Pulpiteer 2013 Grow Log

3/5King · Feb 25, 2013

Dang Pulpy! You've got your hands full! Awesome that you have a bunch of little cuties helpin' you out. Almost makes me want to have some......almost. I haven't tried Happy Frog but I would like too. I've been using Pro-Mix Organic Blend from HomeDepot. This year I decided to try out the pucks....I hate them. Never again will I plant in a puck. I love how your second youngest has a garden journal lol it's so cute....and the littlest eats the dirt! hahaha classic stuff. She's even got the oh crap what did I just do look.

Congratulations on your soon to be new arrival Andy! You will have an amazing year.

Pr0digal_son · Feb 25, 2013

Very nice update Andy! I am a fan of Happy Frog for potting up and larger plants. It is expensive though! Last year I cut it with promix to keep the cost down.

Cool devil.....or midas,it is hard to tell these days. The mouth is the key to identifying them but my guess is that you have to order from a reputable breeder to get a purebred. I have been out of the hobby for a few years but had a Midas at one time. He had a 75 gallon tank for himself because he didn't play well with others. Extremely smart fish and was not shy about biting the hand,wrist,or forearm that fed him!!!!!!!!!!

capsidadburn · Feb 25, 2013

Congratulations all around Andy! Your sauces look wonderful. I'm sure your friends are pleased to recieve them. Nice grow list too! Great to see some other homeschoolers here. Mine are 12 and 15. Best of luck with your season.

Mike

Pulpiteer · Feb 25, 2013

DesertChris said:
CONGRATULATIONS!!

I sure wish we could get our teenagers into the gardening. The boy helps me install water lines if I ask, and the daughter actually planted some lily bulbs the other day...that is about the extent of it...lol

Thanks Chris. I talk with and counsel with a few parents of teenagers, and that's a whole different ball game. I'm trying to soak it up and enjoy it now, because who knows what those years will bring.

3/5King said:
Dang Pulpy! You've got your hands full! Awesome that you have a bunch of little cuties helpin' you out. Almost makes me want to have some......almost. I haven't tried Happy Frog but I would like too. I've been using Pro-Mix Organic Blend from HomeDepot. This year I decided to try out the pucks....I hate them. Never again will I plant in a puck. I love how your second youngest has a garden journal lol it's so cute....and the littlest eats the dirt! hahaha classic stuff. She's even got the oh crap what did I just do look.

Congratulations on your soon to be new arrival Andy! You will have an amazing year.

Thanks King! Yeah we do have our hands full, and it ranges from lots of fun, to crazy and messy, to frustrating and everything in between. It's funny, my youngest wouldn't stop eating the dirt. She only put that look on for the camera, but she was out showing her mom how proud she was eating dirt. Pretty funny.

Pr0digal_son said:
Very nice update Andy! I am a fan of Happy Frog for potting up and larger plants. It is expensive though! Last year I cut it with promix to keep the cost down.

Cool devil.....or midas,it is hard to tell these days. The mouth is the key to identifying them but my guess is that you have to order from a reputable breeder to get a purebred. I have been out of the hobby for a few years but had a Midas at one time. He had a 75 gallon tank for himself because he didn't play well with others. Extremely smart fish and was not shy about biting the hand,wrist,or forearm that fed him!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, alright another fish person! I didn't realize there was a difference between the Red Devil and the Midas - I learned something. It was sold as a Red Devil, and it was at the best fish store I've seen in Michigan. I've been keeping cichlids for about 13 years or so. I used to have a tank full of African Ciclids (Malawi) and they were very pretty. The personality of the Red Devil is awesome, but yeah, they've got to be in a tank by themselves. And they are smart. The one I had before would routinely draw blood from my hand or wrist. In fact, it seems that he knew right where some tender, fleshy parts were when he bit.

capsidadburn said:
Congratulations all around Andy! Your sauces look wonderful. I'm sure your friends are pleased to recieve them. Nice grow list too! Great to see some other homeschoolers here. Mine are 12 and 15. Best of luck with your season.

