Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Turning a new leaf

I've never been good with plants. It's the watering. I always forget they need to be watered regularly. It's not rocket science, but I'm a neglectful plant owner. The best I've done is with an orchid I bought shortly after moving into this apartment. After its first bloom, it didn't flower again for two years. It's not dead, but I can't get it to blossom and I don't know why.

A couple of weeks ago, Mom bought me a tomato grow kit. So far, so good. There are three healthy seedlings.

My three seedlings. I've named them Bob, Marco and Clem.
The plant apparently has its true leaves so it's ready to be transplanted. Mom was thinking ahead and bought me the Topsy Turvy Tomato (and herb) Planter. As cheesy as it is, I'm giving it a shot because the idea of growing some edible tomatoes and herbs is kind of exciting. Plus, according to the website I won't have to worry about: 
  • Ground fungus
  • Harmful bacteria
  • Cutworm damage
  • Use of pesticides
  • Digging and weeding
  • Backbreaking work
And who wants to deal with any of that, especially the backbreaking part. 

I enlisted the help of dear old Dad to assist with the set up. It was easier than I anticipated and doesn't look as hideous as I first imagined. I still have to figure out the watering logistics because I don't want runoff spilling onto folks below who are entering the building. Perhaps an off-peak watering time? 

The planter hangs from a hook on my balcony. Watering it (which has to be daily) is no fun.
I'm not sure how long it'll take for the tomatoes to fruit. wikiHow says it'll be between 45 and 90 days after transplanting.

Aside from beefsteak tomatoes, I'll be planting basil, oregano, cilantro, sweet peppers and strawberries. I may be getting a little overzealous, but it will be interesting to see what I actually get out of this little food experiment.

My mini herb and fruit garden. Once the seedlings are big enough, they can be transplanted to the hanging planter, too.

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