My Plants Survived My Absence. Here's Proof!



While I was off partying in the desert, my plants were busy too. All the indoor plants were relatively unchanged by the experience (though I did find a loving home for my leftover wandering Jews), so this update focuses on outdoor plants.

 

My purslane is growing like a weed, probably because it is a weed. As expected, it doesn't seem to mind the clay soil it's in. I've been sprinkling these leaves on sandwiches and in dips. They add a nice twist.

 



This plant is new! These are hens and chicks (probably Sempervivum tectorum). I got these (and a couple of "chicks" that fell out) for a dollar at a farmer's market. I couldn't pass them up.

My sage has some new growth, though it appears to be afflicted with some manner of fungus. I'm not sure what to do about this.

My basil and peppermint are affected too. My thyme is just beautiful, though, and the rosemary is also untouched and thriving. Maybe not as well as it thrives in Vegas.

My Swiss chard has never looked better. I've been eating these leaves on sandwiches too. It's a wonderful feeling to harvest homegrown food. There's nothing like it.

I've saved the biggest news for last. None of my tomatoes ripened while I was gone, but they've come a lot closer! And there are new fruits! When I play I Spy with this picture, I can spot eight tiny tomatoes. How many can you find?

This is the best picture I've gotten thus far of my ripening fruits. This picture shows three of them.

This shot is not so good, but it shows the most prolific cluster of fruits on the plant (so far).

In all, I am quite happy with how my plants are coming along. I just need to find some way to treat and prevent whatever kind of fungus or pest is going around. How are your plants doing this summer?

Next post: garden-fresh snacks.



And The Winner Is...

Me! And my friend, Kristin. You see, I am about to embark on a week-long, cross-country vacation, so I'm feeling pretty good at the moment. But, in exchange, I am going to miss a very special milestone: my first homegrown tomatoes.

Yesterday I noticed that my tomato plant looked like this:

See those green orbs of goodness? Those are baby tomatoes, and they won't take long to ripen because my plant is a Yellow Pear tomato, so the fruits don't get very big. My friend, Kristin, is taking care of my plants while I'm gone, so she'll probably be the one to enjoy the first harvest. I'll post her review of the tomatoes if this is the case.

In less fortunate news, part of my tomato plant looks like this:

The yellowing (or chlorosis) and necrotic spots on the lower leaves lead me to think there's some sort of fungal problem going on, but I can't quite identify which fungus is attacking. When I return, I'll investigate further and probably invest in some fungicide.

To end on a good note, look how big and healthy my thyme is! For a long time, there was basically just one stem.

Next post: not for a week or so. Sorry!

Finally...

...I can keep plants outside. Today is my third day in my new apartment. Remember how I had half a salad's worth of Swiss chard before I left home? I have at least twice that today. One of my professors told our class that plants don't grow because of us--they grow in spite of us. The fact that the chard stayed alive for three months indoors and is now growing prolifically testifies to the truth in that statement.

So, here are the pictures of my plants' new homes. Maybe at the end of the summer I can do a before-and-after post. I'm sure there would be lots of improvement.

These are the three wandering jews that I've decided not to keep. I'm still looking for good homes for these little guys. They're really easy to care for. Thankfully they're recent cuttings, so they haven't developed much of a root system, so they can stay in this four pack for a while without becoming rootbound.

My spider plant and bromeliad aren't really near a window, but light from three windows reaches them, so they might be okay there.

My lucky bamboo also isn't in a window, but from what I understand, these plants actually benefit from staying out of direct sunlight. It works out very well.

This table contains the two succulents I brought, my wandering jew, and my purple shamrock. They've got some of the best seats in the house.

My jade plant (unfortunately not pictured) is near a window in the bedroom. The rest of my plants are outside. My tomato is looking happier by the day. The parsley pot (behind the tomato) was flooded by rain a couple of times, but I poured out the excess. We'll see how that does.

