Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 90 Entries. Thursday, January 2 View Page New leaf problem today. I am guessing this one is insect issue. My two soil plants are not liking life. The hydro is making progess, root in the water, first leaves forming. I started more seeds on Jan 1 but unlike last year I am running lower grow room temps. They may not be ready by the first day of spring. It is still good, at least i am attempting to grow when the outside is covered with snow.   Thursday, January 2 View Page The other soil plant that had bulges in some leaves and had other leaves that were quite yellow has improved some. I am still seeing some yellow in the center of the leaf but changes in soil have to happen slowly. I thought I had mixed my soil potently. I guess not. Much easier to grow under white light than purple.   Saturday, January 4 View Page I still have hope for the Big Marley in soil. There is a nice ribbon mega forming at the top.   Saturday, January 4 View Page I think I am going to have to adjust the nutrient ratio’s in the hydro tank. Leaf color is not what I think is healthiest. Hopefully can choose the right direction to adjust.   Saturday, January 4 View Page The roots are down. I am getting some purple underside on the leafs. This is an issue that i have had often when using a solid cube of rockwool. I know the plant will grow out of it but probably should have cut the cube to 3/8 inch and used hydro pebbles. With roots down I can start to drop water levels to dry the net basket more.   Sunday, January 5 View Page Getting ready to do a 1:1 soil slurry test. In this case I had to go 1:2. My media holds too much water to get enough liquid for probe depth. More soil would help for 1:1.My procedure- Pick a sample of grow media. Weigh it in grams. Add pure water(i use reverse osmosis)in same quantity, in this case twice as much.1 gram = 1ml. Stir and then wait. Then stir again and wait again...when i get tired of waiting, I will strain the mixture and then test the liquid with my Ph/EC meter. This will give me a general idea of where things are at.   Sunday, January 5 View Page The straining. A pre-wetted paper towel on top of a wire strainer seems to work. After it quits dripping, can take the paper towel and ball it to squeeze more extract out.   Sunday, January 5 View Page And the results-ph at 6.22. Good it is in range of my desired acidity.   Sunday, January 5 View Page EC at 4.55. Quite high considering this was a 1:2 test. I thought i was potent to begin and then added more nutrients to offset some percieved nutrient deficiencies. Time for a flush or straight water for awhile.   Sunday, January 5 View Page Flush in progress. One bucket to put water on the top. Another bucket and pump to the drain pan. Will keep flushing until runoff EC seems lower. First out of the pot was at 9.08.   Sunday, January 5 View Page Runoff EC has dropped in 1/2. In this size pot it took what is equivalent to 6 inches of rain to do it. It will take a few days for the pot to dry out. Will recheck then for further adjustment.   Thursday, January 9 View Page The lower temps in the grow room this year (73 vs 85) might eventually grow a bigger tomato, but I am going to run out of time. This is I think this is the only plant that has a chance to get one by the first day of spring. Going to raise the temp a little. Glen if you get a one pounder you might beat me.   Thursday, January 9 View Page I never could understand insects during the winter grows. How does a ladybug find my grow room in January, with the ground covered with snow and nightime temps in single digit negatives. I am glad it found it , but how, I will never know.   Friday, January 10 View Page My winter woes continue. My ribbon mega is turning yellow, just not where i want it to be yellow. I might be trying to compete with a single.   Friday, January 10 View Page Deep water hydro...this plant at 19 days is about the same development as one 13 days old started Jan 1st last year that finished first. I raised grow room temp 3 degrees. By the end of the weekend I might be even warmer. 77 now...eighties probably coming.   Sunday, January 12 View Page I have not given up yet, Glenomkins. I have four more blossom clusters forming on my healthiest soil plant. I also have three forming on soil plant two. None are better than a double though. Gave the plants some blossom booster. Might have time for one higher truss. Hydro plant is picking up in growth rate. By date it is not far off from last year. Temp in grow room is now set between 80 and 82. Increased lights on to 16 hours per day. Still have another three to four weeks to set a blossom for 40 days of fruit growth. This year has been frustrating but still fun.   