This year I am planting a mix of saved seed and store bought seeds.
On March 9th I planted 5 trays of hot peppers (500 seeds)
Pepper seeds set out in the germination box
The germination box is set to 75 Fahrenheit
March 16th the first ones were sprouting
April 27th update
Peppers potted up
All the peppers were transplanted this week. To be honest it’s a bit of a mess. Planting saved seeds, I always plant way too many to ensure a good Selection to choose strong plants from. Some are going into a hoop house, some are going outside and some are going into the heated greenhouse.
I grow a variety of tomatoes each year. “Sakura” is the variety I grow of cherry tomatoes. Extra early I plant in the heated greenhouse. The first planting was transplanted mid March. The second round of tomatoes get planted in a minimal heated 50 ft hoophouses is Sakura for cherrys and Frederick as a beefsteak. Both of these varieties are inter-determinate and will produce continuously until frost kills them.
Sakura cherry tomatoes planted in the heated greenhouseRound 2 tomatoes going into the hoophousesTomato ready for transplanting
For field tomatoes I have bush romas, yellow romas, both for making sauce. I have 2 bush types I am growing out with the plan to save seeds from both and then cross them from the saved seed next year. Manitoba and quinte are the 2 varieties of bush beefsteaks I am growing.
Tomatoes on the left
The single row of tomatoes growing in the left hand bed are being grown to 2 stems each and will cross over to fill the space once the brassicas are cropped out
In this post i want to discuss using a grow tent to start and grow your plant starts. Ive tried everything for starting plants early and setting up a climate controlled tent is by far the best way to get amazing quality starts for your gardening adventures. My recommendation is to use a 5×5 tent as the ideal minimum size but a 2×4 will work if space is an issue. The problem with the 2×4 is the space limitation in relation to the heater (plant trays dry out a lot faster near the heat).
Vivosun grow tent.
If your starting out with no equipment buying a tent kit is an option but they only seem to come in 4×4 and that won’t fit the rack from Costco which is 4 ft, so a different rack would be needed. I would look at what comes in the kit and source the components separately.
Notice the 4’ rack fits with the heater beside it nicely.
For climate controls at the bare minimum a digital controller for heating and cooling is necessary.
I use an oil filled radiant space heater set to its max setting and use the controller for very accurate heating. The exhaust fan can be programmed to come on at a set temperature to cool the tent.
Ive been using this fan controller which allows you to set the exhaust fan to run on idle to have some airflow throughout the tent and then it will speed up the fan when necessary for cooling. Also the fan can be set to operate differently for day/ night operations. The second controller probably isn’t necessary if costs are a consideration but if more precise control of the grow environment (and better quality grow) then the fan speed controller is a good option.
Fan and 2 climate controllers
For the setup i use a metal rack from Costco with 2 four foot led lights each shelf for plant starts and a drip tray for watering and for plants that need more space and light. On the left i have a mars hydro grow light that i use for tomato plants that are needing more light.
Also in the tent i run 2 small fans that are set up in opposing corners aimed slightly down to create a gentle vortex of air around the entire grow tent. For more info on air movement look up haf(horizontal air fans) used in greenhouses. Same idea. It creates slight air movement needed for plant health and stem strength.
Lettuce and pak choy under grow lights
This same setup also works great if you have a large collection of house plants. Running your house plants in a climate controlled grow tent will get them looking their best and then you can rotate them out with other house plants to keep them all looking their best.
If you wanted to grow cannabis or peppers(or any other summer crop) to maturity you would just need to add a better light for blooming.
A grow tent is a great way to get a jump on your season or to grow indoors only. I’m tempted to get a 5×10 tent and keep growing for my family through the winter. Usually though, once we hit the fall i am ready for a rest and some down time.
The plan is to start heating my greenhouse on March 3rd and get these plants out there soon after.
It’s getting to that time of year once again. The planning is well underway, seeds are all here and the grow season is about to take off. For me it has already started. Where most home growers are planning around last frost dates for their seed starting adventures i work around 3 planting dates. The first one is march 15th in my heated greenhouse, then may 1st in the minimally heated greenhouse, then finally the after frost date which is around the third week of may here(zone 5a).
So far in my grow tent i have started February 3rd, Kale, broccoli, cauliflower, herbs and cabbage. Then on Feb 15th i planted tomatoes, pak choy, kohl rabi,spring onions, and lettuce.
Grow tent with produce
Still to plant for the first round i have cucumbers, zucchini and direct seeding.
Generally for markets i would fill my main greenhouse with tomatoes interplanted with lettuce and pak choy but i am changing my focus this year, which is to feed myself and my family as much variety as possible early as possible and for as long as possible. Crops like cabbage are not profitable in the early greenhouse environment but i am feeding me first and markets second.
As soon as i start heating the greenhouse i will direct seed beans, peas, radish and hakurai turnips and interplant all my transplants.
Im looking at march 3-6th to start heating the greenhouse and the 10th for planting transplants as long as the soil is warm enough.
As soon as the heat is on onions, shallots and leeks need to be seeded as well. Shortly after that its peppers and on march 15th all the summer crops to get planted for the partially heated greenhouses.
The difference between the heated greenhouse and partially heated greenhouses is this. Heated greenhouse has double plastic and propane heaters and climate control. The partially heated greenhouses use forced air heaters and manual window and door openings, single layer of plastic.(photos to come when i get working out there). Thats the update of what’s been going on around here just now. another week and we will be full swing into growing.
this photo above was taken April 27th. It is my main heated greenhouse. Next wednesday May 1st i start back at market. Lettuce is ready. Spinach that was overwintered in a hoop house is ready. Hakurai turnips and pak choy will be ready for market as well. The cabbages, kale, broccoli and cauliflower need a few more weeks and they are mostly for us anyways. Cherry tomatoes are in flower and if im lucky harvest will start at the end of may for those.
in the middle bed with the black pots laid out every 2 feet. Marked out for cucumbers that will be going into the bed in 2 weeks.
Sage peasant 