The Marglobe tomatoes transplanted in September did really well for so late in season. They saw very little pest pressure, and the warmer than average temperatures surely helped. A lot of fruit set, but took a noticeably longer time to begin reddening than tomatoes grown between March and August. Also, there were times when the moisture levels in the soil swung wide, resulting in splitting at the tops. Reasons for the swings are mostly 1) me figuring out how different it is watering in cooler months, and 2) a couple of decent moments of rain saturated grow bags a bit too much.
You can see the splitting and other damage in the photos, but as I understand it, this doesn’t look like disease and the tomatoes are edible. I tried one yesterday and the flavor and texture was good. I wasn’t blown away, but considering this is fruit grown very late in season, in colder than ideal conditions for this plant, I’m happy with the results.
Pictured above is the Peppermint plant that just had its first pruning, the tray of Desert Will seeds, and the compost thermometer showing a new high for the current pile.
Desert Willow seeds I planted on the 10th – so 15 days ago – have not sprouted yet. However, guides I’ve read suggest this isn’t out of the ordinary. I used a 4-cell tray that is 4″ deep, with Rosy’s Cactus and Succulent mix, a fast draining mix. The tray sits on a heat mat, as suggested for these seeds. As such, the mix dries fast, so it can be a challenge keeping that top layer moist enough for germination. Today I added a makeshift humidity dome with a plastic from a bag. I’d avoided this a bit because I didn’t want to encourage fungus like I’ve had before. But, this time I have a good soil mix I’m confident has no latent disease and I’ve added a layer of vermiculite to the top, along with better airflow from a small fan.
My favorite news right now is that the Sungold and Tropical Sunset tomatoes I planted just 10 days ago already have started their first set of true leaves! I’m actually amazed. I seem to remember prior tomatoes having just their cotyledons for at least a week before the true leaves emerged.
Also pictured above is the Lemon Tree. It still has some yellowing, but we don’t see massive leaf drop, and it continues to flower. So I think the yellowing we see is just due to the season, the day and night temperatures, and the size of the pot limiting the root growth needed for supporting these buds.
When nights get warmer, what I want to see is new green growth. When that happens, I will move to a bigger pot.