How To Tuesday: make a seed starter greenhouse

I begin with a story. A Dialogue between a hungry 17 yr old boy and his mother.
SON: "Mom, do you know where the small pan is??"MOM: Eating Chocolate Covered Almonds while Watching Netflix -(thinks to self. "oh, no. I totally forgot about that!)
MOM: :"ummm. In the back yard."SON: "WHAT?? Why is it out THERE??"MOM:" I took it out to clean it. It was super dirty."SON: "So, is it clean?"MOM: "no."SON: "ARG!"
I had it out back my the compost pile squirting the moldy spaghetti sauce out with the hose- but got distracted.
NOW for my HOW TO mini-Instructional. (and, don't worry, it won;t be how to clean dishes. That'd be like the Blind leading the Blind. THIS How To is for a mini-greenhouse to start your seeds.
Well, not an actual house.
and it is not actually GREEN.
But you get to use a knife and a soldering iron.
and tape.
And before I begin I must apologize for the quality of the pictures. I used Connor's video camera- that takes stills, but not that well. I was too lazy to find my good camera:
So, choose your seeds. For my first project I went with Bell Pepper Seeds.
Then get some 2 Liter bottles, knife, scissors, packing tape, soldering knife, and dirt.
take the lid off of your bottles and rinse them. (my just had Club Soda, so I didn't bother rinsing them)Then pinch the side a bit and make a small cut:
Then Use scissors in the cut, and cut around the entire circumference of the bottle:
I just follow the label. And I advise leaving labels on to protect the roots from the sunlight..
I like to cut a few slits in the lid. I find this helps them fit on better:

Then I use a soldering iron to put the holes in the bottom. WAY EASIER then when you had to poke them with your safety scissors in 4th grade.


Next add the dirt:
I like to start with some type of gravel for drainage. I had some clay spheres I got at a Hydroponics Store- so I used them:

Just a handful to cover the bottom.
Then I took a mixture of: Compost/Garden Soil & Potting Soil & Sphagnum Moss. I filled the containers to about 2 inches below the top of the label.

Added my seeds, watered with added fertilizer, put the lids on, and then the packing tape around the seam.





I misplaced the lids, do I added more tape to cover the opening.

I bought some apples at Costco. They came in this plastic bubble container:
I thought I'd try using it as a seed starter. I filled with the dirt mixture.poked holes, through the dirt with my scissors- because I forgot to to make holes first.

then added the seeds.
and watered and snapped the lid closed.


I hope it works.


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Truth Is... Thursday

Truth Is.... I just deleted quite a few blogs off of my Following List. Why? because some of them are only giveaways and reviews anymore. I have no desire to read those- so I don't need the zillions of entries clogging up my reader list. OR because as many times as I read them and comment on the actual content of their blog, they have never reciprocated. I am busy- life is short. . SO, now that my blog reader list if cleared, I can actually keep up with the blogs I do enjoy. :) YAY! I have missed you all my bloggy friends!
(truth is... that last truth may have upset some people)[ and I am glad I have reader and they actually like my blog- and it's fine if they never comment. It's the ones that ask me to follow and never say anything or that I comment on all the time and they never comment back or the ones that now only do giveaways. the ones I follow, but don;t read anymore due to the afore mentioned reasons]
Truth Is... It always takes me 3 tries to spell "occasionally" correctly. What would I do without Spell Check??!
Truth Is... I sometimes doubt what we are doing on this whole un/homeschool journey. Am I teaching them enough? Will they get into a college and do well? Should I have made them do workbooks and curriculum and textbooks with pages of questions?
Truth Is... I think we'd not be god moms if we never questioned if we are doing it right. It shows we care and want what is best- to question if we are doing it right.
Truth Is... the self-doubt about unschooling only last a short while. Maybe an hour or 2. Then I get over it.And incorporate something new into our schedule if there is a specific that had me concerned.
Truth Is.... the gardener is outside knocking on the front door to get the key to the gate, to get into the backyard... and I am ignoring the knocks. I do not feel like going down there in my PJs & rather he stay out of my backyard anyway......
Truth Is.. I should have left the Cow Heart out back and then gave him the key...... I often tell him to not bother with the backyard as we are doing school projects. Which is the truth- as unschoolers every odd project the boys do in the backyard is 'part of school'- somehow
Truth Is... I wrote this Wednesday Afternoon, not Thursday.
The Idea for the Truth Is post comes from Julianna..... who got it from....well, someone else- I forget and couldn't find her post that said from whom she took it.....
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