue to use it!!! your water is fine too you've been using it forever, just use it where ya can!! i gotta play a small dance in the winter and top off when i can in between hard freezes but it's not that bad if i plan for it. haven't run out yet so...

 

[Zen_seeker]

oh man, giving them some tough love.. no heat for you!!! haha

It’s not that bad or I wouldn’t have moved them.

Tent temperature goes between 25*-27* so the centre of the soil should only be 1* lower in these pots. If I suspect an overnight drop I close the doors before bed.

those thai peppers look great!!!! i can almost taste em from here!!!

We had them tonight on my wife’s pizza bruschetta pizza. Pics in the cooking thread. Hot but they cool down quick.

my buddy did this with a coffee plant for a few years.. thing was huge, took up an entire room and couldn't use the room for anything else. had to be all gentle squeezing by to get upstairs.. no way man, not for me!!

If they aren’t in the way I don’t mind. I spend 75% of my waking time in the basement anyway.

We’ve had large real plants and a few fake trees. Once they get too dusty and a shower no longer cleans them out they go.

At least this one earns its keep.

i didn't have an outdoor garden this year. never got started in time and once it started overgrowing to point where it would have been work i said screw it... turns out i've been getting pity veggies from all kinds of people and probably have more fresh vegetables than if i would have grown them myself!!! hahaha

Consider it a break. Nice you have a local veggie group.

With the over grown parts try covering them with cardboard. I think I’m going to try and do a few things in the ground next year. Watermelon for example.

I remember my uncle using newspaper and cardboard in his garden so looked it up. Still a valid method. So I might try the cardboard sheet on the ground with soil over top for a section.

i was just given some nice garlic and peppers today!!! a few jalapenos and something she called a one out ten pepper??? she said one out of ten were hot!! haha idk, they look like cayenne to me???

View attachment 116781

They do look like Cayenne. Leave them out and they should go red. Every once in a while one is hotter than the rest so maybe that’s what she meant?

I’m pretty sure I’ll be chopping the last of our tomatoes and peppers this weekend.

my neighbors gave me some fresh picked apples yesterday.. said they picked them from the tree themselves.. we ate one with some peanut butter last night... drooool!!!!

Nice. When I moved here we had a apple tree and most neighbours had a fruit baring tree. All are gone now.

Kids liked apple slices with peanut butter or caramel. I was never into it. Couldn’t do apple pie with cheddar either.

i chopped down my outdoor plant.. i sprayed it real heavy with peroxide while it was raining out and washed it off before i chopped it and then hung it in the garage... still there now.. getting crispy and just about ready to jar...

View attachment 116780

Looks good. Hope it’s clean and bug free. The H2O2 should take care of anything else trying to take hold.

if you're ever worried about anything you can always peroxide it or UV it, i thought my water was a problem for a while but i was wrong, there's nothing wrong with it one bit and i will continue to use it!!! your water is fine too you've been using it forever, just use it where ya can!!

This is my first time using it indoor on the plants. Prior has always been tap water. PH and PPM were always good so I don’t even check anymore. Not good but spot check once or twice a year. Never checked the rain water. Might do that later just to see.

i gotta play a small dance in the winter and top off when i can in between hard freezes but it's not that bad if i plan for it. haven't run out yet so...

Rivers and wells can be tricky. You don’t have a heating wire or is this just for collected rain water? You’ve got a collection station with stages iirc?

 

[Stoneyluv]

We had them tonight on my wife’s pizza bruschetta pizza. Pics in the cooking thread. Hot but they cool down quick.

looked damn good.. fow show!!!!

If they aren’t in the way I don’t mind. I spend 75% of my waking time in the basement anyway.

We’ve had large real plants and a few fake trees. Once they get too dusty and a shower no longer cleans them out they go.

At least this one earns its keep.

wow you're a cellar dwellar huh?!?! hahaha

They do look like Cayenne. Leave them out and they should go red. Every once in a while one is hotter than the rest so maybe that’s what she meant?

I’m pretty sure I’ll be chopping the last of our tomatoes and peppers this weekend.

just confirmed, they're not cayenne.. they're italian long hots. popular around here on hoagies and subs, even cheesesteaks!!! they're normally roasted first. if you're interested.. https://feelingfoodish.com/italian-long-hots-mesilla-peppers/

Couldn’t do apple pie with cheddar either.

wait up... you mean apple pie and cheese? ewwwwww.. i couldn't do that either!! who would want to!!! melted or raw... ewww i don't even wanna know!!! hahahahaha

This is my first time using it indoor on the plants. Prior has always been tap water. PH and PPM were always good so I don’t even check anymore. Not good but spot check once or twice a year. Never checked the rain water. Might do that later just to see.

my rain water is pretty clean.. sometimes zero ppms... i'd be curious as to what yours is?

Rivers and wells can be tricky. You don’t have a heating wire or is this just for collected rain water? You’ve got a collection station with stages iirc?

i don't heat it all, wouldn't be difficult.. i just never found it needed yet. the outside catch is 275 gallons and i have a water line that goes under my patio (it's just laying on the ground) and then comes in my basement window thats right above my indoor 55 gallon drum. i just keep that drum topped off when i can in the winter . the big outdoor one takes a while to freeze solid and even when theres ice in it i can still get water from the line sometimes. normally the hose will freeze and thaw before anything else does.

but now that i actually ran a water line over to the grow cabinets i don't need to depend on the rain water like i have been in the past winters.

