The Joy of Gardening

[Truly Scrumptious]

Originally Posted by Soft*Silver

I too live in a short season area..range 5. NE Ohio. I cannot start anything inside because we have 4 cats and they tear up my starts. We are considering putting grow lights in a room in the basement, for a seed starting area. It would keep the cats away. Maybe next year once I get this garden started.

You can actually make mini greenhouses with the bottoms of plastic soda bottles. They fit pretty tightly around the pots so unless your cats were really determined, the starts would likely be safe. A 2 L bottle bottom fits snugly around a 4 inch pot, and the 750 ml bottle bottom fits around a 2.5 inch pot. I have some lemon and grapefruit seeds starting this way right now so here's a pic of what I mean.

[Soft*Silver]

I actually use these when I plant seedlings outside. Inside, my cats are prone to use any dirt for litter boxes. I have tried for a few years, and they have won each year. LOL. So I am resigned to starting things outside. I DO want to get a greenhouse going eventually. However, I tend to do things in a big way when in reality, my age and my physical limitations might prevent things from happening. I need to bear all this in mind. I dont believe I am limited until I go to do something. LOL.

What I have going for me, is that I did an internship in horticulture therapy, and specialized in creating gardens for those who had limitations. So, I am designing everything this time, to accomodate me as I continue aging. I have raised beds, and am putting in a few more this year. I grow things vertically when I can...like berries and grapes, peas and beans, gourds and melons.

Originally Posted by Truly Scrumptious

You can actually make mini greenhouses with the bottoms of plastic soda bottles. They fit pretty tightly around the pots so unless your cats were really determined, the starts would likely be safe. A 2 L bottle bottom fits snugly around a 4 inch pot, and the 750 ml bottle bottom fits around a 2.5 inch pot. I have some lemon and grapefruit seeds starting this way right now so here's a pic of what I mean.

[Cin]

Originally Posted by Soft*Silver

Inside, my cats are prone to use any dirt for litter boxes.

Wow. That is impressive. These pots are about 3 inches around and the covers are pretty tight. I have trouble getting them off. Your cats must be quite dexterous, not to mention they gotta have some tiny little bums. LOL.

[Soft*Silver]

Originally Posted by Cin

Wow. That is impressive. These pots are about 3 inches around and the covers are pretty tight. I have trouble getting them off. Your cats must be quite dexterous, not to mention they gotta have some tiny little bums. LOL.

My one boy would spend his time trying to get the lids off. Jet Kitty destroyed the terrariums I had started last year, using pop bottles. They were much like these, but I included a tiny fairy and some whimsical items like itty bitty tiny tools and flower pots. I had to give them away to save them.

My tabby female is the one who scratches in the dirt and her momma, Tiny Teena is the main culprit who act as tho the pots are tiny litter boxes. The cats dont actually make it IN the dirt...the "fall out" drops to the side, but they scratch in the dirt... so i have poo and soil to clean up..and dead plants.

I had hoped to screen in my mud room/enclosed front porch and put some starts in there, but not this year. Thats a project that has gotten delayed.

the only plants I can have in my house right now are hanging plants...

[Kätzchen]

Originally Posted by Truly Scrumptious

You can actually make mini greenhouses with the bottoms of plastic soda bottles. They fit pretty tightly around the pots so unless your cats were really determined, the starts would likely be safe. A 2 L bottle bottom fits snugly around a 4 inch pot, and the 750 ml bottle bottom fits around a 2.5 inch pot. I have some lemon and grapefruit seeds starting this way right now so here's a pic of what I mean.

That's such a great idea, Truly.

I live in a densely populated urban setting, so I think I can use your helpful idea to grow starter plants at home. We have community gardens in various locales across the greater metro area, but I don't live close enough to any of them, to make use of this kind of program. So I'm going to make use of your idea. Thank you !

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I'm not an avid gardener, but I do like to garden in small ways. Especially if I can use small foot print ideas and try not to support anything to do with Monsanto. But that's getting harder and harder to do lately. I read somewhere recently that plastic is now found in the human food chain, so that's a scary thought.

I did a tiny bit of looking online for resources that might come in handy (for anyone who wants to do their own research, etc).

Here are two resources that might help:

http://www.almanac.com/content/garde...-order-sources


https://www.smallfootprintfamily.com...-non-gmo-seeds

Happy Gardening.