Indoor gardening

[Mike K.]

Anyone doing any indoor gardening, specifically veggies, this fall/winter? I have three pepper plants (plus one I am hoping to clone), 11 tomato plants - one that is over two feet tall, four cucumber plants, plus some basil, lettuce and broccoli upstairs. Here is my cucumber seedlings, they were sowed Monday and the picture taken yesterday: . They, along with the other 10 tomato plants are under a LED light panel. They will be moved to a hydroponics unit once they get about six-seven inches tall. I'll use four 23-watt CFL bulbs to provide the light they need this winter. The peppers are in another hydro unit.

The hydro units are simple, depending on what plant is growing. I use Sterilite containers for smaller plants (the green sausage toms, basil, etc.) and five gallon buckets for the cukes and larger toms. Air pumps are five bucks each, baskets $1.50 or less and the aerator bar about $4.00.

Why? I am hoping to avoid having to pay $4.00/lb. for gas ripened toms this winter. Plus, sausage toms make fantastic salsa. And what could be finer than eating a home-grown salad on Christmas Day!

Mike

[Mike K.]

Got my cloner today. It's a variation of a hydroponics system that uses a water pump to spray a mist of water and air on the roots. Alas, I don't have enough plants that have shoots long enough to cut off and use so I'm thinking about using it to grow some toms. Gotta find a lid for a 5-gallon bucket and cut a couple of holes in it. Seven 105 watt CFL bulbs are supposed to arrive Thursday, so I'll be able to give whatever I grow lots of light.

Mike

[Mike K.]

Finally got around to getting cuttings in it. Two tomatoes, seven hot peppers including the feared Bhut Jolokia (the world's hottest pepper) along with a couple of 7-pot, Trinidad Scorpion and Habanero peppers. I'll find out in three weeks if it works.

Mike

[Mike K.]

I'm liking how the plants are doing in water and under a 105 watt CFL bulb. Here's my green sausage tomato plants:

While looking at the cucumber yesterday, I discovered this:

Perhaps a fresh salad for the New Year?

Mike

[Mike K.]

Lookie what I found today.

That little thing above my hand is a baby cucumber.

Mike

[Mike K.]

Am I the only person raising veggies this winter? If so, you all need to consider the fun, not to mention the benefits. It takes only about 3 sq. feet of room to grow a tomato and cucumber plant, plus several heads of lettuce, a green bean plant or two and a couple of pea plants, basil or other herbs.

If you have an old Tupperware or Sterilite tub, the costs are minimal. $6 for an air pump, $5 for net pots, $3 for air stones. Go to the store this February and you'll spend close to that just for the stuff you need to make a salad. And the toms, lettuce and cukes will be full of chemicals, not that there is anything really bad about this. But there is no way a sotre bought tomato or cucumber can compare with one from your garden - or living room.

I have tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, onions, green beans and basil growing now. Hope to add some carrots and aspargus.

Mike

[Mike K.]

Since the middle of February, I have had some plants - a tomato, three heads of lettuce and a pea growing in hydroponic buckets in the office window. Here's the tomato plant yesterday:



It is a Siletz tomato and should have ripe maters by Derby Day.

The lettuce has been big enough that we now cut leaves off it and use them on sandwiches or in salads.



The pea plants has seven of these things on it. A couple should be ready to pick next week:



None of these plants are getting any artificial lights, only the sun through the window. We also turn the heat down to the lower 50s when we leave.

Mike

[Mike K.]

A month has passed and though I don't have up-to-date pictures here are some that are a week old. The lettuce:



The tomato:



It has one, and maybe more, baby toms that have just formed. I'm hoping for a ripe tomato for Derby Day!

Mike