George's 2015 - Yokohama Down In Flames

New season starting!

New grow box. Bigger than the last.

Tough decisions to make.

Just Chinense starting today. Plenty of baccatum and a few annum coming soon.

My beautiful bug slayer was nearby. Just for luck.

So, seeds started today:
Yellow Devils tongue
Bhut orange Copenhagen
Carolina reaper
Reaper x bubblegum
Peach congo
Mako akokosrade
Chocolate bhut
red jays Ghost Scorpion.

Plenty more to follow, this Is just Chinense

 

[georgej]

The plants I transferred the other day all survived. They look more vibrant and are growing too! Wish I caught it earlier.

Transferred a few more today.

I have just six left to do another day.

Also I started my hanging basket herb garden. Planning to have quite a few of these

 

[stickman]

There ya go G... can't have too many potherbs growing outside the kitchen.   Glad to hear the transplant into the new soil went well.

 

[georgej]

Yep, successful so far!
Been very fiddly though. Trying to was the leaf mulch off of the straggly roots. One wrong move and they are dead.

However the key seems to have been to keep the roots wet at all times.
Night time temps are creeping up. Hope to plant out mid April, but we will see how they grow. I didn't plant out until mid-late may last year because I moved house. And things turned out alright

 

[Sawyer]

Good save.
 

However the key seems to have been to keep the roots wet at all times.

 
I bet I've killed more plants by letting the roots dry out than all other reasons combined.

 

[georgej]

Last few finished tonight. Things are looking great!

From the weight of the cups transplanted a week ago I imagine it's time for watering tomorrow evening

 

[georgej]

Love how tomato seedlings look

The plants that got transplanted first are in the foreground. Looking good.

Tipsy was nearby enjoying dinner. She can't wait for the bugs to come.

 

[stickman]

Nice looking plants G! After settling into their new shoes they look like they're ready to roll. Did you start your herbs from seed or buy sets? I'm starting mine from seed right now... Syrian Marjoram, Thyme, Summer Savory and Lemon Balm. It's so much easier to find Basil and Parsley sets that I buy them already started. Cheers!

 

[georgej]

These herbs were already started. Place next to where I work has been selling seedlings for 100 yen. Cheap!
I have oregano, spearmint and grapefruit mint (my new favourite herb) ready to go to bigger pots.

I have thyme and lemon balm seeds, which I'm starting today. Nasturtiums too (love them in salad and it reminds me of being a kid).
I will start them if I ever get in gear. Wifey just papped me enjoying the weather outside. Veranda is messy right now will clean up once work is done.

Love the view from the veranda. The local monastery is across the way. The sprawl of Tokyo in the other direction. So quiet where we live. Between a mountain and a monastery, noisiest things are birds, I don't mind.

 

[Ozzy2001]

The tomatillos grow big fast.  I started mine with some tomatoes and they are tall than them.

 

[georgej]

I culled the tomatillo actually.
Found out that they won't self pollinate. I don't have space for 3 tomatillo plants this year. Maybe next year

 

[Sawyer]

Tipsy sure is "aww"-inducing.  Brightened my morning just seeing that picture (again).  Nice pictures of your place there.  I like seeing the context of people's grow efforts.  (And realize I haven't posted enough pictures of my own.)  That's a big balcony; you can grow a lot peppers there.  Good luck!

 

[georgej]

Hardening off is going well. They spend all afternoon in sun.

Trying to keep the fabric pots off the floor this year. Playing around with this. A rack for drying dishes etc on from the dollar store. Two of them side by side works well. Better airflow, not soaking up surface water etc.

Dug up my radishes today, because... Hello aphids!

Polytent is up again. Seedlings will be in there soon.

But right now it's just the bonchi

And someone is a bit annoyed that I didn't let them eat all the aphids off the radishes.

 

[stickman]

Dang! Aphid time already?! Where's the inner perimeter when you need 'em?   Nice looking Tomatoes G! Perhaps you're wise to put off the Tomatillos for now... they would probably grow to at least 2 meters, even in pots. Does Tipsy eat bugs as small as aphids usually?

 

[georgej]

I figure i will try Tomatillo again if i have land to put them in ground.

yeah first time growing Tomatoes from seed and i love how they look!

I was surprised to see Aphids already. you can't beat them, just gotta keep ontop of them. Luckily come June/July the veranda should be crawling the praying mantis and lacewing larvae again and it will look after itself. until then its neem time!

Dunno, Tipsy has been eating cat food, boiled chicken and meal worms. shes blind as a bat and goes by smell. if she smells bugs she will nibble. they have long tongues and snag their prey with them, wouldnt be surprised if she would eat aphids if she smelled them.

looking forward to cleaning up the veranda and letting tipsy have a run out there, Hedgehogs are pretty hillarious when they run, they look like they are on stilts

 

[PaulS]

Love the Tipsy pics!
Your balcony looks like a nice grow area, great view too

 

[georgej]

Finished hardening off. They have been lapping up the sunshine

Weather is breaking ten degrees at night, this coming week! I'm gonna get seedlings in the polytent so they get more sunshine.

Cucumbers, F1 cucumber, lemon cuke, national pickling cucumbers, acorn squash,
And thyme went in for Germination last night.

Eau de cologne mint, lemon thyme, oregano and spearmint are doing well.

Hops have just broken the ground after a good watering yesterday

Jasmine is blooming

 

[Sawyer]

If you've already said, I apologize for my bad memory, but what variety of hops is that?

 

[georgej]

Centennial. probably my favourite dry hop and one of the most solid American varieties IMO

 

[Sawyer]

That's one I don't have.  I noticed Wednesday that I have in-ground varieties showing life, Sterling, Fuggle, Brewer's Gold, Glacier, Nugget, Mt. Hood, Zeus, Magnum, and Teamaker.  Liberty is the only in-ground that isn't showing life yet.  It struggled last year and may not return.  In pots I have Alpharoma, Columbia, Perle, and Chinook.  I'd like to add Centennial, SuperAlpha, Newport, and Cascade, maybe Crystal and Willamette.  I had starts of all of those at one point, but for one reason or another they didn't make it.

 

[georgej]

my bad season gets worse.

lost a bunch of plants in the polytent. damping off.

so i just started aleppo and chimayo sees off again. lost 8 plants and luckily the ones i lose were annum or baccatum.

annoying after last years success. we all make mistakes.

however my cucumbers have sprouted. nice!