Frustrated Michigander

You ever read online, on here or other garden sites, and want to just have the chance to garden year around like those folks in the southern states? I see all these "great" things they are talking about and wished I could try the various things they are trying in their gardens? I really want to grow bananas or coconuts or bamboo or any kind of oversized tropical plant or something I can find in Fredrick Meijer Gardens...

I can't wait to start seeds!!!!

YOU SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN INTO MY SEED ROBIN RIGHT NOW IT IS IN MISSOURI ,

i have planted some leaf lettuce & i have started a few Daylily seeds . all indoor will let you all know how it turns out .
just build a 4 season room onto your home you can garden any time :))

also today I planted 2 seeds For Tomato plant to put into an up-side down backet to hang here in the house to see how it will do :)) .

good luck & you can garden all year :)

susie

i would soo love a 4 season room I'd be out there all the time lol
gloria

HERE Also I have the home just No one to build it :)))

dang !!! lol may be some day if I win the lotto !!!
Gloria

Don't be so sad. Gardening in the south has it's challenges also and there are things "we" can grow here that they struggle to grow down there or they can't grow period. Some plants and trees do better in cold climates. We also have mild summers and our plants don't burn up in the extreme heat. In the south they also have to fight drought many years. If it doesn't rain, their crops just don't make it. We are blessed with adequate rain and in Michigan we have lots of lakes and streams and water is plentiful. Down south they have to fight monster bugs that we don't see here ........... and snakes!! Our cold winter freezes kill off many bugs for us. My husband was born and raised in Alabama and he still has family there. They complain about their weather and how their plants are burning up all the time and have zone envy for me.

You ever hear the saying, "The grass always seems greener on the other side"..........well that's true. Don't let zone envy do you in. Find what grows well in your yard and be thankful for it. You can baby some plants with things like extra mulching and zone up bags etc. If it really bugs you, then invest in a greenhouse. Be prepared for the extra expensive of heating it at night after the sun goes down.

True enough Loon Or Put in a Nice BIG Bay Window In :))) with flower boxes . I Basement can make for nice green houses if you have the right lighting :)

I Just replanted my Tuber roses How long dose it take for them to Bloom anyway have had them for 2 yrs & Still No Blooms anyone else had any luck with them ????

Yeah, and 1 thing they CAN grow that we CAN'T grow is....KUDZU!!!! We DO have blessings..........

Personally, I enjoy the break from bugs, sweat and weeds.
Have you ever thought about getting a greenhouse?
You can grow indoors under lights during the winter months.

My thoughts Mrs Cottage Rose and my budget are on much different levels. I just enjoy the warmth and I love making things grow. My wife has about reached her limit on house plants, which is maybe about 30. She is very tollerant of my hobby's. I also like the air cleaning properties of the house plants we have.

Its not so much that I want the Southern weather, per se...its the ability to grow some things here that I could if I were there. I love living in Michigan. I enjoy winter. Just like to make things grow and to feed the family with some of the things I do grow. I'd gladly deal with a patch of weeds for a chance at fresh cut flowers or an ear of corn or a fist full of green beans. I do not miss the mosquitoes ever!!!

If I could have a greenhouse that would be a dream come true!!!! Someday....

I'm in Florida now for 2 months. 4-5 nights this week we are to have frost. They have all their pretty plants covered up to withstand the frost. I'm thinking to myself that if they have to deal with this every year--which they have every year we've come down here--why don't they plant frost hardy plants. They would have so many to choose from. Zone envy even down here, eh. When I went to the little nursery here, they had some beautiful dephinium. The owner told me they were grown as annuals here, because they don't have a dormancy period and won't rebloom. There is nary a hosta to be seen, which would be a shame to me. When do you replant your annuals since they never die. There is a lot to be said about starting over every spring fresh. There is a lot to be said for renewal. There is a lot to be said for 4 markedly different seasons. There is a lot to be said for the excitement and anticipation of spring. I sure like Florida in the winter, but not for year around, no way.

I agree Nancy...Michigan's four distinct seasons always makes for welcome change and no matter where you live it has its drawbacks.

PB How about making a hoop house that fits your budget?
This would extend your growing season spring and fall.
Also you could grow green onions, greens and radishes etc. for quite a while in a simple cold frame which can be made from scrap materials and its easy to make.
Check this out,,,
"Build a greenhouse for under $200."
http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/publicat/postharv/green/small_greenhouse.pdf

Vicky,

If there is some way you could convince my wife that having that structure in my back yard fits into her "beautification" plans, I would appreciate it! Thanks for the link! I might have to work that into my plans...