Mike

Thanks for stopping by Mike! I was pleased with my sauces for my first real try at them, and they were a blast to hand out and have been receiving rave reviews. And hey, another homeschooler! Lots of work, but pretty cool if you are able to do it. Best of luck to you as well.

Sawyer · Feb 25, 2013

Great post(s), Andy. I already had SKS in my suppliers list, but am always checking for new sources. Seems to be a limited selection of vendors out there.

Good idea with the goldfish, though to qualify as permaculture, shouldn't you get Mr. Marbles a girlfriend? I'd suggest introducing him to Charlie, but I don't think that would work out too well. One of the (too many) projects on my list is to set up an aquaculture system using tilapia. All the benefits of your idea, plus fresh fish to eat.

Always good to see youngsters getting involved. I've read that eating dirt is one way to introduce beneficial bacteria to the gut and that it strengthens the immune system. I'm not sure how effective eating sterile mix would be, though. Congratulations on the (forthcoming) new member of the family.

Pulpiteer · Feb 25, 2013

Sawyer said:
Great post(s), Andy. I already had SKS in my suppliers list, but am always checking for new sources. Seems to be a limited selection of vendors out there.

Good idea with the goldfish, though to qualify as permaculture, shouldn't you get Mr. Marbles a girlfriend? I'd suggest introducing him to Charlie, but I don't think that would work out too well. One of the (too many) projects on my list is to set up an aquaculture system using tilapia. All the benefits of your idea, plus fresh fish to eat.

Always good to see youngsters getting involved. I've read that eating dirt is one way to introduce beneficial bacteria to the gut and that it strengthens the immune system. I'm not sure how effective eating sterile mix would be, though. Congratulations on the (forthcoming) new member of the family.

Thanks Sawyer - I got the fish barrel idea from The Survival Podcast (not sure if you've ever listened to it), and that's also where I was introduced to permaculture. I just finished Gaia's Garden and am not reading Sepp Holzer's book. The full aquaculture system would be awesome, I don't really like the taste of fish though. Would love to see it if you get it up and running. I've heard of using tilapia for that system, and the whole thing sounds fascinating.

That's a positive take on the dirt eating :lol:

Pr0digal_son · Feb 25, 2013

When my Midas matured he grew a huge nuchal bump and loved having it rubbed. He would let you know when enough was enough though! Does yours dig for hours on end? Mine took a 15x12 room and made it his territory. If anyone besides me entered the room he would go bonkers. There are a couple folks here that keep cichlids. I know armac had Dovii which are really cool.

Pulpiteer · Feb 25, 2013

Yeah, the male, when he matured loved having his head bump rubbed too. He was like a dog. And they do dig hours on end. I can't have stacked rock structures like I do with the Africans, because it digs all the time. My old one also seemed to really react to the colors yellow and orange. He had a yellow ball that he'd chase - my wife loved playing with him that way. I'm not sure if this female will develop that nuchal bump or not - I don't think they do, which is too bad.

RocketMan · Feb 25, 2013

Congratulations Andy, That's so great that they like to help. I had my 2 little ones out helping me transplant last night but they were more interested in getting dirty than in making sure the seedlings were planted right. Man I haven't had fish since I was in High School. We had a 50 gallon tank when we were in Washington. I think it may have been broken during the move. Looking forward to seeing how the Permaculture and all goes. Where did you get your info on it, can you list your sources too?

Have a great week

Dshlogg · Feb 25, 2013

Congrats on you future arrival! Four kids and you still have time for hobbies? Excellent work my friend.

I used to keep cichlids myself. I had a female Red Devil for ten years in a 55 gallon. She would get a rather pronounced head bump sometimes too. It was a beautiful fish with a lot of personality. I actually had two catfish, a pleco and a blue lobster living with her. Those were the only companions tough enough to survive. She also loved to dig and rearrange her tank. I hope to get another tank eventually but I don't have the space in our condo.

