Under the lights. Dwarf tomatoes need to be selected for the strongest and potted up. Indeterminate tomatoes just poked up. Peppers are going great and will be starting to slowly venture into the sun before long. Things are coming along well! I’ll do an outdoor garden update soon too.

Jm, the attached photo are some of my grow outs from Dan F. The 2 on the left. Parents were Rose Quarts and Red Robin, crossed with Pork Chop and
Fuzzy Wuzzy I think. They grew well and tasted good.I ran out of time to follow thru and help Dan Let me know if you come up with a good one I would like some seeds if you don"t mind. Pete

We have a return to warmer weather! Peppers are hardened off and now fully in the cold frame. Indeterminate tomatoes were small enough they only needed two days of partial sun before going out to the cold frame too. First spinach harvest is coming, broccoli is growing quickly, carrot sowing topped with pro-mix, worked well last year.

I looked back at some pictures of the last 5 years of spring veggies and this year is by far way ahead of every year of the last 5. Mild March, warm start two April. Two weeks of chilly weather but now we are back into 60s and 70s, maybe even 80 tomorrow!

That Opuntia can survive outside? I've seen some here, but we don't get as cold winters as you do.

arnorrian wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 1:51 am That Opuntia can survive outside? I've seen some here, but we don't get as cold winters as you do.

This is Opuntia humifusa, Eastern Prickly Pear, which is native to much of the eastern US, including Wisconsin. It is very hardy. These were planted last spring and survived the winter 100%, even with our week in February with lows all below zero F and highs in the single digits above and below zero F. I'm hoping to get some flowers this year!

[attachment=0]BFB040CA-86A4-4B6F-9F3A-78CC808DE400.jpeg[/attachment]

I tried something new, started spinach seed inside in early March in the small 6 cell plastic planters. As soon as they sprouted they went into a cold frame along the south side of the house. Planted out on 3/21 just as they were getting first true leaves. They were very small. Planted 6 sq ft. Had our first harvest, 3/4 lb on 4/30. Last night harvested 1.25 lbs! Finally a good spinach harvest. I never will sow in ground again, germination is too slow and too spotty, but the little baby plants took off and are doing great!

They look so great ! They look ready for some premium Olive oil and balsamic drizzle...

Peppers and dwarf tomatoes went into buckets today! We had some cold nights so ground got a bit cool, going to let it warm for a couple days and then plant in ground plants Friday or Saturday. Exciting times!

The soil really warmed with 70 and sun the last two days and forecast looks great—so indeterminates and tomatillos went into the ground this evening! Very excited for this list!

Looks wonderful!

And love the straw. I live by it now. The results are too great to ignore.

And those starts of yours look amazing. What type of lighting did you give them to get such large leaves?

Thanks! I love the straw functionality and nice aesthetics. The tomatoes were started under a new LED grow light I got on Amazon has my other died earlier this spring. I like it a lot and I’ll get another to replace the shop light LED I have used for my second light. They are potted up at first true leaves and go into cold frame a few days after.

I keep saying it, and never do. I need to seriously build a cold frame

[mention]Rockoe10[/mention] FWIW, this is the light I got in Feb. Your inquiry reminded me to order a second one, so thanks!

Side dressed with Jobe's Organic Granules and watered heavily early this morning. It's been dry, technically moderate drought with severe drought not far from here. Heat starts today (probably 90-93 the next 3 days minimum, with humidity unfortunately--and yes this is heat for southern Wisconsin). Plants are looking great, found a couple Septoria spots on a couple plants that were immediately removed a few days ago. I'll share some pictures soon. Might thicken the straw mulch in a few thin spots with the heat as well.

A couple tomatoes from the garden this evening. Plants are never this far along on June 5, but it feels like mid July out there.

[mention]jmsieglaff[/mention]
Your tomatoes look amazing. What kind of soil and/or fertilizer have you the ones in buckets, this year?

Thanks! I do my buckets the same every year. Pro mix, at planting augmented with 10-10-10 and Jobes organic tomato and veggie fertilizer granules. After that I feed every 7-10 days, alternating between Miracle Gro and more of the Jobes granules. Once fruit set really gets going I change the miracle gro blue for their tomato stuff (less N).

jmsieglaff wrote: ↑Thu May 06, 2021 8:45 am BFB040CA-86A4-4B6F-9F3A-78CC808DE400.jpeg

I tried something new, started spinach seed inside in early March in the small 6 cell plastic planters. As soon as they sprouted they went into a cold frame along the south side of the house. Planted out on 3/21 just as they were getting first true leaves. They were very small. Planted 6 sq ft. Had our first harvest, 3/4 lb on 4/30. Last night harvested 1.25 lbs! Finally a good spinach harvest. I never will sow in ground again, germination is too slow and too spotty, but the little baby plants took off and are doing great!

I have never grown spinach from seedlings. I'll have to try. It looks interesting.
Vladimír

MrBig46 wrote: ↑Sun Jun 06, 2021 12:24 am I have never grown spinach from seedlings. I'll have to try. It looks interesting.
Vladimír

I highly recommend it! This was the best spinach harvest I've ever had. I ended up harvesting 6.25 lbs from 6 square feet of spinach planting (I plant 9 tiny starts per square foot). The spinach season is now done, as the plants went to seed and were replaced with bush bean seeds.

Last year I tried a new zucchini and really liked it.
https://www.jungseed.com/product/J03571/590

Last year it produced a flush of female flowers before any males appeared, so the earliest blossoms were wasted. Looks to be the same this year—I have no male squash flowers as this zucchini is very early. So I suppose I should just pick them when the blossom opens and eat the tiny fruits?