Sunday, January 12 View Page Since I have less plants in the grow room than planned, I have an extra light. I moved two lights closer together and now am getting 1000 umols on the entire canopy. This is without lowering the distance of the light, which would increase the heat and be a reduced foot print. 630 watts now over one plant. I also set up a bigger fan. Foliage is dense enough that I felt the plant needed more air circulation than what the little fan was providing. All in for the rest of the season.   Sunday, January 12 View Page Good news...first blossoms are forming on the hydro plant. My best of the year might be that little spec in the picture. Plenty of time to get this one pollinated by Feb 1st. Next year might grow all hydro.   Sunday, January 12 View Page Vegibee is charging. Pollen makeup brushes located. Next year I need to build a grow room workstation. I have acquired enough specialty tools that better organization is needed. Actually, many plans for next year. I am guessing I am a winter grower for life.   Thursday, January 16 View Page I still have hope. Should have another ribbon mega ready to open on the Big Marley soon. I have been buzzing singles but really want a fused. Still 2 weeks left to get full term set.   Thursday, January 16 View Page Ready for spring and the forecast for tomorrow and Saturday is 3-12 inches of snow and 40-45 mph winds. These yellow delbrut seeds arrived today. Thank You Reed, I never expected the Delbrut to grow yellow.   Friday, January 17 View Page This is what happens to new growth when you OD the plant with P and K. Turns new growth to a twisted mess. Winter grow..there is a deadline...the new growth will be terminated anyway.   Friday, January 17 View Page P and K OD. It did what it was suppose to. This blossom should be opening over the weekend. I am expecting it will be at least a triple. I have singles dropping pollen, I am moving that to this blossom even though it is not fully open yet. Have about 10 singles on this same plant to get this one set. Will know in a few days if I have a chance at my winter pb.   Saturday, January 18 View Page Grow room is a mess. My garage temp was holding at about 40 degrees. I read at that temp it could take carrot seeds 50 days to germinate. Into the grow room they went. I have two singles now set on the tomato plants..hoping to have doubles or better set in a few days. Getting hopeful that this year is not a write off.   Sunday, January 19 View Page I have been trying buzz the flowers all day since the lights went on. The pollen did not start to drop until 8 hours after lights on. I have enough on the spoon already to get my biggest blossom set but will keep giving it more until I am sure.   Sunday, January 19 View Page This I think is my best chance for this year. 1st truss on hydroponic is only a double. That will probably be backup. Fingers crossed for a full set on this one.   Sunday, January 19 View Page These little babies will come off as soon as i am sure of having a bigger one set. With the addition of the blossoms dropping pollen today, I could have 6 singles set.   Sunday, January 19 View Page I might be getting a bit over optimistic but better to be prepared. BER has been a problem in every winter grow. I have no doubt it will be again this year. Which product to use. Seems Rot-Stop has a lower percentage of calcium chloride but they say mix at twice the ratio that Southern Ag says. I will probably stick with the Rot-Stop since I am already familiar with it. Too late in the season to be taking chances.   Thursday, January 23 View Page I am afraid I didnt get my biggest blossom completely set.   Thursday, January 23 View Page Not getting my big one set is ok. I still have this double set on the same plant. There is also a double on the hydro plant just starting to open. Plenty of time left to have a decent finish.   Saturday, January 25 View Page Soon I should be close to Glenomkins 6 inches. The soil is already overloaded with nutrients but I can’t stop myself. I gave the plant another shot of K. It is all for fun, if I don’t get one to the finish line but enjoyed myself it was a good winter.   