Again, I dont want to be anywhere else, I love Michigan and the seasons. I just would like to have no "Zone" limits so I could grow anything I felt like any time I wanted. If I am making the rules about my frustrations, then they don't have to make sense :) I just want big ole bunches of bamboo I can harvest to do things with in and outside the home and bananas and coconuts, etc...

http://www.lewisbamboo.com/Bamboo_location_zones.html

Here you go. You can grow bamboo in Michigan. Sorry about the coconuts and bananas though. I do believe there are some bananas you can grow indoors or in a greenhouse though.

GROWING BANANAS IN COLD CLIMATES
Sep 1, 2003 -Connie Krochmal

It's that time of year again here in Upstate NY. The first frost of the season will soon be here. So, gardeners in the area have to remain alert to the weather predictions in order to provide tender plants, such as bananas, with protection from the cold.
In zone 10 where growing conditions are truly tropical, bananas can be grown outdoors year-round in gardens. That isn't the case in colder areas. Alas, we will have to dig up the plants, and put them in a safe place during the colder months. But that is a small price to pay for the pleasure these plants bring.

Assuming one has a greenhouse or conservatory with lots of space, the banana plants can thrive indoors during the winter months. Dwarf varieties would be best for indoor culture.

If you have a sunny room with large skylights or large windows, they will grow very well in such spots. Otherwise, they'll need to go in a dark basement or other frost-free space for the winter.

To avoid confusion, I should explain there are ornamental bananas that are hardy to -20 Fahrenheit (zone 5) if they are properly mulched. However, these don't bear edible fruits. They're grown strictly for their beauty.

Strictly speaking, bananas are a perennial herb. They may resemble a tree, but appearance can be deceiving. The true stems are underground, and are known as rhizomes with buds or eyes just as dahlias and potatoes. The plants, 8-25' in height, have leaves 4' to 8' in length.

In addition to the standard yellow banana available in supermarkets, there are also small red ones, and tiny, finger-sized ones.

There are many sources of information on growing bananas. A great place to start is with the book published by Stokes Tropicals, called "Bananas You Can Grow." This won the best new book award from the Garden Writers Association.

Some individual banana growers provide details of their experiences on their web pages. This can be valuable information, because you can learn what varieties may work best for your area.

Whatever varieties you choose, give the plants plenty of sun. However, they do require shelter from strong winds. Select a spot with rich, well-drained soil.

In the garden, plants can be spaced about ten to fifteen feet apart. An individual plant should only have one or two stems. If it contains more, prune off the extras.


Usually the fruits will ripen about five or six months after the blooms appear. There are sterile male flowers and female flowers, but the seedless fruit is able to develop without any fertilization. Therefore, pollination is not required.

Bananas are an ancient crop. Recently, Australian researchers found evidence that bananas and taro were grown in the highlands of New Guinea. They said this meant that the area developed agriculture independently of that from other regions where plants had been domesticated.

Bananas apparently originated in southeast Asia. They were known to the ancient Egyptians, and spread throughout the Middle East. Apparently they reached England around 1500. During excavations at London Bridge City, archaeologists found an almost complete banana skin from that date. The plants were introduced in 1516 to the New World to Haiti by a Spanish missionary.

Have you ever come upon a banana seed when eating one of the fruits? The domesticated plants don't bear seeds. They're propagated by vegetative means. In case there is any confusion on this point, wild banana plants do bear seeds. I've seen them used in necklaces and other artifacts from New Guinea.

Bananas are propagated by vegetative means. Once the original stem produces fruit, it will die just as a bearing stem on a raspberry or blackberry bush does. Before the stem dies, it will produce suckers around the base of the original plant. These are used to produce future banana plants.

A related species in Africa has an edible rhizome. The inner tissue of the stem is also eaten. Its fruits are small, and do have seeds.

Bananas are related to plantains, or cooking bananas. However, the two differ slightly in their nutritional makeup. Bananas are higher in sugar.

Though we may think of it as a carbo-laden fruit, bananas contain other valuable nutrients, including potassium, and fiber. Some say that bananas can calm the mind.

