SelfSufficiant Gardenventure in eastern Germany

[Alpenrose]

Good on you! Your optimism gives me encouragement!

We had --40(F) last week for several nights!! We have almost no snow--maybe 2ft has fallen since October and most of that has washed away or melted in the warm temperatures we had before we had the extreme cold. Right now I am looking at about 8inches of snow on a grassland that under normal conditions would have about 4ft of snow covering it! This is a very dangerous situation because we are in the high Rocky Mountains and our snowpack melts in the spring/summer and flows in our rivers down to the southern deserts such as Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Southern California. In the next 8 weeks we need to receive about 18 feet of snow in our mountains. I doubt that is going to happen. The temperature for this coming Friday is expected to be close to +38F with a little rain, which will wash away any snow that is left. The media is not really reporting on this, they are saying things like "ski resorts finally open". But they don't tell you how much snow is manufactured!

As a little side note way out there in the conspiracy world: don't forget this is the place in America where the Chinese weather balloon was lurking for several days last February! Just sayin because I hate coincidences ! I have tried to post a link to the local news.

We have a creek on our property which usually runs about 2ft deep in summer, I expect that will be dry this year--never has happened before!

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Looks like there's be an exciting growing year to come! Nothing like providing fresh, healthy food for your growing family

I hope your little one feels better soon

 

[Lunai]

Hello everone!

Has taken me a while to work through life again. Now for a little update on the seedlings.
First to the hot Chili varieties, all rangeing from 4-8 on the heatscale of 0-10+++. Looking pretty good so far. The new lights helping it along a lot.
Numex Twilight, Jalapeno early, Elephants trunk, Large Orange thai, Count Dracula, Blue christmas, Cayenne all Capsicum anuum
Chupetinho White (not directly on the pics but on the left of the numex row) beeing Capsicum chinense.

The mild Chili varieties (Biquinho red/white and Chupetinho (hot) beeing capsicum chinense) and those varieties beeing considered Paprika/ bellpeppers (capsicum anuum)
Ramiro, Spiralus, Purple Belle, Orange Banane, Maconi purple (that one didn't sprout at all but the seed where quite old so I placed some selected Chupetinho in that row instead). I think I will need to put those into a bigger pot next week or so...

And then there are my Tomato varieties for this year. They sprouted just a few days prior to the pics taken.

Greenhouse Update: I'm currently remodeling and upgrading our greenhouses. Started with the bigger one. digging everything from the left side up and over to the right to get a bit of more depth and to be able to lay down some mesh to keep those damn root voles out and away. First I thought those metal rods keeping the stone slabs in place only went down vor about 50 cm... booooooy was I wrong the light segment (first pic, stake in the middle, bottom end) showing how much was above ground, the rest of it (roughly about 1m) beeing somehow rammed into the ground with no sense or reason. The second pic showing the current biggest problem: Those last 3 stakes from the 1st pic (poking out at the top of the pic) beeing rammed through concrete slas almost 50 cm down (similar to the slabs holding back the earth on the right side, 1st pic). Went out of energy as I discovered this and then out of time and now this project has to wait another week or so

Also harvested my first carrots or rather found them as leftover survivors from last autumn

Already prepared my balcony for the next growing season. Most hot Chili varieties and some tomatoes will end up there. It's south facing and getting full sun for almost 12-16 hours in summer.

yeah and then to the reason for me beeing so short on time there are two handfull of offspring, so Mum and Dad are in very hight demand (don't look at my hair tho... it's growing out til may, that way I have more options for the final wedding hairstyle as I've not fully committed to one )

Part of the setup with the growlights. Already changed a bit of the setup, but that's practically it.

 

[Lunai]

Good on you! Your optimism gives me encouragement!

I'm glad it does

yeah the weather is going crazy and there are still people out there that deny that a climate change is happening
Our current location was always on the dry side of weather due to the micro climate and it still is, but the changes between very dry and very wet conditions have gotten worse over the last couple of years.
Though I think german news are reporting on those facts a lot more than other countries The Alps are also not getting enough snow during winter season... and weather conditions are getting reportetly more extreme. All we can do ist hold on and adapt and always do our best with what we got.

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

I foresee an amazing growing year coming for you, wowza!

Progress is progress. Just because it didn't "finish" doesn't mean it didn't move forward. Well done, looks like one heck of a job but you're doing pretty good on it

Love me some surprise produce. They look pretty well-sized and healthy.

You guys are so darn cute!
I'm melting!

Setup looks pretty good, but some seedlings look like they might be in the early stages of getting leggy. Perhaps lowering the lights might be good? @daveb what do you think?

 

[daveb]

I foresee an amazing growing year coming for you, wowza!

Progress is progress. Just because it didn't "finish" doesn't mean it didn't move forward. Well done, looks like one heck of a job but you're doing pretty good on it

Love me some surprise produce. They look pretty well-sized and healthy.

You guys are so darn cute!
I'm melting!

