* First transfered post - 5/25/17
The perils of indoor gardening with a very helpful cocker spaniel.
Her name is Hannah Bear, or Hannie Honey, depending on the state of her grooming, or lack there of... More recently changed to Hannah the Gardener. Living in a fairly small apartment, being somewhat disabled and having a happy, healthy and very inquisitive (otherwise known as just plain nosy) cocker spaniel is a challenge I wouldn't change for anything! She is my best friend, my little girl and constant companion.
Like all children, she sometimes gets mad at Mom. Currently, when this happens, she takes it out on the little plants I've been starting from seed. Or perhaps she's trying to free them. I'm not sure, at this point... I have been using compressed pods. I call them pods because I can't remember what they're really called. They are compressed and in an expandable mesh netting. Just add water and they expand into the ideal place to start your seeds!
Hannah the Gardener seems to have a problem with the little plants being in that mesh, even though it's soft, expands and I take it off when they're planted in containers. She was particularly drawn to the chives. It was as if she was trying to free them from prison, which is what she must have thought the mesh was - a confining kennel/prison for plants.
She has rearranged the tiny baby tomatoes several times, until I'm not sure which ones are where. They were all labeled on a diagram, but after having been rearranged, by Hannah the Gardener, I'm no longer sure. I found someone who doesn't care what variety of tomato he gets, so I'm giving that group away! The next batch of seedlings are up and doing well. So far, only a few have moved around without my help!
I will talk more about raising tomatoes, peppers and various other plants, with two east windows and one west window, as the growing season progresses. Sunlight is at a premium, here... So, stay tuned!
** Second transfered post - 5/26/17
A brand new baby Stevia!!!
I planted some Stevia seeds, hoping against hope they would sprout and come up. Well, today I see the tiniest of little sprouts peeking up out of the pod soil! I read numerous reviews before ordering the seed, and all of them said the seeds are really hard to start, but I've wanted a Stevia plant for several years and decided to take a chance.
I need to repot some of the little tomatoes. Get them ready to go to their new home... Then I can put the next seedling tomato group in that pot. Also, it's time to decide just what I'm going to put my tomatoes in to finish growing up and spend the summer. And hopefully produce lots and lots of beautiful tomatoes!
The chives suffered another Hannah the Gardener inspection during the night, last night. I'd repotted them into an old plastic container, out of their pods, hoping she'd not bother them. It looks like she took a scoop of dirt right out of the middle of the pot, right where the new seeds were planted!
We'll see if anything comes up in the middle, now. I may have to do yet another planting of chives... This is the third planting, as it is... A sense of humor is vital in this, because it really is funny - waiting to see just what she's going to do next.
I have the little chives on an entertainment center (I'm calling it a table - entertainment center takes to long to write!) I got from my neighbor last winter. Hannah can hop on the couch, over to a chair and on over to the table, which is beside my chair and under the west window.
A good place for sun loving plants and, I guess, cocker spaniels. She likes to climb up there and come talk with me, face to face...
When the first tomatoes were tiny little sprouts, I 'put them to bed' at night, so Hannah the Gardener couldn't rearrange them while I was in bed. Okay, the second planting. I learned from the first one. Also, it was still getting pretty cold at night, so I covered them and put them across the room, up out of reach.
Guess I'll have to do that with the chives, too. And the little baby Stevia! I'm so tickled to have a Stevia sprout! It hasn't taken any longer than any other seed to sprout. Of course it's only one sprout and I planted ten seeds...
*** Third transfered post - 5/28?/17
Baby Stevia Update
Hannah the Gardener strikes again!
I was quietly sitting in my chair, Hannah was beside me on the table. Then I noticed her back was toward me and she seemed to be interested in something on the table. I checked the Stevia container and sure enough, one pod was missing. Of course it was the one with the tiny sprout. She had pulled it out and removed it's mesh cover! The sprout wasn't hurt. She'd apparently been careful. The pod still had it's shape, but the cover was crumpled beside it.
I put the pods, and the chives, up out of reach last night. This morning, I removed the other mesh cover and filled in around the pods with dirt. I'm using a mixture of Scott's Hyponex potting soil and coco coir. I think it's a three part dirt to one part coir. It has a nice, mellow feel. The coir is supposed to keep the dirt from becoming packed, hold water, but at the same time allow air around the roots and promote drainage. I'm not sure how that works, but the tomatoes seem to like it. I hope the Stevia does, too!
