Basil and Pepper Window Box

April 5th

After a month in the window, the Mixed green bell pepper/Basil window box is doing well.

April 23rd

We alternated Genovese and Dark Purple Opal basil seeds in rows around the the green bell peppers to maximize the amount of plants in the container.

May 5th

Mixed green bell peppers and green and purple basil, growing together in a window box. 

Since peppers and basil thrive in the same conditions, they can share the planter without competing with each other.

We need a bigger stick...

The tomato plants are growing rapidly and require constant attention. They need to be watered and rotated everyday to prevent the taller plants from shading the smaller ones. So far the German Lunchbox and the Black Cherry tomatoes are growing the fastest, but all of the other varieties (Transparent, Beauty King, and Mini Orange) are not far behind them.  

May 5th

April showers bring May snow showers

It looks like another spring storm coming...Here's what The National Weather Service has to say.

.. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON MDT SATURDAY FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 5500 FEET...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREAT FALLS HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 5500 FEET FOR SNOW... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON MDT SATURDAY.

* TIMING AND MAIN IMPACT: RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 5500 FEET THIS EVENING. A LIGHT SNOWFALL IS THEN EXPECTED OVERNIGHT AND INTO SATURDAY MORNING.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE EXPECTED FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 5500 FEET... WITH UP TO 6 INCHES POSSIBLE NEAR RIDGE TOPS.

* VISIBILITY: VISIBILITIES WILL BE REDUCED TO LESS THAN ONE MILE AT TIMES IN FALLING SNOW.

* ELEVATIONS: FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 5500 FEET.

* OTHER IMPACTS: THOSE RECREATING IN THE BACK COUNTRY SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR WINTER LIKE CONDITIONS TONIGHT. MOUNTAIN PASSES COULD BE SNOW OR SLUSH COVERED AT TIMES OVERNIGHT AND INTO SATURDAY MORNING.

* LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE: BATTLE RIDGE PASS... BOZEMAN PASS... TARGHEE PASS... WEST YELLOWSTONE... BIG HOLE PASS... CHIEF JOSEPH PASS... MONIDA PASS... BOULDER HILL... ELK PARK PASS... HOMESTAKE PASS AND RAYNOLDS PASS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW MEANS THAT PERIODS OF SNOW WILL CAUSE PRIMARILY TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. BE PREPARED FOR SNOW COVERED ROADS AND LIMITED VISIBILITIES... AND USE CAUTION WHILE DRIVING.

FOR SPECIFIC ROAD AND TRAVEL CONDITIONS IN MONTANA... DIAL 5 1 1.

Also, here's a few designs we have been working on after hearing a few logo suggestions.

A fresh, local, and organic tomato getting gnarly through the gullies.

An old expired can of tomatoes taking it easy after the long trip to Montana.

Tomato Update

The tomatoes are beginning to out grow the room. The tallest plants are close to 20".

We had to install more lights on the underside of the shelf for the small seedlings and clones that will later replace the larger plants when they are moved to flower.

When the plants are about a foot and a half, they are moved to the flowering room. The light cycle is cut from 20 hours of light to 12 hours; and the light source also changes to a 600w high pressure sodium grow light because it has a different color spectrum(orange/red) that helps the plant flower. These changes make the plants think it is late summer and time to start producing fruit.
After about two weeks, flowers will begin to form all over the plant. Some of the smaller container cherry varieties, such as Tumbling Tom, will become completely covered in flowers.

The plants will need to be staked after about a month because the stems cannot support the rapid growth. Tomato cages, store bought or homemade, work great for when the plants are mid-sized.

Indeterminate type, or vine tomatoes, will begin to stretch with the longer nights and more intense light. This can be a problem when growing indoors because of the confined space. Since most of the best tasting varieties are indeterminate, it is important to control the vines as they grow. The Sweet 100 hybrids that have been flowering for 2 weeks have been bent down and tied back to the cage to prevent them from growing into the ceilings. A layer of chicken wire attached to the ceiling allows the vines to continue to grow upward without taking over the whole room. 