There's a noticeable difference between the Swiss chard in this shot and what it looks like now, a day later. I have high hopes for this crop.

My basil's still a bit raggedy, but I'm working on it. The peppermint, however, doesn't need any help.

I'm already excited to see my desert rose bloom, though the plant already looks very dramatic against this brick wall.

Here are the rest of the herbs. My thyme looks small, still, but if I can keep it out of heavy rains, it should be fine. I'm going to be cooking pizzas with rosemary soon, and I think I'm going to harvest a few leaves from my rosemary for it. Think of it: my first true harvest (eating doomed plant matter doesn't count) of the year. Miraculous.

What miracles are transpiring in your garden or containers?

Next post: more from the dawn of summer.

It's 11 AM. Do You Know Where Your Crops Are?

Since nothing much has developed around campus (that I've seen, at least), and I haven't done anything exciting with plants lately (except one thing -- see below), I've decided to show you how my crops are coming along.

I recently started a crop notebook. As of May 2013, the status of all my edible crops is "Growing slowly indoors." I still contend my Swiss chard and thyme will improve once outside, but for now they're still puny.

But they're getting better. I have three main sprigs of thyme coming up now, as well as a wee one.

The leaves on my Swiss chard are approaching baby green size, which is really better than they're supposed to be able to do indoors. This brings me to my sole piece of plant news: I ate my first Swiss chard leaf today. There was a leaf on my biggest seedling that was small and curled up. I thought that if there was one plant that could handle losing a leaf, it was that one. So I ate it. Swiss chard really is mild. I approve. This experience gives me something to look forward to; that is to say, getting these suckers outside, watching them prosper, and feasting!

This is the plant that provided me with a sliver of nutrition. I use the knife to mix up the soil so a mysterious white fuzz (which the Internet tells me is mold caused by lack of circulation) cannot persist in the soil. You can see the lack of leaf on the lower right of the plant.

This 'Mr. Stripey' seems to have grown a bit since I got it. At any rate, it's doing okay, but it's ready to head outside too. It's going to get that chance on Friday! Hooray!

While my bromeliad is by no means an edible crop, I figured I'd report on it too. Its condition is deteriorating more rapidly than before. I doubt I can really save it at this point.

How are your crops faring?

Next post: who knows!

Crop Updates

Note: I am having difficulties locating my camera's memory card, so bear with the phone pictures.

Today I bring you some loooong-awaited news: some of my Swiss chard is actually forming true leaves!

I didn't think this would happen. These leaves very well may not reach an edible size, but these plants have gotten enough energy to start, at least. And yes, two out of five is kind of shabby. I'm happy regardless.

Also of note: my thyme is getting a lot of leaves! I am fairly confident that these seedlings will hold out until I move and then take off once they're hardened off and outside.

On the not-so-good side, I'm going to give up on my wheat. It was just biding its time anyway, and the soil has stopped accepting water because I can only water in certain spots to avoid getting my windowsill messy. That's alright. It looked nice for a while, and that's more than I was told it would do.

Have you ever gotten really excited over a small, plant-related victory? Have you ever had a happy goodbye with a plant?

Next post: probably a report from the redbud district.

Reaping the Benefits

Since the university's flower shop's cool-season plant sale is over, the greenhouse doesn't need its cool crops anymore. So I got to take some home today! Most of these are eating-size and will be eaten very shortly, so they won't be long-term additions to my plant addiction, but they're really cool and healthy and inspiring and yummy looking.

First is the broccoli (Brassica oleracea) plant. Broccoli really needs to be outside since you eat its flowers, so I'm going to give this one either to Scott's parents, my mom, or anyone else who could take care of it. Its foliage is pretty on its own, though.

This next plant, Lactuca sativa, should be familiar--it's lettuce! This cultivar is called 'Simpson Elite.' It looks soft, and I'm going to have some on a Jimmy John's sandwich tonight, so I'll report back on how it tasted then. I probably could get more out of these four plants by cultivating them, but I don't think the light conditions can support them for long.

