Mike

Here is some postings from last year I'd like to share.
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/tomato/msg1116545016871.html?9

Half way down the messages under the pic of mom stiring the manure tea I have my process for planting new seedlings. The grow lights I made that are on my site really work well. We simply keep the lights anywhere from 1" to 3" above the top of the plants. As the plants grow the lights are raised. I built moms house with HVAC with electric heat in one room and because of my folks love of a wood/coal burner, I placed a burner in the utility room where we now grow the seedlings. The temp in that room is always at least 80-85*. Perfect for growing seedlings.
Usually in six weeks we have 8" tall beautiful tomato plants with pencil thick stems at the base. Mom keeps the lights on the plants about 16hrs/day.

I soak all seeds, tomato, peppers, cucumbers etc, for at least one hour in very warm water, not hot, before planting. I soak the potting soil in the cups with hot tap water before we plant the seeds. That's it and we have great results. We never use any kind of plant food with seedling. You can damage/stunt the plants. We wait until we plant outside. All the cups with the seeds are placed in cardboard boxes lined with plastic garbage bags. Since the cups have holes in the bottoms we just water the plants by pouring enough water in the boxes to keep the potting soil moist. We always plant extra seeds but only ever had one or two die. If we don't get germination in 8-10 days we reseed. We give away many plants each year to friends and relatives. I'm 60, started and ran my own construction company for over 20 years. I've always tried to keep things simple.

Ever since I was a boy as far back as I can remember, mom would have seedlings near every window on stands to grab the sunlight. Every day she would have to rotate the plants 180* as they bent towards the sun. So I went to google.. and one weekend a couple years ago I showed up with two fluorescent light fixtures, ballast, bulbs and other items and told her I was doing an experiment to make raising seedlings easier on her. That weekend I completed reworking one fixture and building a pulley apparatus for raising and lowering the fixture.
The following weekend I planted tomatoes and peppers six weeks ahead of normal planting time. I planted seeds on a Saturday and she called me on Thursday and said almost all the plants were up. I have to tell you that her nor I could hardly believe how well all the plants were doing after four weeks. We were both simple amazed and pleased.
Then came the greenhouse but that's another similar story.

Last year I even raised 300 sweetcorn plants under the lights for two weeks. I planted them in a box of plain garden soil on a 1.5" grid. It worked out great but I'll never do it again. It took me over three hours to sesperate the plants and plant them as I was working against darkness coming. My back was killing me when I finished. My objective was to have sweetcorn early. We did by three weeks but once was enough for me..lol

Here's a good site where I ordered my corn seeds.
http://www.twilleyseed.com/
They were the only place that had coated corn seeds and the price was right with three days shipping, and they don't keep sending emails and catalogs like gurney and burpee did to me. The corn I raised was Honey and Pearl..by far the best corn we ever ate.

Our sweet corn...
The first three rows I raised under the grow lights...

Cabbage...the plants were raised under the grow lights.

btw, I take it you are having better days now..did you get that needed hair cut after we posted last?..lol GLTY

Here is a link that might be useful: Mom's Garden

Not yet! But the memories of the bad hair days of last week and the week before are fading from my memory! I was actually skipping across highways this week to deliver papers!

My path is a little different from yours, yet somewhat similar. I grew up as a city boy (actually a town boy - Ripley had maybe 1600 residents on a good day) but dad raised tobacco as a sharecropper - the land owner furnished the grounds and bought the fertilizer - we did everything else and then shared in the revenue. But we also, being somewhat poor, always had a huge garden, especially peas, onions, carrots, cucumbers and a tremendous amount of green beans, potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce and corn. Every once in a while, dad would try his hand with beets and sweet potatoes.

As the oldest child, it was always my job to take care of the garden, that in time grew to be a couple of acres (I had four siblings and toward the end, a few in-laws as well as nieces and nephews!). One year, we actually planted 700 pounds of seed potatoes!

