Heirloom Tomato Starter Plants Going Into Week Three

Have a look at last week. Click on photo for a larger view on Flickr. 

The Times They Are a-Changin'

After all these years of propagating and growing indoor decorative plants, vegetable seed starting indoors has been an educational experience. I’m once again a student. 

I’m now realizing that all young children can and should experience the amazing transformation of a tiny seed into plants like these. It took a surprisingly short amount of time. Recycled pop bottle planters reveal it all because they are clear. 

This is only the beginning. These plants will grow up to six feet tall in sub-irrigated boxes, beds or buckets and bear delicious heirloom tomatoes. 

That’s good news but it's frustrating to know that we're still stuck in the dirt so to speak. Our horticultural education system has real problems when it can't recognize that growing vegetables in sub-irrigated planters brings personal food production to city dwellers of all ages and incomes. 

We have far too much ideology and ignorance out there, much of it embedded in our institutions. 

The dyed-in-the-wool dirt gardeners are currently monopolizing the conversation but the times are a changing. I can feel it. 

Comments

[Heidi]

I've been following your tomato plant posts with interest, and am considering emulating what you did. I'm wondering two things: first, you mention that you add a measured amount of water to the well, and you underlined "measured amount" which makes me think it must be important. How much, then, is the measured amount?

Secondly, will these tomatoes grow to full size in the planters, or will you eventually transplant them into a garden?

[Greenscaper Bob]

Hi Heidi, your question prompted me to post this. Thanks!
http://www.insideurbangreen.org/2009/05/these-tomato-plants-need-to-go-outside-and-grow-up-1.html

These planters are too small and there is not enough light under the fluorescent shop lights for these plants to produce flowers and fruit. They need to find new homes in larger sub-irrigated box, bed or bucket planters ASAP!