Some new pictures

Its obviously been a while since I've posted anything resembling an article here, but when it comes to growing plants, daily updates are just not possible.  That would come down to 'Nothing today!' type of updates, mixed with 'Wow, look at those buggers grow!' updates.

These are some pictures to show just what can happen if you remove the "I can't!" from your vocabulary.

Special note.  When growing inside, there are no pollenators, or insects flying and taking the nectar.  Use a cotton swab, gently swab the inside of the flower, and do the same to each flower on that plant, or plant of the same breed.  If you grow two breeds of the same type, there may be a cross/hybrid.

There are plenty of articles on cross breeds, and hybrids, and the possible benefits, or problems that can occur, such as not getting a stable variety, or the seeds you save will not give you back the plants you were hoping for.

This year, I am happy to say that I didn't say 'I can't!'  I said 'Why not?'.  Now I can say, "I did it, and I don't regret it!"

Some new tomatoes. Cherry. About
three weeks old. Late in the season,
but I want to see what can happen.

Flowers! That means peppers soon!

Look close! Some flowers have dropped,
and started to turn to peppers.

Time to transplant into larger pots.
Sweet Red peppers, Chocolate peppers,
And in the background, Fuzzy Wuzzy
saladette tomatoes.  Seeds from
Annapolis Seeds.

A sweet red pepper plant, with flowers.
Was started in February.

The tomatoes in the background are sitting
on the floor.  They are from two feet from the tops
of the pots, up to almost four feet high.
Started way too early, but I'll have fresh tomatoes
much earlier then I expected.  There are flowers
already blossoming on some plants.

Natural, Organic, but my own definitions

It irritates me that there can be so many different takes on simple words, that manufacturers, and retailers can play with the definition to suit themselves.  There shouldn't be any need for organizations to verify that products are organic!

Natural.  I consider something natural only if the product that is being sold can be found that way in the environment, and that the means to make that product exist in the world around us, without adjustment, or modification by humans.

Tomatoes.  Blueberries.  If a tomato seed were to grow at a forest's edge, with no human to tend the plant, there would be no pesticide sprayed on it.  There would be no synthetic fertilizer used to enrich the soil.  The animals could eat it and it would not poison them, and the bugs could eat the vegetation, and nothing would harm them that was man made, or altered to produce a certain harmful reaction.  Such as death.

If something is organic, that would mean that there were no synthetic means to create that product.  Period.  No loose ends.  No way around it.  No 50% minimum.

And definitely not Genetically modified!

I will leave the GMO equation for a later article, but natural should mean natural, not 'a naturally derived percentage', or a natural byproduct chemically altered to produce this product, or natural ingredients, along with chemical enhancements.

Things are either natural, and organic, or they are not.  No company should be able to interpret the definitions to suit themselves, and make profit at the common man/woman's expense.

And a lie is a lie.  If its not organic, or natural, then the label is a lie.  Don't trust a liar.  Any company willing to bend the rules to suit themselves will do so again.

Hm.  Rant over.

A visit to get more seed

I went to Bloom Greenhouse to get seeds from Annapolis Seeds.

Wow, that was a visit I did not regret!  They have seeds from Annapolis Seeds, Halifax Seed, a large yard with bagged soils, composts, helpful staff, and a wide selection of gardening items to choose from.

I will return for the compost enriched soils, or just the plain compost, but I bought cherry tomato seeds, three different types, and should have about a month and a half head start.  I wished I went three weeks ago, when they opened, but I had no idea other people would want seedlings for cherry tomatoes.  Now I do.

Spent a bit on this experiment, and though the return has been low so far, I still have lots of plants in excess of what I will need, so I may still make a bit more.  If I pay for just one light bank, then I will be happy.  The majority of it was just to figure out what could be done, what not to do, and how to do it better next time.

Unlike last year, this season has not been a complete waste.

The only one stopping me is me now.  I do have a habit of getting in my own way, but hopefully I won't trip over my own feet with my seedling trays in my hands.  I don't care if I break an arm, but don't hurt the sweet red apple peppers!

I have been eager to try those peppers since I saw the seeds on Annapolis Seeds' website.  Thick walled, sweet red pepper.  Can't wait!

Now all I need is the land.  And I can't forget patience.  Nothing more important then patience when gardening.

Grow lights - Second update

The more light, the better.  That is now apparent.  It was definitely a season of learning curves, and one thing is common throughout.  More light.  Do not skimp on light.  Start seeds early, in small shallow cups, like egg cartons, and when sprouted large enough, put the sprouts deep in the transplant cup.  the stalk will thicken and grow roots from it, making it more stable.  Without enough light though, the plants will grow a thinner stalk, trying to reach higher for any source of light available.

I will need to really plan next year's seedlings, as well as get more shelves, and more light banks.  I will have to keep an eye on sales for soil, but not the cheap garbage.  Stuff I know is good.  Maybe buy it as the planting season starts to wind down for next season.

Here are some pictures to show what indoor lights, even fluorescent, can do.