This plant also Brassica oleracea, but it is better known as cabbage. This particular cabbage is an ornamental variety, but since it was never treated with pesticides, it's technically edible, so I'm going to eat it. There were non-ornamental varieties too, but they had fewer leaves. I reckon I could make a few servings of cole slaw with this.

Brassica oleracea is one of my favorite species of plants. This one species is amazingly diverse. Case in point: kale. This variety is ornamental in the same manner as the above cabbage, and it is also edible in the same manner. Kale, in my mind, is dismissed as a yuppie vegetable by many, but it cooks up just like spinach or collards, and it has impressive nutrition facts. Not surprisingly, kale's nutrition facts and broccoli's are very similar. Both have a low glycemic index; low fat and cholesterol; high fiber; high protein; high vitamin A, C, and K contents; and high iron contents. The biggest difference when comparing the two is their anti-inflammatory values. Kale is extremely anti-inflammatory; broccoli is only slightly so.

With all these new additions, my windowsill now looks like this:

And while I'm on the topic of my windowsill, here's an update on all my other plants. My thyme seedlings are starting to poke out their first true leaves, which is exciting. For a while I had wondered if they ever would. Oh, and this is as in-focus as the thyme is going to get--my camera just cannot handle objects this small.

Next are my spinach seedlings. They've developed their second sets of true leaves, which is good.

This might not scream Popeye right now, but someday...

My spider plant is looking about the same, but it seems significantly bigger than it was before. I think it enjoyed its stay at my house over spring break. These plants seem to tolerate low light just fine, but they don't really thrive in it.

The jade plant is doing well also. This is just such a sleek plant.

Finally we've come to the Swiss chard. I moved it to my windowsill so it could get more light, which has seemed to help a couple of the seedlings. They're still droopy. On the positive side, most of them (despite the fact that I couldn't get a good picture of this) do have tiny dots that will become their first true leaves. Perhaps the increased surface area of these leaves will help the plants maximize what light they have?

A little bit of research suggests that Swiss chard does not like moving from where it was originally planted. That might contribute to these plants' middling performance. Next year I will be able to plant outside to begin with (in containers, but it's the light that matters), so that should help. In the meantime, I'll see if these go anywhere when I put them out for the summer.

In another bit of news, I might be able to get my plant-loving paws on a purple shamrock and a wandering jew, two of my coveted houseplants from yesterday's post. What's even better is that it looks like I'll be able to get one of those plants for free. More on that when more happens.

Next post: a brief spring favorite (for real this time).

Hints of Hope for the Chard

Yesterday I posted about the troubles my seedlings are having. My Swiss chard plants have started to droop over, though otherwise they look healthy. I asked one of my more plant-literate friends about this issue, and she suggested that the problem may be due to inadequate light. Since I don't have a grow light (or indeed any artificial light sources) in that part of the room, this is entirely possible.

So, I have moved my chard farm directly onto the windowsill, like this:

I haven't yet noticed any definite signs of improvement, but hopefully this will help. In other news, my thyme seedlings look just a tiny bit bigger today than I've previously noticed. Note how two of the center seedlings are growing into each other. That wasn't like that two days ago.

If my chard doesn't get better, I have two options for recourse: I could start a new set of seeds and get a grow light (which I want to do anyway), or I could buy some established plants from the Horticulture Club sale in a few weeks. I do love supporting Hort Club, and they're offering Bright Lights/Rainbow Chard/Five-color Silverbeet, which is the exact same variety that I'm growing!

Growing plants isn't always easy, especially if you don't have a yard. Maybe it will work out, though. Have your indoor growing endeavors been successful?

Next post: invasive plants.

