Stickman's 2013 Glog - Time To Pull The Plug on 2013

PIC 1 · Mar 28, 2013

Nice Rick,

Big progress with the lower level plants. The cooler temps will send out the flowers. I'm seeing that with my two grow area's also.

I can see "Spring" is here in your neck of the woods. Some green grass blades poking through the thatch...

stickman · Mar 28, 2013

PIC 1 said:
Nice Rick,

Big progress with the lower level plants. The cooler temps will send out the flowers. I'm seeing that with my two grow area's also.

I can see "Spring" is here in your neck of the woods. Some green grass blades poking through the thatch...

Thanks for the input Greg... I thought they were a bit small to be flowering, it's nice to understand what's going on. Cheers!

stc3248 · Mar 28, 2013

It has begun!!! Pods for everyone! Well soon anyway!

PeriPeri · Mar 29, 2013

You and me going to chat about growing indoors my friend. You seem to have that skill down to a T too!

Have a great Easter weekend. I'm going to the farm this morning!

stickman · Mar 29, 2013

stc3248 said:
It has begun!!! Pods for everyone! Well soon anyway!

Woo Hoo! Stuff is finally starting to grow! :woohoo:

This spring definitely came later than the last... not unseasonably late really, but with the chiles and eggplants started the anticipation is ratcheting up bigtime! The first part of the week was grey and drizzly, and a lot of people had the "shack nasties"... seeing the sun out and things growing has lightened the mood a lot!

PeriPeri said:
You and me going to chat about growing indoors my friend. You seem to have that skill down to a T too!

Have a great Easter weekend. I'm going to the farm this morning!

Thanks Lourens, I'm still learning too! And you're welcome to whatever help I can give. You also have mad skills my friend... evidenced by the monsters you have growing out at your farm.

Have a great Easter weekend all!

RocketMan · Mar 29, 2013

NICE Rick, those plants are responding well to whatever your doing. Get them in the ground and they're going to take off like crazy

I have your sauce boxed up now, just need to find the time to get to the Post Office.

Happy Easter.

Stefan_W · Mar 29, 2013

Looks like spring is definitely springing out your way!

Great pics of all of the seedlings. I had some issues with yellow leaves on a few of my plants as well. I noticed that the leaves that started touching the plants next to them were more likely to turn yellow, I wonder if there is a connection. Anyway, love the aji criolla sella! Maybe there are some pod baby pictures looming in your horizon.

PeriPeri · Mar 29, 2013

stickman said:
Woo Hoo! Stuff is finally starting to grow! This spring definitely came later than the last... not unseasonably late really, but with the chiles and eggplants started the anticipation is ratcheting up bigtime! The first part of the week was grey and drizzly, and a lot of people had the "shack nasties"... seeing the sun out and things growing has lightened the mood a lot!

Thanks Lourens, I'm still learning too! And you're welcome to whatever help I can give. You also have mad skills my friend... evidenced by the monsters you have growing out at your farm.

Have a great Easter weekend all!

You too Stickman! Mother nature... ain't got nothin' to do with me lol

stickman · Mar 30, 2013

RocketMan said:
NICE Rick, those plants are responding well to whatever your doing. Get them in the ground and they're going to take off like crazy

I have your sauce boxed up now, just need to find the time to get to the Post Office.

Happy Easter.

Thanks Bill, I'll be looking forward to it! You and your family have a happy Easter as well!

Stefan_W said:
Looks like spring is definitely springing out your way!

Great pics of all of the seedlings. I had some issues with yellow leaves on a few of my plants as well. I noticed that the leaves that started touching the plants next to them were more likely to turn yellow, I wonder if there is a connection. Anyway, love the aji criolla sella! Maybe there are some pod baby pictures looming in your horizon.

Hi Stefan, the thaw should be getting to you in force in a couple of weeks or so, then the work really starts...

I don't see how putting the plants in contact with each other could cause leaf yellowing unless friction was damaging them. I assume they're in different pots? Do you have a fan blowing on them some of the time?

The largest Criolla Sella is still only about 20cm high so I'm not going to encourage them to set fruit. No fan or "finger flicking" in the grow box. If they do set fruit I'll snip it off so they can concentrate on getting bigger. I'd like them to be at least 30cm tall before allowing them to fruit, and if it's too cold to plant out by then, I'll up-pot to a 6 liter size first.

Hope you and your family have a happy Easter!

I'm having good germination of the 2 varieties of Eggplants I sowed...