I also filled in the 'scoop' area in the chive pot and sprinkled in some new seeds. I'm glad there were 2,000 seeds in that packet!! Then I watered them in and uncovered most of 'em in the process, so I tried to find enough dirt on top of their pot to cover them again. Sometimes it feels like I'm a first time gardener, and clumsy to boot! Well, I'm not. Clumsy, yes, but not a first time gardener.
I grew up on a farm and lived there half my life. We always had a garden and Mom usually had some house plants and in the summer some flowers out on the steps. I had an outdoor container garden, on the sidewalk at a little house where I lived a few years ago, but I've never tried to grow tomatoes and sweet peppers indoors. It should be, and is, an interesting and exciting challenge.
Upon close inspection, this morning, I think there might be two little Stevia sprouts side by side. Like they're leaning on each other for moral support and encouragement as they face the world as green plants.
*** * Fourth transfered post - 5/29?/17
Everyone made it thru the night without mishap...
The baby Stevia has two leaves! It wasn't a second sprout, but a second leaf. That's okay. I'm not disappointed. I do hope more sprout, though.
The poor little chive plants are standing up straight, again, and trying to grow. They have been uprooted, unwrapped and flattened by Hannah the gardener, so many times, it amazes me they're still alive, much less standing up trying to grow. Granted, there aren't very many of them, but darn, they must be tuff! If the seeds I planted, uncovered and covered again, sprout and grow, that little container is going to have more green hair than lots of people have hair on their heads!
The tomatoes, WOW! I fed them yesterday with a quarter cap of GroTone to a quart of water. That's about half strength of what's recommended for indoor plants. Anyway, I think they grew about an inch overnight! I fed them yesterday morning and it's afternoon, now, but still, that's a pretty good growth rate.
The directions on the GroTone say to feed plants every three to four weeks. I want to feed more often since mine are in fairly small containers right now. That's why I'm feeding them half strength, about every week and a half. So far, it seems to be working! The tomatoes look healthy, happy and are really growing. In fact, the little tomatoes that are still in their pods, the second planting, have tiny little thread/feeder roots coming out of the bottom of their pods. Growing like weeds!
I really do need to get the yellow Brandywines repotted into something that can take them to their new home. Something I don't want back... Right now, I'm thinking plastic (trash bags) lined cardboard boxes. I think that's what I'm going to put my tomatoes and peppers in, too. I have them, so the price is right. They're larger than most pots I can afford, their shape will let me put them side by side without any empty or wasted space and I have them.
That's what part of this indoor gardener's gardening is all about - using what I have, making due, substituting and of course trying to raise plants large and healthy enough to produce tomatoes and peppers. I bought seeds because they're so much cheaper. I could get seven varieties of tomato for the price of three plants. The same with peppers, although I only have four varieties of pepper plants.
Chive update - I was on the phone about five minutes ago, looked over and Hannah the Gardener was licking the space between the little chive plants! The space where I planted more seeds yesterday. Arrrggggg. Hmmm, thinking I need to put them in something deep and narrow. Something she can't get her head into. Like one of my wide mouth pint and a half jars. I'll give that some thought... Of course, if she can't get her head in the jar, my hand isn't going to fit very well, either. I may have to care for the chives with tererrium tools... More thought required. For now, I guess I could try it. What do I have to lose? A few chive seeds. I keep losing them, anyway!
*** ** Fifth transfered post - 5/30?/17
Hannah the Gardener strikes again!
I fed all the little plants yesterday. One quarter cap of GroTone per quart of water. I put the chives and baby Stevia up, filled my chair with pillows, turned and pulled the other chair out and went to bed. When I got up this morning, the rolling chair was up by the table and a bunch of the little tomatoes, still in pods, were out on the table top, without the mesh on their pods. Mercy!
The little plants seemed to be alright, just not in their pods any longer. I took them to the kitchen and watered them. Then this afternoon, some of the bigger ones went to their new home, to go straight into the garden.
One thing about leaving them in the open window, day and night, they get the wind, sun and cooler temps at night. They should be hardened enough to take off in the garden with no problems.
Now, I need to get the others in their container to go to their outdoor garden home. Not feeling so good today, so they'll be fine until the weekend, or even next week, early. They're just growing so fast. I'm sure that the day after I fed them, they'd grown a half inch to an inch just over night! I just hope they keep growing, stay healthy and give me some tomatoes.
