Grow log by campingcorgis · Original thread
What you can learnRich first-time Farm diary covering multi-crop planning, reservoir maintenance, root control, equipment workflow, vacation watering, and staged harvest and shutdown.
*The days were calculated automatically and approximately.
Amazing harvest!! Glad they did well while you were away!
Thank you so much, maskedsonnet! You know it wouldn't have happened, were it not for your idea and your help for the watering system to last 10 days for a Farm!
Glad I could help!! Long vacations were my biggest worry when I started AG, knowing the plants won’t die while you’re away makes the vacation that much more enjoyable!!
Fantastic!!! Not only did they survive, they thrived!
Thank you maskedsonnet and Sher! I tried not to fret...and I kept checking water level. It seemed that all was well and turns out it was! Having adequate water and the shortened light cycle made things work...or sit in a stasis, or sorts. I love it!!!
Great to hear that Vacay mode did its job and that you came home to a nice harvest.
Today, I picked the last 4 cherry tomatoes and ended the tomato garden. It was a good, long run, with lots and lots of tomatoes!
So glad to hear that you were pleased with your first garden's performance! I hope it is only the first of many crops to come.
I am glad you were happy with the tomatoes. So what will you grow next?
Funny you should ask! I'm pondering/planning that in my New Thread! Great minds & all that...hope you'll give me some feedback!
Oh, dear! It certainly is only the first of many!
I always have good luck with Burpee Rosemary
Thanks! I've put that on my Seed List!
Day 164 of the Tomato garden. Hubby and I didn't have the heart to pull the plug on so many green tomatoes! One plant had only 2 tiny tomatoes, so that one went. There are 2 remaining. I plan to put the unit into "Vacation" mode and keep the homemade AeroVoir going to it. Hoping that they will take their time in ripening and hang in their for our return!
Fingers crossed for them!
I second that.
Wow! Your trim pile looks as dramatic as mine! Hoping you get lots of tomatoes before you leave!
Looks like you are a psychic! The tomatoes are already starting to turn to red! I'll likely have a good crop soon and maybe even some to take camping!
Peppers are some of the most beautiful and interesting things to grow in the AGs, I think. And they often sneak a surprise in.
That's awesome, campingcorgis! Congratulations on your beautiful harvest!
What a great harvest. Will you be letting any change over to red?
I suppose if they are so inclined? I just lifted them and if they felt like releasing, I took it. Jalapenos are pretty much my go-to pepper. The lilacs may be nice in a stir-fry or other Asian inspired dish. Bells are probably destined for pizza or salad.
The remaining gardens, cherry tomatoes, peppers and herbs, got their 112 day R&R, root trim, decks cleaned and trimming, as needed. Fresh water, nutes and pump test. Glad we've made the pump test a part of the routine as, somehow, the top farm's connection for pump & water level box got disconnected in the process. So, the pump test saved the day.
Yes, they do look like three of the same plants, but they do look very healthy and happy.Wendy
It looks like they got the same seeds in all three pods. The fruit of the yellow ones are definitely supposed to be yellow. But as Wendy said, they are beautiful plants!
Well, at least for me, it doesn't make them unusable or something!Once upon a time, a friend of mine made an apple pie. Her husband, smart guy that he is, told her, it is different, but I like it. She accidentally used Chili Powder instead of Cinnamon. LOL. Don't know why the tomatoes made me think of that.
Day 90: Had the first taste of the Cherry Tomatoes. Undoubtedly, the best cherry tomatoes we've ever tasted!! Used them on a pita sandwich. Yummy!
Fantastic, campingcorgis!
nothing like eating what you grow.
Agreed!!
Don't you just love having home grown salad fixings in the refrigerator! No e-coli worries. Just pure goodness!
I do! Home grown salad fixings and homemade salad dressing...it doesn't get any better! I do use the herbs in our salads too. Basil, parsley, cilantro...depends upon what we are having for dinner. Tonight is Italian Supper Pie, so I'll lean towards the Italian inspired theme.
Nice haul
You're making a really strong case to buy a 24+! All of your plants look great!
I do like the setup!
Gorgeous, brand spanking new peppers! So exciting!
Thank you Sher! It is very exciting! And lots of tomatoes too. Can you say, salsa?
Oh, yeah!!!
Excellent! Once you start to see them, you find more and more each day.
I'm very interested to see the mature fruit. In California, Jalapenos tend to be small, in comparison to those of the Pacific Northwest. Here, there are "super-sized". Not that one is better than the other, per se, just that I was shocked at the difference when we first moved here. Peppers are so good for you! I'm looking forward to having fresh picked just a few steps from the kitchen!
There is NOTHING like picking fresh peppers and heading directly to the kitchen to prepare them! You are going to be so spoiled. Buying peppers will never be the same!
