How to Move a Shed Old School

A big thank you to my Husband, neighbors, and friends with help on completing this project.

It is constructed out of solid pine boards, siding and a shingled roof. The weight is estimated at approximately 1200 pounds.

Craigslist has become my store of choice recently and a shed purchase in February lead to a search for a mover for the shed. Quotes to move the shed were about $1200 and I was in some hot water; I should have just bought a new shed and had them set it up for me at that price.  ”Ok” I thought,  ”it will be hard but we will have to move this thing on our own I can rent a trailer.”  Wrong!  The biggest flatbed trailer I could rent was 6′ by 8′  the shed measured 9’ by 7’  it wouldn’t fit on a rented trailer and at 8’ high at the peak it wouldn’t fit in a moving truck.  Next, a frantic Craigslist hunt for a trailer ensued, by God’s good grace within a week I had found my trailer the wood was rotted but it could be replaced and it could definitely hold the shed.

The trailer after replacing the boards.

Next up was the move.  We had to wait until the weather warmed and the ground dried out from the snow and rain so we didn’t move it until now, but we did it!

Here is the photo story of how it was moved.

Supplies:
*10 big strong and smart guys with gloves – This task required a lot of problem solving so if you attempt something like this make sure you have some brains to go along with the brawn!
*Van with a trailer hitch and an engine equipped with a towing package
*Flatbed trailer with heavy duty ramps – purchased from Criagslist
*4 inch round fence posts – take your time picking out nice logs with no notches and that roll well
*Heavy duty cargo straps
*Cribbing wood
*Scissor jacks – Floor jacks were not used because they are too tall and it is difficult to get them out from under the shed. They are also on rollers which can make the shed unstable.

In this photo a floor jack is pictured. It was not used, but could potentially have been used to lift the front bottom to keep it from scraping the concrete and causing damage to the shed

The shed was lifted using scissor jacks and the logs were positioned under the skids. This was particularly difficult because the front of the skids were rotted out.

Manpower pushed it up the ramp

The tricky part here was as the shed leveled onto the trailer was important to keep the logs under the back of the shed until it is pushed to the front of the trailer and in it’s final position for transport.

Once the shed was on the trailer in the proper position it was jacked up enough to pull the logs out and strapped down with cargo straps.

Now the shed is moved 40 miles on the hilly, curvy back roads of Ohio…

Home Safe!!! The shed was lifted up after it got home to replace the skids on the bottom which had rotted out.

The shed is slightly lifted with a jack, the bricks are removed and it is lowered onto cribbing wood and the logs.

The cargo straps are used to slow the shed as it rolls off the trailer

As the shed rolls the logs are placed underneath the skids to keep it rolling

At this stage the back bottom edge of the shed could get stuck in the ground so it is important to ensure a log is at the bottom of the ramp to avoid that.

WHEW!!!  The total cost of this shed, moving supplies, pizza and beer was $1100, however that includes the cost of purchasing the trailer, which may or may not be resold

Your new home is almost ready ladies!!

How To Plant Raspberries Lasagna Style!

Last year I planted raspberries, this year they returned quite prolifically. Therefore, I feel confident in posting this how-to for planting raspberries.

I had read the book Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza and technically I should have started the lasagna process in the fall, however due to moving in to our house and a series of rainy weekends we were just unable to get it done.  In the spring I just decided I was going to do the lasagna anyway and if it didn’t work well I’d try again.  Here is what I did:

Supplies:
Shovel
Yard stick/ruler
Materials for the lasagna: corrugated cardboard or lots of newspapers, straw, dried leaves, compost, composted manure, are some of the items you can use
Raspberry canes

Directions:

1. Choose your site and mark it out.

2. I had my extremely loving husband dig up the grass and flip it over. I did this because we started in the spring, had it been fall and I started the garden properly I would have just laid the materials over the grass to smother it and waited until the spring to plant. I was concerned about the grass growing up through the raspberries and it is important not to have weeds or grass in a raspberry patch so the dirt was turned.

3. Dig a hole for the raspberries. Our soil is like clay so I made sure to dig wide holes.

4. Trim the roots of the raspberry canes to 8 inches.

5. Place the root in the hole.

6. Cover the root with a good dose of compost. Plant the raspberries approximately 4 feet apart.

7. Cover the whole bed with compost.

8. Next cover it with a layer of corrugated cardboard or wet newspapers. Do not use glossy magazines or glossy covered boxes. If you use newspaper make it at least 10 sheets thick preferably 15 sheets thick. Make sure the canes are sticking up through the cardboard/newspapers.

