Monday, May 18, 2020

Transitioning from indoor to outdoor gardening

I'm somewhat dissatisfied with my indoor LED gardening this time around. Great for lettuce and kale, not bad for smaller, compact cherry tomato species. But the other regular tomatoes just grow HUGE, but don't produce as much as I'd like. My two bell pepper plants popped off a few blooms, growing very large... but zero peppers.
I have had a few  tomato and mayo sandwiches, guessing their value at around $50 each.....HA.!!

I started a couple of outdoor, raised bed box garden areas in the back yard. So far everything is coming along nicely. I've been studying various YouTube videos, trying to learn the best tips for soil prep, fertilizers, pruning, and pest control. The difference with outdoor and indoor gardening is....pests, weather issues, birds, and heat stress in the Texas summers. I did learn online that tomatoes stop producing above 94 degrees. They can be kept green and healthy...but they stop flowering until it cools off, usually late September around here. I had already experienced that with previous gardening, but didn't know the magic temperature maximum. (Never have that issue in an air conditioned indoor grow room).





YUMMY-LITIOUS


VAN UPDATE.....WINDOW FILM.

And....I've been gradually putting a window film on my old church bus. I was considering, initially, putting standard dark window tint on the several windows around this van... but I couldn't envision my 320 lbs fatass, long-legged, non-flexible self doing all the contortions required to properly clean all the glass interior sides, then meticulously measure, then carefully cut, and squeegee down this window film. I've done it on a few vehicles in years past. 

I did get some estimates from a few auto tint shops.....anywhere from $450 to $1,200.!!!  For a $3,500 van?? Nope.!!

(I distinctly recall putting dark film on the glass of my white 1975 Caddy Coupe de Ville in 1980, at night, sitting in a carwash bay, using their lights to allow this work, with a 20 mph gusty wind blowing in from Galveston, 10 miles south of Houston).  I had tinting loooong before anyone else was sporting tinted glass in their vehicle. I was just trying to hide the abhorrent pumpkin-orange dashboard and plaid factory seat covers from view.... the low mileage Caddy was a steal at $3,900....Doctor's wife's car...during the first oil shortage.

Anyway....here's the Wino-Bago van.


 But first my Caddy from 1980 when I was working in Clear Lake City, south of Houston, helping build an apartment project.

Dual exhaust, perfect paint, tuned for optimum fuel mileage... 11-12 mpg.  But what a ride!!!

Van film used was a vinyl, micro-perforated adhesive film. It adheres to the OUTSIDE of the glass.  A little tricky to install, but I got better the more windows I did. Amazingly good vision from inside looking out during daylight.

This is looking through the perforated film.

BEFORE




Looks good from 20 feet away. We'll see how well it holds up.

And I installed a Queen sized bed and frame in it a couple weeks ago. Had to shorten one leg that was over one wheel well. 





Little by little..... progress is being made.

It's truly amazing how I'm more able to DO THINGS, since I quit boozing.