How to Warm Soil in Beds

One of our group, mraider3, who lives in Montana told me once that he had warm water plumbed to his beds. Instead of that, I'm thinking of mounting a solar hot water heater on the shed near my beds. My husband thinks that will be too costly to implement and that we can just lay black hoses on the ground and the water will warm in the hose and be sufficient. I think that warm water will run out wayyyy before my beds are well watered. Another idea is a 55-gallon drum, painted black or wrapped in black plastic, something like that, and water from the barrel.

For me, this is only needed for maybe 6 weeks in Feb/March to get the soil warm so the tomatoes can go in and get a head start. Here in Phoenix, by the time the soil has warmed to the 75° the tomato starts need, the air temp hits 100° 4 weeks later and kafooee - all is lost again.

This is for in-ground beds on the east side of my house. For the raised beds out in the middle of the yard, I plan to place an old sliding glass door over each bed in late Jan to generate some heat to the soil. We took out the door a few months ago because the one would not slide anymore, there are two of them.....and my two raised beds are 6'x3' .

Any comments or other suggestions greatly welcomed. Thanks folks.

TACK SOME BLACK PLASTIC DOWN OVER THE SOIL. WILL HOLD THE GRASS AND WEEDS BACK, AND, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT DARK CLOTHES DO IN THE SUNSHINE...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Well heck, that's easy.

Mary (who has a tendency to over-engineer her projects.) ;-)

Mary, Have you tried starting seeds indoors? Last year I had tomatoes ready to eat on June 26th that had been sown indoors under florescent lights on March 18th.

Yes, I'm getting ready to start my spring tomato and pepper plants indoors under lights. But if I transplant them to the beds before the soil warms up, they just sit and don't grow until the soil temp reaches about 75°......then, as I said, the air temp hits 100 shortly thereafter. We have a very short growing season because of summer's heat. This will be my 4th tomato growing season in this house and I have not been successful yet, except for cherry toms, which do very well.

Edited to add that the projected plant out date here in Phoenix is around Valentine's Day, mid-Feb

This message was edited Dec 23, 2011 12:01 PM

Do be careful with plastic. When I was at UGA, there was a professor doing research on plastic sheet mulches in home gardens. He found that the temperature under plastic could get high enough on a sunny day to virtually sterilize the soil - useful for decreasing weed seeds and even some insects and diseases. I rarely use it any more, partly because it gets TOO hot down here (the soil never really freezes) and partly because it doesn't seem to last very long and then I'm sending a lot of non-biodegradable crap to the dump (and pulling little bits of plastic out of my beds forever after).

Incidentally, the same research showed that the soil under CLEAR plastic got a LOT hotter than under black plastic. The black plastic tended to heat a lot on the surface of the sheet, and that heat just dissipated into the air. The clear plastic allowed the sunlight to penetrate and heat the SOIL instead, and then trapped the heat - literally a greenhouse effect. That soil could actually get hot enough to knock down nematode populations.

-Rich

Mary, how about just building hoops over your beds, like little mini greenhouses. These can be vented on sunny days, but closed at night to hold in the heat. We grow all winter here, we get chilly (it's 50 degrees right now and drizzling rain) but I have tomatoes all year except during the hottest part of the summer.
Here is a photo with the frames, no covers. Bud was working on building tall frames for the indeterminate tomatoes, but now we're getting a full size greenhouse so no need.

I have another photo of one with a cover, but my internet connection went south. I'll post as soon as I can get a good connection.

Here is a photo of two beds side by side with one frost cover over both. I can get down the middle if I stoop over. These have zucchini and yellow crookneck squash.

MaryMcP,
Looks like we're on the same sowing and plant out schedule. I'm sowing seeds this coming Friday, and planting out Feb 18, 25 and Mar 3 and 10. Will protect seedlings with hoops like Calalily
suggests.

It's currently in use, but these'll get moved out since the whole bucket patch will become three 3x10 beds for tomatoes and bell peppers.

Yes calalily, your hoop houses are an inspiration. And hornstrider provided a 'how-to' plan with lug nuts. I plan to get supplies soon and get the hoop house up for the raised beds.

gymgirl, with those dates, it sounds like you plant by the moon. I received my order from Park Seed with a fresh supply of foam plugs for the bio dome. Also, the local Sea of Green store had a 20% off everything sale last week so I'm all set. Will get started soon. I think I need one more heat mat though.

One more crazy weather day then we're back up to high 70's day and mid to upper 50's at night. I picked a ripe tomato and one cucumber yesterday!
Our last day to plant out cole crops and potatoes is mid Feb. Tomatoes I can get by with planting up until mid April if they aren't the ones that take forever to produce. Normal years I can have tomatoes into July but last year was hot from March on. Wouldn't you know that is the year I decided to push the envelope on cauliflower and broccoli. I usually plant out fall tomatoes in late August or Sept, but this year was just too hot and the whole first crop failed. We didn't have rain, so salt built up and stunted the ones that survived the heat.

