Revved Up Ragtag 2018 Resolution - Steemit Homesteading Challenge #7

aunt-deb (65)in #homesteadingchallenge • 7 years ago

In the latest Steemit Homesteading Challenge, @kiaraantonoviche has tasked Homesteaders with sharing their Resolutions for 2018.

Here goes:

It's easy to list a half dozen things that spring to mind when thinking about improvements I'd like to make or skills I need to master . Setting priorities is no easy task, but a necessary part of any long term endeavor, so I have to start somewhere. I'll be going from the 'wing-it' method of the Ragtag Garden's first season to a more thoughtful second season for the Revved Up Ragtag Phase. It's going to be a major shift in thinking!

To further that goal, I've concluded some sort of greenhouse will be pivotal to the overall success, not only of the Garden, but of the entire Revved Up agenda.

It will serve as a sort of base of operations for getting off to an early start in spring. Its new home will be in a back corner of the yard where it will get sun from early morning 'til late afternoon. I'm hoping to source some free or cheap concrete blocks to form a sort of foundation for a cattle panel style hooped structure like this one. The blocks would raise it up some to allow for more headroom and slightly more square footage. The wire panels could be attached to a few well-placed rebar stakes, eliminating the need for lumber.

Barring that, I do have some 4 x 4 posts, uncovered by a prior clean up operation, that could serve as the base to staple the panels to. I'll have to measure, but I think they're 8 ft long, which would be perfect. Thankfully, there's enough time yet to scope out more sources for materials. I also have a massive piece of clear, heavy-duty plastic to make the skin of the structure. The trickiest part of the build though, I think, will be the floor.

The new greenhouse is going to placed in the general footprint of a long-gone metal shed, in what's now the 'Jungle'. The floor of that shed, for some unknown reason, turned out to be chunks of broken up concrete. I call 'em 'ankle-busters'. They're too embedded to justify digging up, so I'm leaning towards multiple layers of cardboard overtop to compensate for the uneven 'surface' and then maybe a few pallets to finish it off. Granted, it will be temporary, but if it works for a season or two, I can come up with an upgrade in the meantime.

Tricking out the finished structure with some shelves and a couple counters will be the easy part. I see all sorts of furniture type items in my daily travels that could be re-purposed for Garden duty in the true spirit of Ragtagging. (I think I just made up a new verb...Lol!)

The overarching goal is to get the greenhouse built with as little cash outlay as possible. (Hubby's been laid-off for six months, so any liquid funds we have go elsewhere.) By my calculations, I hope to pull this off with the only purchase being the cattle panels. Research has them at about $20 each. Add in some fencing staples and the total is still under $50. If I need to go the rebar route, then the total will climb a bit, but hopefully not too much. The main challenge will then go to figuring out how to get the 16' panels home!

Being able to provide for some of our own groceries just out the back door would take some stress off the budget, not to mention bringing a tad more peace of mind for future needs.