Back with more updates! My plants have been growing for two weeks since the last update so you will see some more progress...
Lettuce
These little guys are pretty much ready to plant out.
A week after the last update this variety is finally ready to transplant. Sometimes it just takes a little patience.
Cabbage family
Kohlrabies are growing nicely...
Tomatoes
Tomatoes looking good...
Its a good idea to check the roots every once in a while to see how they are doing. Healthy roots are white and abundant with fuzzy hair on them. If roots are brown and scarce, you might be over watering.
Use care when removing plants from their pot/cell. Hold them up-side-down and gently squeeze container to ease plants out rather then pulling them out.
Use care when removing plants from their pot/cell. Hold them up-side-down and gently squeeze container to ease plants out rather then pulling them out.
Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums are ready for a bigger pot. They pulled out of the egg cartons nicely.
These nasturtiums are a trailing variety so I decided to grow them in a basket. I mixed about a quarter cup of granular fertilizer into the top several inches of potting soil.
Planted and watered with compost tea.
Onions
Onions are growing out again. Time for another haircut.
After the haircut...
Eggplant
So here is what happened to my eggplants. When I transplanted them I noticed that I forgot to drill holes in my container whenever I started them. So that explained the disease! (see previous post; Pt. 3) The soil couldn't dry out properly and stayed too wet.
Sometimes the soil looks dry on the surface while underneath it is still soggy. Poke your finger in and check if you want to make sure.
Sometimes the soil looks dry on the surface while underneath it is still soggy. Poke your finger in and check if you want to make sure.
Notice how their roots are pretty much straight little sticks with very little side shoots? Roots can not develop well in soggy soil. I transplanted them and kept them out of direct sunlight since they couldn't take the bright sun without getting droopy. They were fine under the grow light. I kept water to a minimum and kept an eye on them, fingers crossed.
I was really surprised how well they bounced back after a few weeks! All of them survived so far and are growing nicely.
Peppers
A week after the last update, peppers are ready to transplant. See my previous post, Pt. 4 for instructions how to transplant.
Cute little bunch of perfect plants! I really liked how well the egg cartons worked to start these.
Here they are about a week after transplanting.
Keep 'em growing and out of trouble.
So now I have all my things transplanted and just need to keep them growing and healthy till the weather permits to plant them out. I am learning that without a greenhouse it can be a little more of a challenge, and they definitely do not grow as fast in the house. But that really doesn't matter! Something I learned during my green-housing years: the easier you make it to care for your plants the nicer the end result will be. For example, keeping a spritz bottle or sprayer of water close by will make it easy to water quickly whenever you see the need. Planning your little growing system as efficient as possible can make the biggest difference when you're busy and on the go.
My plants are big enough that I like to set them outside whenever temperatures are in the fifties or above. Peppers and eggplant do not like cold so I usually keep them inside till the last couple weeks before planting. Then they can be set out during warm days so they can 'harden off' and get ready for their outdoor life in the garden. All plants should be exposed to the elements before planting outside.
If you keep your plants mostly inside, a fan blowing over the plants will go a long ways in keeping them sturdy and healthy. A bedroom fan works great, or check out the nifty little fan I got at Lowes for $12 in my previous post (Pt. 4).
My plants are big enough that I like to set them outside whenever temperatures are in the fifties or above. Peppers and eggplant do not like cold so I usually keep them inside till the last couple weeks before planting. Then they can be set out during warm days so they can 'harden off' and get ready for their outdoor life in the garden. All plants should be exposed to the elements before planting outside.
If you keep your plants mostly inside, a fan blowing over the plants will go a long ways in keeping them sturdy and healthy. A bedroom fan works great, or check out the nifty little fan I got at Lowes for $12 in my previous post (Pt. 4).
Oops! I got a little too ambitious and set my lettuce and cabbage family outside early in the morning before going to work, anticipating a nice sunny day. But sunny days can be freezing at 6:00 in the morning, and cold hardy as they are, about half of them froze. This lettuce looks sad but it is actually growing out again. If you freeze something give it a chance! As long as the 'heart' or center where new leaves grow out still looks alive there is hope.
More trouble shooting.
About a week after transplanting, I noticed my nasturtiums were turning yellow, which is usually a sign of over watering.
Time for a root check! I dug one up and sure enough the roots look pretty brown and sad. Although the soil wasn't wet at the moment, I remembered they were outside during a heavy rain once, and had been rather neglected. Now I'm just going to be more careful with watering and feed them well whenever I do water them.
If you want your plants nice and green, don't be afraid to feed them well as they get bigger. In my greenhouse I often watered with fertilizer more then I watered with just water. (if you mixed granular fertilizer into your soil, this should not be necessary). That is where its nice to have several different kinds of fertilizer so you can switch off and give your plants a broader range of nutrients. Liquid Fish is always a good one, and any other organic, liquid fertilizer that is labeled for potted plants should do. Of course its your choice whether to grow organic or not!
Note: In my previous post (Pt. 4) I had said never to water dark wet soil. I went back and did some editing as there are some exceptions once your plants are bigger and have developed healthy roots. Then overwatering should not be as much of an issue, and you might actually have to work to keep them from wilting, especially if you aren't there during the day. Experience will be your best teacher!
That is all for this week! I plan to do one more update in several weeks when I start planting stuff out.
Note: In my previous post (Pt. 4) I had said never to water dark wet soil. I went back and did some editing as there are some exceptions once your plants are bigger and have developed healthy roots. Then overwatering should not be as much of an issue, and you might actually have to work to keep them from wilting, especially if you aren't there during the day. Experience will be your best teacher!
That is all for this week! I plan to do one more update in several weeks when I start planting stuff out.
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