I haven't been to Phoenix in over 20 years. I loved it there in the early spring.

I like most anytime here except August, and maybe a month or two around it. But we too are suffering with climate changes. It's the way of evolution I suppose.....longer hotter summers, colder longer winters. Getting a crop of tomatoes is a real challenge.

I saved a lot of soda bottles from the recycling bin at work - mostly small bottles. I've cut the vottoms off so I can use them as cloches to keep individual seeds and seedlings warmer.

But you could set up 3 rows of bottles dug into the soil, tallest bottles in the middle, and drape clear plastic film over them all and weight down the edges.

I think that keeping the film up off the soil would prevent "cooking" the soil. Arranging the bottles to provide peaks and valleys might keep rain from pooling and weighing down the film.

Where I live, working the soil "as soon as possible" is not so much amatter of frozen or cold soil, as totally water-logged mud. I'm thinking about low hoop tunnels just to shed the rain and shrug off the last 6 weeks of hovering-right-around-freezing-at night.

Rain? What's that??

It's hard for me to describe the beds that are problematic for me.....and the area does not lend itself to photography because of confined space. The raised beds are out in the middle of the yard and therefore easy to problem solve, any and all of the above suggestions will work easily.

My trouble is the side yard......only about 12' wide total and the 3' wide beds are along a chain link fence shared with a neighbor, I think it's too narrow for the hoop house solution but I'm unsure of the flex ratio of the pvc pipe. This section gets morning to mid-day sun...maybe low hoop tunnels will work. Or run the pvc hoop the long way instead of short. It's a conundrum alrighty....I'm probably over-thinking it again. :-|

All I'm trying to do with this question to the group is get the soil warmed up for tomato production in early March. Lay down a sheet of black plastic for a few weeks might be all it takes. I'll pull it back up before it disintegrates. Thanks all for the conversation. It's appreciated.

I've read about bending PVC permanently by using a heat gun. Most of those sites suggest filling the PVC with sand bdefore applying heat, so it doesn't kink.

That might let you bend it to a tighter radius, or put angles into it.

I understand - just warming soil up early ought to be fairly easy. I'm trying to think of solutions for myself, for drying & warming soil, then keeping soil AND air temps in a middle range through sunny days and cold nights.

Mary, unless I missed it, you don't say what temps you are aiming for or what your solar orientation is. I'm agreeing that row covers are probably best. There are row covers for bugs and then there are insulating row covers. I have used both. Insulating covers can give you a much earlier start. If you are against a fence you can make a lean to "greenhouse" by putting the row covers down the fence side. Johnny's has different weight covers. They are the cheapest I found on line. I use the lightest weight for insect control in the summer garden. You shouldn't really have to lift the ends of row covers. The heavier ones allow rain through (I know you don't know that word) but breath and retain heat. A row cover should last years in your climate.

Hi Laurel, It's my understanding that the soil temp for tomatoes to come out of dormancy is 75°, the soil is now 40° and may get a bit colder but probably not much. This bed is on the east side of the house so it gets morning to late afternoon sun, the house shades the bed late in the day.

I'm thinking to line the chain link with plywood to keep heat in and provide a stable support structure for shade cloth/row covers/whatever. I'll get a picture later on. Thanks to all for the input. Rick, that sounds like a real challenge!

"Gymgirl, with those dates, it sounds like you plant by the moon."

MaryMcP,
I haven't ever consulted the moon cycle books for my garden sowing/planting schedule! All of my strategy comes from the school of "Observation!"

As much as I thought I hated documenting my growing seasons in a garden journal, I cannot tell you the real value of capturing the data for future efforts!

Last January, I sowed seeds and became the Tomato Girl of Houston (remember Burt Lancaster in the Birdman of Alcatraz?). I observed and documented so faithfully that I could tell whether my seedlings wanted plain water, fertilized water, cool, or warm water. Really!

Anyway, this season I'll start two weeks earlier. Having last year's journal will help me along at every stage. And, there'll be new observations since even a two-week early window can have a significant impact on the process.

We shall see!

P.S. I've gotten enough HD and Lowe's gift cards to buy lumber for all three of my new raised beds!

Let the sowing begin!

Hugs!

Linda

This message was edited Dec 27, 2011 11:15 AM

GymGirl, I agree that a detailed journal, while sometimes difficult to keep up with, are one of the best friends a gardener can have. Mine are not so detailed; however, I have had mine for nearly a decade and they span several of the different climates that I have gardened in. The year-over-year info is awesome to have. And - congrats on scoring all those HD and Lowe's gift cards!

