The glossy green leaves of the tomato plant inside the Topsy Turvy shielded a tiny yellow blossom, making it the second plant to have blooms (next to the cherry tomato). That means the Early Girl is, ironically, the last one to flower.
Following the advice of many a gardener's website, I added some fertilizer to the soil (organic, of course). Not that they seem to need it... the plants are growing so fast, I can hardly believe it when I compare a picture of the first week to now. It's hard to believe they were ever so small!
Unfortunately, the speed at which they're growing suggests that they might not be comfortable in their tiny home much longer. It's time to look into a larger growing space, and, from the look of things, some cages as well. The tomatillos, especially, are getting droopy, and all this gale force wind isn't helping much.
On a more celebratory note, we've had our very first harvest of the season! It took loads of patience to let the ruby jewel come to just the right level of ripeness before cutting it. It's neighbor is almost ready to pluck as well, while the third remains a pale green, though it continues to flesh out. I divvied up the fruit into five sections so that everyone (including the visiting in-laws) could share in the bounty (it was perfectly sweet and juicy).
The onions were looking a little haggard, so I ran some string to keep the rows a bit more tidy, and tied a few up to keep them supported as they adjusted to their new home. After a few days, theyr'e starting to perk up a bit. The wind seems to do more damage to them than the tomatoes, but the important part of the plant is underground, so hopefully they're all doing fine.
This week, I got the brilliant idea to plant some flower seeds so the little one could experience real blooms (as she is so entranced by them in books). We were rewarded in just a few short days with some tiny green leaves poking through to the sunshine. It was a butterfly mix of seeds that was planted, so it's anyone's guess what will appear. It's a rather delightful mystery!
Another growing "project" I've unwittingly embarked on is inside my kitchen window. A sweet potato I bought last fall for a meal had other plans, eventually sprouting three or four healthy branches. I put the end in water in the window to see how far it would grow, but my ever-curious toddler pulled it down and ripped the little plants right off the potato. I found them the next day and suspended the bottoms in water for a few days until I saw little roots pushing out, then put them in small peat pots on the window sill. To my great surprise and delight, I awoke one morning to find that the leaves had doubled in size! I've been adding water every day, and the shoots continue to explode. I'm very excited at the prospect of finding some cute pottery and having some pretty houseplants in the near future.
A few feet away, I've got seedlings for cayenne and red anaheim peppers planted. In just three days, the cayennes are already sprouting! I was afraid the area might still be too cool, with the crazy Las Vegas weather going from high 70s in the day to low 50s at night, but they don't seem to mind. The anaheim's haven't peeked through just yet however. Next week, I'll be starting my herbs! I look forward to bringing more new life into the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment