Winter Tomatoes

FARTHER TOM   

YELLOW VARIETY 

                 

PINK PEARL

                         

With a week of rain and miserable weather its a wonder anything is growing but thanks to the Autopot system I am enjoying freshly picked tomatoes with plenty coming on.

KALE

One of the most nutritious vegetables on the planet is making a big come back I notice woollies has changed its name but it is the wonderful  KALE. Belongs to the same family as cabbage but if you want a super health drink toss it in the juicer add either a Granny Smith apple or whatever combination you fancy and enjoy.

A Quick Roundup

Just a quick roundup in my back yard, How many of you are still enjoying home grown tomatoes?

Here is a couple of my yellow variety, several other varieties under test as well.

Set up right and you should be able to enjoy all year round. 

 My Capillary Table Tomato coloring up.

Just love the Winter Cabbage

The Savoy Cabbage planted up to 10" Last week.

Cauliflower planted up last week also.

My Broccoli is still producing Multiple flowers even after I have taken the main flower head

A pretty little Viola just to brighten the place up.

Step 2 of current experiment
10 days ago I mentioned I was going to start my Cauliflower and Cabbage plants off in the 6" Window Box pots, then move them onto the 10" Hydrotray, The idea is to shorten up the grow cycle by giving them max support at the early stage.

Cauliflower 

Well today I moved the 2 strongest plants on, noted that there was very well developed roots in fact you can see them protruding through the bottom of the pot even with the root mat, let me show you what I have done Yes I am using quality potting soil and have my Perlite / vermiculite 50/50 Mix in the bottom of each pot I call it my wick.

Sugar loaf Cabbage

As you can see they are starting to get a little big for the 6" pot.

You can seethe roots showing

naturally you need to be careful transferring these plants as you don't want to disturb them in any way, note I have a hole large enough to take the entire pot so no disruption.

Cabbage & Cauliflower

Here you can see the finished transplants, the other 2 plant in the window box I have joined up into one and will give them a few more days before moving them onto a Hydrotray.

June is Busting out all over.

Well the wet cold weather has not stop ed things growing with the Auto pot System in fact somethings thrive in the cooler weather.

This month I am experimenting with starting my winter veggies off in the window box with the intentions to transfer to the 10" Hydro tray when they have developed a good root base, the idea is that I may shorten the harvest time by having my plants closer to the food source at an earlier stage than would happen if they started in the larger 10 " pots. No harm in trying, I am even tempted to leave some varieties in the window box as things do so well in them.

Thought I would also share my indoor plantings that are in the Smart - Pots take a look at these.

I take this with me for display and people keep asking why isn't these doing as good
you know the answer its the Smart -Pot.

Moth Orchid brought and potted up 2 weeks ago see the flower spike all ready

This is also taking off like a rocket

This has doubled in 2 weeks look at the fresh growth shooting up.

Here is my experimental planting plus other examples for this time of the year.

Snow peas in hanging basket

Cabbage starting to heart up

Cabbage and Collie flower in window box's

Broccoli coming along fine

Yellow Tomato grown on a Capillary table

Salad Green Bowl and Darwin picking Lettuce

Up Date on the everlasting Tomato
I have talked about growing Tomatoes from cutting on a couple of occasions but I still get funny looks from people and I don't think they believe me so let my again show you what is happening right now in my grow house.

This Tomato has never been planted out, it has spent all its life on the capillary table and was grown from a cutting.

Here you can see the roots projecting from the bottom of this pot
this is another 1 of 3 more cuttings just carefully put into potting mix and nothing else and sitting on the capillary table.

Three more cuttings all different variety's happy on the capillary table ready to replace my current crop.
When I first plant them I give a couple of watering's from the top just to make sure the capillary action gets started.

GOING NUTS.

Some time back I mentioned I had planted a peanut and it has been a most interesting plant to watch grow.
Now the time has come to harvest and I am pleased to say we have plenty of nuts, I have them drying while still attached to the plant they suggest that this is the best way to dry them.

Peanuts Drying

Following the Sun.

Now that the days are shorter and the sun has lowered in the sky like most places you start to get a few shadier spots and of course with conventional gardening you are stuck with that until the season comes around. Well let me just show you how to take control of your lighting and sun requirements for the home garden.

Hydro Wall Garden

Here you can see I have moved my Hydro Wall Garden on to the fence facing the morning sun there is a collection of things growing lettuce,herbs, Giant pansy and in the bigger hydro tray I have sweet peas and cascading Pansy's totally independent to all my other systems in fact I have a few other thing out on the fence getting maximum light and Sun as you can see.

Wall Garden , egg plant, Mint, Ginger, Strawberry's, Malabar Spinach.

Snow peas

In the grow tunnel lots of things are racing along with this cooler weather example here is the snow peas growing in an Autopot hanging basket.

A New Medium Test.

Picked up a few Coir- Peat Bricks at half price so thought I would try it out I like the idea of bulking up my quality organic soil, plus its another experiment.
This time I have use it to plant a replacement Tomato a new one that I have not grown before call Tommy Toe, I will be interested to see how it goes compared to my Pink Pearl that I love so much.
My mix is first 5ml 50/50 Mix which I call my wick, then about a 50 /50 Coir- Peat and Organic Soil mix for the rest.
We will follow with interest.

Tommy Toe in Coir- Peat Mix

Have a few Sweet potato cuttings coming along, these are the Purple skinned variety with the white flesh the (Kumera) I on grow these in what I call my waist product, which is the medium that I have used once in the Autopot system, I put it into large cheap soft pots with holes in, and just hand water with the occasional feed.

Sweet Potato cuttings in container with a little rock wool for support .

This is how things are growing at the moment.

Savoy Cabbage

Broccoli

Brussels Sprouts

I have mentioned the Darwin Lettuce before and the more I grow it, the more I like it, and the other one called Salad Bowl Green which has a red tinge. These are picking lettuces and they are just wonderful for sandwhiches or a fresh roll, they just keep growing and are slow to boult.

Darwin and Salad Bowl Green lettuce.