Mary’s Mighty Minis 1-19-18

[MaryL]

I finally had a free machine after terminating the eggplant so I planted 3 Mighty Minis in a Harvest.  I had been enjoying watching our other members’ MM gardens, as well as that video Shawn posted, so got really excited to plant these.  Do you think I can plant a 4th since they’re such small plants?  Or leave it be?

Oh, and note the use of the new plant spacers (new for me, that is).  I do agree they are easier to use than the Grainger.  I just really don’t like the AG name on them because it’s less clean looking.

[MaryL]

All 3 sprouted!  I was worried because some I have are older.  But there they are!  Picture when I get down there.  (Listening to Billy Joel now.  Can’t really do anything else.  Confuse lyrics with thoughts, lol).

[MaryL]

[Shawn]

And they are off to the races. 

[MaryL]

I clipped them all down to one per pod, and I’m trying to root the cuttings.  It’s a little hard with this variety because the stems are so short, but we’ll see what shakes out.

I was so engrossed with the cuttings that I forgot to take a pic of the garden.

[Shawn]

Following this one

[MaryL]

I realize now that I should’ve cut the tallest seedlings, contrary to what we usually do for thinning.  For one thing that would’ve given me more stem on which to develop roots. Also, when rooting the cuttings they stop growing upwards, so when I go to put these back in with the others they’ll be too short.  Normally you wouldn’t be putting tomatoes back in with others because tomato plants get too big, but I think I can swing it with these Minis.

[MaryL]

Here is the pic of the remaining garden.  Much bigger sprouts, huh?!

[Shawn]

These look good Mary

[jcosmo]

I'm not sure how the Harvest compares to the Classic 6, but I originally considered planting all 3 pods. I ended up deciding against it because I thought the asymmetry would drive me nuts. Looking at them now, the 2 almost completely fill the available space, and one is stretching well beyond the boundary of the hood!

[MaryL]

The asymmetry of this garden is certainly driving me nuts, way moreso than I think 3 pods would’ve in a Classic 6. I don’t know what I was thinking.  It should’ve been 2 or 4 pods here, not 3.  Well, hopefully it will just fill in nicely and I won’t notice!

[MaryL]

These have certainly gotten bigger, while their sister cuttings that I’m trying to root have kind of stunted.  

[Shawn]

They DID grow and if I am seeing correctly the bottom right cup looks to have some roots on it.  Don't give up on them yet.

[MaryL]

Ohmygosh you’re right!!!   I took them all out to check, and they each have roots!!!  I feel like that was sudden, because I kept checking as I topped off daily.  (Shawn, maybe I need new glasses, too, lol).  

Please excuse my busy patterned plate, but I was trying to find a non-white background so you can see the roots.  Some are definitely stronger/bigger than others.  All will be replanted, because you never know what can happen during that stage.  The strong can fail, and the weak can persevere.

[Shawn]

Hey Mary I have a women who sells glasses

Wonderful, all FOUR rooted

[MaryL]

I’ve placed the strongest 3 of the 4 back in the Mighty Mini garden. 







The 4th and weakest is in another garden with a low hood.  I don’t think this one will make it.

Very interesting project. I imagine the poor little plants were sitting in plain water and starving for a drop of nutes! I am hoping for that one doing poorly to perk up and get healthy now it is in a machine. Fingers crossed for that little one.

[MaryL]

I did put the tracest amount of nutes in the water each was sitting in, but their stubby little stems were just so short that it was hard to keep the stems in sufficient water without dunking at least 1 leaf.  These were definitely more touchy to root than the Heirlooms.  But, so far so good!

And it could be wishful thinking on my part, but I do think they already look better now they’re in a sponge with oxygenated water.

[mike]

I hope you like the taste of these. I grew the entire kit on a Classic 7. They produced quite well. I thought they were bland tasting, though.

[MaryL]

I hope so too, because I remember that.  Then I read from others that they liked the taste.  So who knows about different taste buds, we shall see.  As long as they’re not mealy in texture, I can spruce up most any tomato I don’t like by roasting.  But, fingers crossed.