I keep moving baby Stevia around to keep him out of Hannah the Gardener's reach, keep him in the sunshine as much as possible and just to look at those little leaves. And of course to see if there are any more. Anyhow, I expect him to tell me he's getting motion sickness from being moved so much!
(Yes, I give my plants human characteristics, just like I do Hannah the Gardener. Anthropomorphism...)
*** *** Sixth transfered post - 6/5?/17
We have sweet pepper sprouts!
I looked yesterday evening and sure enough, there were tiny little sprouts coming up in the pepper pods. I'm torn about bringing them in to the table by the west window. I know that's where they need to be for maximum sunlight and to be hardened off for going to new home gardens. The torn part comes from Hannah the Gardener. Even when I move the chair on wheels half way across the room, fill my chair with pillows and towels, she can still get up on the table.
I suppose she climbs up on all the stuff in my chair. However she does it, she had a juice box from the table beside the table, down on the floor this morning! I guess I'll have to put the little peppers up with little Stevia when I go to bed. What ever I do, I guess the little peppers need to be in here to get a good start in life with maximum sunlight.
I need to get the CalWonder 300 pepper seeds planted, too. And the Baby Cakes tomato seeds. I've just been so tired, exhausted feeling since they got here, I haven't had the energy to even plant a few seeds. That's pretty pathetic...
This coming week, after my eye appointment and after Hannah the Gardener gets her hair cut, I'll get them planted. I think half a dozen Baby Cakes and nine, or so CalWonder 300's. The CalWonder 300's are supposed to be an improved hybrid strain of the classic California Wonder. I didn't know the typical grocery store sweet pepper is the classic California Wonder, until I was looking for sweet pepper seeds earlier this spring. I bet not many people do know that...
I'm either going to have to open this window higher, get these Jubilee tomatoes repotted, or teach them to duck their heads. They are so tall, they are actually brushing the bottom of the window! Maybe I'll just switch their place on the window sill with the yellow Brandywine. They are slower growing, it seems. They've had the same care and feeding as the Jubilee, but are only half the height.
The little chives escaped Hannah the Gardener last night when she was up on the table. They're looking good! There are new ones coming up, even where she licked them a few days ago. They must have been really quiet when she was on the table last night. Hiding. That's it, hiding between the two tomato pots! Smart little chivies. I'm going to hate to take cuttings to use from them, when they're big enough, they've struggled so hard to survive.
*** *** * Seventh transfered posts - 6/12/17
It's been a week...
It's been over a week since I've been here. Sad news about baby Stevia. He died about a week ago. Not at the inquisitive mouth of Hannah the Gardener. I left him on top of the unused tv for two days, when I didn't even have the energy to move him to the window. I don't know if he got too dry, or if I kept him too moist. Either way, his little stem turned black and let his cute little leaves end up on the soil. So, I planted another group of seeds, hoping again, for a couple of them to sprout.
The little tomatoes are doing great. I sent a couple of the 'over achiever' Jubilee plants, off to live in a nice outdoor garden. A few days before that, the pot of yellow Brandywine and various unidentified tomatoes, went to live in a different outdoor garden.
Now I have three Jubilee and three Brandyboy in 12" pots, ready to grow and get ready for their permanent summer container homes. Still am not sure what those are going to be, definitely something bigger than a 12" pot for three tomato plants!
I finally got the CalWonder 300 sweet peppers and the Baby Cakes tomatoes planted a couple of days ago. Am now awaiting the tiny little sprouts to appear. The other peppers are growing tall and stemmy. I wish they'd get some 'real' leaves. Their seed leaves are doing really well, though. It might be a bit too soon for real leaves, as there are still new sprouts happening. Real good germination on all those seeds - Hungarian cheese mix (a mix of yellow and orange peppers), Sweet red popper, and Yummy.
Am off, now to see if I can figure out how to get the jubilee, Brandyboy's and sage plants in here by the west window. It's not as easy as just pick them up and carry them in here - you see, I use a walker for balance assistance and have a basket attached for carrying things. It'll take three trips from the kitchen to the west window, and I'm not sure I have the energy for that many trips.
Even if I push myself to get these plants moved, which I probably will, will I have the energy and be able to work on Hannah the Gardener's hair cut next Tuesday? She's about half clipped, now, and needs to have the project finished. She's so cute and really such a good little girl. Just very smart and inquisitive!
*** *** ** Eighth transfered post - 6/24/17
At last, to garden again!