Good luck with the permaculture. Such a cool "green" way to manage your grow. Can't wait to see how well it works for you.

stc3248 · Feb 26, 2013

Take a break for a few days and now we have fish...and BABIES! Congrats Andy! The "new kid smell" wore off ours long ago, mama still gets itchy when she holds a newborn though. Don't think that "maybe just one more" thing wears off??? Wow...your grow is going to be ambitious with a new addition in the near future!

allaKAZAAM · Feb 26, 2013

WOW!
Wonderful looking set-up and all the help of ENTHUSIASTIC little helpers too!
Liking some of the ideas you have presented and also gonna do some teas this year to (though not sure how long the grow season is up here in Moosonee Ontario Canada).Just moved into a home at the begining of February...with a BACK YARD that has a southern facing WOOT!
Gratz on the addition to the family, my wife is due any day now (need to post on my GLOG with updates).
Thanks again for your time and effort in your glog(s), with the info you have shared...I have learned so much from you and others here on the THP.
OH YAH! That sauce, powder and jelly shot...I am DROOLING, looks so good :drooling:

Mark

...need to take photos of the backyard now preseason (while the snow is still over 3' high)

Pulpiteer · Feb 26, 2013

RocketMan said:
Congratulations Andy, That's so great that they like to help. I had my 2 little ones out helping me transplant last night but they were more interested in getting dirty than in making sure the seedlings were planted right. Man I haven't had fish since I was in High School. We had a 50 gallon tank when we were in Washington. I think it may have been broken during the move. Looking forward to seeing how the Permaculture and all goes. Where did you get your info on it, can you list your sources too?

Have a great week

Thanks! Yeah, there's a lot of getting dirty too. I take the interest where I can get it, and try to teach where they are willing. It's like planting seeds in their minds, I think.
For Permaculture stuff, I just finished a book called Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemminway, which is great for gardening people. Joel Salatin has some awesome video lectures - he'll fill in the animal stuff. I'm reading a bit of a book by Sepp Holzer called "Permaculture". Also, Geoff Lawton has some cool stuff on video. I'd like to buy a DVD of his, but they're only in Australia and the shipping is pricey. I also listen to a podcast called "The Survival Podcast" where the guy goes into permaculture a lot. It's fascinating stuff, and I won't do it justice, but I'll take pictures and share what I can :surprised:

Dshlogg said:
Congrats on you future arrival! Four kids and you still have time for hobbies? Excellent work my friend.

I used to keep cichlids myself. I had a female Red Devil for ten years in a 55 gallon. She would get a rather pronounced head bump sometimes too. It was a beautiful fish with a lot of personality. I actually had two catfish, a pleco and a blue lobster living with her. Those were the only companions tough enough to survive. She also loved to dig and rearrange her tank. I hope to get another tank eventually but I don't have the space in our condo.

Good luck with the permaculture. Such a cool "green" way to manage your grow. Can't wait to see how well it works for you.

Thanks Dan! This is cool to find other cichlid folks here. They do have great personalities. It'll be a good fish for the kids to have around. I'm surprised you had anything able to live with her. Tough fish. We had a catfish in there, but he was getting drilled so we gave him to a friend.

stc3248 said:
Take a break for a few days and now we have fish...and BABIES! Congrats Andy! The "new kid smell" wore off ours long ago, mama still gets itchy when she holds a newborn though. Don't think that "maybe just one more" thing wears off??? Wow...your grow is going to be ambitious with a new addition in the near future!

