Oakley's indoor winter garden...

[oakley]

Woke to a couple inches of first snow, then off to work at 6am.

[oakley]

That's one of three 60yr old JapaneseMaples i adore.

My MicroGreens are doing better than expected. Trying a new method i learned from Johnny's. I'm using those long trays i've had for so long and never use anymore...i have three i'm starting in rotation. Now harvesting the first started two weeks ago. One now 7days...the next i will label as the testing is a go for the winter...
I have a dozen varieties and more on the way from a CyberMonday sale.

[oakley]

Started three dwarf varieties of sunflower i hope to grow micro. If kept tight in small pots. So i'm using the pods i purchased for just this. Good germination so far. (was hoping to give as X-mas gifts this year but this may just be a trial year)...i have a pound of seeds each so i'll start another tray soon.

[oakley]

Tomatoes i've been culling by 60-70% after great germination. Cull again next weekend and pot up.
Nice to have so few varieties that even with a map i know what they all are by sight. Did pot up 4 DwarfPinkPassion,
and will pot up 4 chosen RedRobin. One is tiny and very thick in the stem. The other is RemyRouge, so four will be potted.
The rest are potato leaf f4 trial and gorgeous. They get the most attention.
Plan on starting a tray of some peppers. Not had much luck in years past but i have the room
to baby a tray along all winter.
(no yellow in the plants at all like the pic shows)

[oakley]

A favorite Sunday winter meal of seared cast iron steak with steam/roasted veg and the first microgreen harvest.

[Cole_Robbie]

Nice pics. It looks like you are going to fruit the plants indoors? What's the lighting plan?

[oakley]

I'll dance. Like i do when i start seeds in early January usually. Dance them around from different light sources. A window bank holds two regular trays, the 72 cell tray size...full southern sun all day, no leaves now outside. An led box and three florescent bays on two different shelving units. A small fan going 24/7. It is a steady 62 so a bit chilly down there but a heat mat for some trays that need a warm starting boost. (the pepper seeds) and the sunflowers are on it now. Never done this before. This early. Fun for me wrapped in snow outside.
I have always started seeds well ahead of the recommended time. By two months usually. Then start new trays over time. every week or two.
This a new 'experiment'.

[Gardeneer]

Oakly, That is good way to keep busy and pass the long winter where you are .
Where I am (NC) our winter has just begun. But no snow. Last night we had 2 inches and tonight it is still raining.
My lone volunteer tomato plant seems to be budding. If all goes well, we might get to taste of "HOME GROWN" tomato in Feb. I have to get a LED lamp for it.
I will get started with germinating peppers around mid Jan. and once they are potted I will start tomatoes. I am shooting for mid March plant out, that is 3 month away.
It will be an exiting and challenging year for me, as in my new location I have turned grass (in a sandy soil ) into a garden. I have mixed and buried lots of fall leaves, pine straw and wood ash. I will till it in the spring and will add some more top soil , wood ash and peat moss to improve moisture retention.... So much anticipation.

[oakley]

Just the dwarf sunflowers are being attacked. Wondering what could be down there.
Happened last night...field mice?...so i set a few traps. Whoever it is they snipped off the tops of the new sprouts and nibbled the leaves of dwarf Sunspot.
This has never happened before in the seed starting down there. And nothing at all on the micro greens.
(I brought the sunflower tray upstairs for the night an probably the next few days...re-planted the destroyed pods...) Need to figure out what is the cause as i plan to start
another dwarf sunflower tray this weekend.

[oakley]

Second tray of micro greens is as good as the first...I'm liking the new tray method.

[oakley]

!2.7 all the toms look great. Nice potato leaf!...i removed the non-potato just an hour ago...I think selection, phase two, will happen this weekend. I went off any feeding for the past ten days, let then dry out a bit, 62temp. Now in the dark tonight with a fan on them...after a feeding...TTF half strength.
I'm hesitant to pot-up but think it should be soon?

[oakley]

A quick pic of the stem strength. The background tall fellas have been removed.

[Cole_Robbie]

Your media has mold on top, but your plants are very healthy. There are countless types of fungal growth, and many of them are beneficial. I've grown great tomatoes in media that was partly moldy decomposing hay and sprouted mushrooms out the side of the bed. The plants loved it. Your mix is obviously very active on a bio/fungal level. It's all good as long as the plants look as healthy as they do now. Don't let them get too cold, preferably not under 60F. That's what keeps all that biological activity working for you instead of against you.

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by oakley

Just the dwarf sunflowers are being attacked. Wondering what could be down there.
Happened last night...field mice?...so i set a few traps. Whoever it is they snipped off the tops of the new sprouts and nibbled the leaves of dwarf Sunspot.
This has never happened before in the seed starting down there. And nothing at all on the micro greens.
(I brought the sunflower tray upstairs for the night an probably the next few days...re-planted the destroyed pods...) Need to figure out what is the cause as i plan to start
another dwarf sunflower tray this weekend.

Earlier this year, we planted some Russian sunflowers. Of all things, crickets ate some of the leaves. When we would look at where we planted them, we saw typical crickets for our area. It turns out they are omnivores. They eat plant leaves, composting materials, and even other insects.

I have no idea if that could be what is happening with your sunflower plants?, but I thought I would add what we have seen them do. Crickets are nocturnal too.

[oakley]

Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie

Your media has mold on top, but your plants are very healthy. There are countless types of fungal growth, and many of them are beneficial. I've grown great tomatoes in media that was partly moldy decomposing hay and sprouted mushrooms out the side of the bed. The plants loved it. Your mix is obviously very active on a bio/fungal level. It's all good as long as the plants look as healthy as they do now. Don't let them get too cold, preferably not under 60F. That's what keeps all that biological activity working for you instead of against you.

I get that 'mold' all the time but it is active and not an issue. It is healthy and corrects itself after a good fan/wind. I used to freak a bit about it but common in my starting room. Damp down there. So i keep that small fan on any issues.

That lower room is built into a rock wall and never gets below 62. I have a separate
boiler for the lower floor but do not use it unless i am working in my studio that is not
in the rock...northern light and full glass wall windows. The opposite side of the lower floor. Northern side vs Southern.

We have had snow and thaw but once the deep freeze sets in i'll have a less, very non-moist, back basement. (forced-air heat) and very dry.

Any observations are welcome...as i said before, this is a new game for me.

As i mentioned before i'm starting some peppers for the first time up-coming weekend.
I'll take some knock-downs and failures with stride as always...