Garden Thread 2023!

[EbS-P]

The green monster will live another week but it’s reached the end of its productive life. I may have hastened that by not checking fertilizer levels. It was 3x where it should have been. Oops. Chard was fine. May have burned the tomato roots.

So seeded last week of January and it will be giving ripen since the beginning of May and will still be yielding significant tomatoes for two more weeks. So 7.5 months of active production First time growing tomatoes! I’ll take that.

Finally picked all the volunteer tomatoes (the green romas) . I didn’t even water them but I did pick the vines up off the ground. So the outside tomato growing season is over. Freeze coming Tuesday night. My dad has never gotten near that long of a production window in his raised beds. Last eggplant will be picked tomorrow but it’s tiny. Still getting flowers though.

 

[begreen]

Sweet! That's a great harvest. We are weeks away from any indoor tomatoes, but still are eating those harvested a month ago and ripening in the greenhouse. We had our first salad with lettuce from the iDoo. It is growing quickly.

 

[EbS-P]

The iDoo systems are on a decent sale right now on Amazon.

 

[begreen]

Yes, they have some decent pricing. I really like our first one, but the 2nd basic unit is not my favorite. It lacks a sight level so one has to guess at the water level and therefore how much fertilizer to add. The light height adjustment is also poor compared to our better iDoo. I'm getting this one instead for the micro tomatoes. It has a deeper 7.5 gal tank and 15 holes for wider plant spacing. It's on sale for $48.
Amazon product ASIN B0B45N5K47

 

[EatenByLimestone]

A big tank like that would be good for tomatoes! I was refilling my Aerogardens every day.

 

[begreen]

They can get thirsty for sure. I am refilling once a week now, but usually only topping up a liter. I will be growing micro tomatoes in this unit. Even with 15 holes, I'm not sure if I can fit more than 3 plants in at maturity.

 

[EbS-P]

I cut everything off the tower garden. This is what was left. Almost 7#. Made some turkey chili blanco with a couple cups or red and green tomatoes. It was good.

Cleaning everything up will take a bit of work. Planning the next plants for it. Should have done that 4 weeks ago.

 

[EbS-P]

Well I proved that I (or my dad) can use a tape measure. Tomatoes are indoors (under the 6’10” garage door) for the the next two nights. It’s a bit of a hassle. 20 minutes to unhook roll out of the green house and in the the real house and hook back up. It’s not a bad system. And if I chose some dwarf plants i probably would be happier.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Lucky tomatoes! They have their own Christmas tree!

 

[EbS-P]

Lucky tomatoes! They have their own Christmas tree!

And wood stove too just out of frame! For those attic temps we see here

 

[begreen]

A big tank like that would be good for tomatoes! I was refilling my Aerogardens every day.

Here's a trick so that you don't need to refill it so frequently.

 

[Prometeo]

just finished making these chili peppers, my wife, grown outdoors, 2 types

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Here's a trick so that you don't need to refill it so frequently.

If I remember right, the tiny rims were drinking a half gallon a day! Lol

 

[EbS-P]

If I remember right, the tiny rims were drinking a half gallon a day! Lol

they can grow tomatoes but I really think there are better ways. I can tell you a couple ways how to NOT grow indeterminate tomatoes. Really wishing I had dwarf cool loving tomatoes right now.

Green house went from 36 to 90 degrees today before I got it opened up (tomatoes were still indoors). Winter solstice is just a few weeks away!

I will start seeds for the tower garden tomorrow.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

The little Battir eggplant is growing slowly, and I was surprised when doing more pruning that another was already poking out of a calyx facing the window. I think this is one where I tried the electric-toothbrush-pollination technique.


The ginger in the corners of the planter has been putting up new sprouts after the woodstove in the same room started running regularly. On a recent watering I accidentally washed away some of the potting soil from the roots and enjoyed seeing the baby ginger root down there under the sprouts. One of my children needed a haircut last night, so I used the generous trimmings to mulch the base of the plants.

