My driveway is coming back to life soon - Driveway Farm 2012

[acanfield]

I decided to start all of my seeds indoors this year, not just the tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers.  My first year of EBs, all of the veggies I started indoors did better than the next two years, where I started the squash and cucumbers in the EBs.   

And this year I decided to try the seed starter system for my Aerogarden, that came with the unit, instead of the Park Seed Biodome.  So far here are my seedlings



Next weekend the lettuce is going into an EB that already has some lettuce trying to grow (a few didn't make it, hence starting the replacements indoors).  I'm going to put the tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and brussel sprouts (a new crop for me) into the EBs at the end of February and hold off on the peppers and eggplant a little longer since they are growing so slowly and are still tiny.

[acanfield]

I have that one, but the only I'm actually using with my seed starter is the Extra Elite model with a hood that accommodates 24" of growth instead of 12".  The Extra Elite model has three compact fluorescent bulbs while the model you cited has two compact fluorescent bulbs.

[Pagardener]

I start all my seeds  (with the exception of snap peas and spinach) in my Aerogarden. If I find they grow too fast to put out right away (I live in PA)I transplant them into cowpots which go into a container that has a wicking mat. I get a much better germination rate in the Aerogarden than any other method (and I think I have tried them all).
I even start my zinnia and marigolds there and they were spectacular last year.

[Deb]

I had trouble hardening off my seedlings in the Aerogarden.  Some were ready and others were not.  The directions said to take the whole bowl outside for hardening.  It ended up with everything being stressed and very little sucess.

I hope you have better results and can keep posting the pictures.  Maybe I'll learn enough to try it again next year.  This year I contracted with my CSA farmer to make seedlings for me.  I get the seedling varieties I want and she gets to play in her new greenhouse.  win/win

Deb

[John]

Hi Deb,
What I do is take the aerogarden tray of seedlings and place it in a clear tote outdoors (no lid).  This provides some protection for the delicate seedlings while hardening off your plants.

[acanfield]

Deb - I am repotting my seedlings into 10 oz solo cups and then putting them under 4-T5 light fixture that I have (because most of the tomatoes are getting so big that the leaves are getting tangled).   I had trouble getting them untangled as I lifted the styrofoam block to push the seedling from underneath.  I don't remember having this trouble when I used the Park Seed Biodome last year.  I was afraid I traumatized the poor things, but they seem to have survived.

But I was wondering how I was going to harden the seedlings in the Aerogarden seed starter block.

I think next year I will use the Biodome and put it on the grow deck of one of the Aerogardens under the lights.  

Here's what's left in the Aerogarden seed starter.  Two Zebra Cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, and various eggplants.  Plus I have brussel sprouts, squash, cucumber, zucchini.



Here are the seedlings I've put into solo cups.  Unfortunately I mixed up the tomatoes again this year as well as the cucumbers/squash/zucchini that I removed (because the leaves were getting large) when I took them out of the Aerogarden seed starter (because they were so tricky to remove I forgot to record what they were).  Now I don't know which tomato variety is which.  Worse, I don't know the patty pan squash from the zucchini from the cucumber.  

Is there a way to tell from the leaves whether a plant is a zucchini, squash, or cucumber     Hmmm, I've had this problem before!  

[Deb]

When I visited the EarthBox Research Center I saw Blake plant tomatoes that were no bigger than the plugs that come out of the Aerogarden.  He said, "why waste time repotting?"  Of course, he was dealing with acres of tomato plants and I just want a few.  But I'm always looking to make it easier, and planting tiny plugs is easier than the big, overgrown, rootbound, plants I usually find in the spring.

I planted too much variety in the Aerogarden.  My tomatoes were ready to be outside and the peppers had barely sprouted.  That's what I meant about stressing everything.  I need to learn when to start the seeds so the different seedlings are ready to be hardened at the same time.  Or else pull them out of the foam tray when it's time to go outside.

I've about decided it is impossible to not mix up the seedlings in the sprouting tray unless you have help.  One person to write in the notebook and on tags, and one to pot the things up.  Either that or wait until they ripen, then I can tell squash from cukes.  Tomatoes defy identification even when ripe.  ;>

Deb

[kathy]

Here's a tip on labeling also, I double label everything....I use popsicle sticks from the craft store and a sharpie for my peat pot plantings. In my Hydrofarm floating sponge trays I write on stick on labels with sharpies and place it on the styrofoam floating tray with arrows.  When I transplant to solo cups or styrofoam cups, I use the pop. stick, and I write on the solo cup itself. if I am recycling market packs from some purchased plants (the black or gray plastic thingies) I write on them with the sharpie. When I transplant to the EB I write on the black mulch cover with a silver or white paint pen purchased from the craft store and transplant the popsicle stick also. Also, worst case scenario, if you mix your squash or cukes up, start over, you most likely have time,  they germinate quickly.

[acanfield]

I planted my cherry tomatoes and some squash on Saturday, using two variations on my PVC base staking system. 

I bought some 6' stakes that are the same diameter as Ultomato stakes, at Walmart, where I also found extra crossbars for the Ultomato.  I decided to make a slightly higher Ultomato system.  I bought out all the extra cross-bars!   I'm also going to use twine to supplement the crossbars - tying one end to one sturdy stake, looping each of the uprights, and finally tying on the second sturdy stake.  I'm wondering if just using the six 6' stakes and tying them would work just as well, though the Ultomato crossbars definitely add rigidity.

I'm also trying the Gurney pea fence idea, only I'm starting with one level.  I didn't buy the EB brackets.  Instead I just shoved the ends of the pea fence into the EB a couple of inches.  I plan to secure the pea fence to the 8' sturdy stakes on my PVC base using wire.  When the plants get higher than the pea fence, then I will start using the twine.  Maybe next year I will add the second pea fence to the base pea fence (right now the gardening budget is almost maxed out).  It's a competition now between the Ultomato and the pea fence this year to see which one keeps the plants controlled while requiring less effort on my part in terms of twining them in and then periodically tightening the twine.  The area is so tight that when the plants get big I can barely get between the rows to tie the twine. 

For the squash, I added an Ultomato in front of the squash, to try to keep them from spilling onto the driveway encourage them to grow up.  In back of the squash, attached to the the sturdy stakes, is netting.

Here are some photos

Squash



Tomatoes - single pea fence stuck into EB



Tomatoes - slightly higher Ultomato



Supplementing Ultomato crossbars with twine

[seansmum]

Looking good Anita!!

[benhuntin]

Do you use a specialized grow light or just a regular flourecent light? Those grow lights are expensive.

[acanfield]

The Aerogardens use compact fluorescent 6500K full spectrum bulbs, and my other growlights use 2 foot T5 6500K bulbs.  The best unit has 4 bulbs, and I also have two single T5 bulb hoods.  The set ups with T5 bulbs are very reasonable.

[kathy]

Love my T-5's expanded my seedling area this year, and dug out my old heat mat. My pepper plants are doing well, I will be starting some early tomatoes this weekend.

[acanfield]

My EBs are coming along.  I'm liking the Ultomato staking system because I can remove the crossbars and reposition to enclose branches that have grown out of bounds and add additional ones as the plants get higher.

[cushman350]

Is the Ultomato staking system tied in any way to the tall uprights on each end of your trellis?