Did have to start over.

Well, I did have to start another batch of seeds. Only 2 plants survived the trauma in the end, but I think it was for the better. I was beginning to worry about how I was going to change the nutrient solution. I was growing a bunch of plants that would need support, and it would have been very difficult to move the planters due to that fact when it was time to change the nutes. I realized that it would be much easier to grow support-requiring plants in a bed whose nute reservoir is NOT directly attached.

So I think my cats did me a favor, in the end. The strawberry seedling and the jaltomate seedling are all that are left of the first round, since they hadn't left the dome yet. I replanted the huckleberry, but other than that, I went a totally different route than peppers. I decided to plant some greens and herbs, which won't need support, so a nute change will be easier. I also have had to move the system to a closed off room, so those kitties can't get to the plants.

So, I've got the 3 berry seeds, 1 broccoli, 1 dell celery, 1 red stalk celery, 1 1basil, 1 thyme, 1 parsley, 1 peppermint, 1 spearmint, 1 spinach, and 3 random greens seeds that came from a salad greens mix. A lot of the seeds popped root in the 1st 24 hours of planting.

That's what I get for sleeping!

Well, the cats got to the hydro setup, and it looks like they were chowing down on seedlings!

Don't know if anything is gonna survive that. Need to find a better spot for these things.

So, the next post might be a while starting over.

Oh boy! I think I need to pay more attention!

So this morning, the tomato plant was looking a little distressed. I started an investigation! It didn't last long, because I lifted the rooter tray, and saw this. WOOPS!

So, er, I better get my system ready! Better late than never.

No more cucumber, no more pea

So on advice from the Gardenweb Hydroponics forum, I got that moldy pea the heck out of my system. The verdict is that the rooters are too wet for sugar snap peas to germinate, and there was probably some mold on the pea itself. I inspected the pea to see if it was sprouting when I took it out. It was not. It stunk like rot. Glad I got it out when I did.

I also removed the cucumber seed I hurt. I'm at almost 100% germination right now, and am going to have too many plants. Knowing it was going to be distressed, I just removed it. So now its just peppers, and a tomato plant.

I'm going to take some pictures of the life tonight. Will post at some point soon.

Grow it. Cook it. Eat it. Love it.
The Green Guisador

The cucumber I killed. I think.

It's still showing signs of life, but I can't imagine it will survive the damage I did to his early roots.


Grow it. Cook it. Eat it. Love it.
The Green Guisador

Sugar Snap Pea, is there a problem?

So I've been hawking the sugar snap pea, and the past day or two, it has changed a little. I didn't know if it is sprouting, or just kind of taking on water and decomposing. Now there is a little bit of white stuff that seems to have popped up on the surface of the rooter. Do I have a problem here, should this be removed from the system? I don't know if this is common, or harmless, but it looks like some kind of fungus or mold growth. My first instinct is to get it the hell out of there, so it doesn't spread.

Having never done this, I'm worried about over and under reacting.
Am I okay to give it a few more days to see what happens, or should I get it the hell out. Maybe these rooters are just too wet for the sugar snap pea? We'll see how it goes, I know sugar snaps seem to have a lower germination rate than other peas. Hopefully, if it is troubled, it won't hurt my other plants!

Grow it. Cook it. Eat it. Love it.
The Green Guisador.

Eh, lessons learned

So I think I murdered the cucumber. I had stupidly sowed it so that it was lodged in the rooter strangely, and when I went to adjust it, I saw it had roots down. So I most likely damaged that guy beyond repair, but that's alright. Many of the other seeds have germinated, and I took down the weaker of the 2 tomato seedlings.

So, I learned to get your seeds how you want em from the start, and once they're in there, DON'T #*$% with them!

Grow it. Cook it. Eat it. Love it.
The Green Guisador