Thanks Shane. "ambition with a new addition in the near future" was not the way my wife phrased it while I was going over the grow list this year :lol:

allaKAZAAM said:
WOW!
Wonderful looking set-up and all the help of ENTHUSIASTIC little helpers too!
Liking some of the ideas you have presented and also gonna do some teas this year to (though not sure how long the grow season is up here in Moosonee Ontario Canada).Just moved into a home at the begining of February...with a BACK YARD that has a southern facing WOOT!
Gratz on the addition to the family, my wife is due any day now (need to post on my GLOG with updates).
Thanks again for your time and effort in your glog(s), with the info you have shared...I have learned so much from you and others here on the THP.
OH YAH! That sauce, powder and jelly shot...I am DROOLING, looks so good

Mark

...need to take photos of the backyard now preseason (while the snow is still over 3' high)

Thanks Mark! And congrats to you!
South facing is good. The trick will be to hold on to the heat to stretch your growing season. I'll have to follow your glog for the baby and the new garden experience! Cool!
And yeah, this website is great with a ton of great info and people. I have learned a whole bunch here as well.

Ok, quick update.

I was up late last night and into the morning planting over 400 seeds (since I put two seeds in per pot) into just over 200 pots. I think I finally went to be around 4:30, which made me a bit tired today... But they're in and we're off!

I labeled with plastic spoons this year. Now as long as my youngest does not come in and start pulling them out, I'm set. I'm keeping them upstairs in my office until they germinate, at which point I'll move them down into the grow area with all the lights. It's warmer up here, so I want to get them started here.

I do two things to help prevent dampening off. First, I soak the seeds in half strength chamomile tea. This year I made it from the blossoms I collected last year, so that was pretty cool. You can see the flower heads here in my repurposed sauce jar. Second, I sprinkle cinnamon on top, as it's supposed to be an anti fungal. It also makes the room smell nice. Warm cinnamon...

And that's it. Now for the waiting for seeds to hook. This is probably the most nervous I get, because it's like magic that they come to life. All of this work, and you put tiny seeds into dirt, hoping for life to burst forth. Amazing really.

Thanks for stopping in!

Sanarda · Feb 26, 2013

Great idea about the cinnamon. I had just read somewhere that it is a good treatment to prevent damping. I will have to try it with my next set of seedlings. Good luck and it looks like your off to a great start

Pulpiteer · Feb 27, 2013

Sanarda said:
Great idea about the cinnamon. I had just read somewhere that it is a good treatment to prevent damping. I will have to try it with my next set of seedlings. Good luck and it looks like your off to a great start

Thanks Pia! Your glogs is one of the ones I'm working through a bit at a time... I'll get there. The cinnamon is only like a dollar at the dollar store too, so it's a good and cheap method, which I like!

PIC 1 · Feb 27, 2013

Wow Andy,
That's quite a number of seeds to be planted in one round. They will be jumping like "popcorn"
I like the organized setup.

WalkGood · Feb 27, 2013

Pulpiteer said:
... ... I was up late last night and into the morning planting over 400 seeds (since I put two seeds in per pot) into just over 200 pots. ...

Whoa that's a lot of seedlings ... is there enough room in your basement grow area?
BTW Great success in 2013 grow and love dat cinnamon trick up your sleeve

Bigoledude · Feb 28, 2013

I'm looking forward to see the results of your hours of work. Your set-up looks so nice and neat. Made me re-think my whole set-up! I'll keep watchin along.

Beehunter · Mar 1, 2013

Hey congrats on the up coming addition! the Labels on your sauce looks awesome! Best of luck this year!

PjPEPPERS · Mar 1, 2013

Hi Andy,

After reading through your glog I started to look at the permaculture scene and found some really interesting info that can be applied to everyday life and easy to do. I love the idea of having fish and using the water for the plants so for my birthday/fathers day (only 4 days apart) I think i might be getting a fish of some sort - not sure what yet as it's up to the wife to pick.

The cinnamon idea is genius, I have already raided the spice rack and will be applying a sprinkle of cinnamon to the plants later. I have the in-laws coming to stay this weekend and they are sleeping in the same room as the plants. The room can get a bit whiffy with the smell of soil so hopefully the cinnamon will do the job. Just hope it don't work too well and they never leave...ahhh..lol