Flamme calcium tests

Flamme is prone to end rot.  I have three plants in buckets.  Two have each been supplemented with 1/2 cup pure calcium nitrate;  one with none as control.

Transplanting to 5-gal buckets

On May 7, 9, etc.  I starting moving the plants from cowpots into the buckets.  The plants are well rooted - roots are beginning to go right thru the cowpots.

I put a brick in each bucket to stabilize it.  Planting medium is simply Miracle Gro potting mix.

Crepe Myrtle branches:  I saved a bunch of pruned, fresh, straight branches, though after storing about a month in the garage they are all warping a bit and are not quite straight anymore.  Next time, to prevent warping after harvesting them, immediately anchor them on both ends to a T-post till use  (if possible, need to test this.).

2x  46a2.3 F5, 
2x  55a1.2 F4, 
1x:  28d3.3 F4.

2x CA
1x BC
1x HC  maybe 1 more?
1x FB
1x TD

Still need to transplant FL.  Will grow 4 I think; spike 2 with lots of calcium to test if helps stave off end rot.
Still need to transplant Roma.

Disinfecting last year's 5 gal. container buckets

On 5/4/20 I disinfected last year's 5 gal. container buckets as follows:

1. Rinsed off all dirt and debris as best I could with hose.

2. Made Disinfectant:  a 10:1 mix of water and 5% hypochlorite bleach; 5 gal of water + 2 quarts bleach, in a large white tub.  (Actually the bleach was "outdoor cleaner" from home depot, but it's basically 5% hypochlorite with prob a small amount of a detergent!)

3. I could place a bucket one at a time on their side in the disinfectant tub and roll it to cover all surfaces. Then placed the bucket upright in another tub while I rinsed the next one.  Let them stand a few minutes to disinfect.  

4. Finally, rinsed them by rotating them well in a separate tub of water.  Let drip dry in stacks.   

Tomato sowing - April 2020

Tomato sowing, 4/18/20.

For various reasons, I decided not to do a big grow-out this year from any 2019 F2 seeds.  Looking forward to doing that next year if all goes well.

This year I plan to have about 18 container tomatoes in the backyard.

They will be:

•46a2.3 F5, 55a1.2 F4, and 28d3.3 F4.

Each germinated well.

• Previous heirlooms: CA, FL (2016), BC, HC: also all germinated fine. HC had only 3 seeds left! but they all germinated.

Finally, I am growing two heirlooms I saved from Kroger!

• FB/Funky Bell :  a red, small-to-medium, bell-pepper-shaped tomato.  I guess the fruit weight was about 30 grams.

• TD/Tangerine dream:  a medium slicer, very nice globe/beefsteak with orange-y color.

I sowed into standard seed starter mix, heat mat.  Germination went fine.  Also sowed basil, cilantro, and banana pepper plants.

Sowing was 4/18/20.   Transplanted to cowpots, standard miracle-gro potting soil, around 4/24/20.   Hardening off, then fully outside around 5/1/20.

From August 2019

An assortment.

1. White Beauty

2. Mortgage Lifter

3. Carbon?

4. Black Cherry

5. Flamme

6. 28D3.3  F5

7. Uluru Ochre

8. 46A2.3 F5 ?