Gardening: My Tomatoe and Pepper Progress

[applescrap]

Thanks, I can live with that. These things are growing so fast I'm going to have to pick them anyways.

 

[Oldskewl]

I used to use mulch in my garden. A few years a go I started using mushroom soil. Works much better. And feeds the soil when tilled in each year. Cucumbers and tomatoes are taking off here in PA. Peppers are a little slow. Need some heat to do heir thing.

 

[KCBrewer]

Some nice gardens in here. Have any of you looked into aquaponics? This is a friend of mine's home setup, which he learned from his aunt and uncle who own http://portablefarms.com/. The tank is full of tilapia and they are what keeps the system balanced once it's up and running. Outside of some minor water adjustments here and there, the system basically maintains itself and he just feeds the fish. Pretty cool setup that provides both fish and produce.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Let's see.

This year I bought 3 plants (Chipotle Bells, some heirloom pepper, and cilantro)

I started seedlings for 9 Lemon Cucumbers and 6 Habeneros

I'll have some pics up soon, but it's just very early in the season with all the late snow and cold we had up in the mountains.

Pics soon.

 

[sfish]

KC,

I read about this farming, setting up in urban gardens in abandoned property. how many fish are there.

 

[KCBrewer]

KC,

I read about this farming, setting up in urban gardens in abandoned property. how many fish are there.

I couldn't say how many are in it now. I think he started with a couple dozen babies, which are now pretty good sized and reproducing. I know he's mentioned having to keep a certain ratio of male/female as well. He's just getting to the point that he'll be able to start eating some of the larger ones as the new babies grow.

 

[unionrdr]

I like that idea. Kind of like the Orientals grow rice in paddies, & raise gourami's in them for sale.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Can someone explain the fish's role? create more CO2?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Can someone explain the fish's role? create more CO2?

Fish poop aka fertilizer.

 

[KCBrewer]

The fish poop is basically what feeds the plants. In an established setup, all you do is feed the fish, which in turn feeds the plants the nutrients they need to produce, and the fish reproduce so you have fresh Tilapia at any time as well.

 

[applescrap]

That is a really nice setup KC. I'm somewhat familiar with aquaponics and I've seen a few big scale setups and also down to the small aquarium type setups. That is one of the cleanest setups I've seen. Aquaponics is not for me at this time.

 

[passedpawn]

The fish poop is basically what feeds the plants. In an established setup, all you do is feed the fish, which in turn feeds the plants the nutrients they need to produce, and the fish reproduce so you have fresh Tilapia at any time as well.

Maybe his point was, if you're adding fishfood to the water, why not skip the fishfood/fish and just add food for the plants.

I do like the ecology of the system. I'd probably do that myself. First this is to get the large greenhouse (not gonna happen).

 

[applescrap]

First fruits and update

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[KCBrewer]

Maybe his point was, if you're adding fishfood to the water, why not skip the fishfood/fish and just add food for the plants.

I do like the ecology of the system. I'd probably do that myself. First this is to get the large greenhouse (not gonna happen).

Gotcha.

For one, it provides an endless supply of free fish after the initial cost of a dozen or two babies.

Second is that the fish are what is supposed to keep the nutrient levels at the right levels for the plants without having to measure/add each chemical you would without them. A bag of fish food is all you need.

So in an ideal setup, it is less work and cost than a typical hydroponic setup, and you get fish to boot.

 

[KCBrewer]

Maybe his point was, if you're adding fishfood to the water, why not skip the fishfood/fish and just add food for the plants.

I do like the ecology of the system. I'd probably do that myself. First this is to get the large greenhouse (not gonna happen).

Also, you're in FL. You wouldn't need the greenhouse, would you? He just uses it so he can grow year round, with the help of a small space heater in the coldest months.

