The goal for this year is the same as always, grow something interesting and learn something new. An additional goal this year is to compete in the GVGO Team Tomato Challenge, GO TEAM 8!
This first post will be a biggy to catch up on everything I've missed.
April 26:
After panicking and thinking I should have started months ago, I get going. Thanks to some advice from fellow Team 8 members I relax and get my seeds going.
Tomato Challenge picks:
Tomato 5.03 Hunt 17
Tomato 5.36 Hunt 17
Tomato 5.36 Lyon 18
Fun picks:
Mangel Wurzel
Bushel Gourd seeds ( My own from 2019 Approx 45lb, and from the 2019 GVGO seed package)
I started the tomato and mangel in paper towels, inside of small tupperware containers. The Bushel Gourds I start in paper towel but ran out of tupperware so used ziplock bags.
May ?:
Several seeds have broken out and are looking good. I make some news paper cups and plant the tomatoes. I place them under an LED grow bulb.
The mangel I have read don't like to be transplanted. I probably should have sowed them directly in soil to start, however due to the Covid lock down I was unable to get any soil to start with. However I now have both soil and my new fabric pots, so in they go! I'm leaving these pots inside for the most part.
The bushel gourds don't appear to be showing any signs of activity. The ziplock bags usually feel cool. I've tried keeping them in sunny windows, and on heat vents, but to no avail they are always cold. I'm having doubts.
May 6th:
Tomatoes are poking out! Keeping them watered, and under the LED light from 8am-11pm every day. And I've put a little fan near by, sure they are to small but I better get into the habit, and I figure it will hopefully help them to be a little stronger.
May 9th:
Sustaining growth on my tomatoes! Keeping the same light schedule, and watering when necessary. I have read some people use a diluted fertilizer, but I'm to afraid to change anything since I feel like things are going well, so I stick to plain old water.
The mangel still are not showing. I've been bringing the pots outside on nice warm/sunny days.
I'm giving up hope on the bushel gourds. Maybe next year. After all they do spread and vine like crazy and did get a little out of control. Maybe next year I can get a good place for them to vine and try again.
May 18th:
Tomatoes have some real leaves and are looking good!
The mangel have also shown up to the party finally! I've got a few popping up so it looks like I'll have a couple to choose from. I have been bringing the pots outside on nice warm/sunny days, being careful of sudden May snow storms.
May 23rd:
Tomatoes are getting a little big for their paper homes. Time to move to a slightly bigger plastic cup. This will also let me water from below. Another new item I learned which is apparently good for them. I let them rest in a doorway to get some shade and a hint of what it's like outside.
The Mangel continue doing okay.
A friend gives me some left over yellow fleshed potatoes, so I go ahead and plant a few of them. They are in the same family as a tomato, so it could prove interesting to see how they fair. Plus who doesn't love mashed potatoes?
May 29th:
Tomatoes are being brought out on nice days for a little fresh air. Starting with my hardening off process. I'm going for 2 hours at a time for a couple days, then jumping to 4 hours for a few days. etc. Theres a few days where its cloudy but warm, so I left them out all day.
Mangel look good, but a few over zealous waterings on my part are giving them a run for their money.
Potatoes might be from the same family but they don't look the same as a tomato!
July 4th:
The tomatoes are getting bushy and smell really nice.
Yup, my heavy hand with the waterings have proven my downfall. A few of the mangels have some stem issues, and can't stand up on their own. One whole pot is not looking good at all, so I pull them out and try to transplant (despite knowing its not great) in hopes to have more then just one mangel. I leave the strongest looking one on its own, and the two weaker ones I move to the other pot.
July 7th:
I get some more pots finally for the tomatoes along with more potting soil. Time to put these bad boys in their forever homes. I snip the two seedling leaves, and some lower leaves in order to get the plants as deep as possible in their pots, and let those roots grow from the stems as I have read. I think I probably needed more soil for all of these pots, and could have planted a few of them deeper.
Also featured here two pots of future Zucinni loafs.
Any feed back on what I have done would be appreciated.
Next step is to figure out how to cage Giant tomatoes. I've grown a tomato plant once and it was a disaster, branches were hanging all over, the cage couldn't contain it, and most of my tomatoes ended up on the ground.
As well, I am going to start looking into proper feeding schedules and nutrients.
Hey Jeff...didnt know you were on here....come for a visit sometime if you still venture to st.thomas....can easily 'physically distace' here'....how's
the plants in the office looking...miss those Friday visits;)
Hi Joel!
Not to many people have been going into the office. I haven't been there since March. I have a bad feeling about the state of the plants. When we are allow back in we might need some serious help. You better start some some cuttings now. haha!
Maybe one of these weekends in the near future I'll swing by for a visit and see first hand how the pros do it!
April 13th:
I have had a little help from a sneaky critter. Seems someone thought my Mangel might need a companion plant or two. I found these guys busting through the soil today. It seems there is a hand full of seeds buried at the bottom of the pot. They must have gotten in there when I filled the pot half way with soil and ran out and it took me a few days to get more.
Tomatoes are doing okay. They seem a little bushier, in one of the books I was reading today they suggested you might see flowers by June 15th... I clearly started mine a little after the book, but I hope my plants are not that slow of growers. They look pretty healthy to me, with a little bit of leaf curl on some of the older leaves that I think were from when it was living a sheltered life inside. So I am hoping that is due to not being used to the full sun.
Mangel are looking thick and healthy. I hope theres no other little surprises inside those pots. I thinned off one of the transplanted Mangel, but the other appears to be getting stronger.
Bonus Pictures:
My potato plant is growing really well, I wish my tomato grew like this! And the Zucchini are holding in there as well.
June 22:
It's impressive how much a plant can grow in a week!
The tomato plants seem to be taking off now! I see some possible flowers, and keeping the suckers off is almost impossible at the rate they seem to grow! I've got some 20-20-20 that I'm watering in, and trying to really water deep. I'm pretty sure I had not been giving them as much water as they really needed initially, so hopefully I can fix that problem and really soak them in now. Maybe that has been the cause for the leaf curl? I assume the plant might be trying to hold on to as much water as possible on those hot days.
The Mangel are looking great! They have really put on some weight I'm surprised at their speed as well.
And then the delicious Zucchini also have some buds forming.
June 28:
Megablooms and flowers!
I've got 2 megablooms (only doubles I think) so far, and a few other smaller flowers growing on my tomato plants so far. I'll hopefully get some posts in the ground to start tying them up to this week. One plant had a sucker go un-noticed and it seems rather long right now. I am not sure if its to late to take it off, but maybe I'll leave it to go as the one plant with two vines on it and see how well it does in comparison.
The Mangel plants continue their steady growth as well. I am still finding the occasional seedling growing out of these pots from time to time. I'm sure whatever that critter is that planted those seeds is pretty upset they aren't getting their snack.
July 4th:
I've finally got around to getting some stakes into the ground. The good thing about a container garden is that you don't have to worry about disturbing the roots when you place a stake outside the container. Bought some 2x2x8 and tried to hammer it into the ground, turned out my clay soil didn't like that. So I had to dig some holes and loosen the dirt up a bit first and then back fill them.
I've managed to get each tomato tied and I'll start training them up the stakes. I'm sure if I watered my grass as much as I water my tomatoes it would be growing just as good as they are. During some of these really hot days I've had to water every other day, the fabric pots aren't the greatest for holding onto water.
Mangel are looking extra leafy. My smaller one has a hard time standing up at times, and occasionally flops around. I'm doubting it will catch up but I'll keep it along for the ride!
The Zuchinni are surviving despite a lot of stripped cucumber beetles!