Saturday, January 25 View Page I might have the only seeds left that are sibling to the current world record carrot. I tried to start 6 seeds the lazy way. Looks like none grew. Going to try to start a few more with a bit better care.   Saturday, February 1 View Page 47 days left until the first day of spring. I lowered the grow room temp some to slow ripening. This tomato is the only good chance I have for this season. 19 inches puts me at winter pb. It has a long way to grow with a not very healthy plant. Not very probable.   Saturday, February 1 View Page This is the tomato and plant. I did a lot less pruning this year than in the past. I think much of the lower leaves are a waste. Just not enough light getting to them. I am thinking that this is the biggest difference between sunlight and artificial light.   Saturday, February 1 View Page The biggest blossoms on my hydro plant are all too high for the first day of spring. Next year remind me to start earlier.   Saturday, February 1 View Page I guess this set on the hydro plant will have to be the backup to the bigger in soil. 47 days is probably long enough to have a chance. If I was relying on this one, temps would stay high.   Saturday, February 1 View Page It is not so bad Wixom. I have switched half the grow room to LED’s. I am running about 1500 watts for 15 hours per day and 800 watts for 9 hours per day. I could peak if everything is on at the same time..at about 4000 watts for a few minutes. Total daily usage is about 30 kw. My electrical rate is 11 cents per kw. So daily cost is about $3.30. Winter grow is raising my electric bill about $100 per month. I foresee some year in the future investing in solar panels. Right now, I think the cost to cost savings is even.   Tuesday, February 4 View Page Hydro tomato is only about 1 week behind the soil tomato. 44 days to go. It might catch up.   Wednesday, February 12 View Page It has been over a week since posting any tomato pictures. Yes they are still alive. The soil plant has gone from 10 inches to 14 inches in 11 days. Unless it can grow for the remaining 36 days it won’t be anywhere near my winter pb.   Wednesday, February 12 View Page The hydro tomato is gaining size faster. In eight days it has gone from quarter size (maybe 3 inches cc?) to almost 12 inches. The diet i am feeding it is really hurting the foliage but the fruit seems to be responding. As long as it keeps getting bigger I will stick with this nutrient plan.   Thursday, February 13 View Page Yesterday I posted the tomato measurements. Today it is the rest of the plant. First up, the soil plant. Obviously, I have low nitrogen. Every leaf formed in the last month has been small. They form and soon after curl up. I know my K and Ca are really high. This year is a test to see what K can do.   Thursday, February 13 View Page And the hydro plant. I am completely backwards from the recommended nutrient mixture. After a P overdose to get the mega fused I am running nearly straight part 1 of the three part formula. Part 1 is suppose to be majority during the veg state not the blossom stage. The NPK of 2-1-6 with different company micro’s and cal-mg is getting interesting. Tomatoes are not weed. Keep trying wixom...it cant go a year without a tomato can it? :)   Tuesday, February 18 View Page Oops, i thought it was getting about time to think about hammocks. I guess for the soil plant weekend was just too far away. It is ok, I am thinking my hydro will be my best.   Tuesday, February 18 View Page Had to put it on a scale. Barely over 1 pound. At least enough to take the temporary winter grow lead.   Tuesday, February 18 View Page Bottom side, this tomato was not very thick but it was reasonably solid. It is 2nd generation Big Marley. I may save seeds.   Wednesday, February 19 View Page The hydro tomato is now safely in a hammock. It is now measuring right about 15 inches cc for a gain of 3 inches over 7 days. Still 29 days to go..I keep forgetting this is leap year.   Saturday, February 22 View Page I have spring fever. It was a balmy 44 degrees today. I trudged around in the snow looking at garden 1 and garden 2. I am trying to decide how many plants to start. I might decide on just 1500 sq ft area to grow one full size pumpkin, one 150 sq ft pumpkin and some tomatoes. I could then work on the other 10,500 sq ft of garden. I am on the ten year plan..retirement goal 12,000 sq ft of competitive garden built with a base of beach sand. I expect my results will improve year to year.   