Spring cleaning

   The tomatoes are enjoying the full strength fertilizer. Some are growing about 1½ inches a day, but a few seem to be less vigorous. To help them along, we have been rotating the plants around the shelf to provide an even light source for all of the plants. Although moving the plants is beneficial for their growth, it can create a huge mess in your grow room. Crowded spaces and spilled dirt and water can become a breeding ground for disease quickly because of the heat and humidity common in most productive grow rooms. The easiest way to keep your plants safe from disease is to clean the grow room once a week. 

To do this, remove all plants from the grow room. Vacuum or sweep up all loose dirt/growing medium that has spilled from previous moves. Using bleach or an organic cleanser spray all the surfaces in the room. Let the air out for a few minutes and wipe down all of the sprayed surfaces. Leave the room open to air out until the smell of the cleaner has faded, about an hour or two. Now wipe the containers clean of loose dirt and debris with a damp rag.

 Now that the room and containers are clean, begin to move the plants back to the grow space.  Move plants that were not receiving as much light to the best-lit part of the room and rotate the others into the vacant space. By keeping the grow space clean, you can prevent many incurable diseases that can occur when growing vegetables indoors.

Free Trees For Earth Day

Its the last week of April, and spring has sprung everywhere but here. Although we have had some nice warm days, the nights are still too cold for seeds to germinate. Maybe next week...

The last week of April also brings Earth Day and Arbor Day. Since many people are suffering from spring fever right now, free tree give aways can provide some much needed outdoor activity for little or no money. By planting free trees you can get some good exersise and help your environment.

Many large and local hardware stores offer free tree seedlings on Earth Day and Arbor Day.
Lowe's is giving away one million trees in honor of Earth Day on April 23, 2012. Contact your local Lowe's to make sure they are participating in the event. Our local nursery in Bozeman, Cashman's, offers a free seedling to anyone who with a new born baby. All you have to do is bring your baby by the nursery, and they will give you a seedling to be planted in your baby's honor.

give away.

With a little research you will find many options for free trees in your area. Another way to get some trees that are suited for you climate for a very low price is to become a member of the Arbor Day Foundation. For as little as $10, you can choose ten trees that will flourish in your region or have ten trees planted in a national forest in your honor. The membership also provides discounts on trees, and a book that details the best techniques for growing your new trees. Another option is the Hazelnut Project. For $20, they will mail you 3 hazelnut bushes when it is optimal for planting in your area. While enjoying a lifetime supply of hazelnuts, you will also be contributing much needed information that will be used to research global warming.

During this week of environmental holidays, remember that our forests provide wood, habitat for animals, clean air, and drinking water for all of us. By donating or planting trees, you will help preserve these resources for many generations to come.

Tomato update

Now that the tomatoes' roots are filling in their larger containers, they are growing rapidly. The picture below show the plants on April 19th.

We began measuring them with the Farm's most accurate measurement tool, an Ocean City, Maryland ruler won on the boardwalk.

April 21

 The plants are growing about an inch a day and need to be watered every two days. 

April 22nd

They have been fed every watering with a half strength 3-1.2-1.25 fertilizer and seem ready for full strength feedings. 

The large Hydroponic garden is really beginning to flower. It has almost out grown it's trellis and fruits are set all over every plant. New flowers form every day and the pollinated flowers are swelling into sweet tomatoes. 

Other Companion Container Gardens

The other container gardens are begining to take off. The lettuce container is enjoying the cooler nights more than the pepper/basil, but all of the containers are flourishing. 

Since the outdoor season is still months away, we started a cucumber, green bean, and strawberry box.

 We chose Dragon's Egg cucumber, Dragon's tounge bean, and Red Wonder Wild Strawberry for quick harvest. They really like the ideal indoor conditions and the beans will need staking soon so they don't tip over.