Setup looks pretty good, but some seedlings look like they might be in the early stages of getting leggy. Perhaps lowering the lights might be good? @daveb what do you think?

yes a few a bit leggy, but should set better with the second and third set of leafs start, the basil at lower left looks good so could be temperatures triggering some to be leggy

 

[Lunai]

The Chili plants got started only with two of the four lights. I bought an additional 4, currently only placed 2 of those. so it should be going better from now on.
That's the current setup, the single pots on the right are leaving on Friday to friends and families so I'll rearrange the other stuff again

 

[daveb]

The Chili plants got started only with two of the four lights. I bought an additional 4, currently only placed 2 of those. so it should be going better from now on.

good was waiting to see if you replied on temps, or had justadded some light

 

[Lunai]

yeah, not really changed the temp. but it's our bedroom and I really like it a bit colder for sleeping (my partner's even sometimes complaining that it's too cold but then he throws away his blanket...) But as I need more space I can still add 2 more lights to the chain. and the window is southfacing so as the days grow longer and the weather gets better i can start to put some of the older plants directly on the windowsill.

 

[daveb]

couple other options also on lighting. as you have seen on my beds for hydroponics i uses a reflective mylar film that reflect light back in to the bed area. it is surprising the amount of light gain. originally i got my mylar film from Homedepot is no longer see it listed on their web page. but you can buy in multiple places ( Viagrow VTS25 Mylar Thermal Shield 25 ft ) silver reflective one side and white or black on other. And to make moving and adjusting lights easier i picking up a bunch of the ratchet hangers theses are both off amazon.




i noticed you have the blue/red light above the others way up if possible bring them down to level of other lights and ideal the lights depending on intensity 4 to 10 inches above the plant. like here you can see distance of the panel is above the plants as seedlings and once placed in bed and also see the mylar wrap around the bed

if you have an iphone there is an App called Photone that you can use your phone as a light meter

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

How are the seedlings doing @Lunai ? I reckon they've grown a fair bit!

And how's bub?

 

[Lunai]

Hello everyone

Bubs just currently been through his second round of RS-Virus now he's ON His way to recovery but now i'm tired and ill

Anyway... Spring has Sprung and is fully ON it's way.

The first Tomatoes are already in our greenhouse (the bigger one 1,5mX2,5m). I only figured afterwards that one whole bale of straw was too much
(onto the 2nd Time of typing this post accidentally clickt on cancel instead of save the first time.....)
9 Tomato plants around the outside, inbetween but a bit further in are Chili plants and around the walkway are currently onions and Charlotts planted. Pic is aproximately over a week old due to the kids and ourselfs beeing sick there was no time to do anything out there at the garden.

These are from my Balcony: left side was taken friday afternoon, right side was taken Sunday forenoon... Dang! What a difference! Saturday was the first "summerly" Day of this year. 25 °C, bright blue sky and a gentle breeze.. wasn't cold the week before either but not as nice.

The herb and strawberry tower. The strawberrieswork more like a placeholder util more herbs are ready to be planted out. but maybe they stay and I just put the missing herbs somewhere else, haven't decided yet. There's parsley and a Strawberry in the white pot, but that will be joined by a Tomato or chili plant in the middle. The tower contains from top to bottom: Sage and 3 Strawberries along with a few onions that I had leftover; Chive, oregano and Strawberry; black mint, peppermint and borage. the black long pots contain bay tree cuttings that I successfully propagated from the small tree at the garden. They where cut in early february.

Those 3 Tomtoms went out 3 weeks ago and due to them standing on the housewall and the balcony beeing open to just one side they are doing quite fine, even with the colder nights. Big leafed plant in the middle is the second borage but that one goes out to a friend some time in the near future.

those two figtrees Ipurchased ind early february and are soon going into he garden. These are two varieties that have proven to be frost resistant down to -20°C and heat tolerant as a fig anyway. So that should work perfectly fine in our climate. I'll try and see as it goes.

These are the last plants from the first batch and some of the second batch. some are staying at home on the balcony and the rest is going into the garden.

That's all for now. brain's still a bit mushy sorry for the typos

 

[Lunai]

Ha! this time I clicked save instead of cancel I'm proud of myself

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Your last post made me snort very unlady-like, hehe

Your plants look amazing! Not a blemish in sight and the growth! Wowza! I honestly think you might have an AMAZING growing season ahead of you. You're making me wish I was your neighbour in a couple weeks' time I'd snoop all kinds of things out of your garden

Are the majority of these seedlings part of those you planted around February?

I hope you recover well and that your family will all be rid of sickness soon. Gosh, it's been quite some time being sick, I can only imagine how exhausting that may be. Take care of yourself

 

[Lunai]

yes, all of them are from february. the only ones i started later are the ones that are standing higher up under the growing lights

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

They are doing so good! You definitely have a green thumb

 

[Lunai]

why thank you

but I can't semm to grow chives from seed nothing ever comes up

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

I'm not going to lie, I've never had success growing chives from seed. But the chives I bought as seedlings in a 4 pack punnet are still thriving almost 3 years later.

 

[Lunai]

Hello everyone!

It's been a while. I've been busy with both children and work and life... minibub had a second round of bad bonchitis, also landed at the hospital with that. But now he's fine.

Today just a quick update on my chilis and the balcony-forest just planted these 4 days ago. so some missing leaves are due to the stress of replanting and we also had a warmspell the day before yesterday with almost 30 °C...

These Cherry Tomatoes I already planted almost a month ago on the balcony. They did survive all the frost and low temperatueres tho... aybe the frost didnt hit that hard on the 3rd floor balcony directly on the wall

and this is a little overview:

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Welcome back!

I'm glad to hear bubba's fine now. Gosh, that must've been really tough.

The plants look great! Especially considering they might have had some recent heatstress.
And... do I see some little flowers there? You might have fruit growing soon