2011 Farm Update

notice the 32 oz Sonic
Happy Hour Drink

It has been nearly a month since the last update. Temperatures have continued to be relatively cool, however the past week we have seen temperatures in the upper 80s and even a few 90s. This has helped spur on some growth.

I thought I would give some attention today to the PVC watering sticks I use for my tomatoes.

I bought four, eight foot long, 1 and 1/2 inch wide PVC pipes. I cut them in half and put an end cap on the one end of each four foot long pipe. Then I drilled a 1/16 inch hole at the base of each section. Each four foot section holds just under 2 liters of water. This allows a slower watering of the tomatoes and allows the water to seep into the ground around each tomato plant. I water each plant every other day. This also allows me to add liquid fertilizer to each plant as needed. I have eight watering sticks and 16 tomato plants with home made tomato cages. All costing approx $6.50.

Following are some pictures of the watering in process.

Progress on the other plants are coming along, slowly. Strangely, the weeds do well with hot, cool, wet, and dry weather.

Sweet Corn

New Mexico, Hatch Chili Pepper

Planting

It has been a very long spring. Cool temps are still the norm but the rain has begun to slow and the garden plot (my farm) at the College of Southern Idaho has dried out enough to begin planting. Here are some pictures from today. I now have half of my tomato plants in the ground and most of my (New Mexico) Hatch Peppers.

(1st Picture)
This is 10 tomato plants with PVC watering sticks. I'll explain in better detail soon.

(2nd Picture)
My 25 X 50 plot (#23) facing South












(3rd Picture)
Hatch Peppers

Death of the Okra!

GardenCam Journal 4.18.2011

UpClose

Cucumber

I took these pictures with my Fujifilm Finepix JV camera and cropped in Picasa 3

Tomato

Okra

Video Journal from 4.8.2011

April (snow) Showers

“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,  so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
Isaiah 55:10-11 (ESV)

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Weather report for April 7, 2011: This morning we woke up to approx 2.5 inches of fresh snow. Tonight I found the tomatoes have spouted. I missed taking a picture on Wednesday and missed the transition picture from seed to sprout. (I also bumped the GardenCam while examining the plants.)

April 2, 2011

April 7, 2011

Current temperatures:

Outside: 35 degrees F

Inside:    60 degrees F

Cucumbers Sprout First

In just five days the cucumbers have sprouted first.

High Temp: 43
Low Temp: 31
Indoor Temp: 70

Observing the Seedlings

Day 2, April 3, 2011: no noticeable growth yet. (I'm not surprised, I just want to know what's going on in there.)

High Temp: 48
Low Temp: 29
Indoor Temp: 68
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April 2, 2011: GardenCam

Current outside temperature in Twin Falls, Idaho on April 2, 2011 is 39: Expected low of 28. Inside temperature in the state-of-the-art Bully Barn 58. Seeds are planted for tomato, cucumber, snow pea, and a large variety of flowers are planted, watered and under the light. This year I invested in a $15 ArcSoft webcam to mount next to the Jiffy planters so I can take random photos from the same location and watch the seedlings sprout. I will post some random snap shots. I will attempt a time lapse photography over the next several weeks as they grow. I will secure plot 23 at the College of Southern Idaho's community garden this coming week.

Here is the first snapshot form the GardenCam.

I will feature one of my favorites, the cherry tomato.
I don't see anything growing yet.