Watching Tomatoes and Scallions Grow Hydroponically

Journal Entry 11/13/2024: On Nonmember 07th the scallions grew to the pictured height above. I have since moved them to a larger hydroponic system, which my husband got me for our 45th anniversary. This system also contained five cherry tomatoes plants, as well as two Angel Begonias cutting that are rooting well.

Below is how these plants look today, after being divided into the difference systems for better growth.

Up above, the little plant peeking up next to the scallion on the right is one of six thyme plants that are doing well also. There is also a standing mirror behind the system to cast back the plant lights reflection, and therefore, increase the light on the plants.

I also seeded some more mini sweet peppers yesterday, because the one I seeded over the weekend by following the recommended directions of soaking the seeds for six to eight hours, and then dropping them  into the white pots filled with round ceramsite (a fire clay growth medium) that only helps keep the plants stable without increasing the PH level of the nutrients in the water.

Since I love them so much, I am going to try my hand at growing baby eggplants in one of the smaller hydroponic system. Yeah, this is addicting. With the larger system, I will plant some lettuce and strawberries.

However, because the the sweet pepper seeds in the larger have not sprouted I will seed some lettuce and strawberries seeds, but like the tomatoes and onions I will seed them in the smaller systems, and move them to the larger system when they sprout their true leaves. 

I do not know why the sweet pepper seeds have not sprouted in the larger system. Perhaps,  they are too old or they were drowned. I keep an watchful eye out for them.
 

Growing Scallion Cutting in a Hydroponic System

Growing Scallion Cutting in a Hydroponic System

11/01/2024 - Growing Scallion Cutting in a Hydroponic System 

I wanted to test the idea that you can grown scallion in a hydroponic water system, Wednesday I bought two bunches from a local store. I was please with the selection, because they were very healthy and well rooted.

Next I washed six or the smaller ones and cut the tops off about three inches from the bottom. I then inserted them in the insert basket and as one grower recommended surrounded the scallions with aluminum fold to shut the light to prevent algae from forming in the hydroponic system. After putting the prepared cuttings in the water system, left it to do its thing.  

As I stated above, I started this test on Wednesday, and now it's Friday . From the picture below the scallions have adapted well and have growth between 1/4 to 1/2 inch in length.

I wanted to test the idea that you can grown scallion in a hydroponic water system, Wednesday I bought two bunches from a local store. I was please with the selection, because they were very healthy and well rooted.

Next I washed six or the smaller ones and cut the tops off about three inches from the bottom. I then inserted them in the insert basket and as one grower recommended surrounded the scallions with aluminum fold to shut the light to prevent algae from forming in the hydroponic system. After putting the prepared cuttings in the water system, left it to do its thing.  

As I stated above, I started this test on Wednesday, and now it's Friday . From the picture below the scallions have adapted well and have growth between 1/4 to 1/2 inch in length. 

I will post their progress once a week. I'm tickled pink at their progress in just two days. 

Future of Indoor Gardening: Hydroponics

10/29/2024 - It has been a while since my last post, but between bouts of illness and the search for answers, Tropical Storm Debby visiting us  in August, Hurricane Helene in late September, and then Hurricane Milton two weeks later in mid-October, my enthusiasm for growing garden fresh vegetables and herbs has not waned.

For some times I have been considering learning to grow herbs, small vegetables and fruits using a hydroponic system. My reasoning. I became interested in hydroponics gardening after my many attempts to grow tomatoes outdoors failed, to which I believe the failures were no of mine, but of a shy third hand. I also got tired of my healthy and bushy herbs being stolen. 

Each year, I use to buy seedlings and transplant them in my raise bed and containers around the backyard. But not anymore. I am done with outdoor gardening of these plants. Instead, on Friday, October 28th, I set up my first hydroponic system. In it I have added seeds for tomatoes and thyme, and after three days, tiny up seedlings have popped.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes

I am amazed, excited and hopeful that hydroponics gardening will be the solution to my growing the tasty herbs, vegetables and fruits that we love.

As I am still learning everything there is to learn about indoor hydroponic gardening, I will try to update regularly this site regularly.

The clear containers pictured in the center are couple of Angel Begonia leaves I am propagating as well. I am also using the water method with the leafy stems. The plant was beautiful, but is became to leggy. Once the leaves and stems root I will transplants them into a single container for a bushier grouping. The same is true I kept the main plant and hope that will sprout new leaves. The same is true of my fig tree, which goes dormant every year if not brought indoors to winter.

How My Garden Grows, or Not, Sic: Journal Entry: 06/27/2024

 06/27/2024 - I picked a couple of Japanese Eggplants to air fry with some butternut squash today. I also repotted the four new pots Japanese Eggplants in a new pot. 

