Have almost 130 tomatoes plants, your looking at 72 in 1 1/4" soil. They are 4 1/2" now , will move them to the beer cans, 4" deep , then to the 5x5x6" deep pot you see to the left , and when the 7" deep pots get here, well...
After my seedling are up an inch or more I start giving them the 'Compost Tea' , they do need food to grow.
More Grow lights pic to come.
From Kentucky , Dwight
That's a lot of tomatos! Maybe put an add under farm & garden on craigs list
Thanks for the tip, fourks
I repotted 48 last afternoon, ran out of beer cans and have 77 left to repot.
Guess I'll have to drink more Beer :) But I got the biggest ones potted.
Giant Oxheart
Amana Orange
Marglobe VF
Ponderose Pink
Double Rich Red Slicing
Porter Pink Cherry
The Cherry did not have as long roots as all the others, most all I could just pull the whole root ball out , all clumped together.
Never heard of some of these, Got the seeds from www.WinterSown.org , an offer the had last fall.
This message was edited Feb 19, 2008 5:42 AM
lol it looks like you are bottom watering with beer! Maybe its the drink of champions for tomatos...
I never thought about using beer cans, for baby plants! I have been begging everyone to save me their milk jugs for my winter sowing ( I have 53 , labeled, and planted).. Another person has accused me of having everyone in the tri-county area saving me their milk jugs( she needs to start earlier next year in the quest). My tomato seeds from Wintersown are in the greenhouse though..
Over the weekend I planted over 1000 tomato, pepper, eggplant, broccoli, cauliflower, and other veggies in small plastic seed plug trays. Obviously I need to come up with something affordable to send them out to their new families at some point ( I give most of my veggie plants away). My favorite beer comes in a bottle..
Now, I am going to have to figure out how to find a whole buncha beer cans. If you see some old lady walking down the roadside with a trash bag it might be me.
Tiger, the beer cans under the plants have been emptied, by me, earler, are just waiting for me to fill them with soil, not bottom watering, although I do bottom water my seedlings so as not to wet their leaves.
Kathy, I want to transplant the tomatoes 2 or 3 times before setting out.
I'm useing deeper pots as I go. Next the 6" deep pots and when I get them the 7" pots.
The beer cans are easy to work with, cut well with sissors, but be carful the edges are very sharp.
I Love Compost Tea... Dwight
lol I was kidding..... I would skip the beer can step and move right to the next container. Tomatos grow fast and are going to root out in the cans really fast.
You may be right, Tiger, but this is the first year I've started my own tomatoes (bought this house with a small GH) and have a lot of time on my hands so I trying for LONG DEEP ROOTS.
It may be unneeded work but it keeps me out of the bars :)
Something you might consider for a growing container is those 32 oz soda cups from fast food places. Some of these places are using plasic cups not the paper ones any more and many or most of them go right in the trash. They are nice and deep and very cheap. You could probably get some kid to save you a bunch as he empties the trash at one of these restaurants. Give him a few bucks and soon you'll have to rent someplace to store them all ;-).
You can buy those solo cups at most of the grocery stores or the big box stores, Costco, Walmart, Sams etc. They aren't that expensive. I have bought them to start mine in. They have all sizes.
I've been gardening a long time, but I don't go into it wholesale like you guys do. amazing. What kind of potting mix do you use? Expensive.
Jeanette
Maybe a little old lady dumpster diving at the local bar? Wouldn't that cause some heads to turn, since you're looking for empties. LOL
Great looking plants, btw.
I have aprox 60 more tomatoes to transplant (maybe next week) and I will look for the cups at the Box stores, cutting and drilling holes in can is a pain.
BTW we are 'Expecting' here. My rabbit,a New Zealand White will have her babies next week, wednesday if she can read the calendar. :) ...will post , stay tuned.
HUGZ Jeanette...............Dwight
How exciting!! Dwight, congratulations!! I love the baby rabbits. Haven't had any for many many years. Be sure to take pictures. What wonderful fertilizer. One year I went down to the feed store the week after Easter when all the bunnies had been sold, and asked if I could clean out under the pens. I put that stuff right then on my raspberries, got sawdust and put it about 6 inches deep and watered, watered, watered. I had the best raspberries that year you have ever seen.
(((hugs back Dwight)))
Jeanette
Expecting an inch of snow today, it's 32 right now.
I empty the rabbit POO tray every week and have been putting it on the roses, they are dormant right now. The poo has more straw in it than poo, she only eats 1/4 the straw put in the cage, the rest drops through, a waste but it will compost also.
I have read it can be put right on the plants with no worry of burning.
It's great stuff and yes you can use it straight. We use to breed New Zealands and that was the best garden fertilizer around!
Yes, it didn't hurt the raspberries at all. They did so good that year. I would raise rabbits for the fertilizer if for no other reason, but I really don't have a good place to put them.
