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I've been getting nice tomatoes since late June. I don't know how much of a delay there is being further north, we can safely plant mid-April.
They look like they are coming in fine, just a little late. Peppers are looking good too. I never get a decent yield with peppers.
A small chicken wire fence will help keep the rabbits out. Can make it short enough to step over.
If you have deer in your area, they could be a culprit. They will eat just about anything with new growth.
On another note. I got a bad batch of cucumber plants this year. Very bitter and nasty.
At first I thought something was wrong with my soil. After reading up, it seems like bad genetics.
Location: Detroit (the part with no rules or laws)
Posts: 5,683
Total Cats: 805
Ready for pics^^
Also, my tomato plants are about as tall as me now. Growing up, just need them to start producing some juicy tomatoes. I can't help myself and pluck the cherry's and eat them immediately, instead of harvesting and using them in a salad or something.
My peppers are doing amazing, like always. I did some beef jerky in the smoker (smoked 12 hours, it was amazing) using the jalapeno peppers and some tomato in my garden. Made a spicy verde salsa / marinade and soaked them over night.
I need to weed i know, and i have a ton of unused space. Race car / boat / playtime is way more important, i think we can all agree.
Aloe plant in front yard is blooming. I'm sharing this because I don't know how many people have ever seen an aloe plant bloom before.
Also, the milkweed is attracting lots of very hungry monarch butterfly caterpillars. The caterpillars are quite attractive in their own right, but they look even better near the flowers.
I just counted 22 caterpillars. Eat up fellas.
Last edited by sixshooter; 03-17-2019 at 04:49 PM.
Sixshooter that's an awesome aloe plant. I grew some Scorpion peppers a year or two ago before a hurricane killed it. My tree dropped a branch on it like a guillotine. Did them hydroponically outdoors and the plant was about 7 feet x 7 feet. Massive plant, insanely hot peppers.
I learned to grow plants from growing pot years ago. My buddy and I tried everything from soil, to drip systems to full on hydroponics. Now I only grow hydroponically as the yields and plant quality is much better. Easier to control nutrients and there is less of an issue with bugs/parasites.
I've been collecting the bits for an aquaponics setup. I really want to try farming American Shad and combining that with traditional hydroponic vegetable gardening. Just trying to find an IBC Tote that's not been used for used motor oil or greywater.
Location: Detroit (the part with no rules or laws)
Posts: 5,683
Total Cats: 805
I have an aloe plant(i think) inside. I can't recall it ever blooming(sp?), maybe because it's inside, or maybe because it's not an aloe plant at all. haha
This aloe is at least 6 years old. I've not researched how long it typically takes for them to mature and bloom like this. That bloom is greater than 6ft high at it's top. It's a big plant, lol.
We've had quite a bit of trouble trying to grow certain fruits and vegetables. Hydroponics sounds like an interesting option.
It isn't all that expensive. The initial cost can be high depending on how many plants you're trying to grow. If you're doing it outdoors it is less expensive as you don't need to buy lights, light hoods, ballasts, and cooling fans. Plus no lights compare to the amount of lumens the sun emits. Grab some Rockwell cubes, a 5 gallon bucket, plastic mesh cube holder (snaps on top of the bucket), an air pump, air stone, air lines (a fish tank pump and lines will work)
I used the Lucas method of nutrients. Basically two bottles. One is for vegetative growth the other for flowering. Start off with 90 percent veg, 10 percent flower, then over time scale the opposite way. It will cover all the nutrients a plant needs to grow.
I live in Charleston SC and we have an awesome gardening store called Greenspirit Hydroponics. Check out their website to get an idea of the materials and stuff I mentioned so you know what to look for if you decide to try it out. The yields are great.