Seedlings. Progress report. 4.19.14

Okra 4 months indoors from seed

Seedlings under lights.  Peppers, Mirabilis, and Okra

Seedlings under lights.  Okra and Mirabilis

Seedlings under lights.  Okra and Mirabilis

 Indoor seedlings are at a point where I don't have enough room.  Soon most will be outdoors.

The first of the okra plants continues to be a bit anemic, but now has the 2nd flower.  The first fell off.  I speculate it needed pollinating.  This time I used a q-tip as the bee.  This variety is the more compact growing "Baby Bubba".  I think outside it would be much much larger.

The figs are all outside now.  Next, the pepper plants.  Under lights, the current phase is the last of the peppers, the last of the four o'clocks (Mirabilis), and then new okras.  Easier to type, "Mirabilis".  All of the new okras are germinated, still at the cotyledon stage.   These are on the north side of the house.  They get potential east and west sun, if the sun is shining.  Day by day, they'll move closer to full sun.  Today is raining.

When the rest of the tomato seedlings germinate, there will be room for those, too.

The larger pepper seedlings are moved to the south window, or outside on the North side of the house.  That's the ones that are not in the poly low tunnel.

Pepper seedlings in South window.  Also a ginger plant.

The larger Mirabilis are also moving outside during the day.  Those and the peppers are inside for night, and outside for day.  The figs are outside now 24/7.

This is a nice start for this year.  Making up for losing 2013 for being ill. 

I think that ginger needs repotting.  I will look for a container now.

Outdoor plant starts.  Figs, Peppers, Mirabilis.

Home Made CFL Plant Light Fixture. 3.22.14

Parts for Home Made Plant Light Fixture

These are the parts for the home made plant light fixture.  There are videos on youtube by several authors.  I don't know which one originated it.  The video I watched was praxxus55712, very well explained.

6X24 round pipe	3.98
1/4 inch diameter, 12 inch long threaded bar price for 2	2.02
23 watt CFL price for 2	8.28
wing nut 1/4" price for 4	1.21
hex nut 1/4" price for 5	0.97
bedroom light fixture	7.98
extension cord 8'	6.97
Sum	31.41

I forgot washers.  I bought those and 2 eye bolts for hanging the fixture.  That's about $2 more.  I could have used a cord I had lying around.  That would reduce the cost by $7.  If I shopped around I might have found a cheaper light fixture too.

Holes drilled in pipe, inside nuts and washers screwed onto threaded rods

So far very easy.  Looking at the original, maybe I should have found longer rods.  These should be OK.

Drilling the holes for the threaded rods and assembling them took about 10 minutes.

The I pondered for a week how to assemble the unit with the bedroom light kit.  The reflector is curved.  The light kit rests on a flat surface.  I finally decided to assemble it as-is.  The center of the reflector flattened to accommodate  the bedroom light kit, which is fine.

I added eye hooks at the end to hang the unit from my plant stand.

THe CFL lights are100-watt equivalent, 23-watt CFL bulbs.  Estimated energy cost per year is $2.77.   Lumens 1,600 per bulb.  These are bright-white.  I don't know if it matters, bright-white vs. daylight.  Anything I use seems to work OK.

One issue I got wrong.  I've been trying to figure out what type of bulb, daylight, bright white, soft white.  I bought bright white.  Searching around artificial light growing sites, I should have bought daylight.  2700k - bright white - is good for flowering - probably why my peppers are flowering.  6,500k - daylight - are better for growing.  From the linked site " for example with tomatoes you would want to use a 6500k bulb until your ready to start the flowering stage of your tomato plants".

I may add aluminum foil to the ends to reflect light back into the unit.

Assembled CFL Grow Light

Assembled CFL Grow Light

CFL Grow Light

Kitchen Garden. Raised beds, low tunnel. 3.16.14

Low Tunnel Raised Bed Kitchen Garden.  3.16.14

2nd batch of pepper seedlings.  3.16.14

 The seedlings are growing nicely in the low tunnel raised bed.  I think I  know how to work it now.

The outside temp was mid 50s.  The soil temp was 76.  Big difference.

I hoed weeds but otherwise did not manipulate the plants.  Soon will need to thin.  Planted another row of radishes and another row of spinach.

Meanwhile inside under lights the 2nd batch of peppers is growing nicely.  I separated some seedlings into individual pots.  Not enough room to do that will all.

Some of the first batch of peppers are in bud.  I read it's best not to let them bloom until planted outside.  If the soil temp is really that warm, maybe I can transplant a couple soon.

Okra is growing nicely.  Baby Bubba seems to be the most suited to indoor conditions, so far.

Rhubarb is ready to eat.

Portugal Red hot pepper plant.  3.16.14

Victoria Rhubarb.  3.16.14

Peppers. Progress Report and Planting Seeds. 2.11.14

Peppers planted 2/11/14

Pepper Seeds Planted 2/11/14  Fish Pepper

Peppers Planted 2/11/14 on seed heating mat

 Today I planted more chili and sweet pepper seeds.  These were from orders from early winter.  Varieties as shown and in labels.

These are re-used labels.  The sharpie mark is not permanent.  It washes off with a little scouring, easy.  The scouring also makes the plastic less slippery.  Maybe that will make the sharpie label last longer.  I cut 2 inches from the lower end.  These were too tall.

These are in a packaged peat-based seed medium.  I didn't want peat but that was all I could find this time of year.

Fish Pepper is a traditional variety from African American roots.  Passed from one generation to the next.  Thought to originate from Africa although ultimately all peppers originate from South America.  The plant, and the peppers, are variegated.  Very pretty.  From Southern Exposure Seed Exchange.

Now they are all planted and on the seed warming mat.

Meanwhile last week I replanted the 3 Portugal Red hot peppers, each to its own container.  I didn't plan on 3 but was reluctant to discard any.  All 3 look great.

The fluorescent lights are doing a good job.  These are standard light fixtures.  Not special plant fixtures.  The pepper and figs are not leggy.  The okra isn't so good but maybe it doesn't do well by this method.

Plant Starts from 12/24/13

I checked at Fred Meyer for a replacement light sustem.  A small, special plant growing light system was more than $100 and the larger one was more than $150.  I bought 2 under cabinet lights for $12 each, and used flat bungi cords to install them for tghe top shelf.  These are 17 watt.    Some gardeners use CFLs which might be an option for supplemental light.

I soaked and planted Burgundy Okra seeds 2 days ago.  I don't know if the red leaves will do better or worse in this system.

This setup is in an East window.  Currently  I think there is more light from the artificial lights than from the sun.

Fluorescent Light Garden