Harvesting

The sweet potatoes are finally flowering. They produce beautiful purple flowers that fall off when the potatoes are ready. They open in the morning and close at night. 

Medium cantaloupe hanging on the trellis about 3.5 feet off the ground. The skin is changing slowly, not like the container melons that changed overnight.

Large cantaloupe hanging about one foot off the ground. Skin changing. 

Eggplants of all different shapes and sizes. 

Our first red bell pepper. It has, obviously, yet to turn red but its very exciting to get even one considering that the tomatoes overthrew that box. 

Ready for harvest chili pepper (transferred to PM bed from container). The transfer has done them well we have at least 4 other peppers turning red. 

My full harvest for today; lemon boys, jalapeños, cucumber, tomato-berries, super sweet 100's, and chili pepper.

Time After Time

Progression of Gardens...

Over the past few weeks the hot long day plants have been growing wild. I made a point of capturing all the stages of those plants (and others) because there growth has been so obvious and so quick. The raised cantaloupe and watermelon bed started with two 3 inch cantaloupe plants that shot up covered two four foot trellises and kept going. It finally started to fruit at the beginning of last week and boy is it fruiting we have at a least 6 viable melons of all different sizes. My sweet potato slips started off slow finally grew into slips and were transferred with a disappointing "death" and revival. The leaves came in two weeks ago and in the last week the two plants, that I didn't yank out because I thought they were dead, have grow six plus inches in vines. The watermelon container started off slow and didn't grow for weeks then it doubled in size and Tripled and quadrupled all over the bamboo trellis until it started fruiting. When it started fruiting all of the little melons were shriveling up and dying except one. Finally, we got a second one a week ago and now the plant has grown 6-8 inches of vine that I've had to stake because the trellis is full. That vine has a third melon on it. It's tiny but you can tell It is viable and won't be shriveling like the others that have come since the first and second. 

Here is a little pictorial of the plants progression and current state...

First viable Bush Sugar Baby on the first week (L), the 2nd week (top R), and the 3rd week (bottom R). 

The Bush Sugar Baby plant when it was first transplanted from newspaper seedling pots to the recycling bin (L), it doubled in size after no sign of growth for 3 weeks (top R), and now it has covered the trellis and grown vines so long they needed to be staked (bottom R). 

Sweet potatoes over time. The slips finally came out after 8 weeks (L), I planted them in the beginning of the 9th week and the shriveled (top R), and now they are at least 6 inch long vines (bottom R). 

Cantaloupe bed first planted (L), a few weeks later the plants were half way up the two 4 feet tall trellises (top R), and now they are a few inches taller than the trellises (bottom R).  

Cantaloupe bed fruiting. All the different sizes of melons at different stages, currently on the vines. 

Transferred the Pepper Container...

Because the tomato plants have basically taken over all of the neighboring beds the only pepper plant that was doing extremely well was the pepper container. Today I decided that since a bunch of the plots in Patch were now empty that I would transfer the container pepper to give it the space to grow. I took a big chance by guessing that the roots had run out of space and the plant would plop out of the container as a whole. I was right it was like an oversized seedling pot. I turned it over pulled it out and replanted it in the PM raised bed. I watered it with some sea magic and am hoping we get some good sun, which we did today despite the initial clouds dissipated, so that gets the long hot days it needs during this tender time.

Transplanted pepper plant. I thought I had a full photo of it in the container but I didn't, all I had is the top right image of the peppers that started there growth in the container 2 weeks ago. Part of why I thought it needed more space was that the peppers grew quickly then stopped just like my cantaloupe container. 

Potagar Patch- Video Update

Written...

I went out this morning to check on everything after the wind and cold and things were pretty good but not great. The wooden tomato cage I built was blown over and took the tomato with it. The cantaloupe plants that were in the greenhouse were completely wilted from the chill and the one planted was too. As the sun warmed up things got better and Mr. S. rebuilt the wooden cage so that it was sturdier and not, as he called it, so Charlie Brown. Other than that I didn't do much gardening because I wanted the sun to just warm everything back up. It rained last night so no watering was necessary and even if it hadn't rained I wouldn't have watered because that would have slowed the soil warming process. I thought the strawberries would be affected but they weren't, they are looking so amazing. I have at least 6 sizable berries and 25 small berries that look like they'll become sizable. I have about 50 flowers that should become berries. It's amazing! I took video of it all for you to see.

Video Update...

The video upload button isn't working so you'll have to click the link below to watch on YouTube...UGH!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLT46uNoBYY

Beanstalk of an Update

Rain, rain, and more rain...

It has been raining all day. It's just totally soggy outside but I did promise a picture update of everything. I am so happy that today is the today I chose and promised to post because the beans have gone crazy, FINALLY!

Green Arrow beans planted April 6th are now about 3 inches tall. The rain has been really good for everything and especially the beans which have boomed.