GymGirl, it sounds like your time spent documenting was well worth it. Would you be willing to share some details? What did you document and what information was most useful? Did you use the computer or ?

TLeaves,
I'd be happy to share. Most of my documentation was on my seed-starting process last January -- what I did and how, and what the seeds did and when!

What would you be most interested in?

Hi GymGirl --- Happy new year! Great question. I'm starting a veggie garden this year after being unable to for the last few years as we tried to sell our house and then move. I'm not at all set up yet with grow lights yet but working on that feverishly. I have an opportunity to do things differently this time and I'd like to keep a journal but documenting takes time and does the most good if used later to improve things so I wanted to know what you found useful.

It's helpful to know that you focused on documenting how the seeds did and when during the seed starting process. Is your journal then, mostly the date and a description of your general observations or is it more structured - like organized by variety or ? If it's not too much trouble, maybe you could just post a picture of what/how you track.

"...mostly the date and a description of your general observations..."

TLeaves,
That's about how I did it. The date, and what I observed was happening at the time.

I was able to count the # of days from sowing, to the date the seeds "declared" (popped); also, which brand of seed sowing mix I used (I discovered that one I switched to in mid-season dried out hard as concrete-- won't be using the half-bag I have left...); then the # days until the first and 2nd sets of true leaves showed; when I potted up from the flats to individual cups/pots; when I started feeding with plain water with a capful of Hydrogen Peroxide added per gallon, and how often; when I switched over to a very weak solution of MG water soluble plant food and Epsom Salts and how often; when I used just plain water; what the different plant varieties looked like at varying stages; which varieties grew stronger n hardier, and which were slower and weaker (needing more attention).

The date from sowing to hardening off, then the plant out date, where in the yard I planted which plants, the light conditions and outdoor temps, etc.

Stuff like that.

Linda

Very impressive GymGirl. Thanks for the details. Kmom, I missed seeing your post about documenting. Good to know that that it may be worth the effort over time as well. I'm not sure if I will be as diligent or consistent as y'all. I s'pose we'll see.

So, I am slowly putting my garden journal online. I still maintain it in my year over year books, but I am starting with my latest set and working backwards in time. I have separate pages for weather, harvest and sowing, so some of those aren't in there yet - but here's what I have so far: http://atinysliceofparadise.blogspot.com/ . The paper version also has pictures that I've printed and taped into it.

I'm putting them on line with the idea that someday I will let go of my paper journal. Especially since I could post to the electronic one straight from my phone while out in the field. It would also make keeping pictures in my journal much easier. I have a blog, too http://highdesertgardening.blogspot.com/ , but I am not nearly as good at keeping that up as I am with my books. Something about books and gardens just seem to go together. For me, anyway. Maybe it is the counterbalance to my high-tech life at work?

Anyway, TLeaves, maybe that will give you some more ideas.

And, I must say that I am impressed with your record keeping, Gymgirl. Wish I had the patience to be so detailed. I know your journals must provide you with lots and lots of excellent information. You are inspiring me to keep better records in the future. One good thing about gardening (and garden journals) - NEXT season's garden is going to be the best, yet!

Kmom - Wow, wow, wow! Very impressive. Ideas? Yes! Ok, so I never thought of organizing the information by day so you can see all the posts for that day regardless of year. But duh, of course. BTW - Your photography is outstanding. Thanks so much for sharing. Going back for more...

I keep a garden notebook with subject dividers that stays in my sunroon year round- in it I keep:
*a journal- just notebook paper that I write on daily (almost) about the weather,if I started seeds, when they popped, when and what I planted etc. This way I can look back and see that O.K. I put my tomatoes in ground March 15th, April 21st looked like rain but it hailed- you get the idea. It only takes miniutes
*garden plans- I plan out what I am planting and where, this way I don't put beets in the area I need for tomatoes. I also gives me insight for the next year on whether the plant did well in that spot.
*plant info- the variety, how long it takes to germinate, how big does it get, soil and light requirements.
*ideas- if I see an arrangement or hint that I like I copy it,or make a note of it so that I do not have to go crazy trying to figure where I first saw it. I also keep my camera with me so if I see-say a window box I'd like to do- I have a visual aid.
*invoices-I keep all the receipts from what I buy-this way I know where I got those great tomato towers, when I got them and how much more they will cost me now. I also note on the invoice how the customer service was, when I ordered and how long it took to get to me.

This probably sounds like a lot to do but once it is set up very easy to keep up and it does give you the knowledge you need to plant with confidence.

