Garden Thread 2023!

[clancey]

Keeping up to date with everyone on here and everything sounds like its going real well...free: Keep us posted on how that darker material works in regard to the temperature control and that is so very interesting...Not doing much at this time in the way of gardening but in the spring it might be a different story..I did plant some rose bush roots that I found in the trash that some neighbor took out of his lawn so I am just observing those for now--seems to be okay so far but a drastic shock to them I am sure so I will just wait it out and see what happens...Thanks everyone , clancey

 

[EbS-P]

I started tomatoes 4-5 weeks ago. In net cups with perlite and just a little rock wool on top. Chard and cilantro and mustard greens were started too. I just put the cup in a dish and inside a clear plastic bag under a grow light. The end goal for tomatoes is a Dutch bucket with perlite.

They got too big for the dish and I ran out of time to build the whole bucket system so I quickly made this out of a tub tubing and extra pump. They get watered every 2 hours. So i have 8 different tomato varieties. They will get transplanted to individual buckets this week or next. And go on my table. I like this system for starting plants as it’s very compact and won’t require much effort to transplant.

The other tomatoes are doing well.

 

[begreen]

That's a cool setup. Do you roll it out in the sun during the daytime?

 

[EbS-P]

That's a cool setup. Do you roll it out in the sun during the daytime?

Neither are on wheels. They are both temporary. The white pvc rack got ignored and now is doing too well to bother I think. It was just several clippings that I stuck in. I got that technique down now. So once I establish a plant I really won’t ever have to start from seeds ever again.

The new garden table is on wheels. All the small tomatoes will get transplanted this week. Two tomatoes per bucket, And will get rolled in and out for freezing weather.

Chard will get planted in bags and left outside.

I ordered a 12x7x7 hoop greenhouse that they will live in until it gets really cold.

They whole idea was to get tomatoes to pick by X-mad but I missed that I think.

Today I will get parts for the garden table drain and supply but I can’t find large bags of perlite locally yet.

 

[begreen]

Nice! I snipped a couple of tops from the Tiny Tim tomato we had on the patio. They are sprouting roots now and will go into the second iDoo I ordered last week. It's a smaller unit with only 7 holes, but I will only be using 2 of the holes for the tomatoes.

 

[EbS-P]

The

Nice! I snipped a couple of tops from the Tiny Tim tomato we had on the patio. They are sprouting roots now and will go into the second iDoo I ordered last week. It's a smaller unit with only 7 holes, but I will only be using 2 of the holes for the tomatoes.

Spacing of these indoor grow systems is fine for staring plants but I’m finding they are just way to close for anything growing longer than 4-6 weeks. One almost needs a starting system then a growing system. Which would work out well as you need to start plants at lower nutrient levels.

 

[begreen]

Yes, I agree. That's why the number of holes is not very relevant. Spacing is more important. I will have the two plants about a foot apart. If that gets too crowded then I will move one plant into a big pot like I did last year.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

You fellows are doing well with your tomatoes. I’m looking forward to pictures of your winter fruit.

My mom’s garden is winding down in Virginia, though she’s still bringing in tomatoes and peppers, but it won’t be too long [most likely] until frost hits here. I’m growing some beans out for seed at this point, but we’ve had lots of nice beans for fresh eating and some for canning this summer. That has been lovely.

My mom and I have been moving plants in for the past couple of weeks. I have jade plants and a desert rose under a fluorescent light in the unfinished basement, and my mom kindly gave me the center of her upstairs plant stand for the Battir eggplant I’m trying to grow. My za’atar is in front of it, and I planted some sprouted ginger around it. My mom has Christmas cactus, gardenia, and aloe in pots in the rest of the space. The Battir eggplant has thorns on its stems, but I was intrigued when they started growing on the flower bud, too.

 

[begreen]

I have gathered up the last of the blushing tomatoes today and put them in the greenhouse to ripen (or not). We're getting 2 nice days, but after that it's going to be wet and cold. I got about a half-pint of raspberries and the last 8 ears of corn harvested. The corn should have been picked a week ago but it's still not bad. We only have a Sungold and a Garden Gem tomato still in the garden. Peppers and the last zucchini get harvested tomorrow. I also started shucking the dried YuHo beans for seed saving. They have finally stopped producing, but what a run they had this year!

 

[EbS-P]

Well here is version 1. I think I will add an 8’ downspout hydroponic in front and deduce how to water it. Mainly for smaller greens. I will have to shade it today at the transplants haven’t been outside 24 hours yet.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I got to the orchard store a couple days ago. I picked a half bushel of Macoun utility apples up. My northern spy’s weren’t out yet.

 

[Poindexter]

For heaven's sake. I got three inches of snow on the ground and you guys are still looking forward to your first frosts. Little bit of envy here.

 

[EbS-P]

She said it was harvest time. Loaded the car and ready to take off to the farmer’s market.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

That car gets great fuel economy! Lol

 

[NickW]

Garden is done for the year. Harvested the last 10 good melons today before the cold moves in. 4 Crenshaw's with dark green rind instead of yellow/orange that I was worried wouldn't be ripe enough, but the one I cut up right away is fabulous; and 6 hybrid honeydews. Took 6 bad ones over to the neighbors chickens. Shared some with the new neighbors on one side and will get some over to the neighbor with the chickens.

