random musings of a newbie

[babice]

Thanks celerystalk! Yes I did fly and I'm with you. I totally hate it that I seem to always get sick when I friggin fly. Bad cough, sore throat, stuffed ears and head, bluck. It ain't right. I actually went to doc yesterday...got the good ole "it's a virus...wait a couple days and call me if it's worse." Wow - I wore myself out this afternoon. Probably mostly because I'm sick. All I did was take the toms and their friends (basil, marigold, etc.) outside this afternoon and I potted up a bunch of stuff that was still in cells and needed potting. Color me pooped! I GOTTA get over this cuz momma's got a lot of babies to take care of!

Buddha Grow is what ami recommends (and told me it would be good for my sick toms too). He says it's very good for seedlings.

[babice]

Babies are still doin' good. Also planted 72 heirloom seeds the other day and none have germ'd yet! Well, it's only been a few days so hopefully SOME will sprout.

Have been having a frustrating time trying to find potting soil for my EBs and containers I'll be using. I've posted a couple of questions in the forum and haven't gotten answers yet; we'll see if anyone has any advice eventually. I've been reading and researching a lot and really wanted to buy some Pro-Mix BX but cannot find it around here anywhere. I spent the whole entire morning and most of the afternoon visiting all the places around here -- my fave nursery, HD, Lowes, this farm supply store - had previously gone to a Menards and decided to try a different one and === didn't find the ProMix BX but DID find "ProMix Ultimate Organic Mix" - 1cf bags for $6.44 a piece which is WAY less than the $10-something/cf I've been reading others saying they pay for the BX. So I was very excited that I found this Pro-Mix (yes I'm a total geek) even though it's not the BX. I'm very confused, though, because I can't tell if it's the "right" combo of ingreds that is recommended for the EBs.

So tomorrow I'm going to set up my EBs and drill holes in the bottom of the other containers and get the soil in there and get the dolomite in there so it has time to activate before I plant the toms.

[celerystalksmidnite]

Yay for the babies! I've never seen Pro-Mix down here. I've also never planted in an EarthBox. (I do plan on trying an EarthTainer experiment over the winter.) Are you going to mix the Pro-Mix (mix the mix hahaha) with pine bark fines and perlite? From what I've ascertained, the EarthTainer folks mix it at a 5:1:1 ratio, with the bulk ingredient being pine bark fines. I'm betting the Pro-Mix organic would be alright for the potting mix ingredient. Or are you just using Pro-Mix? I'd love to be able to just use potting soil straight from the bag rather than having to search for bark fines and mix everything.

[babice]

Originally Posted by celerystalksmidnite

Are you going to mix the Pro-Mix (mix the mix hahaha) with pine bark fines and perlite? From what I've ascertained, the EarthTainer folks mix it at a 5:1:1 ratio, with the bulk ingredient being pine bark fines. I'm betting the Pro-Mix organic would be alright for the potting mix ingredient. Or are you just using Pro-Mix? I'd love to be able to just use potting soil straight from the bag rather than having to search for bark fines and mix everything.

Hmmm...well, I'll have to read some more and let you know what I find. I had planned to use it straight from the bag. I did post a question on the EB forum asking them if the Pro-Mix UO mix is okay for the EBs and two of them responded and said it should be fine. I didn't think about whether I should mix anything with it though. Maybe they're telling me this Pro-Mix is fine with the assumption that I knew I needed to mix it?

I do like the sound of this particular Pro-Mix, btw. It has a sea-based compost, composted bark and mycorrhizae in addition to the peat moss and perlite. I'll let you know if I find anything else out (i.e., whether I should be mixing it with anything else).

[elight]

Babice, I couldn't find the BX either, but did find the consumer varieties at a local nursery. I ended up getting the potting and container mix (in the blue bag). I called Pro-Mix and found that the level of perlite was 12%, which made me feel better that the amount of additional perlite I was adding would get me to Ray's suggested 20-25%. In any case, I think it couldn't hurt to call Pro-Mix and ask if that particular product would be suitable for growing in containers. You definitely found a bargain and it would be great to be able to use it!