Ok, cornish2175 & Gymgirl - you are inspiring me. I WILL keep up better on future journals so I have a more complete picture! Sometimes I go WEEKs without writing in my garden journal - which is OK in Dec when I'm not doing much - but NOT ok in March when the seedlings are taking over!

If I may ask, cornish, what do you use to plan your gardens? I've been using graph paper taped together because I like to use 1 square = 4" so my garden won't fit on one page. This, of course, means it doesn't fit in my book unless I fold it up, and I prefer to keep them rolled.

I agree with you - once the journal is set up, it isn't too tough to keep. This is how I do it:

4 journal books from B&N that about 1 inch thick and filled with graph paper - one for Jan/Feb/Mar, one for Apr/May/June, etc.
Divide each one into 3 sections - one section per month - put post-it note tabs on the top and write the month
Each section is divided into 4 or 5 weeks, depending on the month
Each week has several pages in the front for a general "to do" list for the week (I leave space for 4 years of check marks in front of the items)
Then there is a section for weather (I used to keep the weather combined, but it was too difficult to see year over year)
A section for sowing and harvesting totals
The journal area
I'm starting to save seeds now, so I may make a section for that; however, right now, it is kept as a part of the "harvest"
After reading Gymgirl's description of how the she tracks her seedlings, I may have to make a spreadsheet to do something like that. I do start all of my own seed, and I am moderately successful, but I can see I could dramatically improve things over the next few seasons if I found what worked and aimed for more consistency.

My books usually contain 3-4 years, so I only have to do the set up every few years. The setup changes slightly each cycle, but this is pretty much how it's been the last two. I've become a better journal keeper as I've become a better gardener. I know the journal has made me a better gardener; not sure if becoming a better gardener has influenced the journal.

I need to get my record keeping up to snuff since I harbor secret dreams of becoming a tiny market gardener down the road (enough to pay for my gardening addiction, and put some flowers and food on the table...

Thanks for everyone's ideas. Thank you for the kind words about my photography. It's my other passion. Sorry to hijack the thread.

WOW! Compared to you record-keepers, I'm a NOVICE! Thanks for posting your journal details. I see several methods I could incorporate into my own system.

And, Kmom246, there have been weeks I haven't entered anything, too, so don't worry. Your conscience bugs you enough about it, and you go write down that "the sun is shining today!"

Linda

I have days that I do not post but that is usually August when I write"just to #### hot"

my garden plans are on copier paper- the 8 beds are ruled out . I then make a list of all I am going to grow and have them under headings- ex. tomatoes, under that I'll list 1. purple cherokee 2. costoluto etc. Then on the bed graph I'll write ( in pencil) T1, T2 or P1 for peppers. you get the idea. It is not to scale but I have a rough idea what will fit.

As far as my to do list it is never ending- I keep it posted on the fridge but weeding is never crossed out

Hey, guys!

In order to release the hostages on this thread, I've started a new one dedicated to GARDEN JOURNALING. Here's the link:

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1236736/

If it's ok with you, I'd like to move your posts over there for continuity. I could ask admins to move them beginning with the December 27th reply to MaryMcP.

Kmom246,
Hope you don't mind, but, I used your lead in as the intro for the new thread -- well said!

Linda

Why not just use Kmom's thread she started?

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1236590/

That or delete one of them so there is only one.

Shoe

OK. ALL the posts beginning with December 27th have been moved over to the new GARDEN JOURNALING thread.

MaryMcP,
Sorry for the hijack!

Linda

Oh, Shoot, Shoe!

I didn't know!!! I'd have moved them there. Sorry, Kmom.....

yeh, I just posted about your moving everyone. I really dislike it. It takes away from the individual poster. I wish you'd ask Admin to do that so everyone who posted can be followed, not have their info hidden under your name.

No offense but I think you've overstepped your bounds. It was a good idea to keep this topic under one heading though. But in all fairness to Kmom, she started a new one...maybe Admin could move the posts to hers, eh?

Shoe (not causing trouble, just dislike this move)

Shoe,
I asked admins to move the posts before I did anything. Mel replied that it couldn't be done.

I gave every poster credit for their post..didn't mean to overstep my bounds...

Okay. I knew it was pretty easy to split threads before though. Oh well....

Shoe.

Things do seem to get complicated, don't they? I really don't understand "hijacking". In the computer forum I started a thread about a problem and it has long since gotten into a completely different subject- was it hijacked? I really don't care. When it becomes boring to me I just "unwatch it" and go on. I think sometimes we tend to get overly concerned about small stuff. Let's just share information and enjoy it-Have a great day!

Naw, I don't think it is complicated, Jo. Just wish the individual's post could've remained under their name.

All in all it is a great idea to keep this topic under one heading for lots of reasons.

Shoe (rained in again, placing orders, and of course, keeping a perfect journal!) :>)