50% Success

Way back in April (seems so long ago) I took a hydroponics class.  The teacher focused on a 10 container 10 gallon tote. He also told us about 5 gallon buckets for bigger plants like tomatoes.  Tomatoes are my, most, all time, ultimate favorite food so I went with that and bought 3 5 gallon buckets from Menards.

I saved big money at Menards!  He didn't tell us how to cut the hole for the basket of perlite that holds the tomato plant so I had to figure that out myself.  (Hint: steak knife).  I bought some baskets at Midwest Supply in Saint Louis Park and as soon as I arrived home from Sicily I bought some tomato plants.  I handled the plants roughly to get the soil off the roots and planted them in perlite and set them in the bucket spiced with hydroponic fertilizer.  Cherry tomatoes, here I come. These 3 plants are doing great.

Our instructor spent most of his time talking about raising microgreens. I had a 10 gallon tote with ten holes for 10 baskets.  I planted kale, arugula, parsley, basil, spinach and cilantro in these tiny pots full of perlite.  I spritzed them and babied them.  Last weekend I planted them outside.

Remember last weekend?  Unlike this weekend it was cool, cloudy, windy and unsuitable for planting tiny seedlings outside.  Gardening enthusiasm warped my perception. All my tiny plants died.  I will start over. At least the tomato plants are making it!  If I had my druthers, I would always choose tomatoes over greens anyway