Experiment in cucumbers begins

I began a test to see if cucumbers started in small pots could be transplanted into a hydroponic system for more efficient change out of plants between crop turns.

The hybrid cucumber seeds were started in mid-August and grew until the end of September in the pots before I transplanted them into Bato buckets.

Each cucumber plant was a foot and a half to two feet long, therefore giving each plant almost a month head start before being placed in the system.

So far each of the transplants seems to have fared well even though cucumbers are not usually suited for transplanting.

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Greenhouse seeds started

148 tomato seeds, started 1/5/2024. Seeds maintained at 80° F. 35 ground cherry seeds and 10 pepino seeds started 1/5/24, maintained at the same temperature. 56 pepper seeds started 1/6/24, maintained at 84° F. Notes: cutting back on tomato production, experimenting with novel crops. This is the latest that I've ever started the greenhouse tomatoes.

Straightneck squash planted March 21, 2021

Today, I planted 20 containers of straight neck summer squash. I used last year's perlite in each of the Bato buckets, only pulling out the roots to last year's crops. In some of the buckets I needed to top off the perlite with new perlite. The seeds were from Willhite, tested October 2018. I sowed five seeds in each bucket. April 4, 2021 update: reseeded after poor germination so far.

Microgreens season resumes

After the heat of summer made microgreens impossible to grow in the small greenhouse with very limited temperature controls, I've now been able to resume growing them now that fall has arrived. I'm growing kale, sunflowers, radishes and green peas. Because temperatures are still very high in the greenhouse, I must water three times a day, morning, afternoon and early evening, to keep them from drying out.

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