Well, things are going pretty good given the times we are living in. Weather has been consistently hot although this morning seemed a bit less humid. They are calling for some potentially strong thunderstorms here later this afternoon. And, I believe them. The reason I place so much faith today is that I have a secret weapon. It's called a Fitzroy storm glass. Here is today's picture.
This little marvel ushered in the era of weather forecasting in the first half of the 19th century. It was developed by Vice-Admiral Robert Fitzroy of the British Royal Navy. He was concerned about the numerous ships that the royal navy lost to storms along the Atlantic coast and elsewhere. So, he developed this item, perfected it and it resulted in the ability to use the telegraph to warn mariners before they hit a storm that was indicted by this. It helped the Royal Navy to command the high seas with little loss of ships.
How it works is that it has this white substance in it which will lay at the bottom when there aren't any storms present or approaching. When a storm approaches, it gets riled up
Alright, as I have related in several posts, I have been seeding in my beds with Winter Rye. I took several pictures to show the progress of growth to date.
I am pleased with the progress. It was a good idea to plant it early since I've already started moving into the greenhouse to get my winter crops started. The rule of thumb with this is that the roots are generally longer to almost twice the depth as the growth on the top. My goal is to get a good green manure out of this to kick start my early and on time spring plants. Winter Rye will grow regardless of the weather and your snowfall. It will slow down during the cold period but will pick back up once temps moderate. I've grown it before but have never started it quite this early.
I did sneak in a planting of the next bed up against the garage last night before the thunderstorms rolled through. I was racing them so I did not take any pictures naturally. My goal is to get this completed this week as many long range forecasts for our area are calling for a chill to hit in mid to later September. The Rye will grow in colder temps but not as strong and dense as less seeds germinate. A side fact is that most farmers who use a cover crop actually use a subcontractor to spread the seeds via a small, retrofitted airplane to broadcast the seeds from the air. Saves time and money for them.
On another subject, my tomatoes are continuing their growth and it seems like it is going to be down to the wire.
If you recall, I have these trellised on the suspended wire with support clips that secure to the line and loop around the plant. As seen in the picture, you can see two of the loops which are currently holding the top parts of this plant up. This plant is almost 6 feet tall and the system is having no problem supporting it. One mistake I did make is that I did not prune the suckers off of it early so it has two main stems. I just had to improvise a little bit and the system did the rest.
I saw this system in, of all places, Walt Disney World. It was one of many that they have there. I also have a hydroponic system I bought when we went there about 10 years ago and it still works wonderfully. If you go to Disney World, sign up for the Behind the Seeds tour at Tomorrowland. It will really open your eyes up. They have so many different systems that they are testing and refining that its just overwhelming for your average gardener. I believe the tour person told us that they produce hundreds of tons of produce a year at Disneyworld. Not a lot is bought from outside vendors. They even raise their own fish via aquaponics! I have a plant that they give you at the end of the tour. It's a vanilla plant and it has been growing since we got back. Very interesting stuff all around.
Well, that's all for now. We're heading into the last vestiges of summer and things are coming to a close. My greenhouse is getting more and more full of the plants that I am growing(at least attempting) this winter. It will depend on the severity of the weather as to my success as I have an unheated hobby greenhouse. Last year was mild and most of my plants survived. It's anyone's guess as to which winter we will get.
So, until next time, Happy Gardening Everyone!
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