Re-Potting

Yesterday morning, Mother Nature decided to rescind spring (what little we have had - it has been cold, rainy, windy and cloudy - except Friday):

 
The snow is WS's fault because he had set up the greenhouse Friday evening so I could put the salad greens out there in preparation for repotting the tomatoes (guess that makes me complicit in the fault). See, my seedling rack has two banks of lights, one under which I had the grow cells containing peppers and tomatoes, the other which contained the baskets of salad green sprouts. Once I repotted seedlings, I would have 4 more trays that needed lighting, so something had to give.

I figured the salad greens could take colder temps since they had sprouted about 10 days ago, so threw them out into the greenhouse right after WS got it set up. The forcast had been for a wintery mix, with highs iaround 48. That would have been fine, if we ever got close to that temp, but it stayed in the low 30's and about noon I decided that the greenhouse needed heat (if nothing else, to melt the snow off the top to keep it from collapsing.

Last weekend, WS had put the summer water bucket out in the dog pen, so I figured I would use the extension cord from the winter water bucket. Unfortunately, parts of it had still been under a snow mound last weekend, so he had left it coiled by the roses. So now, noon on Saturday, there was no snow bank, but, the ends of the electrical cord were packed with snow, so that was no good. I called WS to find out where more long extension cords were, but got his voicemail (he was at work).

I thought I would have to run into town, but then found extension cords in the shed (imagine that, right where a resonalbe person might expect to find one). After banging my head on the underside of the porch several times getting the cord plugged in, I ran it to the greenhouse, set up the space heater and buttoned it back up. I was now ready to repot tomato seedlings as soon as I set up the kitchen.

  

I got the tomatoes repotted (after running to Agway for more organic mulch mixture to add to the peat moss and vermiculite of the Pro-Mix), and set them under the second bank of lights. Plugged in the lights, and voila, 3 out of 4 of the lights lit. I took down the light ballast and fiddled around, but the 4th light would not light. Well, being the Camp Fire Girl I am, I was prepared. I replaced the light bulb and plugged it in, and voila, 3 out of 4 of the lights lit.

Crap, I'm out of light bulbs and don't have any more ballasts. Agway has them, but they have to be assembled - who buys lights that actually have to be assembled? I mean wire it up and everything, it's just a box of parts - I am leaving Cop Car out of this question, because doubtless she has done so in her lifetime - and intentionally!

So, I gave up and put the tomatoes out in the green house, I had wanted to let them settle down for a couple of days in the house, to recover from the stress of the repotting, before sending them outside, but that was not to be. I know that they will be fine soon, but it sure looks funny to see this:

 
The second pic is lilac leaf buds and the third pic is leaf buds of Renshaw's Rose.

Hope your gardening season is starting out better than ours!

Comments

[Cop Car]

Bogie--We are so out of sync with our weather. Our white lilac blooms were spent 10 days ago and our purple Korean lilacs are now in full bloom. Your transplanted phlox (transplanted twice - once to KS from NH in Fall of 2009?, and again when we had some landscaping refurbishment last summer) have a few blossoms on them and look healthy.

Our "risk" tomatoes that have been in the ground for 3-4 weeks have done nothing, and I just planted an Arkansas Traveler and a cherry-sized yellow tomato, yesterday.

As to putting electrical things together, it helps if your father was an electrician. He was a good influence on me.

Sounds like you have everything well in hand - as usual. Good for you!!!

[bogie]

2009 sound right - actually it is since it was before we came to KS to participate in HH's award ceremony.

[Cop Car]

Ahhh...good thinking, Bogie.

[buffy]

I finally decided not to do any starts in the house. I was going to plant spinach outside early, but my landscaper has failed to bring the 3 yards of dirt and compost I need to top off the veggie boxes. At least my herb garden is coming through well.

I understand I missed your birthday. DH and I wish you a belated birthday. We hope you had a great celebration.

[bogie]

Thanks for the BD wishes Buffy!

[Josh]

I was wondering what kind of grow lights you use. I noticed you said you ran out of Balasts. I use Led lights on my indoor herbs and vegegies and it works great.

[bogie]

I use horticulture flourescent 3' tubes.