Saturday, October 8, 2011

Chard harvest and tomato switch



The yellow
chard was harvested today, and I am really happy with this variety. It is not as large as Fordhook Giant, however, that is fine by me, as I enjoy the leaves more than the stalks.

Even after all of the years I have been growing hydroponically, I am still amazed by the quality that can be achieved, as there is not one blemish on any leaf, and, these plants have never had a single drop of pesticide applied.

The Totem tomato plant in the second grow tent has been replaced by another Balcony Hybrid. The plant was overwatered and remained so for 24 hours, or more, as the feed line to the valve did not seal properly. I can not understand why hydroponic suppliers can not standardize on feed line. In my supply cabinet I have several variations of feed line, all quarter inch. There is a noticeable difference in gauge, wall thickness and pliability, in fact, there are as many variations as there are hydroponic dealers in the area. The line in question was much too brittle and did not form a seal. The Totem plant would have recuperated, and survived, but it would set it back awhile, so I decided to replace it.

Another consideration was that I had grown the Totem previously, and although it was alright, I prefer a larger tomato when available. The replacement plant was going to be tossed, as it was a "just in case" plant, and the more I looked at it, the more of a shame it seemed not to grow it.

Ava assisted in the disaster recovery, and has claimed the second plant as hers as a reward for her efforts.




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