After thinking about it for several days, or maybe that should be over a week, I finally decided to put the dirt from the two big pots into a container that matches what the other dirt is in. It doesn't matter that they match. That's the only thing I could come up with that was big enough, with a lid.
May find myself using some totes for planters, too. Like I said earlier, this is all about using what you have and making do with what will work. Matching is nice. I actually prefer that, but I'm going eclectic!
Poor little Hannah the Gardener had a mishap the other evening - she fell between the garden table and the chair while trying to get down. She's alright, didn't get hurt, but I'm trying to keep her off of there, so it doesn't happen again. She's not real pleased with me, but that's alright. She's forgiving me and I'd rather have her a bit upset than injured.
I think today is the day! I emptied the final two big pots, drilled pilot holes in the bottoms. I'm not going to try the no drainage hole thing again. I knew better, but tried it anyway. Not again. I learned my lesson! Right now the rotary grinder battery is charging. When it's ready, I can finish the drainage holes.
There is a short coffee can that fits inside an old lidless cookie jar. That's where the sweet potato is going to be calling home. I looked at him last night and found little buds growing, already, so decided it was time to plant! I'm eagerly awaiting real leaves, to see what variety sweet potato he is. I love the bright lime green Margariette (probably spelled that wrong!) variety, but it looks like this might be a dark purple, which will be really cool, too.
The peppers - I actually know which peppers are which! They're going to be going to some kind of larger container this afternoon, or tomorrow. They have little roots coming out the bottoms of their pods! It's time!
I know where the baby Bush Big Boy tomatoes are, too. They are in real need of transplanting! They're tall and spindly and need to be planted deep! They're just starting to get their first real leaves, so they're pretty young. I do have hope for their survival. Since they're not going outside, they should be okay getting this late start in the growing season. The only thing will be the days getting shorter. I don't think that's going to matter that much. I'll keep watching...
The temperature has dropped and I turned the a/c off last night. Opened all the windows and am enjoying a beautiful breeze! I sure hope the little tomato and pepper plants are enjoying it, too! Even if they aren't it will strengthen their little stems and help the ones that are going to go live in an outside garden, be ready.
Hannah the Gardener is napping. I think I'll join her while I wait for the battery to finish charging...
*** *** *** Ninth transfered post - 6/25/17
Transplanted nearly everyone!
I got the pots ready last night, even put dirt in them. Today I took the little pepper plants and tomatoes to the kitchen and decided where to put them.
The 'surprise package' tomatoes (meaning I have no idea what they are! They could be bush big boy, bush early girl, early girl, or jubilee.) are mostly in one of the big pots. The bush big boys have the other pot.
The little peppers, the smallest, are in one of the perfect for this from the grocery store strawberry boxes. One of the clear plastic ones, with holes cut about an eighth inch wide and a half inch tall at the bottom of the sides.
I have a blue plastic from the grocery store mushroom box that one of these fits in, just right, and a larger plastic, like shoe box box, but not, that the other one and all the 'cells' fit in - just right. The cells are what the sage plants and Brandy Boy tomato plants came in.
I gave everyone water, after I got them back in by the west window. I'm not sure they all got enough, though. The dirt wasn't real dry, but it was soft and kind of fluffy. Nice to work with. I hope the little plants like it, too.
It's mixed heavily with coco coir, which is what's making is to 'soft and fluffy'. I must feed them, though, as the coir doesn't have any plant nutrients. Nutrients? Can't think right now, what plant food is actually called, so nutrients it is, for now!
Hannah the Gardener tried to get up on the garden table to check them out, but there just wasn't room for her anymore. In a way I feel bad for her, but on the other hand I don't want her to fall, again. She's ten and a half, almost eleven! But she doesn't know it and I'm not telling her!
The smallest, youngest, plants are still in the kitchen. I'll see if I can find room for them in here, tomorrow. They need the sunshine, too, and maybe they'll not get so tall and 'leggy' as they grow.
I need to mix up more dirt and coir. There's still enough for a few things, but for a container of any size, I need to mix more. That's no big deal, though. The hardest part will be getting the two cubic foot bag of dirt out of the pantry and onto the kitchen table. Then scooping it a cup at a time into another container, alternating with coir every three or four cups.
Easy for most people, but for me? We'll see. I can and will do it, but it may take me a week, or more, to even begin recovering! Never underestimate the 'I WILL do it!' of a determined, or just plain stubborn, woman!!!