 

[EbS-P]

Freeze warning tonight and back up to 76 by the weekend. Im going to cover the green monster and hope for the best. I may add a small heater under the cover. It’s been 9 months since they were seeded. New tomatoes will get wheeled inside. One variety already has blossoms but they are opened yet.

A seed order arrived 85$ with mostly 3/4 of it being frost hardy mostly greens. Most excited by the giant red mustard greens, walking stick kale, purple tomatillos and red okra.

I need a free after toon to go get a trailer load of soil (maybe two as my dad needs some). Then another free afternoon to get my hydroponics gutters built.

Got a really good set on some indoor cherries!

 

[clancey]

You sure do got your work "cut out for you"--but I imagine it is very fulfilling as well as good food for your family and I wonder what our freeman is up to? I do believe "lots of rain" is headed your way because the Pacific coast will have "Lots"--I think...Good job and what a seed collection as well. clancey

 

[begreen]

We're pretty much done with the outdoor garden beds now. Over the winter we'll be harvesting some carrots, beets, cabbage, and kale. There are 4 broccoli plants that are still providing sprouts and a big celery that we still get shoots off of. We still have lots of tomatoes that were picked pink to light green and are ripening up in the greenhouse. The cukes are just about done in there. Indoors we have both iDoos now started up. Idoo 1 just got planted with lettuce and basil. I am using 6 out of the 12 holes. Idoo 2 has two Tiny Tim cuttings taking root, using 2 out of the 7 holes.

 

[EbS-P]

Version two of the hydroponic table now has a 27 site down spout that will sit in front of the buckets and a 10 foot gutter that will be filled with coco core husk as a grow media for direct sowing of smaller baby greens, radishes ect. The will get screwed to the front of the table.

So when it’s all done later next week there will be 10 buckets 27 2” sites and 10’ of gutter all on a movable table. Next task is to make tomato support structure that will utilize string and clips.

 

[begreen]

I am going to try some Jochalos micro-tomatoes for our indoor garden this winter. They are supposed to be very compact, productive, cherry tomato that is sweet and orange/yellow in color.

 

[EbS-P]

I am going to try some Jochalos micro-tomatoes for our indoor garden this winter. They are supposed to be very compact, productive, cherry tomato that is sweet and orange/yellow in color.

Those look great for indoors! Micro dwarf. 7” tall.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

@EbS-P , your movable growing setup is really coming along. I wish you well in getting it all done. I’ll look forward to seeing photos of it full of plants.

@begreen, those microdwarf tomatoes do look good. I’ll be interested to hear how they taste.

We‘ve had a few nights of freezes, so most everything in the garden is gone now. I was down sick before the cold weather came, so my amazing mother went out and harvested the last of the bean crop. Some I’d been saving for seed, but she also got about five pounds of beans for fresh eating, I think. It certainly paid off for us to plant that midsummer crop and protect it from the bunnies.

Our indoor growing is not very vegetable oriented. My mom does have some citrus trees on a sunporch, and I’ve been filling their watering bottles every day, and they’re drinking it right down. She also has some other houseplants and some beautiful Christmas cactus that have already started to bloom.



My planter with eggplant and ginger continues to get taller. I think I’m going to have to bite the bullet and prune off the top of the eggplant. I’ve been thinking about it but keep putting it off. Right now the first flower to bloom has lost its petals, but I can’t tell what’s going on inside the thorny calyx. There are two more flowers open as of yesterday and definitely more buds growing.



If anyone has any suggestions or warnings about pruning the eggplant to keep its height down and to focus its energies on fruit, I’m all eyes. The goal of this particular plant is mostly to produce seed, but some fruit to eat would be a bonus. I have no idea if I can even get a fruit to set, but I’m doing what I can.

 

[EbS-P]

It’s got cold Thursday and Friday night almost almost a frost. I covered the tower and the table. Uncovered today. So this is two and half days harvest. (wish eggplants grew that fast). Some of The tomatoes are still splitting if it’s a sunny day. No freezing weather for the next 9 days.

I got some tiny bok choy. Planted 32 net pots seeded. It may be a good crop for the salad rack. Now what to put in the net pots for the downspout? I’ve got some head lettuce and maybe some mustard greens.

 

[begreen]

Maybe try some tatsoi. It's a mild and delicious quick-growing Asian green that likes cool weather.

Tatsoi - Organic Asian Green Seed | Johnny's Selected Seeds

Economical, organic OP tatsoi. Round, gently cupped green leaves with bright white, crunchy, juicy stems. Mild flavor. Fastest tatsoi to bolt. USDA Certified ...

www.johnnyseeds.com

 

[EbS-P]

Version 2 done. Baby salad greens of 9 different types are in the gutter. Have not planted the net pots yet. Planning head lettuce, mustard and kale.