9. Add another layer of compost/composted manure/leaves, and then add straw or organic mulch on top.

10. Trim the canes to 6 inches, water thoroughly, and keep it watered all summer and fall.

This year the raspberries will need to be trellised to keep them from flopping over.  I have not done this yet and you may notice I have and “L” shaped bed.  Usually raspberry beds should long and straight, but I am not one who always follows the rules  I will do a write up later this season when the trellis system is installed.  You may also notice that I planted the raspberries around a strawberry bed.  The raspberries did grow into the strawberries,  I just pulled up the young shoots like I would a weed and so far the two berries are getting along just fine.

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This year I am short on garden space so I am attempting to grow potatoes in potato towers. I have seen lots of posts on how to do these but I have not seen results. Gardener Scott  has one pic but it doesn’t look very bountiful. I will be posting results at the end of the summer and showing my bounty (hopefully) of potatoes. The supplies listed will build 4 potato towers and each tower should produce 10-20 pounds of potatoes. I chose a site on the side of my house that is sunny and close to a faucet to make watering a snap. So here is how to build them:

Supplies
1 – 36” x 25’ roll of Chicken Wire
8 – 4 foot garden stakes/poles
Tape Measure
Tin snips
Bale of straw
Soil or compost
5# of Potato Seeds
Shovel

1. Roll out 5½ feet of chicken wire and snip it
2. Lay it on the ground and overlap the ends about 6 inches to form a cylinder
3. Weave a garden pole through the holes in the wire. I am meticulous so when I lined them up I made sure I stayed in the same row of holes and I weaved it in and out every other hole on the ends and about every 4-5 holes in the center.
4. Stand it up and place it where you want it and drive the stake in the ground
5. Weave another pole through the wire on the opposite side for stability

    
6. Add a layer of straw on the bottom and a thin layer of soil/compost

7. Place your potato seeds in the towers

8. Add 3-4 inches of straw around the outside edge and layer the soil/compost inside on top.
9. Water, and keep watering throughout the summer.
10. When the plants grow to about 8 inches cover them with soil or straw leaving about 2 inches sticking up. Keep covering them as they grow until they flower.
11. Stop watering when the flowers die and they begin to wilt
12. Let them sit another 2-4 weeks the potatoes before harvesting.

Beside space saving another benefit of towers is that potatoes carry blight. If the blight is not taken care of it can contaminate plants around them and the soil. However, with the towers if your plants get blight they are already isolated from the garden soil and other plants making it easy to remove.

If your potatoes do get blight do not compost the straw, soil, plants, or potatoes. Put them in a black lawn bag, tie it tight and throw them away. You can also bury them but you must bury them at least 3 feet deep.

What are your thoughts?  Have you tried a potato tower?

Whew It Has Been a Loooong Winter. Let’s get the Green Growing!

Time is Running out to get your Seeds Started

Welcome Spring 2013!!  Hopefully, you have started most of your seeds!  If not get them going NOW! After you start your seeds test your soil.  Not sure how? Click here

Mr. Independent thought Testing the Soil was a pretty cool project

I live in Zone 5 and we are still getting some snow and occasional freezing.  I planted a few cool weather crops outside in my Containers such as Broccoli, Beets, Lettuce, and Radishes.  I started them on a day when the weather was to remain above freezing for 3-4 days to help them germinate.  Now it is snowing so I keep them close to the south side of the house and they benefit from the radiant heat and are still growing.  We are looking forward to fresh veggies by the end of May.

This year’s How Tos will include:

*Installing Rain Barrels and a 250 gallon Water Tank to the Gutters

*Building a Cedar Compost Bin that will please Suburban Neighbors

*Moving a Large Shed to be rePurposed as a Chicken Coop

*Keyhole Gardens

*Potato Towers

*Lots of Seasonal Recipes

Get those Cherry tomatoes started ASAP so you can make this upcoming recipe fresh from the Garden!

*Garden Products and Structures that work .

Finally, I will leave you with one Kale recipe that I saw on The Chew on April 8.  Believe it or not our Kale survived the winter and I harvested some last week and it was TASTY! We ate it raw which I have nver done before but from now on this will be a staple on our dinner table.  Here is the recipe:

Kale Salad
1 large bunch Black Kale (leaves torn into bite size pieces)
¼ cup Olive Oil
1-2 Lemons
⅓ cup Currants
⅓ cup Pine Nuts (toasted)
¼ cup Pecorino (grated)
1 teaspoon Red Chili Flakes
Salt and Pepper

1. Add the kale to a large mixing bowl, season with salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Massage with your hands making sure to coat the kale with oil and begin to break down the cell structure.
2. Grate the zest and squeeze the juice of the lemons over the massaged kale. Add the currants, toasted pine nuts, pecorino and toss to combine. Serve with a pinch of red chili flakes, if desired.

