BYC gardening thread!!

[RichnSteph]

Certainly possible, I wouldnt bother though. They are in flowering mode, why negate that? Cutting and replanting will delay them by a few weeks for sure. Not all of the blossoms will set anyways, and if its hot where you are, it will be even less. Blossoms dont set in hot temperatures. I'd find a way to support them if it were me. Bambo stakes, twine, etc and "make a cage". Are they getting enough sun? Plants tend to stretch if not enough sun. Some varities, paste tomatoes and heart tomatoes, are just naturally "spindily." They have what is reffered to as Wispy leaf foliage. Naturally, thin, droppy and frail looking even when healthy. Let the plant tell you it cant hold the fruit up, it may be just fine as is.

We have a beefsteak that is probably 8 feet long if it was standing upright and covered in tomatoes. The cherry is easily that long and has multiple stalks with 12-15 blooms on it and it's already fallen over twice. The others (heirloom and big boy) won't stand at all if I remove the stakes that hold them. Some of them have crawled into the wire (stapled outside the grow beds) that the cucumbers are vining up into and are doing well. I can wire up the rest but it will make harvesting rather a pain in the rear.

 

[jerryse]

Rain again today . The remnants of tropical storm Bill are supposed to stay south of us . Really need to dry out .

 

[lazy gardener]

I'm guessing that something is off. I've not experienced aquaponics, but long spindly plants IMO are telling you that they aren't getting enough light or nutrient. How are their leaves looking? big and lush, or on the small side? If they are big and lush, you could have too much nitrogen, but I doubt that is the case. So, I go with light or not enough nutrient. Magnesium is great for improving plant vigor. You can do a foliar spray. I'd do a bit of research, but, I think you can do it every 2 weeks. If I were in your place, I might try a foliar spray of epsom salts and miracle grow. I know we're all trying to be as natural as possible, but IMO, what good is natural if we don't have the produce to show for it? I just gave my garden a good hosing with miracle grow, and followed that with side dressing of 10-10-10. My garden was looking noticeably better within 24 hours!

 

[Arielle]

I'm guessing that something is off. I've not experienced aquaponics, but long spindly plants IMO are telling you that they aren't getting enough light or nutrient. How are their leaves looking? big and lush, or on the small side? If they are big and lush, you could have too much nitrogen, but I doubt that is the case. So, I go with light or not enough nutrient. Magnesium is great for improving plant vigor. You can do a foliar spray. I'd do a bit of research, but, I think you can do it every 2 weeks. If I were in your place, I might try a foliar spray of epsom salts and miracle grow. I know we're all trying to be as natural as possible, but IMO, what good is natural if we don't have the produce to show for it? I just gave my garden a good hosing with miracle grow, and followed that with side dressing of 10-10-10. My garden was looking noticeably better within 24 hours!

To add to this----

I was thinking the plant is not getting enough light . . . .

Tomatos are heavy feeders apparently. But the " spindly" makes me think " light" is the problem. Under my grow light, the tomato starts never get thick and bushy but are tall and leggy. Set them in the garden and they change in to thick and bushy.

 

[lazy gardener]

Arielle, How far above the top of your seedlings is your grow light? I use standard flourescent bulbs, and aim to keep the bulbs about 1/2" above the plants. Sometimes, the plants are touching the bulbs before I get around to raising the bulbs again. Temp also plays a role. But, with the close bulb setting, my plants (when I use my grow light set up) are nice and stocky. I also hit them with epsom salts several times in the seedling stage.

 

[RichnSteph]

I'm guessing that something is off. I've not experienced aquaponics, but long spindly plants IMO are telling you that they aren't getting enough light or nutrient. How are their leaves looking? big and lush, or on the small side? If they are big and lush, you could have too much nitrogen, but I doubt that is the case. So, I go with light or not enough nutrient. Magnesium is great for improving plant vigor. You can do a foliar spray. I'd do a bit of research, but, I think you can do it every 2 weeks. If I were in your place, I might try a foliar spray of epsom salts and miracle grow. I know we're all trying to be as natural as possible, but IMO, what good is natural if we don't have the produce to show for it? I just gave my garden a good hosing with miracle grow, and followed that with side dressing of 10-10-10. My garden was looking noticeably better within 24 hours!

To add to this----

I was thinking the plant is not getting enough light . . . .

Tomatos are heavy feeders apparently. But the " spindly" makes me think " light" is the problem. Under my grow light, the tomato starts never get thick and bushy but are tall and leggy. Set them in the garden and they change in to thick and bushy.

They are in full sun for maybe 3-4 hours a day. The leaves are on the small side and well spaced. I did add epsom salt to the tank (.75 ounce for the 750 gallons was what I read) and I did spray them all with a mix of epsom and miracle grow a few weeks ago. I also add an organic fertilizer to the tank once a month or so. The spray and the salts in the tank is what stopped the yellowing of the leaves and it stopped it within a day of application. If it'd help I can take a close up picture of the plants tomorrow and post it for you to look at. A couple of the plants are nice and thick and have grown straight up while others are more vine like. One of them is even headed into the tree that hangs a bit over the cucumber plants. Our plan is to thin some of the trees out but I wasn't sure if I'd have to trim them all back so that the garden would be in full sun all day. If I have to move the garden I can do so next year when we plan on digging a 9,000 gallon "natural" pond to upgrade the system. There is a spot out at the fringe of the property that is wide open and we'd planned to put our swimming pool there but I can put the garden there and clear another spot for the pool if need be.

RichnSteph

 

[lazy gardener]

General recommendation is not to garden unless you have full sun for at least 6 hours/day. Tomatoes, peppers, squash, cukes all need lots of sun. brassicas, lettuce and other greens, not so much.

 

[RichnSteph]

General recommendation is not to garden unless you have full sun for at least 6 hours/day. Tomatoes, peppers, squash, cukes all need lots of sun. brassicas, lettuce and other greens, not so much.

Darn it.....

 

[whoop whoop]

It sounds like you all are having a wonderful growing session I am green with envy, pardon the pun.lol At the moment my front garden looks like its been hit by a giant snowball invasion everything is covered in frost bags.



But I do have a lily that doesn't realise its winter






none of my veggies that I have planted have poked thru, i think they are too scared it so cold, and can't water because the water just freezes on the plant, so have to go round with hosepipe not fun at all.

 

[Dejay]

Wow, that is good sized Garden. is that just for your family or do you sell too?
Has anyone here tried or is growing teas? (Like mint tea) We are going to this year. So any tips on growing tea?