 

[Zen_seeker]

20501023: GM & GGB#4

Going to spread them out by the weekend if they keep this up.


The runt is trying. Looks like a third set of leaves are coming up.

Tested the Teddy Bear sunflower seeds. Two popped and another started. I took the one with the biggest tail and planted it. Tossed the rest, this was just a test of the seeds.

Damp, rainy, humid days with a chill. Think today or tomorrow are the last. Might need to start closing the doors.

 

[Zen_seeker]

20251025: GM & GGB#4


Had to close the room the last two nights. Basement has been 18*-20* with the cold and rain overnight. It’s helping.

The GGB#4 is a little yellow. I’ll add some epsom and ProCal next watering, tonight or tomorrow.




The nursery…


The runt GM is getting bigger, but very slowly. The sunflower is up and doing fine so far. The clone I’m not sure about. I’m not expecting it to root and take off before the tops get bad. It was too small to put in my cloner so the shot glass was a let’s see what happens move.

 

[Zen_seeker]

These grow bags work pretty well.
It’s hard to see with the camera but the bags full of new roots and the have been coming out the bottom for days.

Which size to use and which works best for my needs is still being tested.

 

[Zen_seeker]

Cleaning out the worm bin. It got too moist from all the melon and cucumber.







After filtering out the worms and putting them back I search for eggs. Found over 60 this time. I try to return them ASAP.


Almost filled a coffee can since we started.

 

[Zen_seeker]

Still looking for a way to water that’s easier on my back and has less spills. The latest posts on the topic included a battery watering wand that’s from the Canadian Amazon. I was talking about it with my son last week and he decided it’s just easier to try it and return it if it didn’t perform as promised.



It arrived yesterday afternoon. At first glance it was okay and just needed the battery charged. But further investigation shows the information posted on Amazon doesn’t match the ones that came with it in the instructions. One of the more important ones is it only lasts two hours per charge. Additionally one of the spray heads, the articulated one, is broken.

I setup a few things I could use to measure volume and time it. I decided to use the blue six hole tip as that’s what I think I’ll be using the most. It was screwed on enough to act like a shower head rather than a power sprayer.


I did five tests each on high and on low. Two of which where when it was dry and had to prime before it could spray. The fastest time was 30 seconds to go through 500ml on high and 40 seconds on low.

High

Low

This is about double what @OLDCRO found in his tests which is disappointing. But which tip you use and how tight it is or what it’s set too can change the pressure and therefore the time it takes.

I did cut the hose in half as 8’ is enough for me to use it and stick a foot into a large jug I use for water.

The pressure took a few test tries to get right. Twist the head to tight and it would close the holes too much but open too far and it would make holes in the soil. Luckily I tested on an empty pot first.

Another thing to watch for is over spray. I may have spilled with the watering can a few times in the past but with the wand I can hit the wall or equipment, like my fan, with just an unexpected twist or twitch. (It’s either on or off so moving around the pots can be tricky. If it had a trigger option it would be better imo.)

I’m going to have my son complain about the broken head as I can’t just snap it together as I’d hoped and I don’t want to break it further. I’ll keep testing it by watering for a few weeks. I’m still not sure this is going to be an improvement but I’ll give it a chance.

I’ll update before I decide and see what happens about the damaged head when we contact Amazon.

 

[steamroller]

I believe that is called locline and will go back together with just pressure.
They make a tool for it. Not cheap in Canada[ surprise~!]
It is an aquarium thing that I have a good stockpile of with the tool.
There are different sizes like 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch.
You should be able to push it back together.
Push harder~!

 

[Zen_seeker]

View attachment 116979
I believe that is called locline and will go back together with just pressure.
They make a tool for it. Not cheap in Canada[ surprise~!]
It is an aquarium thing that I have a good stockpile of with the tool.
There are different sizes like 1/2 inch, 3/4 inch.
You should be able to push it back together.
Push harder~!

Thanks Steam. It seems a softer, less brittle, plastic I can snap together but it didn’t cooperate on a few tries by hand. I was thinking of using a wrench to hold it in place before trying again but decided we should talk to Amazon first JIC I break it.

Something like this but we’ll see.

 

[steamroller]

The tool looks like this^^
Maybe you could 3D print one?
They are $20 US or $60 Canadian.....
With wrench on top of loose piece maybe a hammer would help.

 

[Zen_seeker]

View attachment 116983
The tool looks like this^^
Maybe you could 3D print one?
They are $20 US or $60 Canadian.....
With wrench on top of loose piece maybe a hammer would help.

What’s it called, so I can search for it? NM, loc line tool works.

Cool, I’ll look. But I think the printed ones would fail. I’ve broken plastic leather punches in the past. Large hands and good grip.

If I have a better fitting wrench I’ll try the hammer idea on my vice. Needle nose pliers with a cloth over the teeth might work too. We shall see…

 

[steamroller]

What’s it called, so I can search for it? NM, loc line tool works.