How to Roast Pumpkin Seeds

I love carving pumpkins, I have done it every October for as long as I can remember.  We usually saved the seeds and tried roasting them but they never tasted right; usually they were soggy or not salty enough.  It was not until 3 years ago that we visited a pumpkin farm and I was given this recipe. I almost threw the recipe away because I have tried so many ways to roast pumpkin seeds with such lackluster results, that I just thought it wasn’t worth the bother.  I am so happy I tried it and I won’t use any other.  These are easy, guaranteed, and taste SO GOOD!

1. Scoop out pumpkin seeds.
2. Rinse seeds and let them in a dry in a single layer overnight on a towel.
3. Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, stir together:
   
   • 2 cups seeds
   • 2 Tablespoons olive or canola oil
   • 1 teaspoon salt
   • 1 teaspoon garlic or onion powder (I like both so I add ½ teaspoon of each).
4. Spread seeds on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350° for 20 minutes.  Stir and re-spread half way through baking.  Seeds are done when they are a nice golden brown color.
5. Allow to cool.
6. Store or give away in jars

How to Freeze Butternut Squash and Pumpkin

I awoke this morning to a house with a temperature of 59 degrees.  I refuse to start the furnace in the Fall before October 1 but yet I was cold.  Fortunately, yesterday I purchased butternut squash and pie pumpkins from my local farmers so I turned on the oven at 8 am and started baking the gourds so I can freeze them  This is how I do it:

 

1.  Wash the outsides of them with a little dish soap and water, rinse well.

2. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds. Don’t forget to save the pumpkin seeds for roasting!!

  

 3.  Place cut side down on a large pan with sides.

For Squash –  I line the pan with foil for easy clean up and pour 2 cups of water in.

For Pumpkins – I add 2 cups of water to the bottom of the pan to prevent them from drying out.

 4.  Bake at 350° for 45-60 minutes or until soft.

5. Remove from oven and allow to cool about 30 minutes.

6.  Remove peel

For Pumpkin: Transfer it to a bowl and puree it with a hand mixer; if it is watery drain it in a colander over a bowl.

For Squash: No need to mash or puree it.

 

7.  Scoop into your desired freezer container (glass jar suitable for freezing, plastic container, or freezer bag).  Remember to leave space for expansion.  Leave at least a 1 inch head space in glass jars or plastic containers.

  

8.  Label with NAME and DATE (pumpkin and squash are hard to tell apart.) Place in freezer.

DO NOT PRESSURE CAN OR WATER BOIL JARS OF PUMPKIN OR SQUASH FOR PANTRY STORAGE!!!   The only safe method of long term storage is the freezer.  Pumpkin and squash are too dense and home canners can not reach a high enough tempurature to kill the bacteria in them.  The pumpkin above is in wide mouth freezer jars.

I have favorite recipes that I use pumpkin and squash for so I freeze them in sizes that match the recipes.  Most pumpkin recipes call for “1 can of pumpkin or 2 cups”; pint size freezer jars fit that size.

I use freezer bags (I know not the greenest option; I am open to suggestions for greener gallon size freezer containers!) for the squash because our favorite recipes use 5 or 10 cups of squash, or 1 squash and none of these measurements fit in a jar.

Our Favorite Squash and Pumpkin Recipes:

Butternut Ham Bisque

Butternut Squash Casserole

Pumpkin Bars

3 Can Silky Pumpkin Pie

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Spicy Pumpkin Soup

Another good link for your reference:
Foods That Do Not Freeze Well

First Day of Autumn and it is Time to Plant the Garlic

It is the first day of fall and that means it is time to plant the Garlic. I try to plant as close to the first day of fall as possible, that way I never forget when to plant. The garlic I purchased (pictured above) for this year’s planting is fromThaxton’s Organic Garlic.  Planting is easy:

1. Choose a spot in your garden for your garlic. This year I have a raised bed specifically for my garlic. It is a 4′x4′ plot and in July I worked in about 2 shovelfuls of manure and I let it sit in anticipation of the garlic.
2. Dig up your plot to a depth of 8 inches and work in a good amount of compost.
3. To plant, separate the bulbs into cloves, being careful not to bruise or damage them.

4. Plant the cloves, root side down 2-4” deep and 4-8” apart (When I plant I always plant the closest distance recommended to cut down on weeds).
5. Cover with soil. When the garlic begins to show shoots cover it with 12 inches of marsh hay or straw mulch to protect the bulb from sub-zero temperatures.  The shoots will die off and that is fine.
6. In the spring pull the straw to the side in mid-march when the snow melts and the days begin to warm. Fertilize with an organic fertilizer with a high nitrogen content.
7. Harvest mid to late July