July 13, 2102 journal

After only one month and one day after taking the cuttings to clone replacement tomato plants the new plants are being transplanted into AutoPots.

Both of the plants in the above photos have two trusses formed already, and the plant in the top photo has open blossoms.

Had I elected to start seeds, I would be just now seeing true leaves beginning to form.  

July 10, 2012

The blossom in the photo is a Dinner Plate Dahlia called Purple Gem.  This is the first dahlia we have grown from a tuber, and we were anxious to see what the blossom looked like, and how large it would be. 

The tuber was started in the greenhouse, in coir and perlite, sometime in March, and planted in the garden in mid May.

After noting some early earwig damage to the plant, I began placing boiled garlic cloves around the base of the plant to see if the garlic would deter the earwigs.  There has been no further damage to the plant, however, it is still to early to state that the garlic is definitely a deterrent.

Time will tell.

July 8, 2012 journal

The carnation seedlings that were started at the beginning of June were transplanted to larger pots today, though they hardly needed to be transplanted, as the root systems are still rather undeveloped.  As carnations are slow growing plants, I decided to give them as much light as possible, so I will move them from the tent indoors, to the greenhouse, giving them as much light as possible.

Courtesy of 2BSeeds, where I purchased the seeds, I have included some information on Carnations below:
 Dianthus - caryophullus
Throughout so many centuries of change, the popularity of the carnation has remained undiminished. The fact that the carnation continues to endure is a testament to its vast appeal. To this day, carnations remain a favorite flower choice for many different occasions. They are immediately recognizable flowers, and they possess a charm and allure that continues to captivate people around the globe. In fact, in many parts of the world, the popularity of carnations surpasses that of any other flower including roses. The powerful sentiments these flowers can express are a perfect compliment to their classic beauty and long-lasting freshness. By retaining its status as a floral mainstay for such a long time, the carnation has proven itself to be a lasting flower in more ways than one.

I am seriously thinking of growing more unusual flowers indoors this winter to add more challenge to indoor hydroponic gardening.

July 7, 2012 journal

Today I replaced the cucumbers in the greenhouse with new plants.  The first planting has been producing for some time now, and I find as as the plants age they lose some of their vigor. (sound familiar?)  I also potted replacement tomato plants for a late season crop for the same reason.   The cucumbers were started from seed on June 14, 2012, and cuttings were taken from the greenhouse plants and cloned on the same date.  Both the seeds and cuttings were grown indoors, under LED lighting, and today is the first time they have been outdoors.

Compare the size of the tomato plants with what you would expect a tomato planted from seed to look like three weeks after the seed was started.  Cloning is obviously the way to go, if you have a plant from which to take a cutting.

After only three weeks under the six band LED grow light, some of the cuttings are already forming buds. Anyone who still thinks LED technology is unproven, obviously has never tried it.

July 4, 2012 journal

The annuals are pretty much in full bloom, with the exception of only the Cosmos and Tri-Colored Daises.  The Cosmos plants are mammoth, and I thought they were dwarf plants.  I can't wait to see what they look like in full bloom.  A little effort, and a few dollars in seeds, will produce summer beauty for several years.  Ya gotta love!


Between the heat and intense sun for the last several days, growing conditions in the greenhouse have been very difficult.  Plants, even heat loving plants like tomatoes and cucumbers, slow down their growth when the temperature is above 85 degrees.  And, insect activity increases at that level.  Thankfully, I have not had much of a problem with bugs for several years.  Trying to manage the shading to control the heat, yet still give the plants the maximum amount of light, is a challenge indeed.  


I have seen posts on gardening forums asking whether it is possible to grow in a greenhouse all year round.  Many people who respond say it is not, however, I like to quality my answer by saying it is, only if you are dedicated, or slightly daft.

June 27, 2012 journal

The tomato cuttings that I cloned on June 14, 2012 have rooted and have been planted in 3" starter pots.  The replacement Little Leaf cucumbers have also been potted, and all of the seedlings are being grown in one of the tents under a six band flower series LED.

Just to add a challenge, and continue to peak Ava's interest in plants, I purchased and started carnation seeds.  One seedling is in the lower right corner and the other seedling is in the center of the top row in the photo.

I was telling Ava that we could make the carnation flowers pretty much any color we want, by placing them in water, with food dye.  Now, she is wants to make a "rainbow" flower, but, we will see how that goes.  My wife suggested coloring the petals with an artist brush letting the dye soak in.  Hmmm, that may be a good idea.  In any event, carnations need cool growing conditions, and they take about six months to flower, so I will grow them in a tent, in the basement, where it remains fairly cool all summer.

The carnation cultivars I am growing are: Yellow Carnations, Chabaud, and a dark purple variety called Grenadin King of Black.  Also, I have decided it might be best to grow them two plants to a pot.

I can just imagine my basement smelling like a funeral home just in time for the Christmas Holidays.

June 26, 2012 journal

This year I built a small raised bed to grow some dill to use when making our garlic dill pickles.  As I had several opened packages of various varieties of dill, I just sprinkled them at random and lightly raked them into the soil.  The dill is beginning to mature and flower, so I am going to begin clipping the branches and let the flowers go to seed so I can harvest the seed.  The seeds are what really gives the pickles the intense dill flavor, but I also use the branches in the pickles and we love dill in salad dressings.

 The Little Leaf cucumbers in the greenhouse are producing cucumbers at a fast and furious pace in this warm weather and long long days.  I am picking a nice batch every few days and presently have three batches of pickles fermenting.  Ava is delighted.

As a precaution against mildew I have been spraying the cucumbers with my homemade garlic and water fungicide and it seems to be working.  After I crush and boil the water, I strain the garlic liquid into a sprayer to apply it to the plants.


Rather than throwing the boiled garlic away, I thought I would toss it into the annual garden to see if it would repel insects.  For whatever reason I have had absolutely no earwig damage to my dahlias since I began doing this.  I had been spraying them with an insecticide, but I discontinued doing so to see if the garlic was having any effect, and it may very be repelling the earwigs.   Time will tell....