April 28, 2009: I Want My Room Back!

It's cold. It's windy. It's rainy. My poor plants, that looked so strong and healthy a week ago, are looking absolutely miserable. I know I've put them through a lot. They began life on a nice heated pad, then were moved to a cool garage to be under lights until they were strong enough to be hardened off outside. Then they spent a week in the back of the pickup, where they could be driven in and out of the garage depending on weather conditions. That was really the perfect place for them until Mr. H decided he wanted to drive a truck, not a greenhouse. So they went from there to the back patio, where they were afforded some slight protection with a tent of clear plastic. Warm days were spent on the lawn, very cold nights were spent on the kitchen counter. Our 80 degree days put them into a growth spurt, the cold nights made them stocky. But the other day, they just looked limp and sad. I brought them in today, gave them a bit of liquid fertilizer, and put them in the laundry room. I think I'll keep them there for at least a week, then our temperatures are supposed to be in the 70-45F range, so they can go back outside. But....

it sure will be nice when I get my laundry room back!



Well, at least the Arizona grown peppers are looking good, much better then their tomato siblings. The smaller of the two potted tomatoes has a cluster of blossoms today, so maybe these will set fruit. The larger one never did set fruit on its single blossom. The big tomato is 52-inches tall today. Soon it will be too tall to leave inside, it's already hard getting it through the door when I put it outside. The tallest pepper is 32-inches, and has three fully opened blossoms today with several more large buds. I'm tickling all the flowers with a soft paintbrush to hopefully pollinate them. With my luck I'll get a cluster of peppermatoes! ;-)

21 comments:

  1. I wish I could send you a little of my unwanted warmth. I'm thinking 60s and 70s would be nice instead of 80s and 90s. I miss spring. Luckily I think we will get that soon.

    Your tomatoes and peppers are huge. I hope they start setting for you.

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  2. Look at those huge plants, Granny! They don't look miserable to me!

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  3. Daphne, the weatherman keeps lying to me. I had plans for those 70 degree days he keeps promising in his 15 day forecasts!

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  4. Jen, I should have taken some close up shots. Believe me, ALL of the tomato plants look awful, the March sown peppers not so bad.

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  5. Wow, Granny...those plants are big! Hopefully some warmer temps will arrive soon, and you can get them back out there.

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  6. Granny you are suffering from a lack of patients like me. Everything will turn out all right.

    John

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  7. Yep, EG. Next year I won't start them so early! Although if I get some early peppers off those Arizona plants, it might be worthwhile to do that again...but NOT with the tomatoes!

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  8. John, next year let's all try to restrain each other! It really seldom works to try to jump the gun on Mother Nature.

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  9. Your plants are huge, you are going to have pepper shrubs by fall. Our weather is turning back to normal this week, 50f-60f in the day with cool nights.

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  10. Dan, I hope those four large pepper plants stay as healthy as they are now! They are just covered with buds, too.

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  11. That's exactly how my tomatoes look. No clue why. I guess another shot of fish emulsion is in order. Maybe plant out this weekend. Not sure. Nights still too cold. Grrr

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  12. Sinfonian, mine were beautiful a week ago! It had to be the cold, but they were so well hardened off, I just don't know.

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  13. Oh my goodness at how healthy they look!! You wouldn't think that sun through a window would do so much for them. They look great.

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  14. The peppers look beautiful! I hope mine look that good when they grow up! I had to cover mine yet again. Day time temps dropped back down to the low 60's and night time in the mid 40's. As for the tomatoes I'm sure they will recover when they can get outside into the sun. Just a thought... I'm just learning here... but... do the tomatoes need more root space? Are they out growing there containers?

    By the way I like the new photo. Is it a recent photo?

    Liisa

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  15. Ribbit, the large pepper plants have been in that window for the past few weeks, and they love it. Funny thing, it's a north facing window...no sun. I just checked my photos, and the peppers have grown 20 inches in 30 days, the large tomato grew 30 inches...an inch a day!

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  16. Liisa, we only got up to 42 today, a full ten degrees colder than the forecast! I planted one of the tomatoes in a SWC yesterday, and the roots looked fine, just beginning to stick out of the soil and not a bit root bound. I think the poor things just got too cold!

    The photo is actually a year older than the other photo. I just wanted to look at a skinnier me! I've gained a...uh..."couple" of pounds in the past year!

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  17. Yeah the tomatoes look a little wilted but they'll perk up once you can get them back outside into the warmer weather. On the bright side your pepper plants look amazing! I only wish mine were so robust.

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  18. Jenn, if the tomatoes don't perk up, at least I'll have time to go buy some plants! I'd hate to lose them, but I guess it's all part of learning...and you know what they say about teaching an old dog!

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  19. Goodness, I hope you get some better weather soon!

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  20. A little packet of seeds that don't take up any space can eventually take over your house. I feel for you. Shame on Mr. H taking back his truck.

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  21. Kristen; Me too! I'm getting tired of moving everything off the freezer when I need something from it, I barely have room for the laundry basket, and I have to carry the laundry into the kitchen to fold it.

    Cheryl; Shall I just admit it now....that I planted nine of those free Campbell's tomato seeds that arrived in the mail yesterday? Hey, I figure if the March tomatoes succumb on me, at least I will have a backup!

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