Bloomsdale, thinned down to three. Growing 4th set of leaves.

Texas Sweet Onions, planted April 18th, have grown about 6".

Iceberg type lettuce planted April 12ish. Hasn't grown taller but is double the size in bushiness.

Cherry Belle radishes thinned to 3" apart and have grown about an inch since.

Topsy strawberries have gotten bushier and have about 4 flowers so far.

Sweet potatoes, grown about 6 slips in 8 weeks.

First strawberry started, April 28, in the 8G bucket. 

Easter Miracle

It was gloomy and rainy out today so I didn't put my strawberries out. I didn't want to get the greenhouse all water logged. I instead sat them by a window so that they could get some sun from the light between all the clouds. I set them out on the coffee table in the sun room and watered the cups that felt extremely light. The ones that felt heavier I left as is... And firmed the top on.Then I got ready to go to Easter lunch with my family, checked on my seedling testers and left.

After lunch...

I noticed that some of the strawberries had sprouted new growth, just a few hours, after I'd checked on them. The growth rate is incredible. I sat on the floor and just sort of stared. After a couple of minutes I started to count which ones had made progress and how many hadn't. The results came to 25 of 27 alive and well or progressing. Even the little baby "grindylow", as Mike referred to it, had some green. It was actually really satisfying to know that out of the 27 I received the original 25 I'd ordered were alive.

I opened the greenhouse up and added the sweet potato glasses to the mix. I realized that 1 of the glasses (whole pot) had long roots with tiny roots starting to sprout off of the main root. It was another very satisfying realization. The sweet potatoes were slipping and the strawberries were a-growin'. That is my Easter miracle, especially since the spinach and tester seedlings have done absolutely nothing. Those were the 2 things I expected to see results from first when I didn't I was so depressed. The seedling testers technically still have a day until its DOA but I don't think anything is going to happen there. Seed tape is going to be my next test.

I started making seed tape strips this afternoon and hopefully they'll be the answer to getting the spinach, radishes, and carrots to grow. I haven't tested the carrots but was happy that I choose to make tape for them when I saw how unbelievably tiny the seeds were. I would have never been able to sow them properly with a guide.

Boo on the testers and spinach and YAY for the miracle of some growth! FINALLLY!!!! Happy Easter to me... And all!

Drinking Glass Slips

Starting Slip...

As I mentioned in my last blog entry I learned how to start sweet potato seedlings or slips using an old S-Pot. All of the articles I read and video's I watched said to put the mature potato into a glass container. So, I started there by looking for glass containers I already owned to use. I came up empty on mason jars. The one I did have was closed so tightly even after about 30 minutes of trying I couldn't seem to get it to loosen up a bit. That was out. I then Googled "do sweet potato slips have to grow in glass." The results all came up with use either a glass or clear plastic container that will allow you to submerge one-half of the potato. The only glass I had were drinking glasses and the only plastic containers I had were opaque or didn't have the depth. So I went with the drinking glasses. I didn't want to because I thought YUCK! at first but then realized that was stupid. Everything can be washed in the dishwasher. Once I made sure the glasses were nice and clean I grabbed a bottle of Deer Park, tooth picks for support, and filled the glasses half way each. 

I didn't want to use tap water because of all the pollutants people talk about. I wanted my slips to be as organic as possible. I didn't use distilled water (most pure) because all of the good components, like minerals, are boiled out. I wanted all of the good stuff and none of the bad. So Deer Park it was, although, I do read things that say bottled waters are no better than tap but choose not to believe it. After each glass was filled I submerged each potato in its glass about half way. Making sure to hold each firmly so they wouldn't plunge in any deeper than the half way mark. Once I removed them from the water the skin that had been submerged was darker. It was easier for me to insert the toothpicks on the line between dark and light skin. Once the toothpicks were in I set them in there glasses and placed them on a table by the window. 

The next morning I went to check on them and the glasses were bit on the chilly side and remembered that the potatoes should be left in a warm place. The weather does not permit that naturally at the moment so I grabbed a space heater from the basement and set it on Low next to the glassed. I plan on getting one of those CFL bulbs tomorrow but for today the heater was fine. I may end up using both to try to speed up the process but I'll need to read a little further into it. When I'm out getting the CFL bulb I'll also head over to Goodwill and by some glassware to put the two dirt S-Pots in. Goodwill always has a ton of clear glassware for $0.50 to $1.00 per item. Cheap and convenient. 

Total Cost for Slips*:  

CFL Bulb: ~$4.00

2 Glass Containters: ~$1.50

Total Retail Cost:

Slips: $4.00/plant X 4 plants= $16.00

Slips Grown @ Retail*: $4.00/plant X 25= $100.00 

* If they grow I'll get about 25 slips or more out of 4 potatoes.