[babice]

Originally Posted by elight

Babice, I couldn't find the BX either, but did find the consumer varieties at a local nursery. I ended up getting the potting and container mix (in the blue bag). I called Pro-Mix and found that the level of perlite was 12%, which made me feel better that the amount of additional perlite I was adding would get me to Ray's suggested 20-25%. In any case, I think it couldn't hurt to call Pro-Mix and ask if that particular product would be suitable for growing in containers. You definitely found a bargain and it would be great to be able to use it!

Hmm..good to know. I saw where you had posted that earlier -- my local Menards also has Pro-Mix "Growers" mix. I noticed when you wrote in the other thread about calling them, that it seemed to have taken a while for you to hear back from them? But, with so much confusion I now think it's worth waiting and calling them to find out what the ratio is in the Ultimate Organic and talking to them about that versus the Potting Mix and BX. I'm going to mention to them how much interest they have from all us container and EB-growing folks!

It just seems to me there's got to be SOME-thing more special about the BX than these others. Why else would it be so much more expensive? That's the other reason I really wanted to use the BX. I asked my local Menards to call Premier Tech and see if they can get the BX in for me. Also, DH and I are driving to Des Moines (4 hours away) around Memorial Day which is where that dealer is that the Pro-Mix site has listed on their website. I could tell DH we need to stop over at that dealer and pick up bundles of the BX while we're out there! It would mean not having the dolomite in the soil for any amount of time before planting as I intend to plant after we get back in town.

[elight]

It wasn't a big deal - I got transferred to three or four different people before finally getting to the one with the answer, but all in all it took only a few minutes.

No idea what the difference between the BX and the other mixes are. Please ask and report back if you call! It's unfortunate that data sheets aren't available for most of these products so we can just see for ourselves.

The only places that I've seen BX available is hydroponic supply shops. Unfortunately, I didn't visit any of these (to purchase some rubber grommets for my watering system) until I had already bought the various components of my potting mix.

Good luck!

[babice]

Houston! We have germination!

Don't want to jinx myself by trying to figure out germination rate yet or even trying to figure out which kinds germinated.

[babice]

Oh my goodness - I have almost 100% germination! 72 cells and I planted more than one seed in each cell. Wasn't expecting that! Don't know where I'd put all those in addition to my first set of babies. I was thinking of buying cow pots for all these newest seedlings but I think because there are so many I'm going to go the route of the solo cups and writing on them. I'll have to learn how to pick out and keep the best seedlings. Certainly not used to pulling and disposing of something I'm growing. I also plan to give away the duplicates (or triplicates!) I have of these heirlooms. Can't hurt to pass out heirlooms amongst folks!

[babice]

I've been learning so much even since the last time I posted that it's become hard to keep it all straight. I have newbie-brain-overload. But, while it does seem a little overwhelming at times, I remind myself that I've learned how to grow roses and they're somewhat similar to growing toms from what I can tell. Except, of course, that my roses overwinter and I didn't grow them from seed. I have often felt like roses were just too much of a pain in the hoo-hoo and not worth their prima-donna attitudes. But with the ones I do have I got into a routine that worked. Very simple actually especially now that it's a routine: I amend the soil a couple times a year, fertilize them weekly beginning around early April, start giving them weekly spritzes of Neem oil as soon as I see buds on them, watch the rain and if we haven't gotten an inch in the last 7 days I deep water them at the ground level, and I plant companions around them.

Last year I grew a lot of marigolds in front of the roses and I had mums growing behind them. In the middle of the hot, humid summer I got the wise idea to really cut the marigolds back so they could grow and give me another set of blooms. Within a day or so the roses which had been blooming rather nicely had some kind of fungus...black spots all over them. Didn't take me long to realize that by cutting those marigolds back I had opened the roses up to getting splashed by the soil during rain and that's probably what caused that. So I pruned the roses way back to where there were no diseased-looking leaves or branches and it grew back and bloomed again for me by the Fall.

