Overview - After a disasterous spring/summer 2021 garden I need to do better.
My failures last year were:
1- Tomatoes grew tiny fruit.
2- No peppers germinated
3- Okra output was minimal
The possible culprits were:
1- Seedlings root bound because of too early seed start and too late transplanting or the small 4oz nursery pots
2- Incorrect fertilization
3- Too much watering
4- Reliance on diluted sunlight from greenhouse i stead of taking plants out for sun
January 6 - recieved two bags of Miracle Grow seed starter mix ...$11.00 and Mortgage Lifter seeds...$8....and Better Boy seeds....$9.00
January 8- seed started 36 cells of Mortgage Lifters
January 8- seed started 12 cells of Better Boys
January 8- ordered Better Boys and Celebrity tomatoes off Amazon
January 12 - all tomatoes starting to germinate after 4 days
January 21- Night temp to 39
January 21- Up potted 20 Better Boys in Miracle Grow. 17 in 4" nursery pots and 3 un 16oz Solo cups.
January 22- Temp down to 27
January 22- Up potted 17 Mortgage Lifters in Miracle Grow. 13 in 4" Nursery pots and 4 in 16Oz Solo cups.
January 23- up potted 18 Mortgage Lifters un Mirac le-Gro. 15 in 4" nursery pots and 3 in 16oz Solo cups
January 24- Recieved seeds ordered from Seed Express King via Amazon. 20 Better Boy and 40 Celebrity.
January 25- Up potted 21 Mortgage Lifters in Miracle-Gro. 5 in 16oz Solo cups and 16 in 3.5 and 4 inch nursery pots.
January 25- Seed started 12 cells of bell pepper seeds (photo mislabeled). Seeds grom store bought bell peppers. Minimal chance
January 26- seed started 12 cells of Better Boys in Miracle Gro
January 26- seed started 24 cells of Celebrity tomatoes in Miracle-Gro.
January 31 - 12 cells of Better Boy and 24 cells Celebrity. tomatoes germinating.. 4 to 5 days in. No sign of bell.pepper germination.
February 2 - Creole tomato seed from Seed King Express arrived. $2.95 for 20.
February 3 Ordered 4 head tripod led grow light on Amazon for $25
February 5 4 head led tripod grow light arrived. Assembled and moved mortgage lifters from under single bulb led and cfl to under tripod.
February 6 - Ordered 2 blocks of coco coir (2 cf each) from Walmart for $12 each.
February 14 potted up 12 Better Boy plants and 4 Celebrity plants from seed start on Jan 26, germinatiin on February 3.
February 14 - repotted 4 Mortgage Lifters and 1 Better Boy from 4" to 6" pots.
February 14 - sat plants from bedroom stand out on fence line for 4 hours for sun and hardening.
February 14 - Temp to drop below freezing tonight.
February 28 - seed started:
12 cells of Clemson Spineless Okra in egg carton
12 cells of Emerald Okra in egg carton
12 cells of Marketmore cukes in egg carton
12 cells of Poinsetta cukes in egg carton
12 cells of Long Green Improved cukes in egg carton
6 cells of Ashley Cukes in plastic tray
March 3 and March 4 - Transplanted 4 Mortgage Lifters into 7 gallon fabric pots. Some used just Miracle Gro potting mix and Black Kow. Some used Heritage potting mix and cocinut coir and Compost and 13-13-13.
Transplanted 6 Better Boys into 5 gallon fabric pots. Some used just Miracle Gro potting mix and Black Kow. Some used Heritage potting mix and cocinut coir and Compost and 13-13-13.
March 4- Cucumbers and Okra seed started on February 28 germinated.
March 15- Potted up from tray
*6 Poinsetta Cukes.
* 6 Ashley cukes
* 7 Emerald okra
March 17 - Seed started Mammoth sunflowet...18 cells.
March 17 - Seed started 12 cells of Okra.
March 17 - Potted up 9 Clemson Okra
March 17- Potted up 12 Long Green Cucumbers
March 19- Temps down to 43
March 20 - Temps down to 51
March 20 - Clemson Okra germinated
March 20 - Mammoth Sunflower germinated
March 20 - Long Green Cucumber germinated
March 23 - Starting hardening off of Celebrity tomatoes
March 24- Trying to harden off some Celebrities without exposing them to temps below 50. I will transolant them on Sunday March 27 when there are several days with temp lows above 50. On thr days with lower temps will douse soil with warm water at sunset. May try to find some mulch
March 27- Transplanted 6 Celebrities, hardened off about 23 cucumber plants
March 28 - purchased Miracle Grow Bloom Booster water soluble fertilizer from WAlmart. Applied to tomatoes
March 29- Ordered qty 2, 2cf bags of Miracle Grow potting mix from Amazon. $38
April 2- Transplanted 8 containers of cucumbers with 15 plants
April 3- Florida Weaved 2 rows of tomatoes