 

[EbS-P]

Let’s play can you spot the tomato!

Variety is Buckbee’s new 50 day indeterminate. Plants have been the sturdiest and most vigorous growing. Nights down to the 35. Days up to 81 greenhouse has gone over 91. Two stems in one bucket each plant has 3-4 bundles of blossoms.
I’m fairly impressed.

Buckbee's New 50 Day Tomato Seeds

Buckbee's New 50 Day -Organic Tomato Seeds produce very good yields of great tasting, 4-6 oz., scarlet-red, round fruit. A great cooler, short season variety. Delicious!

www.tomatofest.com

 

[begreen]

50 days is very short. I'm curious how these turn out for taste and consistency.

 

[EbS-P]

50 days is very short. I'm curious how these turn out for taste and consistency.

Me too!! Seeded September 1, moved outside October 20. They won’t be picked in 50 days since transplant but we are nearing winter solstice. All are under 75 days.

I have blossoms on another 4 varieties. I’m going to experiment with one set of stems and top them once they get to the top of the string and not prune suckers off. The fact that these plants are doing as well as they are I’m finding incredible. It’s all an experiment this time.

I got my dad a 20’ long green house like mine for an early Christmas present. Mostly to keep the squirrels out. We will see if that has any advantages. We will have just under 10 hours daylight at solstice. If you can plant cold hardy plants and easily protect the others it’s basically a 12 month growing season,

 

[EatenByLimestone]

2 aerogardens went active tonight. 1 had 6 cilantro plants. The other had 1 Red Currant tomato plant and 5 parsley plants.

I have no idea how the red currant tomato will turn out. It was just over a dollar at the store, so worth the risk! It’s indeterminate, so I may be able to get creative and frame the window.

My wife pulled in a large window box with green onions in from inside. I had no idea it was back there! I planted some basil around them.

 

[EbS-P]

Bumper crop of Meyers lemons. We have been using every other a day for the last 2-3 weeks. This is what is left. My Christmas present to my dad went up for for the freeze. He has over a dozen rows planned and now safe from squirrels until the chew their way in. We will get some bagged Tom in there this week. I don’t have high expectations for the greenhouses but I do think they will allow succession planting all winter of just about any brassica, lettuce, beet ect. It will get a squirrel net in the spring and a shade cloth in the summer. For those needs I think it will work well enough. Two winters out of the plastic is all I’m hoping for.

I keep thinking a permanent greenhouse would be nice but have to keep telling myself it just isn’t needed here. What I need is a squirrel exterminating cat or dog!

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I tried to grow meyers lemons a few years ago. All 3 died. They came bare root. They were over stressed from the get go. I should try again some time.

 

[EbS-P]

I tried to grow meyers lemons a few years ago. All 3 died. They came bare root. They were over stressed from the get go. I should try again some time.

I got these two some time between kids 1 and 3 and managed not to kill them but never got fruit before I sent them down the street to live with my dad. They have done quite well from a production point of view but usually looked not well.

A sastsuma orange was added two years ago. First fruit this year. The was the largest citrus I have ever seen. It had two this size. Think smallish cantaloupe size. Now I want to my dad to get a couple of these. Variegated pink lemons
https://www.fast-growing-trees.com/products/pink-variegated-eureka-lemon-tree.

Pots are big enough now that I can lift and put them inside but they need repotted again and my dad isn’t getting younger so every time it’s going to freeze I stop by and help move them all inside.

I never knew how thorny citrus was. I spend 10 minutes clipping off thorns every month so kids won’t loose and eye.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I had no idea they were thorny!

Do the plants come bare root from that place?

 

[EbS-P]

I had no idea they were thorny!

Do the plants come bare root from that place?

Don’t know. Never bought from them. I just know I want pink lemon

 

[EatenByLimestone]

Lol. You should get one then!