When to move rockwool seedlings to dutch buckets

[gdgdad]

In the dutch buckets I'm running the VertiGro nutrients @ 30%, I'm almost out of those and their site lists that 2 pack as "out of stock". I may have to seek an alternative until they replenish their stock. The aeroponic cloner (bucket) I'm running at about 20% MiracleGro (for tomatoes).

[Stan]

I believe they are selling 6 - 4lb bags of the 6-12-28 and 6 - 4lb bags of the 15-0-0 for a total of $150. That will last you more than 10 years depending on how much you expand.

This year was a bad one for me. I only got 1/2 of the tomatoes I would usually get. We had a very bad heat wave in early July 3 weeks of almost 100 degree heat which burnt the top of all my plants. The top didn’t start to grow again until Late August So basically I didn’t get any new tomatoes until that time and my season ended last week.

1 thing I learned you might want to try. The tomatoes that started forming late August up till the First week in September

[gdgdad]

Stan, sorry took so long to respond. I had issues with a replacement timer showing up DOA, then the return exchange process, and the replacement interval timer’s “On Time” dial was WAY off – had to use the stop watch on phone to set that (and mark the dial). Anyway, I’ve transferred 4 of the 5 plants into Dutch buckets, I’ll move the last one likely in a week or so. All seem healthy, 1 is easily a foot tall now. I did have some minor bug activity (small hole in a couple leaves) so I sprayed with Neems and haven’t seen any new indications of insect activity. In the Dutch buckets I’m running nutrients at ~ 30%, and ~20% Miracle grow in the cloner. I’ve started prepping for the visqueen, made clips, spacers, etc. My challenge is going to be night time heating on those rare occasions we have a frost. During the day, even on cold days, the visqueen green house I had last year would stay in upper 70s to mid 80’s just from the sun. So….. I’m looking at different heating techniques – most likely propane or electric, though I did actually entertain a wood burner. Again, I’m not looking to heat it full time, just through the night / early – morning, maintaining temp at least mid 40’s. The reservoirs have heaters and keep water in low 70’s, so during regular pump cycle timing warm water flows through buckets. Any suggestions / ideas on heating? Again, thanks for all your assistance – and stay warm up there

[Stan]

I just noticed my last post got cut off at the bottom.

I wanted to say I cut off all nutrients on those last forming tomato plants early September and still got a good amount of good tasting tomatoes in late October. So when your plants are forming the last tomatoes for those plants you can also cut all nutrients off.

As for heating I personally worry about propane. A very small wood burning stove with Smoke exhaust going directly outside the greenhouse might be a very good option. They hold heat for a long time and are very cost efficient. Electric heaters do a great job but isn’t cost efficient if the cold lasts a long time your electric bill would shoot up. Either of the 2 you would have to weigh the options but stay away from the propane.

[gdgdad]

Well, I think I’ve completed the green house, and just in time (see pics). We’ve already had a night go down to 39F – very unusual for this area this time of year. Luckily the greenhouse was completely enclosed and the undersized heater I had was able to keep temp just barely above 50F. I have a new heater coming Thursday that’s actually listed as “suitable for agriculture”. Ideally, it should only run at night, so hopefully it won’t kill my electric bill. It has a thermostat so I was thinking keep it at 55 – your thoughts???
Even when we have a rare 55 or so degree day (for the high), the sun takes that greenhouse well into the 80’s by 9 or 10 am. You can see from the pics the plants appear to be doing well, there’s some flowering and I’ve “pollinated” via the electric tooth brush method. All these plants are from the seeds you sent me, so you’d know better how they’re doing. I’ve removed suckers and placed them in the rockwool cubes per the method you described and into the aeroponic cloner. Can’t believe they already produced roots – not sure what I’m going to do with them, keeping them as “back up” for now. I’ll be making my annual Christmas pilgrimage to Michigan ~ the 17th., and my neighbor (the farmer from Jamaica) is going to keep an eye on things. Pumps are on timers, heater is automatic, and the 55 gal reservoir level has barely moved so I think I’ll be alright. Still running nutrients at ~ 30% - think it’s time to increase that? Thanks again for all your help, hopefully I’ll be able to send you some winter tomatoes!!

[Stan]

50 - 55 degrees on those cold nights will be fine. 80 degrees during daylight hours is optimum temps for those plants. They will thrive in those night and daytime temps.

I wouldn't go higher than 50% nutrients for these winter plants. I don't think you'll be able to have them grow more than 10+ feet in the greenhouse. Just see how it goes with 50% if plants look healthy during that time keep it at 50%. If you see signs of the plant nutrient deficiency then go up to 75%.

The suckers in the aeroponic cloner will develop roots real fast. I would start the suckers after you have plucked your first tomatoes off the plants you currently have. If you keep them in the cloner they will catch up to the current plants you have growing in the buckets in no time. I would start the suckers in the cloner after you have plucked off your first ripe tomatoes.

Have a safe trip and a wonderful Christmas!!!

[gdgdad]

Stan, thanks for the response! I’ll “up” the nutrients to 50%, per your suggestion, plus there’s a lot more flowering going on, and I’ll monitor them closely. On the plant height issue, I added wires the width of the greenhouse to the vertical frames (about 2” down from top), then ran strings across from center to over the Dutch buckets. From those I should be able to drop lines for the clips to train them on a “slow curve” (see pic with my arrows). And I can always add more lines up top to form more or less a matrix. That gave me ~ 8 ½ feet to the top of the Dutch bucket, and I can probably go out another 2’ via the PVC frame. I’ll try curving them early while they’re “soft”, and I’ve already started with the first plant (again see pic). We’ll see how that goes….

Question: I noticed a couple of the flowers have a real pronounced “bend” (see pics), making the flower face down. Is that normal for this variety or is something causing it? should I be concerned?

Lastly, the heater came and it seemed to do a great job. It’s first night the temps went to low 40’s, and it kept it at 60. I’ve since dialed it back hoping for the 55 range to hopefully lessen the hit on the electric bill.

As for the “clones”, I knew I was way too early, but it was a combination of seeing if I could get it to work, and for them to serve as back up’s should I lose one of the plants. Thanks for the tip on cloning when tomatoes start showing up, my goal is a continuous production. Also, I was thinking when I do replace one of the plants (with a clone) that I’d cut the bucket down to ~ 3 gallon size. That would add about 6” of height. Much of what I read says 5 gallon buckets are an over kill. Your thoughts?
Thanks, and I’ll keep you posted.