Now to just get into a routine with the toms! However, can't really prune the darned things way back if I get a disease can I? That's why I'm trying to make sure I'm on a preventative routine like everyone suggests right away when I get them planted out.

[celerystalksmidnite]

Some people do prune back toms to stumps for a fall crop, but usually it's not done for disease. I can't personally say it wouldn't work, though.

That's some good germinating! lol Yes, give those babies away! I hate it when I have to finally toss the extras.

I read once that tomatoes are a good companion for roses. Or that spray made from tomato plants is good for certain rose diseases. Or maybe both!

[mr_gentleman]

I loved reading your musings... I am on my first year of growing from seed and it has been interesting and thankfully problem free. A couple plants i noticed looked a little different so I just segregated them from the rest, but they ended up being just fine. A couple comments...
1) If you find that "seed starting mix" that you have a hard time finding and you love, look into sterilizing your mix so you can reuse it. There are probably posts on here, as well as sites on the internet that describe how to use a cookie sheet and your oven to zap it and make it sterile for reuse. Saves money and makes it easier on you if it is hard to find.
2) Sometimes plants come out looking funky...it could be the segregation and crossing over with genetics, a mutant, or the variability of the microclimates they are all living in, or we could just say its a weird looking plant ...thats why having at least a few of each variety gives you the ability to compare/contrast and pick out the healthiest plants is a +.
3) A healthy concern for your plants is always healthy...just remember...live what you love, love how you live...be mindful, but never let your mind be full...there is nothing tastier than the tastiest tomato...but never let a spoiled plan spoil your plans

[babice]

My first round of tom babies (the ones planted mid-March) are happy little campers these days. They've been playing outdoors -- still in the shade as I slowly get them ready for planting time. They're lookin' good. The leaves that were yellowish just basically have died off and I've picked them off and thrown them away.

The 2nd round (all heirlooms, sown a couple weeks ago) are very happy too. Growing like crazy. I've been giving these small doses of Buddha Grow each week (very small quanties, slowly increasing) and that might be making a difference. It's probably also consistently warmer in the room than it likely was in March for the 1st round. Have the T5 about 3 inches from them so they don't get leggy. I'm going to be potting them up into solo cups today or tomorrow. Wish I coulda done that before now but have been swamped and out of town. Next year need to plan the timing on this better.

I found a home for the extra heirloom babies that I had germinate. There's a local charity that puts homeless families up into apartments or townhomes for a year and they're going to take a bunch from me and plant for these folks. Yay! I hope they grow fine for them!

[babice]

I found myself yesterday and the day before feeling -- egads -- burned out on gardening! Have so totally bit off more than I could chew. First year growing from seed (toms, flowers and herbs) and I just went over board. I know this is probably a typical newbie mistake. But, it's a combination of having too much to plant and not having had enough time to get beds and pots ready to get them planted. And those crazy little heirloom babies. They're 3 weeks old now and I have only had time to pot up 1/2 of them. I just got so frustrated last night that I journaled all my frustration out. Part of the frustration is knowing that I need to get the danged things potted so they can grow some roots and then give them enough time to harden off before either myself or that charity will be able to plant them. But I also am feeling crunched for time now because it won't do any of us good to plant them too late.

RAAAAHHH!!!!!!! Plus, babice is outta shape and was so dad-blasted tired and sore this weekend she didn't feel like she could get nearly enough done. DOUBLE RAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

Thank you - rant over - we now return you to your normally scheduled gardening...

(3rd person for my friend Crandrew)

[stonysoilseeds]

dont be so hard on yourself babice its all a learning experience andi know last year on memorial day i had to travel to my house in kansas memorial day weekend as my brother was very ill and stayed there till june 12 having a friend water my seedlings ididnt complete getting them all in the ground till june 20th yet the plants were quite patient and understanding and did quite well you shouldnt feel overloaded its all a learning experience you can plant them gradually bury them deep and what you cant get in im sure there will be willing organiztions charities and friends you can find a home for the surplus good luck