Americans will be most familiar with Chiquita bananas, available in supermarkets. The Chiquita website has an interesting history of the company, and how it began over 125 years ago brought some of the fruits to America.

The site also offers many recipes for bananas as well as fun pages for children. For hot weather, try cool no-bake banana bars, and the banana cider soother. The roasted turkey quesadillas with bananas would be great for dinner.

There are lots of sources of banana plants. Bananas are prone to some serious diseases, including the Panama disease. Disease-resistant varieties are available.
The copyright of the article GROWING BANANAS IN COLD CLIMATES in Fruit Gardens is owned by Connie Krochmal. Permission to republish GROWING BANANAS IN COLD CLIMATES in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.


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Read more at Suite101: GROWING BANANAS IN COLD CLIMATES http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/fruit_garden/101978/2#ixzz0bmM53aU2

For those of you who would love a Greenhouse.......think again......I myself am fortunate to have one.....my wonderful son in law built it for me. Its 12 x 12 and the first two years I had it, it was great. Then the price of propane went up, and it got to the point where it was not worth heating it in the winter to grow. I figured, I could buy a whole lot of plants for what I paid to keep it heated. Now, I just use it starting in March/April, when I start to plant my seeds, and I still do not heat it, I just keep the seeds covered.

So think again about a Greenhouse.....If you have extra cash, then go for it....but it does become very expensive.

Deann

So, I can come disassemble your greenhouse and take it then? ;) I mean, I would love to take away the temptation of winter greenhouse use....

I only have a 8 x 8 greenhouse. The portable type. Has 6 mil( I think, plastic cover)
And I love it! I do not heat it though- What I use it for is after I buy my tomato plants and other plants- I repot them into gallon pots using a manure/topsoil blend. Then using the kids swimming pools- I put 2-3 inside and add some water to the pools and then put the veggie pots in the pools. The warmth of the greenhouse plus the warmth of the water aides in the plant growth- very fast. I don't need any fertilizer as its already in the pots. I keep the plants in there until its time to place outside to harden off. Then plant them in their garden space to grow. There isn't a disruption when done this way of plant shock. Then I leave 4 plants out and plant them in the soil of the greenhouse, along with a cuke plant with trellis and sometimes melon plants- way cool to have early cukes and maters - way before the garden ones are ready!
Garden hugs,
Sandy

deann,

your green house is beautiful!!!!!!

patriotboy

NO, you can't come over and disassemble my greenhouse....I still use it, but only in spring when the weather warms up abit. I just cover my seedlings up with plastic at night when it gets cool...Its a good place to start up seeds and even small plants. By the time they are ready for the garden in early they already have a big head start.

Deann

Hey Patriot boy keep your eyes and ears open to free beeies!
A womqn who was done with her green house offered it for free to anyone who would come and get it.
I now have it in my driveway. I am hoping to get it up this year.
Go on Craigs List and enter an ad looking for a free green house. I'll bet you will find one!
I have a hoop house and it made me cry the first time I used it.
It extends your groeing season by at least 2 months!! How great is that?
And with out any heat bills!!
I should have had one years ago but just put one up three years ago when I got one for $65.00 at Home Depots end of season close out.
Also I had a friend who grew Bamboo here in Michigan. He had 20 acres of it in the Flint area.
He had numerous varieties.
Julie

julie

You don't heat your hoop house ??? How do your seedlings stay alive?

Deann

I have had bamboo in my yard for years. Be sure you get the clumping type. I'll never be rid if mine as it sends out hard woody runners that are impossible to pull without heavy equipment. Be careful what you wish for. Nancy

Brenda as always, your are a wealth of information!

I really wouldn't come take anyone's greenhouse :) BUT, I don't know why I didn't think of this before...I work in insurance and I know a lot of people that work in various fields of business. We have a gentelman who installs and removes windows...How come I didn't think to ask him for discarded windows???????(slapping my hand into my forehead)

So I just called him and I can have any windows I want before the discard them...now I need to clear it with my wife. A lovely woman...don't know what she will say though...

She'll probably go running for the gun, LOL. Seriously, you can make a greenhouse out of discarded windows quite easily.
I also have clumping bamboo in my garden. It is supposed to be dwarf and it only grows to about 5 feet, but over the years the clump has grown to about 6 feet across and needs to be divided. It will take a backhoe or a pickaxe to get it out.