The cups contain Sweet Chocolate Peppers
The tomato plants are plum, non GMO

Tomato plants, from seed, non GMO, red plum
To the right and back, Sweet Apple Pepper seedlings.  Early stages.

This is the middle of the forest.  My new focus.
Tomato plants, Clear Pink, from Annapolis Seeds.

Don't settle for another industry's garbage

A few years ago, maybe more then five, I purchased only two bags of soil that was on for a 'good deal'.  When I opened the bag, it ended up being complete garbage, but I didn't recognize at the time what businesses will do.

This stuff hardened to almost cement like quality, did not mix into the soil, and I would have been better off using it as pothole fill then garden soil.  Watch out for great deals on soil.  This might have been the dust from cement that was crushed for fill, but the dust was added to a soil as a filler.  If it wasn't, it definitely behaved that way.

Three days ago, I purchased five bags of "Great Value Black Earth" from Walmart.  Absolute garbage!  It was not black earth.  Black earth is the fertile soil that usually comes either from completely composted debris, or its the stuff under trees that has absorbed loads of organic matter, and acidic content from the needles of evergreens.  This stuff is great for soil, but needs to be sweetened with lime for plants that do not like the acids there.

What was in the bag was bark fines, probably from mulches that no longer acted like mulch and needed to be disposed of, and muck.  Not soil.  Not dirt.  Muck.  Stuff that is scraped off the bottoms of mud puddles, or maybe even city streets by the street sweeper.

I bought five bags.  I'm returning four, as I opened the first, and used most of it before realizing just how poor a quality this stuff was.  It wasn't soil, or top soil.  I don't know where they actually got it, but its not even worth the plastic it was wrapped in.  I ended up mixing it with some potting soil that was already used, but there was no quality ingredients in that bag.

If you must, open a bag to look inside before you buy.  Great deals are often just wastes of money.  I think I'm going to try a U-bag soil seller next time.  Small scale sellers like that have their soils outside, in the elements, but you can see what it is, and what it isn't.

Another case of buyer beware.  Bloody hell.

Grow Light Update

Well, one thing is for certain - Standard lights do not work for seedlings.  Too dim.  Tried CFL's, but their light is too diffused to work properly.  You end up wasting much of the light into the room rather then on the plants.

Bought a shop light fluorescent fixture, with two T8 tubes, 6500 spectrum, which is supposed to be daylight.  That worked quite well, but there wasn't enough coverage, so I purchased a second bank this weekend.

They are perking up quite nicely now.  The first picture is with only lamps, the second and third is with one light bank with added seedlings, and the fourth and fifth are with two.

This year is only an experiment to see what can be done, what doesn't work, and what does.  As far as I can see, after making more then a few mistakes, I will still have several seedlings that I won't be able to use, though they will be healthy.  Will sell those, or give them away.

Every one is non GMO, seeds acquired from Annapolis Seeds, or saved from non GMO vegetable plants.

I still have to figure out how to fertilize without the use of chemical fertilizers, so it can be organic too.  Will look up using compost or manure teas from composted manures.  I hate the idea of using synthetic chemicals, so I will see what I can do instead, not what I think I can't.

With CFL lamps only

One fluorescent light bank with added seedlings

Lettuce in the totes, Red peppers in the
top pots, tomatoes near the middle,
and some cucumbers in the bottom cups

Two light banks. The tomatoes are perking up
and so are the pepper plants.

The cucumber are spreading, the tomato have grown,
the red pepper are getting larger.
Might need a third bank to really light up their lives.

Grow Lights?

Now that technology has advanced, and provided a large number of options for lighting that plants find beneficial when sunlight is in low supply, I find the options almost overwhelming.

LED is a reasonable option, but like most leds, they are expensive.  The first time payout for such a new tech, and I will have to do more research to find out if they work, as they are using blue and red light principles, which I know very little about.

Incandescent is an option, but expensive to run in power consumption.  They are also not as bright as less power hungry options.

Halogen is an old favorite, but has a voracious power appetite, and it turns the idea of growing extra seedlings, or an indoor window garden into an not for profit operation.

Fluorescent has been around for ages, and has bulbs available for plant and aquarium usage.  The power usage is low, compared to most other options, save for LED, but without a fixture, there is still a startup cost involved.

I will do a bit more research, and find out how reliable LED's are for growing, as normal lamps and track lighting should be able to handle them, making the fixtures cheaper, but the bulbs the main problem.

Still, considering the lower power requirements, they might be the best and most viable alternative when the sun is lacking.

There go my breaks and lunch hours at work.  In the end, this is all worth it.  I love seeing new sprouts, and not using those fatalistic words that I have come to hate.

"I can't."  Because the only one stopping me is me.

So, bloody hell, you bet I can!

Update - within only half an hour, I found a website that told me why my standard bulbs, although higher power consumption, were doing much less for my plants then the regular CFL's I had started with.

Bloody hell.  What a waste.  Should have did the research first.  Got lots of CFLs, but only a few standards.  As soon as I get home, out go those power hogs, and back go the CFLs.

For those who want the info, here is the site.
http://www.fullbloomhydroponics.net/hydroponic-grow-light-guide-fluorescent-hid-led/