I only need for so I'd never spend $100.00 but you can see how much is saved by trying to grow everything yourself. It's really amazing. I just wish that I had planned to grow things from seeds/scraps from the beginning then I would have had more time to try and fail and try again. Next year, I'll know!

Soil Slips...

I started the soil slips today. I found a clear plastic tub and added about an inch of soil. The soil was already moist because I took it from the outside bed that happened to be covered in snow from last night. Great timing, right? 

I heated the soil up a bit by holding the container in front of a heating lamp and then added the sweet potatoes. I cut one potato in half and added the two halves orange flesh down. I did this because in a few of the articles it said to cut them. That was part of what had confused me in the beginning. Then I added the last sprouted potato to the dirt whole and placed the container in front of a low set heating lamp. Since its been snowing the house isn't very warm, especially not the sun room which happens to be the only place that I can keep my potatoes. So, the heating lamp is going to be necessary for a few days until it starts to warm up and the sun decides to show his face in VA again. 

The spinach happens to be sitting there too. I didn't think it was getting enough warmth from the sun. So I brought it in for the day to get a little artificial warmth. I won't leave it there as long as the S.P's because it doesn't need it but I did want to bring it in out of the snow... its been 7 days and I don't see any signs of germination. Hopefully this will help and not hurt. 

Slippery Sweets

Bored...

The last 2 days I haven't had that much to do concerning P.M. because most of the plants I have chosen to grow are warm/hot weather plants and I hadn't planned on growing my own seedlings. The spinach still needs to be tended to on an every other day basis and checked on everyday but it has yet to germinate. Not that I was expecting my spinach to be super spinach or anything but at the moment the container and faerie plot are a bit on the boring side. I did add the markers to the empty garden, mostly because I am impatient but also as a test. I wanted to make sure that all of the nail polish products used would withstand the rain. Now that they are completely dry I may add a topcoat of clear polish to ensure there survival. Other than that I did a little sweeping, tossing of old plant material, and mulching in the area next to my little garden just so that it all looked uniform and neat. That turned out fine. Just fine. 

I found a few old but beautiful tiles laying behind a bush in the driveway and grabbed 3 of one design (yellow and white swirl) and 2 of another (unsure of how to describe). I cleaned them up with a little all-purpose cleaner and laid them out in a left-right upward pattern on each side of the bed. I placed the spinach container on top of the first tile to the left. I think they add a little something. That took all of 30 minutes and then it was back inside. 

Slips...

I was going through Pinterest while watching RHoBH. I usually go through the garden section before bed just to get a few ideas or read about interesting projects people are trying. As I was going through Pinterest I saw a pin that said "Start garden with kitchen scraps." I didn't click on it to see what the article had to say but the title got me thinking. As I thought it came to me that they must be talking about veggies that get old in your pantry and start to sprout roots or stems. That made me think of onions, garlic, and finally sweet potatoes. The last being an veggie I plan to grow. 

Memory...
I remembered that one day about a year ago Mike and I were going through the kitchen to find something to munch on and found a few sweet potatoes with funny looking "roots." At the time we were both saying things like "Look at this" and "weird" and "Bah" (toss in face). We had a good laugh then tossed the "ruined" potatoes in the garbage. 

Little did I know...I went upstairs to see if we had any sweet potatoes in the pantry with "roots" on them. I hadn't yet Googled "How to grow sprouted S.P's" or anything. I just thought I'd need a couple sweet potatoes with "roots" if I was going to experiment. I found 3. Then I Googled. I found out that you can start with any sweet potato no, what I now knew are slips and not roots, needed but that if they do have slips starting already that you were in better shape than if not. So I read on and found two different methods of creating slips from grocery store sweet pots. 1) using tooth picks to suspend the S.P. submerged halfway in water in a glass container with the slip end up 2) set the sweet potato on top of a little moist soil slip end up. 

Both methods required a warm spot to work. At first the fact that there were two methods confused me. One in only water and one in little water, that didn't seem right. So I found a video that really helped on YouTube, How To Grow Your Own Sweet Potato Slips/Plants. The woman in the video documents growing slips both ways over the course of about 4 weeks. Both approaches worked well. She also explained the part that the written articles did not mention or didn't explain properly... after the slips have grown (both methods) you must snap them off and submerge the bottom in water to root, then plant if it's warm enough. Without this little nugget of info my slips my have made it through the first step but they never would have become potatoes. I had all the information on growing slips that I needed and the time to try it. 

Bored no more...

I'm psyched for tomorrow! I'll set up both methods on a windowsill in the house and spend the next few weeks attempting to grow my own slips. I'll use the 3 I'd found with slips already forming and 1 without as a small test within my test. Also, that will even it out 2 for each method. If they all don't work out I'll just buy them at the local Home Depot or nursery. I'm really excited to try it either way. The potatoes with just the slips on them were beautiful and it would be great to say I started the plants from scratch, basically. Problem of nothing to do for my garden until ALFD, solved!