Hydroponic Systems and Indoor Gardening Guide

Growing Tomatoes, etc. in Early Spring - Poor Man's Hydroponics Part 2

05/16/05

by: Gordon Goh

9. As soon as leaves begin to overlap the third time, transplant into 4" or gallon pots, depending on your time schedule for planting in the garden and the amount of space in your greenhouse or growing area. When leaves overlap again, separate the pots to provide unrestricted light to all plants. These procedures will give you plants with short, stocky and sturdy stems, very capable of handling the rigors of growing outdoors.

10. If your plants begin producing sucker stems, prune them all off, leaving only one main stem on each plant. And when the plants approach 12" in height push a small stick or dowel into the soil near the stem and tie the stem loosely, protecting it from falling over.

11. When the danger of frost is past, transplant your seedlings into the garden. Harden off outside for 2 days first, and then immediately after transplanting, apply 8 ounces of ammonium nitrate to a 30' row of seedlings - at a distance of 4" from the plant stems, and water it in thoroughly. Three days later, begin applying the Weekly Feed mix in the same manner.

If you have limited space and cannot accommodate 4" or gallon pots, or you just want to put your plants into the ground sooner than the ideal time, you may have success using the Mittleider "Mini-Greenhouses." Cut 4' lengths of 3/4" Schedule 200 PVC pipe, then bend them into a capital A shape, with a 4" flat top, 9" sides and 13" legs. Put both legs into the ground at the top of the ridges to a depth of 5-6". Place a 4'-wide X 33'-long piece of 6 mil clear greenhouse plastic over the bed and bury the edges with dirt on all sides. Pictures are in the Photos section of the free gardening group at MittleiderMethodGardening@yahoogroups.com. as well as in several of Dr. M's books.

Open the ends during the day for air circulation, and on warm days, remove the dirt from one side and lay the plastic in the aisle. Failure to do this may cause your plants to cook, as the mini greenhouses will heat up quickly with sunlight. On nights when frost is expected, put an extension cord with a couple of 100 watt bulbs near the ends of your beds, and for a hard frost use a small heater (be careful you don't melt your plastic cover).

Complete instructions and excellent illustrations are in Dr. Mittleider's books at http://foodforeveryone.org/garden_books/.

About the Author

Jim is a Master Mittleider Gardening Instructor, and has taught classes and worked one-on-one with Dr. Jacob Mittleider on several gardening projects in the USA and abroad. In the past three years Jim has conducted intensive food production training projects in Armenia, Madagascar, and Turkey. The Foundation website www.foodforeveryone.org provides free materials and information including an ebook, greenhouse plans, Gardening Group, and large FAQ section.

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