Cool, I’ll look. But I think the printed ones would fail. I’ve broken plastic leather punches in the past. Large hands and good grip.

If I have a better fitting wrench I’ll try the hammer idea on my vice. Needle nose pliers with a cloth over the teeth might work too. We shall see…

Possibly heating the line up in HOT water prior will also help.
I only have the tool because they are hard to lock up but that is what it is all about.
Once locked it is a flexible water tight line that you can change the length or end piece of at any time.
Two wrenches and a clamp would also probably work.

 

[OLDCRO]

Still looking for a way to water that’s easier on my back and has less spills. The latest posts on the topic included a battery watering wand that’s from the Canadian Amazon. I was talking about it with my son last week and he decided it’s just easier to try it and return it if it didn’t perform as promised.

View attachment 116965

It arrived yesterday afternoon. At first glance it was okay and just needed the battery charged. But further investigation shows the information posted on Amazon doesn’t match the ones that came with it in the instructions. One of the more important ones is it only lasts two hours per charge. Additionally one of the spray heads, the articulated one, is broken. View attachment 116966

I setup a few things I could use to measure volume and time it. I decided to use the blue six hole tip as that’s what I think I’ll be using the most. It was screwed on enough to act like a shower head rather than a power sprayer.
View attachment 116967

I did five tests each on high and on low. Two of which where when it was dry and had to prime before it could spray. The fastest time was 30 seconds to go through 500ml on high and 40 seconds on low.

HighView attachment 116968View attachment 116969

LowView attachment 116970View attachment 116971

This is about double what @OLDCRO found in his tests which is disappointing. But which tip you use and how tight it is or what it’s set too can change the pressure and therefore the time it takes.

I did cut the hose in half as 8’ is enough for me to use it and stick a foot into a large jug I use for water.

The pressure took a few test tries to get right. Twist the head to tight and it would close the holes too much but open too far and it would make holes in the soil. Luckily I tested on an empty pot first.

Another thing to watch for is over spray. I may have spilled with the watering can a few times in the past but with the wand I can hit the wall or equipment, like my fan, with just an unexpected twist or twitch. (It’s either on or off so moving around the pots can be tricky. If it had a trigger option it would be better imo.)

I’m going to have my son complain about the broken head as I can’t just snap it together as I’d hoped and I don’t want to break it further. I’ll keep testing it by watering for a few weeks. I’m still not sure this is going to be an improvement but I’ll give it a chance.

I’ll update before I decide and see what happens about the damaged head when we contact Amazon.

Im getting a litre per minute on low never tried medium or high setting. Dont no how your getting spray all over never had that problem yet. Only thing i noticed was when turning off wand it tends to keep siphoning forward but i fixed that problem by adding small plastic valve. Shut off wand close valve to stop siphoning move to next pot.

 

[OLDCRO]

I am watering seedlings right now with the wand i have no problems. I am in 3 and 5 gallon pots growing autos start to finish your using small grow bags.

 

[OLDCRO]

Get yourself small plastic valve and install on feed line will stop water flow when moving to next pot.

 

[OLDCRO]

I have used the wand three times now so about an hour or better in total usage and it is still showing fully charged so have no idea how long battery lasts between charges.

 

[OLDCRO]

Your local pet store that sell fish should carry the valve a couple dollars to purchase. You cut your line in half so take a piece of it when you go to get proper fit. I am using the whole lenght 16 feet of hose your using 8 dont no if that has any impact on flow rate.

 

[Zen_seeker]

Im getting a litre per minute on low never tried medium or high setting.

Mine always shows the three battery charged lights by default. If I switch to (I) it’s low, (II) I haven’t used, (III) is high.

I get approximately a minute per litre on high. On low it’s closer to two minutes.

Dont no how your getting spray all over never had that problem yet.

The blue six hole nozzle can shoot pretty far if you turn it sideways while in the pot.

Only thing i noticed was when turning off wand it tends to keep siphoning forward

I noticed that as well. That or it drips a lot.

but i fixed that problem by adding small plastic valve. Shut off wand close valve to stop siphoning move to next pot.

I saw you posted that. I’m near a few hardware stores. Looked them up yesterday.

 

[Zen_seeker]

I am watering seedlings right now with the wand i have no problems. I am in 3 and 5 gallon pots growing autos start to finish your using small grow bags.

Ya I was planning to upgrade to the 3G pots this week or next. But the runts taking its time. The two GGB#4 aren’t happy either. More yellow than I’d expect. Original GM is doing just fine.

The bags aren’t bad but this size is bigger than I’d like to start these in going forward. I’ll try the smaller bags and save these bags for our house and garden plants I think. I just finished ripping out the garden and putting the crates away. The grow bags I used did well. Plants grew through them okay. But more noticeably at the top, at least with peppers and tomatoes.

 

[Zen_seeker]

Get yourself small plastic valve and install on feed line will stop water flow when moving to next pot.View attachment 116985

Yep, saw your post on Stoney’s thread. Priced and checked stock. Prices are stupid but affordable. I was hoping to grab one today but wife had plans for me.