Building the High Tunnel

Well, I’ve taken a hiatus from mushroom experimentation after those bags of innoculated sawdust failed miserably (more on that in another post). Since late last week I’ve been working on setting up that high tunnel I mentioned earlier.  And not too soon. It’s getting pretty late in the year and all my winter crops have to be out of the high tunnel by the time February rolls around since that’s when I’ll be transplanting the early tomatoes into it.

It’s taking longer than I expected it to, for sure, compounded by the fact that I cut the base of my pinky finger to the bone Sunday afternoon and have been a bit handicapped by it. Thankfully, my dad has been able to pick up the slack on getting the tunnel set up, and as you can see by the picture, the frame is just about done, all that’s left is stretching the plastic and installing the roll-up mechanism for the sides. Then, I’ll start sowing seeds like a madman! Some of the crops I’ll be growing throught the winter include:

• Arugula
• “Kisaku” Chinese Cabbage
• Many kinds of leaf lettuce
• Asian “Sword Lettuce”
• White, Red, and Purple Carrots
• Yu Choy Sum (an Asian brassica)
• Mizuna and Mibuna (two greens in the mustard family)
• Parsnips
• Kohlrabi
• Red Swiss Chard
• Several kinds of beets
• Red-veined spinach

Come Spring, I’ll be planting early tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes, charantais melons, and cucumbers.

I’m so excited! 2010 is gonna rock!