But once I moved to "the big city" I had no desire to garden, except for maybe a tomato plant or two once every three-four years. But then a few years ago, I started to try it again, then a year or so later I removed a decent size pool (28' round) and filled in the ground. It was time to literally "get back to my roots."

Started out buying some seeds such as beans, cucumbers, seed potatoes and such, plus plants for peppers and tomatoes. Then graduated to mostly growing all my own, expect for things like the beans, carrots and lettuce that are better if directly sown.

My grow space is only about 1100 sq. ft. so I tend not to raise peas and corn, it is cheaper to buy them compared to the cost per sq. ft. to grow them and sacrifice space for potatoes, tomatoes and peppers. Though, this year, I may try some peas as I've found some that should delver quarts per plant, rather than cups!

But, this year is different. I've been asked to have a display at the county fair - both raised beds and containers. The amount of produce harvested is not important, only growing stuff. I'm afraid I have lost my mind over this, as I plan on having close to 30 different types of veggies, plus a few special plants, ones that will take up only a bit of area: cotton, coffee, strawberries, grapes, rice, sugar cane, Jicama, and who knows what else - depends on suggestions I get. Plus some banana trees. Also am planning a display of using barrels to collect rain water and then distribute it to the beds via a soaker hose. But get this, the system will be designed so I can show visitors how they can gauge how much water, in terms of inches of rain, they are adding to the area. Turn on a valve, watch the water level and know if they have added a half-inch or inch of water to the garden.

I know, I'm a nerdy, anal-retentive geek but this is fun!

Mike

Whew, I'm worn out just thinkin' about all that work! Sounds like fun. When is the fair?

Around August 10! If you show up, I'll give you a guided tour!

Mike

To think, I recently sold my last boat, a double stateroom blue-water ketch - after years of cruising and scuba diving the east coast with my first mate, to settle into the landlubber's dream of the "simple", natural life of tending my organic vegetable gardens, while still being captain + helmsman of my architectural practice.

Wordwiz - isn't gardening supposed to be relaxing? That sounds like a lot of work. ;-) Just kidding . . . this stuff is addictive.

You are correct - my light meter, pH meter and soil thermometer, add more pleasure to the joys of gardening.

Archdiver,

You really should have traded your boat for a greenhouse. Talk about relaxing! Tread through snow up to your knees, with the temps in single digits, then walk into a building that is warm and moist, with bunches of green plants growing! This is life at its finest - or close to it for us older folks!

Mike

Mike

God love ya...or God help ya!

I found out several years ago how much attention a garden requires. It seems like alot of work now, I guess because of my age. When I had my construction business and in my late 20s, 30's and 40's, I could do a 12 or 14 hour day and still keep going. While in my mid thirties I bought a 31' motor home and a 22' boat, went fishing and claming at Rehoboth Delaware on weekends then spent some of the winter at Key West, stock Island, deep sea fishing almost everyday. Enjoying life had arrived.

I can only help mom on weekends so I have to jam when I'm there. I have two hours of lawn to mow plus other items and errands for her if she is in need. When I was a teen I worked on my uncles farm in the summer. Thirty milk cows, 1200 chickens..he usually had 50 acres of corn out, 30 acres of oats and we bailed and hauled in many many thousands of bails of hay and of course they had a large family garden.

You said, "I'm afraid I have lost my mind over this, as I plan on having close to 30 different types of veggies".

I can see why you had a bad hair day earlier..lol

If you love it do it. My mom is 89 and she loves it so I do what I can to help her to keep doing her garden. I do all the hard work for her. I originally put up her garden site for friends and distant relatives to view. Then I found this site researching tomatoes and started posting her site and our pics here. I felt that passing on info and pics could help others as they have helped me. You are doing the same and people appreciate that. There is lots of good info on these boards especially for new gardeners.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mom's Garden

Hi Mike,

I would love it -- I have a number of relatives in Ohio, and I've never been to the Ohio State Fair.

Take care,
Luv_2_gardn