Is that straw or hay/alfalfa that you are giving her?
Jeanette
Rentman, if you are going to buy plastic cups, you could heat a screwdriver end over a candle and poke drain holes in the cups fairly easily.
I think a drill would be faster. I just used a needle and it worked fine with the small ones. But, they were small. With bigger ones they wouldn't need as many.
Jeanette
We save the plastic yogurt containers to start plants in.
I'm assuming you're going to plant some and sell the other? I wish I was closer, those are really healthy looking plants. You have the magic touch. :)
For planning whatever you re going to do, giving yourself enough time, like collecting the beer cans, if you just keep your mind open you will find a ton of things. Like the small soda bottles: Cut them in half, put holes in the bottom, cut a few places around the top of the bottom so the top will slide down over it, plant your plant and then take the lid off for oxygen. TADA a mini greenhouse.
Jeanette
Had 2 of my tomatoes die after transplanting the first time, not bad I guess.
I put a red pepper in the cups to mark them.
We have been eating out of our GH this winter Carrots, Lettuce , Sugar Pod Peas, Spinach , not a lot but sounds nice.
This is a pic of my Sugar Pod Peas.
And the Hoop house I'm building is taking shape , cut some clips to attach the wrap when it warms up.
We had an Ice Storm yesterday and last night , My first 'Ice Storm' and I'll be 70 next month.
And the clips
Did you cut the pipe for clips Dwight?
Your pea vines are pretty cool. Wish I had some of the pods for my stir fry tonight.
Jeanette
I am SOOOOOO envious! And inspired to get my greenhouse up and running!
What are doing for heat? I'm sure you've mentioned it on one of your threads, but I can't remember.
Yes , Jeanette , the rig for cutting the clips is the 2x2x24" board laying on the saw. I counter-sink two screws (so they will miss the saw blade) and rip of a little less than half the pipe.
Robin , I have 2 1500 W , used home heaters , which run off a thermostat. I keep it around 65-70 and no ventilation , I have the vents taped closed.
Dwight
This message was edited Feb 22, 2008 11:33 PM
I went back and looked for the countersunk screws Dwight. Couldn't find them. Where are they, and why?
Jeanette
They did not show well. You can almost see on at the left end of the long PVC with the beginning cut. I'll post another pic when I cut more.
The PVC pipe is cut the same length as the holding board. They can be any length.
First I drill a 1/8" hole through each end of the PVC then a 3/8" hole in the top, so the screw will be inside the PVC pipe and not be hit by saw blade. The screw is down inside the PVC.
Hope you can see it.
Ok, so essentially, the screws are to hold the pvc in place to cut it. Did you price the clamps in the bags? Are you saving a lot by making them yourself?
Jeanette
You got it Jeanette, no have not priced them and maybe I'm not saving $$$ but Having fun.
But I get 60 clips from one length of PVC cost less than 2.00 , so about 3 cents each.
When it warms up a little more I will complete the Hoop houses.
Rentman- Could you explain about the hoops. Is it one piece of pvc? Does it bend easy? How do you secure it to the ground? Tell all!!!
BocaBob
Hi Bob , first let me say I lived 60 years just north of you, in W. Palm Beach.
The Hoop houses are a work in progress...The first one is on a 4x8 ft raised bed.
I drove a 2' piece of rebar at each place a hoop would be placed (5 for the 8' )
The PVC is 1/2" , first a 12" piece with a 45 coupling then a 5' long piece to another 45 coupling and a 12" pipe down over the other 2' rebar.
I will get a pic when I have time.
I will cover with bubble wrap (because I have some) and use the clips to secure the wrap.
The ends will be covered with wrap, maybe using duct tape ?? I plan to water with a drip system.
I may run a PVC pipe along the top of the ridge for support and maybe a rebar in the very center.
I thinking the wind may blow it over. As I said 'a work in progress' I will have to have access to the inside and this unit may be too small.
Any ideas ?
Dwight.....Love Compost Tea
Dwight- - Sounds very interesting. I may play around with your idea. Thanks alot
BocaBob
Love your Earth Boxs , BocaBob I have one and I'm making 3 .
They remind me of a raised bed.
BocaBob, I don't understand. Why on earth would you need a hoop house in zone 10?? Clue me in.
Jeanette in zone 4/5 bordering.
Jnette- We get very heavy rainfalls and I have lost some really nice veggy plants to mother nature. I thought maybe only for protection they may be useful.
BocaBob
My wife cooked something last week with Lentils, I asked her to save me a spoon full of the uncooked seeds. I planted them 3 days ago and they are up today. Weee
Working on the hoop house today , will have more pic soon.
A pic of the Spinach I started Jan 14 , we have two salads from it so far and looks like it's ready to be cut again.
Love Compost Tea