Patriotboy

You should ask NOT MARTHA about her greenhouse. Her DH made it out of discarded windows, and its a great greenhouse, I have seen and been in it. Maybe she will post a picture of it. She did at one time post a number of pictures of it as it went up.

Deann

Patriotboy, here is a link for you.


http://www.instructables.com/id/Greenhouse_From_Old_Windows/

Thanks Brenda! As usual you come through in the clutch :) Any links for free money?

http://www.proposalwriter.com/govtgrants.html

If you can justify your greenhouse as a startup of a small business you may be eligible for a grant or free money from the government.

You said you're getting the glass free from people you know who put in windows. You can sometimes get free wood from glass companies. They pack the glass in wood frames then discard it. You have to pull nails out of it and you'd have to treat it since it isn't treated wood but it's free. I knew a guy who built his whole deck out of that wood. You can also ask on Craigs list or freecycle for reclaimed wood. Often buildings are torn down and you can pick up good wood to recycle. Our neighbor got some old seasoned wood from an old barn or outbuilding being torn down. He's taken this wood and build smallish outbuildings for his pigs and a couple of cows.

Where there is a will, there is a way. I'm sure you can do it if you put your mind to it.

Have you got $50?

Here is a good read on a $50 hoop house.

http://doorgarden.com/10/50-dollar-hoop-house-green-house

I am Dutch man so I can usually finalgle my way through anything. The wood idea is good. I think though I might use Cedar or treated lumber. I dont want the humidty to cause damage to the wood. I will be researching soon. I, like Brenda, love to search and research. Just haven't had the time as of late. Doing a home remodel and adopting a son plus raising the boys keeps me pretty busy. Trying to wrap things up before planting in my grwing area inside the house. Have a home visit coming soon for the adoption so need to focus on that for now :)

Congratulations on the adoption and addition to your family. I'm sure all will go well with your application. Post pics when appropriate. We'd love to see.

Brenda

There are quite a few plants and trees I would love to grow! Be comforted in the fact that southerners wish they could grow some of the plants and trees we do. I used to travel around the US doing corporate training classes. During free times, talk would turn to gardening at least once. Number one of their wish list, bulbs - tulips, daffodils, etc. A few of them did try to grow them, dig them up, and put them in the frig for months, but they never grew and divided like ours! Bascially on their wish list were plants that require a hard freeze. I guess the grass is always greener ....

By the way, this is time of year is always hard for me -- my seed orders have arrived, but it is to early to start them! Anticipation ...

I am entertaining starting a few of my seeds just for giggles to see how they do a month early...or maybe just to play in the soil :)

Awe that's wonderful Kris on your new son...that just warms my heart :)

Delane

Chris, check carefully about zoning requirements. Our township requires permits for greenhouses even though here they aren't considered permanent structures. D N (that is D***** Neighbor and D does not mean dear.... (hm...dastardly, darksided, demonic...)HE is my big problem that had had me so overwhelmed.) Anyway DN brought his lawyer out to tour *our* property, telling the lawyer that we had a "working greenhouse" business going on. What we had was a stack of rusty metal bars from an old greenhouse - just a small stack of bars, and an old wood swingset. They thought the swingset was our greenhouse!!!

Sigh. Well he's been silent since that day in the fall but who knows when he'll start up again? Make sure you meet all codes.

That aside, one of my fellow Master Composter classmembers is experimenting with a homemade hoophouse, and in the center of the covered area, he plans a large compost pit that he hopes will heat the house. I've read that you can build chicken hutches underneath the planting tables in your greenhouse and they plus their sawdust/manure mix will heat the greenhouse - plus if there are bugs AND there are chickens........

This message was edited Feb 15, 2010 6:20 PM

LOL Those chickens better be caged because if they can free range around your greenhouse they will eat all your plants. Trust me. I know this from experience. :) They do produce good manure though.

PJ,

Are you asking me to come take care of your neighbor? ;) I mean, I can...

My "greenhouse" would be very small and in my garden area attached to the back of my shed. I live an amazing neighborhood full of gardeners. Lets just say the average age is in the late 50's of most folks. I live in a no burning area and everyone burns b/c no one would rat out the other. Its a very simbiotic neighborhood :) We are very blessed!

Patroitboy wow sounds like my neighborhood only we are the oldest ones here its a great place to live ;;0)
Gloria

Gloria,

:) You might be oldest in age but mentally from what I gather, your in your early 30's...