Monday, February 24 View Page The last few weeks I have had the tomato on cruise control. Lights on timer, no daily checking for soil moisture level (deep water hydro), ph and EC not checked,lights not adjusted(light toxicity) ect. I know I have lost weight opportunity by being busy. Pruning is out of hand. I have suckers everywhere. I don’t want to trim them all at once and send the plant into shock. Rest of the season will probably continue to be low effort on my part. Next year will have to break my pb.   Saturday, February 29 View Page About 20 days left in the winter grow. Tomato is measuring about 17 inches for a growth of 2 inches in 9 days. It has slowed to a little less than 1/4 inch per day. Tripped the the circuit breaker last week on the air conditioner. Came home from work and walked into a 110 degree grow room. That day did not help growth....   Saturday, February 29 View Page Time to think about summer growing. The snow should be melted soon. 5 gallon tomato challenge sounds fun. Tomato Tim encouraged creativity. I have this 5 gallon cooler that I never use. Is it a legal bucket?   Monday, March 2 View Page This Big Marley that I chopped down a few weeks ago still has not given up. Maybe I should water it.   Monday, March 2 View Page My carrot appears to be a bit behind Peter’s. Ok, not a bit..a lot. Might help if I remembered to water it occasionally. Maybe it has deep roots, looking for water.   Monday, March 2 View Page Tomato is growing so slow. I think it will get over two but not break my winter pb. If it gets over two it willl be 4 winters in a row with a 2+ tomato. Next year will have to figure out 3’s. 17 days to go...   Wednesday, March 4 View Page Thinking about the 5 gallon bucket challenge. The roots of this tomato plant in this 13 gallon bucket is getting close to capacity. Hmmm, what about that 20% volume at the top. Can that be better utilized. How about spreading the top roots out to drop into solution at more than a few square inches. Come on spring..once I am growing wont be having anymore crazy ideas of what could be done..at least not until next year.   Wednesday, March 4 View Page 5 gallon challenge..If it is decided in the final rules that it must be a bucket, I have a backup plan. Heat and hydro do not play well together.   Friday, March 6 View Page Uh oh, I don’t think it will wait for the first day of spring. Good thing weighing is allowed early in the the winter competition. I predict it will weigh 2.01 pounds...18 inch x 15.5 inch x 15 inch x .00048 mFactor. In a few days will find out how close my prediction is.   Sunday, March 8 View Page I decided to pick my final winter tomato today. It did not measure too bad 18.125 inches cc. Will it go heavy?   Sunday, March 8 View Page No...it went light...1.952 pounds. No two pounder for me this winter. I am going to blame it on inclement weather.   Sunday, March 8 View Page Bottom side is healthy, no BER. I will be back growing next winter.   Wednesday, March 11 View Page I am seeing some spots without snow in the garden for the first time this year. My plan is changing daily. Hopefully in a month will have made final decision.   Wednesday, March 11 View Page With the tomato plants gone the carrot is finally getting some attention. Going to see if can slow down the flowering. Lowered temp and predominent blue spectrum LED. Hopefully will get the coco carrot plant started this weekend. Watch out qtip, I still have a few brother/sister seeds left of world record.   Saturday, March 21 View Page This is my 150 sq ft seed if I can get it to sprout. Thanks Greg. There might be a bit of competition from the German club. I appologize...I just found out that some of the emails sent to me have been going into my junk folder. I am starting to sort thru the hundreds of spam emails to find the ones that dont belong there.   Saturday, March 21 View Page Garden is almost snow free. Still frozen 2 inches down. Another week and it might be almost tillable. Hopefully when it is soil test time the labs are still open.   Monday, March 23 View Page When concerned about health difficulties and financial hardship from coronavirus, growing is a good distraction. I have two carrots going. This is the stronger of the two. Soil is dry 4+ inches down. I don’t know if it is best method, but i am going to force the plant to sink deep roots. I like growing carrots. Maybe some year it will be a GPC category.   Wednesday, March 25 View Page My dog had surgery 1 1/2 weeks ago. Life is not getting easier for him....now he has cone-virus.   