RE: Grow & Tell w/ @grow-pro • How to Increase Your Tomato Yield Using Steemit • [part 1] • #growandtell
This is SO HELPFUL for me! I am so looking forward to this new growing season, so I can try all the techniques you mentioned. I know I have not been doing everything right after reading your post.
You put it perfectly. Since I grew up in the city and no one in my family knew how to grow food, I have been on different social media platforms trying to learn from strangers. I have only been on Steemit for about a month and have already learned so much from different people so willing to help (especially you and I really appreciate all the pointers)! I have not even logged in to other social media accounts for at least 10 days, haha.
One more question comes to mind. Have you ever had tomatoes grown from seed that grows "blind" (without a growing tip)? I have gotten more of those this year. From reading online, I think my method of growing tomatoes from seeds still need more work.
Looking forward to the second part of your post!
Love to hear the feedback, thanks @thelaundrylady! And congrats on your recent #curie vote!! Your garden update was wonderful and I am not surprised the community found it valuable. I must say that I've seen an incredible progression in the garden community here on Steemit and it is no doubt because of great people like yourself who engage and make this experience enjoyable. I will have to add you to my @grow-bot so I don't miss your posts!
I left Facebook about 8-9 years ago (maybe longer) and I went thru a period where I just gave up all social media. I still have a few accounts peppered around, but Steemit seems like the closest to home. I love art and design and gardening - what better place than here? Sure, there are things that need ironing out, but I have yet to have the conflict that I recall from many other outlets. I'm glad you decided to migrate because it makes this place better to have awesome contributors.
That is a great question! 'Blindness' can be a tricky one. Sometimes it is a manageable fix and other times an anomaly of nature. I have the issue with some flowers here, namely the Daffodils. They make one or two blooms and then forget it is spring.
When starting seed indoors, I run through a checklist:
light: seedlings like a more blue spectrum and flowering plants prefer a warmer reddish light. This mimics seasons outdoors. The light spectrum for household lighting is generally 2300k to 6500k / red to blue. A neutral light is 4,000 kelvin and is a very midrange white light. Be sure to use 5000k to 6500k for seedlings indoors for best results. I also run my seedlings under 18-20hr of light per day, but have done 24hr with succes.
nutrients: commercial growers often use a chemical 'primer' to soak the seed prior to planting to avoid blindness, but organic gardeners should consider natural alternatives. Check NPK values of any soil supplement, soil, or additive you are using. Something with more Nitrogen and less Phosporous and Potash will stunt root growth and possibly affect the growth cycle. Use something like 1-3-4 for example, with less N than P-K. Using seaweed extract to soak your soil and seed before planting really can improve quality. I always aim for 50% of the recommended feeding (any time I use nutrients) and for seedlings - I would dilute to about 5% solution strength. A little goes a long way. Soak tomato seeds until they sink when you tap them. Avoid handling seed with your bare hands due to transfer of oils and bacteria. Also note that seedlings and bloom stage plants like the same 2-3-4 (2-4-6 etc) balance, BUT seedlings will appreciate a very weak solution comparatively.
soil check: sometimes the soil is depleted of certain micro or macro nutrients, so use soil amendments of your choice to balance the nutrient levels. PH is important as well because it actually determines whether your plant can and will uptake nutrients. Too high of a pH in soil can cause "nutrient lockout" and prevent the plant from extracting the nutrients in the soil. The microbes in soil actually do that conversion for the plant, so making sure the pH of the soil is 6.0 to 6.5 is key for tomato growing. Nitrogen-rich soils can benefit from a Phosporous supplement like bonemeal.
I have a few trays of seed going and I'll have to snap some pics to share some little tricks I use and how I cull seedlings. You really got my garden brain going now!
Second part of that post is nearing completion now. Gotta make some breakfast for the kids and then I'll see if I can keep this second part under 5k words..lol it's 2900 with formatting already 😂
Congrats again on your @curie nomination and I wish you great success in the garden and on Steemit!
Glad my questions got your garden brain going. I love reading all your garden posts. Thanks for letting me know your check list for starting seeds indoors. I did not know about the light spectrum part. I will have to look at the seedling grow lights I have. Something must not be right about the way my tomato seedlings were raised this year. Too many blind tomato babies to be normal.
Thanks again for taking the time and doing such great detailed posts. I have learned a great deal from you! One more question. Do you ever sleep, lol.