We call this Kitchen Sink Soup because we take everything leftover from our fall & early winter Growing Dome harvests & whatever we have in the fridge to make the soup. We put everything in but the kitchen sink! The key is to have veggies, herbs, a grain or carbohydrate, and different types of alliums
An arctic blast swept through the northern half of our continent just before Christmas. On our Facebook groups we saw reports of temperatures as low as -21F in the US, and even colder in Canada. Despite these frigid temperatures, Dome Owners were still able to keep their plants alive and thriving by adding a bit of supplemental heat. Even if the temperature drops below freezing in the Dome, hardy plants will survive and perk back up as the sun hits them the following day.
Today the community venture known as The Geothermal Greenhouse Partnership, Inc, consists of three 42’ Growing Dome greenhouses run on geothermal power, a native plants garden, a rotary club garden, and an amphitheater along the San Juan Riverwalk. The greenhouses use geothermal energy from nearby natural hot springs. This renewable energy source helps to maintain a consistent temperature within the greenhouse, allowing for the growth of a variety of plants year-round in USDA hardiness zone 5a.
These days it is even more important to be able to grow your own lettuce as crops in California’s Salinas Valley are currently fighting Impatiens necrotic spot virus, or INSV, which is mainly spread by thrips. Pythium wilt is another crop disease that attacks lettuce, generally along with INSV causing lettuce to wilt or completely collapse. We recommend planting lettuce as this disease may affect its availability since California grows approximately 70% of the lettuce consumed in the US. There has never been a better time to grow lettuce in your backyard!
