hello again. had a great time at the party. got home around 10:30pm. have some shopping to do today.

have a great day

good morning - i think i will buy some eggplant seeds soon

The pictures are of the Green Tomato Jam, a Sour Orange tree out back, and a Sour Orange pie made from it!

I was about to call it the "Pie from Outer Space," until I figured out I was looking at toasted meringue from a view of the top, LOL!

Frank, eggplants take a long time till they are seedlings big enough to transplant out. You had better get a move on for those seeds.

Heat, heat, heat......eggplants......heat....

I'm thinking I might go ahead and make this light box to start my eggplant and other spring seedlings in. I already have all the components lying around the garage.

Also, I'm leaning toward lining the inside of the tote with aluminum or reflective foil to generate more light inside the box, provide some condensation for the soil, and possibly hold more heat in the box.

"Nothing beats a wish, but a try," LOL!

If anyone has any used aquarium hood lights laying around in the garage somewhere with the flourescent tubes;... they make great grow lights for seed starting. I've done it and usually the bulbs they have are suitable grow lights. The edges can easily be set on tin cans or blocks of wood, old books, glass vases or whatever you have to create the elevation you need, and added to adjust height as the seedlings develop. . The tin foil and old mirrors thing around the sides works geniously along with them too.

Great idea!

Thank you Rita,

and I have very much appreciated every and you good folk have shared with me here.

>> Also, I'm leaning toward lining the inside of the tote with aluminum or reflective foil to generate more light inside the box, provide some condensation for the soil, and possibly hold more heat in the box.

Flat white paint reflects as much light as aluminum foil.

Also, as you probably already know well:

Clean reflectors and bulbs of any kind are more efficient than dusty or dirty ones.

I suspect that a thin sheet of almost anything would help hold heat as well as aluminum, if not better. Preventing warm air from escaping upwards probably accomplishes 90% of all possible heat-insulating.

Dry wall (sheet rock) is a great insulator for the walls and bottom, and reasonably cheap. However, preventing drafts is much more important than adding insulation to walls. Taping up a gap is even cheaper than dry wall, and saves more heat!

Rita - I have plenty of time. I don't put anything outside until June 1st. i don't usually start them until mid March.

Wow, June 1st. I was planting tomatoes out last spring on April 28th I think.

When i was in NY our last frost date was May 15th but after the first few years of gardening I decided to wait until June 1st as i got burned a few times with a late frost.

Last year my neighbor bought tomato plants and put them out in June. The plants he put into the ground were only about 7 inches tall. I said to myself they would never get tomatoes but sure enough, by the end of July the plants were the normal height and filled with fruit.
When i moved here i would have sworn that the winters were colder than NY but the temperatures are about the same in both states

I think May15th is the last official Frost date here also. Much too late to wait that long before planting in my garden.

We all have a plan that works for us in our personal growing zones. All that matters is that they work and we get results. Pictures prove it, and I am looking forward to when we're all a'growin' again and have more pictures to prove it. Thats the fun here!

Ok.

Here are some pics.

NOID Tomato seedlings in a community flat. Potting up to individual drinking water bottles in 4 more days! I believe this variety is "Beauty!" At least, I'm hoping that's what they are, LOL!


Sweet Ozark Orange Tomato Seedlings. F5 generation being trialed for stability. This is a large, beefsteak, cold tolerant variety hybridized by Ozark in Missouri (a gardener on another garden website).
Seeds sown: January 5, 2014
Germination: January 11, 2014
Potted up: January 20, 2014
Target transplant date: February 15, 2014


Linda

Those look great!

Thank you, Rita!