 

I then repotted the new three knock out roses I recently bought. Two them are replacements for the roses that were killed by a malicious person, and third one is being use to balance out the arrangement. The arrangement is one white rose bush between two rose bushes. The roses are smaller and cost less, than the larger white one. The moonflowers, white will bloom this fall,  are also there too. The remaining red rose bush from the first arrangement was relocated.

 

The fig trees and elephant plant have recovered from the attack. There has rain almost everyday, so I have been watering much less. my tomato plants have grown but flowering has failed, which is strange given the fact that the tabasco peppers are doing well, perhaps, I should move them to another location.

Evelyn’s Indoor Garden: ‘Gardening Indoors under Artificial Lights’ Journal Entry 06/05/2024

 Before going out into yard, I finished bathing the large houseplants. They, like the plants outside enjoy a good bathing of their leaves now and then, usually once a month.

Ponytail Palm - generic photo

 

How My Garden Grows, or Not, Sic: Journal Entry 06/05/2024

 My white "Knock Out" rose bush has died. I don’t know what was put in its barrel but I could not reverse it. It was in that barrel for two years without a problem. It was an easy plant to care for, and looked so beautiful and healthy earlier this year. The same is true of my Chicago fig trees and the Elephant Ear plants. They were targeted. All of them have either mysteriously died of some unknown substance or are struggling to live. I wish people would stay out of our yard. There are “no trespassing” signs and security cameras everywhere. However, I haven’t been able to catch the criminal attacking my plants because another criminal associated with them is turning off my network at night and has not been caught either. Worse my internet provider is not doing anything to find that criminal among them. I have reported these internet interruptions repeatedly. 

I also found cat poop floating on the top of the screen covering the kitchen containers that I use to reclaim water. I was so disgusted with the criminal that place it there that I forgot to take a picture; however, I dumped the water, cleaned the containers with soapy bleach and through the two draw sting screen netting in the washer. What a nasty minded criminal and to think he/she is one of our neighbors, who really should make an appointment with a shrink for his/herself.

He/she is probably responsible for the number homeless people wanting to start up conversations with me on the street and the buses. They have been reported. One woman was a real nut job or a good actress because of her tales of woes were so bad. I finally told her “enough was enough”, and I really hope she understood that I never want see her or her like again. Should she or any others homeless people attempt to strike conversation with me, I will call the police then and there.

As for all the security cameras, don't be fooled. We are on the side of the law after all, and the cameras are not there because we fear anyone, but no thanks to the narcissists and their erk, we are trying to catch thieves and other criminals trespassing and destroying our properties.

Nevertheless, I was up at 3 A.M. doing laundry and leaf feeding all the garden  plants with their specialized Miracle Gro. The same stuff I buy and use every year

How My Garden Grows, or Not, Sic: Journal Entry: 06.02.2024

06/02/2024 - On Friday May 31, 2024, because of the intense heat, I used my trusty water meter to determine which plants actually needed watering, and only watered them. This is the same method I use with my houseplants. I also added some fertilizer granules to the edible plants.

 

Because my back and hips have paining me a lot this week, I am forgoing removing the dead leave that have fallen from the oak trees, and doing it tomorrow.  It is these leaves that I asked my neighbor’s gardener to help me with but instead my monstera plants were cutting up. There was no mistaking what leaves I was talking about. What was done to my plants was plain meanness, and without provocation.

Evelyn’s Indoor Garden: ‘Gardening Indoors under Artificial Lights’ Journal Entry 06/02/2024

06/02/2024 –Today I am posting an image of the sago palm that we have owned for four years. Usually when the plant sprout new fronds I cut them off, but this year I decides to leave them on and show how well the sago palm grows under the plant lights. Whenever these fronds shoot up we think of plant life on an imaginary alien planet -- John Carter's Mars.

New Sago palm fromds 06/03/2024

 

 

Schefflera Amate 06/03/2023

 

 Wintergreen Weeping Fig Tree – Ficus xutting and parents 06/03/2024

In addition, the Schefflera Amate that I bought back in March because is growing well under just the plant lights, and of the four cutting from the “Wintergreen Weeping Fig Tree – Ficus”, that I was propagating only one rooted. The photos above shows it size (19 inches) in comparison to its parent (43 inches). Because these plants look better with multiple branches, I will try propagating more of them too group together in the future.

The photo above shows my dehydrator that is drying some mint and basil leaves, which are being places in the jars as the leaves dry to a crispy state but not burned.

 

How My Garden Grows, or Not, Sic: Journal Entry: 05/28/2024.

05/28/2024 – Yesterday, I gave the smaller plants some water with miracle gro. Today, I cleared away the dead leaves and broken branches.

Japanese Eggplants Floweing 05/28/2024

Tobasco peppers  growing 05/28/2024