Ultra: Nightshade Garden (12/29/17)

[jcosmo]

Back right: 2-3 "Patio Baby" eggplant seeds from Park Seed in an AG sponge
Back left: 2-3 "Redskin Sweet" pepper seeds from Urban Farmer in an AG sponge
Front center: Up to 5 soaked mimosa pudica seeds from Seedman in an AG sponge
Front left/right: 3 Oda pepper seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds in AG sponges

I plan to transplant the 3 in the front into pots and will ultimately sneak the oda peppers into my parents' backyard, once they're big enough and the weather is warm enough for it.

Not much to see yet, but it's only day 2:

[jcosmo]

I saw the first sign of life early this morning in the eggplant pod! Just 2 curled stems below the label, so I couldn't get a good picture, but it's the same seed I'm growing in the red cups on the deck of the Classic 6.

[serri588]

Woo! Those first couple leaves are so exciting.

[Shawn]

Very nice

[jcosmo]

Day 7: both seeds have sprouted in the eggplant pod!



Still not much to see just yet. The sprout to the left of it is a Micro Tom tomato.

[MaryL]

I love this stage.  New life cotyledons, and waiting for true leaves.

[jcosmo]

One of the oda pepper pods has sprouted! This pic shows a Miro Mini Cherry Tomato I tried to save when I thinned the ones in the Classic 6, 3 sprouted Patio Baby eggplant seeds, and at least 1 germinated Oda pepper seed . I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THE PEPPER PLANTS!!!

[MaryL]

The pepper plants are exciting, aren’t they?!  They take forever to sprout, but the reward is sweet.  

I’m excited you replanted a tomato cutting!  How is it doing?  Has it taken root?

[jcosmo]

The one I replanted in a pod didn't make it :( The edges curled up and the stem turned brown. But I planted 2 in a cup with seed-starting mix, and those seem to be doing well:



I trimmed the smallest eggplant (back right). Now it's a competition between the two that are left. The dome will be coming off of the 2 redskin sweet peppers (back left) tonight or tomorrow night. The other seedlings are just renting their pods until the first two are big enough to crowd them out. Front center is a sweet pickle pepper, oda peppers on the left and the right:

[jcosmo]

Day 16:




I need to choose which eggplant (back right) to keep, but they've both been growing so well! I can't tell which one is bigger. (The 3 in the front will ultimately go into containers or the ground.)

[MaryL]

If your eggplant turns out like mine you’ll be getting some enormous leaves soon.  They’re like Jurassic Park big.

[jcosmo]

I had too many other plants trying to share the light to get a good picture, but here's the nightshade garden at day 22:



The sweet pickle pepper plant that used to be in the front center pod traded places with the redskin sweet that was in the back left pod. Seemed like it would be better able to keep up with the eggplant, since it was bigger. Eventually, the 3 peppers in the front will be moved to containers.

[Shawn]

When do you see yourself planing these outdoors? 

[jcosmo]

This morning, I moved a mimosa pudica plant from a peat pellet and a crimson king basil plant w/4 true leaves from a 4" peat pot to 8" plastic containers and set them outside in a shaded area when the temperature was in the 60s. Had to leave for a medical test and it was in the low 80s when I got back, but the temperature is already coming down and they look OK. I want to see what the consequences might be if I don't take the time to harden them off before I risk killing my peppers. While I'm more motivated to do it the right way with them, life doesn't always comply with my plans.

It's still a little colder at night than would be ideal (gets into the 40s several times this week), but I don't want to leave them in the AG for so long that the roots start to get tangled, or they start to compete with the main ones in the back for nutrients and space.

[jcosmo]

Day 25. I tried to move the largest of the 3 peppers in the front (one of the oda peppers) to a container and broke the stem in the process. At least I had two, though the other one isn't quite big enough to move yet. I also moved the redskin pepper out. It's amazing how big the eggplant and sweet pickle pepper have grown:



My container garden in front of the screened patio (if these bushes didn't block the sun, they'd be on the patio):

[Shawn]

Very nice!

[MaryL]

Very cute    I’m sorry to hear about your broken stem. It’s so frustrating when that happens.  But I’m so glad you had 2.

[jcosmo]

It's now Day 29. First rinse and refill yesterday. Gave 10 mL nutes, 3 mL Mooch. The hood is still in the lowest position, but at night, when the lights go out, the eggplant raises its leaves and presses them against the hood so I have to lower the leaves in the morning.

[jcosmo]

I'm not sure if the Ultra is big enough for both of them... had to raise the hood again today. I took a few pics with the light on but the leaves got lost in a white blaze, so I turned it off for the picture:



I can already see buds forming, buried under masses of leaves. Pollinating them looks like it isn't going to be easy.

[MaryL]

The eggplant leaves get especially enormous.  You can cut off the biggest leaf or 2 that is intruding or crowding the pepper plant and it won’t hurt it.