Archive for October 13, 2015
Grow Your Own – Ups and Downs
by John Weckerle
Having spend the weekend tearing out 850 square feet of tile and hauling home new flooring, we return to efforts in the food development corner.
We buttoned up the greenhouse about a week and a half or two weeks ago, when the weather was gloomy and cool. Of course, temperatures have returned to above normal again, and will be there again for a few days, although that may prove to be a short-lived phenomenon. With an eye toward learning more about our greenhouse, we installed a recording thermometer with two probes – one at head height and one near the ground. This has proven to be a real education. In the last couple of days, the temperature has fluctuated substantially, from mid-forties the first night to over 105 degrees at head height today (ground level temperatures topped out at 95 degrees). Temperatures remained in the sixties last night. Also, given the humidity in the greenhouse, we’ve cut down on the watering frequency.
Some of the plants have responded well. A couple of the tomato plants have begun putting out new growth (we’re still getting a couple of tomatoes a day), and the peppers and eggplants are flowering again. The string beans – at least the ones that survived the caterpillars and grasshoppers, are looking good and have begun to put out flowers as well. The cucumbers are essentially finished, but cabbage looks fairly happy, as do the leeks and shallots. The cauliflower, sadly, has not amounted to much, nor has the broccoli, and those plants may be surrendering their space in the very near future.
Soon we’ll be switching to the winter crops; probably some chard, lettuce, broccoli, and others. We’ll have to reestablish the starting setup, lights and all, and order some seeds. We’ll also be performing some soil testing as we clear the beds for winter crops. We know it’s time to add some organic material, and have a source of composted manure waiting in the wings. Viva vegetables!