Uh, oh! A good kind of spoiled, though!
Who knew tomatoes could love you back!
Nice setup! And good doggies!
LOL Looks like my Piper sprawled on the couch . Nice R&R Set upset.
Thanks Sher and Shawn! The set up helped a lot. Now I'm able to see what I'm doing with both hands free. That's Stan's favorite daytime chair. He has a favorite nighttime chair in the bedroom too. Nope, not spoiled at all!
Oh wow nice setup to maintain that root system! Plants are looking great
Love all the fuzzies on tomato flowers. And spotting the first tomato is witnessing a miracle!
Agreed & like your way of thinking. It is a miracle!
The one oddball/tall tomato plant FINALLY has a single half-pea sized tomato starting! I think she heard me thinking of removing her from the Farm!
Yes! You have peppers.
Congratulations!
Thank you very much!!!
You will start to find a lot of hidden items now
Ooooo, a treasure hunt! Thanks!! I'll pay attention!
Congrats on the flowers! Just curious, what do you mean Turning Pods?
We like to turn the pods to make the roots form a nice ball. Instead of wandering all around the basin and into things like the pump. I try to turn them everyday...or at least every other day. Makes maintenance so much easier and gives one a chance to take a good look at the plants all around.
Every few days I turn the pods. This results in the roots forming a soft root ball. It helps contain the roots so they do not invade the pump. If you do a search for the phrase root ball and my name you will find a picture of what they look like
Thanks, I did search turning pod but not much came back.. Turning them makes sense will make sure I do that in the future!
Search for "root ball" or look here
At least you found something that works for you and cheap to boot. Thankfully I have a double large kitchen sink. The deck fits nicely along the rims so I just use one side to place mine and the other to clean and rinse.
It looks like the leaf is reaching for the camera.
Tomato garden is in FarmB (bottom) and I didn't feel like getting on my knees for a better angel?
So, today is day 28 for the Farm gardens! Did the R&R on all 4 and fed them all their appropriate stuff...I think! I didn't use the built-in pumps, instead, I removed each deck and set it in one of those bus box tubs, like you see at restaurants -- although it has been a while since I've been to a restaurant -- set it at an angle & it held it safe while I used a battery pump to remove the water into a large bucket. Mikey then took the bucket to empty it while I did a light trim of roots and then refilled with clean water. One, by one, until all 4 were clean. Then, everybody got food and light adjustments. And buttons pushed that they were fed. Whew! It was a process! We disconnected the pump wire & then reattached too. I feel much more confident about doing this in the future, since getting them all done for the first time!That one light green tomato plant may need some taming soon!
With that degree of maintenance, your plants should really thrive and stay healthy!
A full day of cleaning. I will be doing mine soon. When I did mine the first thing it was not so bad. This time I will do what you did to clean the bowls well.
Next time we go by Cash & Carry, I'm going to look for a "box" of sorts a bit smaller than the bus box. Maybe something like a proofing box or catering tray to hold the decks during the draining/cleaning process. While the bus box does work, it is a bit precarious. And, the bus boxes are part of my packing system for loading the RV fridge.We used a rolling cart to hold the bus box and a bucket. That worked especially well for the top farms and a nice height to do the trimming too. Roll it up close to do the transfer of the deck and then roll it out of the way to do the draining/cleaning. The bus boxes are about 3 bucks. Hoping for similar pricing for something a bit smaller! We'll see what they've got in stock.
Wonderful garden campingcorgis!! I really like the combinations you have going- will be staying tuned in for updates.Exhaustive sounding maintenance but so worthwhile and necessary. I find it quite therapeutic when it's cleaning time at the zoo!Although my AGs are smaller (harvests) I've found that a small waste/trash can or bucket works well to support the deck when it's full on cleaning time. At first I was using a dish drying rack in my set tub but that just created more clean up. I found that a small bathroom type size plastic trash can works well - just line it with a "blue-bag" from the grocery store and clean up is a snap - all the trimmed roots can be easily disposed of. Hope this helps Will say again really great set up you've got going!!
Thanks, Paul! I've got a new plan for holding the Farm Decks for the next round of cleaning. I'll post pictures later.
You should be very proud of your gardens! When I thin pods, I keep the healthiest looking plant, even if it is smaller.
Do you think they are both the same tomato? They look like two different kinds and I'm afraid I'll choose the wrong one???
I can't tell by the picture. Sometimes two plants of the same variety will grow shorter, taller, wider, etc.
campingcorgis, both you and Shawn have had fast sprouting rosemary this time.That's unusual, but a wonderful surprise.About the new pod, it's fine at this stage. They often catch up without leaving a gap.
Thanks & good to know!! I won't fret on the new addition.
They are looking great, campingcorgis! Congratulations on the successful start!
Thank you! I am pleased.
Off to a great start.