 

[Littletimmy]

Greenhouse?!! Did you say GREENHOUSE?!!!!! If you think you spend too much money on your beer hobby, wait until you get a greenhouse!!!!! I'm on my third, not counting the large teaching greenhouse at the HS. Heating, cooling, watering, pest/weed control, photoperiod, the list is endless......and I love every minute of it!!!!!! I have a 14' x 24' polycarbonate that I use for my plant breeding projects and to start all of the vegetables and flowers you can imagine. I don't think any of my neighbors have bought starter tomatoes,peppers and summer squash for the past 10 years and we all get a jump on the growing season before it gets too hot. Today, heat index of 106, air temp of 96 and night temps around 80. Tomatoes are already shutting down, but the peppers are loving it!
The greenhouse has a 60% shade cloth on it right now to help reduce the heat buildup, I try to have everything out by mid May and then get everything back in growing mode in late September.

 

[passedpawn]

Also, you're in FL. You wouldn't need the greenhouse, would you? He just uses it so he can grow year round, with the help of a small space heater in the coldest months.

Not cold here. Veggies can grow year round. Heat is more of a factor. And, spontaneous weed explosions in your garden, which is why I grow in buckets now. Also, the summer rains we get are probably more frequent and intense than the normal rain in the rest of the country. And, if you grow from seeds, you can't leave those small seedlings outdoors. They have to be under cover somewhere. And, I guess I just like the idea of a greenhouse.

Here's Sicman's Hot Peppers, just north of me. They grow peppers like this:

 

[Staestc]

Absolutely awesome!!

 

[estricklin]

I've laid some black plastic down to help cut down on my time spent weeding. I planted a few more squash/okra/cucumber seeds since I had the space. Here is a photo I took today of my Tabasco plant.

 

[Staestc]

I've laid some black plastic down to help cut down on my time spent weeding. I planted a few more squash/okra/cucumber seeds since I had the space. Here is a photo I took today of my Tabasco plant.

Looking great!

 

[applescrap]

It's been like 3 days so I need to update. The tomatoes are growing out the top of the 54-inch cages so I put the 8' green stakes in. I've never done it before but my plan is to create a trellis using the stakes somehow. The broccoli got Overdone. I needed to cut it a while ago. Eggplant starting, lots of tomatoes, time to eat the lettuce before it bolts. I think I'm going to plant more Swiss chard and kale next year because they don't bolt.

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[Staestc]

Wow, tomato plants are going great guns!! I read that broccoli gets bitter once it flowers, so you may want to at least trim off the flowers. But obviously doing well!

 

[applescrap]

Thanks staestc. Yeah dont know why everything is flowering so quick?! How's your system doing?

 

[Staestc]

Pretty well, small though it may be. Two tomato plants are on the ends with cages. Guess which is the determinate! Lol
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Both have a bunch of tomatoes, the cayenne is loaded, and there's fruit on the habs and jalapenos too.
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One thing though, now that it has quit raining and is just 98 degrees every day, I am having to fill up the 5 gallón búnker about every other day!

 

[applescrap]

^^those are going nuts! The peppers are ridiculously producing. What are you feeding with

 

[Staestc]

Nothing currently. But they are in Miracle Grow soil. So that should be slow releasing.

 

[Oldskewl]

^Plants are looking good! With the rain we have been getting over the last 2 weeks, my plants are taking off. I had some donor lettuce pop up and I harvested it Sunday. Not sure what kind it was. Had a cone shape to it. Should be harvesting some cukes tonight.

 

[HarborTownBrewing]

Well I started growing hops this Spring (first time growing anything).

Then I decided to try Habenero and Serano peppers (after stumbling across @passedpawn pictures a month or two ago. Starting to get flowers on one of the plants.

Now I'm working on tomatoes.

Basically I went from never having done this before to just really enjoying it and watching the progress. Plus I love going home from work and just watering stuff. Relaxing.

 

[passedpawn]

The anoles seem to love hanging around in my peppers. Every single time I go out to water them, they are milling around in there. They eat pests, so I don't think they are causing any harm. I have been finding some bites out of my plum tomotoes, but I don't think it's these guys.

 

[applescrap]

Nice pic, good to have Pest Control. Pest control w/out chemicals seems like a good thing. They like it spicey ehh. Reminds me of a story, I was in college at a friend's house and this thing started crawling on me and I was like what the hell. Well it was his anole he used for pest control. Said they worked really good. After that I walked around his house like a one-legged man in a leg kicking contest.