Wednesday, March 25 View Page I think i need to get on the cucumber board. I only have eight seeds to do it with. Is there a minimum size?   Friday, March 27 View Page A fan that no longer works fits the lid. I think I have found my outdoor 5 gallon bucket net pot.   Monday, March 30 View Page Beautiful day outside. My dog has lost his cone and is happy I am back outside working on the garden. My new coronavirus solution to worry...use parental controls to block all the news sites for the parent.   Monday, March 30 View Page Big difference what I am seeing this year and last year after first till. It is almost starting to look like soil not the beach.i still do not have enough depth. With corona economic questions, I think this will not be much of a building year. As long as the progress is forward, I will consider it a success. Now to find the low budget improvements. Good thing I am on a ten year plan.   Thursday, April 2 View Page I am only 3 posts behind wixom...come on henry..you are slacking. Watering plan for my carrot. Give it a gallon of water and then forget about it for four days. I have to admit, this was not an intentional plan. Sometime in the next month will have to build an outdoor raised bed for this plant. How am I going to save the tall fabric pot. I have looked..they are not available for purchase now.   Saturday, April 11 View Page I have found a source of 6 year old composted cow manure only 5 minutes away from my house. I foresee many trips there this summer.My dog thinks he is the official quality control inspector.   Saturday, April 11 View Page 60 cu yards of organic material into 8000 sq ft last summer, and now a majority when dry still looks like nearly pure sand. With my ten year plan, I think I will need all ten years.   Saturday, April 11 View Page Of the next planned 6000 sq ft , it is looking like i have about 1/3 rd of it that has sufficient organic material. Unfortunately it is only 6-7 inches deep. I may be moving that this year to my 2000 sq ft grow area. Looking to sell my boat and buying a bobcat. I have much work to do. 14,000 sq ft of prime garden in ten years...i can get it done.   Tuesday, April 14 View Page Making my plans for the summer. Growing this year in the 2000 sq ft that I tried tomatoes in last year. Within a few months of the world opening back up, I should be able to wheel and deal for a bobcat. Then the real work will begin. I am checking the texture of the various bands of soil (can i call it soil?)in the rest of the planned growing area. No wonder very little grows in this area. With my testing i get 74+% sand, 21+-% silt and less than 5% clay. It has <1 % om. Over 2/3rds of the future garden is similar to this. I still think this is easier than if it was all clay.   Friday, April 17 View Page It looks like i have a mole or gopher problem in the garden. No, just mini piles of composted cow manure. I am going cheap this year. $100 of manure, a few soil tests, and items I already have...amendments, pesticides and fungicides. Trying to decide which seed to start...the 2416 was my first choice, then I considered going for broke with the 2145 in my possession,but tonight, I am contemplating my 1109. How can I determine where my soil is if I don’t grow the genetics that I have always grown.   Sunday, April 19 View Page Today finished spreading a little over 3 yds of composted cow manure into the giant vegetable area of my yard. Soil sample is collected and will be sent off tomorrow. My soil temp at 6 inches is still 46 degrees. I am not going to start seeds until I get soil ammended and heating cables in..or when it naturally warms up. Whatever comes first.   Sunday, April 19 View Page I also tilled up a new section today. Have to start a covid victory garden. I haven’t tried growing eating vegetables for 7 years. Seemed cheaper to buy them than grow them, especially when garden space was limited. The soil in this area looks better than most of my yard. I might have to plant a pumpkin here next year.   Friday, April 24 View Page Last years soil test, and this years for the same section...Last years on the left, this years on the right. I did not move the numbers as much as I thought I had. It is going to take a few days to digest this info. Some of these numbers moved in opposite direction than what I would have expected based on what I added. . How is my calcium still increasing? Both years, Western Labs has suggested adding zinc. I do not understand this. My zinc levels are very high, why should I add more?   