Tomato Transplant and Some Food At Last

It's April 16th and our local ski hill closed yesterday despite the spring snow dump.

Inside it's already almost "June" and our little tomato plants needed to be transplanted to larger pots (only one more transplant). They were planted in the recycled red cups on March 27th, below is the progression of the plants over a less than a month.

March 27th

March 30th

April 3rd

April 8th

April 15th

Hydroponics 

Meanwhile the more mature hydroponic plants produced their first fruit of the season - Red Cherry Heirlooms. We enjoyed some homemade meals that seemed impossible to make with fresh local ingredients in March.

The tomatoes were bright red and orange in color and had a sweet tomato flavor. They were perfect for snacking with just a pinch of sea salt. They also were a great addition to pasta dishes and grilled cheese. 

Homemade Staycation

It started snowing yesterday and it is not going to stop until sunday. We are expecting 15-18 inches from the storm.The long term weather report is calling for a cool and wet April and May. This might be good for the outdoor crops, because we picked crops that thrive in cool weather, such as carrots, onions, lettuce, and broccoli.  

Since snow can be expected any month of the year in Montana, it is good to grow some tropical plants to take your mind of the endless winters. We ordered a dwarf banana tree last march and it has been doing great under the lights. It came as a small, lifeless root that we placed in the soil. Growing bananas was a new thing for the farm so we did not know what to expect. It took a while to get started, but the long days and strong light helped get the banana established.

It now makes a new leaf every week an has begun to push a new shoot out of the stump. Bananas are considered a herb because after each bloom the stalk (or tree) dies. The small shoot at the bottom of the plant then replaces the dead stalk and forms bananas again.

Picking and Grinning

The first tomatoes are just about ripe. The rest of the tomatoes in the hydroponic system are starting to catch up with this one, so the harvest should not end for another few weeks.

Outside Garden

I placed some yellow onion sets and cold heady peas (Blue Podded) in a freshly tilled area of the garden along the fence before the snow came. As long as the storm does not bring really cold weather with it, the snow and dirt should insulate the seeds enough to germinate.

Snow in the forecast and these tomatoes don't care.

   Its going to snow again, but the tomatoes seem to be getting riper by the minute. Here are some pictures of a vine ripening over the last week.

March 30th

April 1st

April 3rd

April 4th

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This plant was the first clone cut about two months ago. It had a head start on the other plants in the tubs, so it started forming fruit before the others. Now that the plants have been eating the flowering food for a week, they are beginning to form tons of flowers up and down every branch. 

Each flower will form a tomato if it is pollinated. The flowers only open for a few hours a day. In the wild, wind and insects pollinate the flowers. When growing tomatoes indoors, there may not be enough wind and hopefully not enough insects to pollinate the flowers effectively. The solution is simple, lightly flick the main stems while the flowers are open. Hard enough to shake the plant, but gentile enough to keep the stems from being damaged. When the flowers are pollinated, the flower will wither away and a small green ball will form at where the base of the flower was. When the flowers are pollinated the hard part is over. The buds will form into tasty tomatoes in about a month.

Peppers are Idealist

  
After ten days, the new sprouts are starting to show how much they are enjoying their ideal conditions. These mixed bell peppers(purple, yellow, red, green) sprouts were started and transplanted to containers at the same time. The containers are the same size.

   The only difference is one was grown under 20 hours of light with the room temperature around 75 degrees.

   The other was grown in the sunniest window in the house, dealing with cold nights and snowy days.

Tomato Update

   The tomatoes are also loving life. They were fed for the first time yesterday with a 3-1.25-1.25 fertilizer.  The food was mixed to a 1/4 strength so the plants don't get stunted. This happens because the new roots are very sensitive to nitrogen. The roots stop growing and die if exposed to too much. The plant will let you know if you have over-fed it, leaves will turn yellow at the tips and began to die back. If this happens, flush the container until water streams out of the bottom and don't feed again until the plant begins to recover.