Seedling Sorrows

Maybe I'm just worried over nothing, but some of my thyme and Swiss chard seedlings are acting weird. First of all, they grew really quickly for a very long time, but now they almost seem to have stopped growing. On the other hand, they seem a lot shorter than they were before because I transplanted them. Maybe they are growing, but most of the growth is underground or something. In any case, I got some liquid fertilizer to help them out. That's what we use at work, and plants respond magnificently.

Secondly, one of my Swiss chard seedlings died on the trip back to campus. I looked at it one minute, and it was fine. I looked at it a few minutes later, and it was completely wilted. The next minute, it had disappeared. This was strange. The good parts about that are that A) that particular plant was runty in the first place, and B) there's a seedling attached to it that hasn't surfaced yet, so maybe that one will take its place.

Rest in peat. I mean peace.

The third issue I'm facing is that some of my Swiss chard plants are defying the laws of phototropism. Instead of growing toward the light, they've started growing toward the ground. Or maybe they are bent over for some other reason? I haven't been able to determine the cause of this unusual behavior.

Perhaps I am overwatering these little dudes. I really don't know the appropriate amount of water to give them. All I know is that, at work, we only water seedlings when they're completely dry. That's what I've been doing here, but of course the watering equipment, media composition, and light are different.

The plant in the foreground is one of the few that's still going strong, but as you can see, its neighbor in the background is having trouble.

Here are the thyme seedlings. I know these are slow germinators, so maybe they just grow slowly too. They look pretty much the same as they did a few weeks ago, except a couple seedlings have died and a couple more have shown up.

These are the departed plants. I think I forgot to water these for a couple of days, and then this happened. Since thyme spreads so much, I don't need many plants, though.

Have you ever had a plant die mysteriously before your eyes? Have you ever treaded uncharted waters when it comes to plants?

Next post: hopefully something cheery.

Spiders and Seedlings and Jade, Oh My!

There have been so many recent developments that I don't even know where to start. I'll arbitrarily follow the order of the pictures I took.

My spinach seedlings are starting to develop their first true leaves! Notice the difference in shape between them and the seed leaves. It's quite the contrast, and it will only become more different as time goes by.

My other spinach plant is trying to do the same thing this one has. It may just need more time. However, it seems kind of limp, and I'm wondering if the stem didn't get injured when I transplanted it. Time will tell.

The next order of business is my zucchini plant. It's still miniscule, but I believe it's trying to flower. I don't know if zucchinis can flower multiple times throughout a season, but if mine goes through with it, its new caretakers are going to have some microscopic fruits. They produce pretty flowers, though.

Now for some really exciting news: my thyme has sprouted! Well, some of the plants have. I may have to thin the ranks at some point because thyme seeds are tiny, so I have no idea how many I planted. But for now, I'm just happy that the seeds germinated! I don't think I've ever grown a plant from seed before, so this is an important accomplishment for me.

As you'll notice, it's extremely difficult to get my camera to focus on something as small as these seedlings, so they are blurry. The green dots are the seed leaves. You can see some of the stems.

Fun fact: when I was little, I thought the lyrics to the Steely Dan song "Reelin' in the Years" were "Are you reelin' in the yeast?/Stowin' away the thyme?/Are you gatherin' up the teas?/Have you had enough of mine?" Yes, I was destined to be a foodie even then.

My chard is still looking like this, though.

Nada.

The biggest news from this front is my two new houseplants that I propagated in class. This one is a spider plant. Spider plants are very efficient at filtering air, and they're pleasant in general. Spider plants are thus named because they reproduce by sending out stalks that have another spider plant-shaped plant on the end of them. They look like little spiders.

My second houseplant is a jade tree, acquired in the same manner as the spider plant. Jade plants are succulent, but they form woody stems eventually. I find them aesthetically pleasing (and mine's putting on new leaves)!

Here's an aerial view.

So this is the new and improved windowsill shot:

Perhaps the chard will soon join this happening array of friends. But until then...

Next post: flowers in my hometown!