The Black Beauty is a traditional large Italian-type that's been a favorite for many years. I also love Thai veggie curries, so I decided to plant one of their firm-fleshed, green and white varieties this year as well... http://www.kitazawas...eed_325-33.html

Sawyer · Mar 30, 2013

From their website: "Kitazawa Seed Company is the oldest seed company in America specializing in Asian vegetable seeds."
Never heard of them before. Thanks for posting.

Chaosbites · Mar 30, 2013

Woohoo! Blossoms are in the house.

Looking good and healthy there. Do you like the airpots? Do they tip much? I have been thinking of trying them out. Most likely next year as this years budget is going into making the raised beds.

Michelle

DocNrock · Mar 30, 2013

Man Rick, you have some crazy varieties growing. I love it! They're all looking healthy, to boot. Love the flowers on the baccatums. They look so cool. And budding supers already...nice!

stickman · Mar 30, 2013

Sawyer said:
From their website: "Kitazawa Seed Company is the oldest seed company in America specializing in Asian vegetable seeds."
Never heard of them before. Thanks for posting.

No problem Buzz... glad to spread the word!

Chaosbites said:
Woohoo! Blossoms are in the house.

Looking good and healthy there. Do you like the airpots? Do they tip much? I have been thinking of trying them out. Most likely next year as this years budget is going into making the raised beds.

Michelle

Hi Michelle
I do like the airpots... If I don't put them in a place where they're likely to be tipped over (like a folding card table), they aren't. I think the plants I've put in them are happier to have the roots well aerated, but since the soil surface area is more than doubled, they need to be watered more frequently. Drip irrigation would be perfect for them, especially in midsummer, though I won't be able to afford it this year. I think I'll improvise by setting small blocks of ice on top of the soil in the pot before going to work and letting them slowly melt and soak into the soil. It's a trick I learned from some folks who grow Bonsai in Brooklyn, NY. I figure one or two blocks of ice the size of a solo cup should be about right.

DocNrock said:
Man Rick, you have some crazy varieties growing. I love it! They're all looking healthy, to boot. Love the flowers on the baccatums. They look so cool. And budding supers already...nice!

Thanks Doc, you're not doing too shabby yourself since you're already picking pods! If you're planning on buying a house and moving this summer it's probably as well you have all your babies planted in root pouches so they'll be relatively easy to move when you do.

Have a happy Easter all!

Chaosbites · Mar 30, 2013

Rick, I was thinking about them outside. We get lots of high winds unless the bottom is heavy enough they will tip. I guess it is one of those touchy feely/trial & error things. Thanks for the input.

Michelle

stickman · Mar 30, 2013

Chaosbites said:
Rick, I was thinking about them outside. We get lots of high winds unless the bottom is heavy enough they will tip. I guess it is one of those touchy feely/trial & error things. Thanks for the input.

Michelle

True... now that you mention it, I do remember the wind along the front range... What I'd do is put the pots on the south-facing side of a windbreak like a row of shrubbery or a low stone wall. That'll protect it from the prevailing northwest wind when it's small. You'd have to stake up the peppers when they get bigger. The stone wall would absorb sunlight during the day and radiate heat to make a warmer micro-climate. Again, you'd have to water more often, but a drip irrigation system on a timer, like Shane's, would take care of that without further input once it had been programmed.

Trippa · Mar 30, 2013

If you were worried about the air pots tipping over you could easily use a tent peg to tie them to the ground

stickman · Mar 31, 2013

Well folks, things are finally beginning to move here. I checked out the outdoor garden plot yesterday and found that the soil had completely thawed and the scallion tops I overwintered are beginning to grow, so it's time to rake out all the thatch and spade in the humus/nutes before planting the cold-hardy vegetables like Onions, Mache' and Claytonia. The Tomatoes haven't popped yet, but the Tomatillos are starting...

I'm hoping that by starting from seed earlier in the season I get bigger Tomatillo plants than I did last year. They take up a lot of space though, so I think I'll enlarge the Annual Herb garden to make room for them and more Asian herbs like Thai Basil.

meatfreak · Mar 31, 2013

Herbs are always good to have, especially fresh! Got some Tomatillo de Verde going here also, they tend to get leggy real quick. Happy Easter, Rick!

stickman · Mar 31, 2013

Thanks for the input Stefan! This is my first year growing them from seed so it's much appreciated. Guess I'll have to put them in a large air pruning pot until conditions are right for planting them outside... Hope you and your family have a good Easter yourselves!

Stefan_W · Mar 31, 2013

A selection of herbs, tomatoes, and garlic is definitely the way to go. It is sort of like having a salsa factory in your back yard.