Monday, April 27 View Page Marv, we need a pickling thread...   Friday, May 1 View Page I went from two months ago planning to grow 6 pumpkins to last week growing none. Tonight, I am going to start one. Will still leave me 9000 ft of deficient soil to try other things. Running the soil calculator, I think I can get the pumpkin soil reasonable. All I will have to buy is bone meal and sulfur. I already have everything else.   Saturday, May 2 View Page The new plan of one plant somehow multiplied after I filed the first seed. Maybe not being able to decide which one i wanted to grow had something to do with it. I am only 2 weeks behind.   Saturday, May 2 View Page Amendments mixed, spread and tilled in. Should have 3 full size pumpkin plants. I feel reasonably good for two plants in 2000 sq ft. The only concern is the soil is not deep enough. The other 1000 sq ft plant is a work in progress. I did the first amendment on this newly dug up area without a soil test. Should be able to get it tested and then tweaked before a plant is running.   Saturday, May 2 View Page Wilie, this is where the 97 pounder is going to go. It is an area about 13 ft x 20 ft, nestled between tree trunks. Perfect for a 150 plant. I have so far added about a yard of old composted manure, sop,epsom salt and sulfur. My first year, I started seeds the 3rd week of May. Since then, I have started always about May 1st. My soil temp 6 inches down is still 54 degrees. Without cable heaters, putting a plant in the ground just means it sits dormant for a few weeks.   Monday, May 4 View Page My best carrot was starting to look a bit sad indoors. Maybe it was from lack of grower attention. So I decided to move it outdoors into a 40 gallon bottomless pot filled with pumpkin soil. Now it is looking even sadder. I hope I get the new fence up before the deer find it. If it goes to seed early I want to collect them. This is by far the best genetic seed I have found so far that is a direct sibling to the WR.   Monday, May 4 View Page Two days from seed soak , I have seeds popping. No heat mats involved. Soak, put in paper towel and put them on my desk shelf where they stay about 75 degrees. The root on one of the 2016 Lancasters is immense.   Monday, May 4 View Page I dont understand starting plants in 3/4 to one gallon pots when bigger are available for negligable cost. Compare $60 dollar seeds to a cost difference between a 3/4 gallon pot and a two gallon pot. The extra week or two of cushion could be immense.   Monday, May 11 View Page I had six out of six for success with full size plant germination. Unfortunately the 2261 Schmidt and the the 1875 Mendi are lagging behind. I have decided I am going to grow only two full size plants. The winner of seeds started will be the best of the 2416 haist and the 2016 lancaster. The lancaster is way ahead of the rest. The thousand sq feet I had planned for third plant is now going to be seeded with durum wheat. With 40 roma plants started, I need some noodles to make it a meal. i am planning on starting a 97.4 Ressel in a few days with an 1109 as backup for the 150 contest. Going for beauty in the 150...I am not too late to get that done.   Monday, May 11 View Page What am I going to do with 50 pounds of Russian heirloom oil sunflower seeds. I just wanted enough to plant 1000 sq ft to build a seed supply for when I am ready to get chickens. Smaller packages were sold out.The shelf life of oil sunflower seeds is not long enough for my purpose. I think that I might have sunflowers growing everywhere outside the fenced garden. The deer, squirrels, and birds will love me. Reed, you have chickens...are you interested in some oil sunflower seed?   Monday, May 11 View Page I pulled my other winter carrot. It was 18 inches long, but it is not going multi-node, it is not going to do it for me. I am growing for heaviest not longest. Strange that new red intermediate has the record for both.   Thursday, May 14 View Page My timing might be off. This 2016 has first true leaf and 2nd and 3rd forming. My 6 inch soil temp is still 55 degrees. I have never grown before, any genetics from the 2009 , the 2145 or the 1911. Oops, I did start a couple 2096’s a few years ago that were wiped out by hail. With my previous oranges, I would have a few more weeks ok in a pot. If it wasn’t for weekend forecast for rain, I could put in some soil heating cables. Weather forecast for the next 10 days is great. Kicking up the Umols of my grow lights. Can I harden them indoors?