2023 grow log

https://www.tomatojunction.com/viewtopic.php?p=94282#p94282

Okay, I just planted some seeds. Here's what:

Tomatoes:
• Amana Orange x 1 (saved seeds from 2022)
• Brandywine Pink x 1 (saved seeds from 2022)
• Cal Ace VF x 18 (store seeds)
• Carolina Yellow x 2 (saved seeds from 2022)
• Cherokee Lime x 2 (2 sources from trades/gifts)
• Cherokee Purple x 1 (Baker Creek)
• Cilantrovaya-A x 2 (from the first-harvested fruit)
• Early Cascade x 2 (store seeds)
• Italian Gold x 4 (gift/trade)
• Jubilee x 2 (1 from gifts/trades and 1 from store seeds)
• Marmande x 3 (saved seeds)
• New Yorker V x 1 (saved seeds--the rest of them)
• Orange Jazz x 2 (saved seeds; each from a different fruit)
• Roma VF x 30 (store seeds x 12; saved seeds x 18)
• Snacker-C0 x 2
• Snacker-C x 2
• Sunray x 1 (store seeds)
• Super Marmande x 1 (SHPC)
• Tangerine x 2 (trade/gift x 1; store seeds x 1)
• Tropic x 1 (SHPC)

Note: If you can't tell by my selection of tomatoes, I'm primarily going for Verticillium resistance. Most of those are said to be resistant, but a few might not be. As for Brandywine Pink, I'm growing it as an experiment in acclimatization to it, to see if it gains more resistance; it also didn't get virus symptoms (and we had some viruses circulating). It didn't get a severe case from it last year, though, but it did have symptoms on the lower leaves. The seeds came from an extra-large fruit that set in the heat; so, that's another reason. Carolina Yellow and Amana Orange don't claim resistance, but they did pretty well last year (both against Verticillium and viruses). Orange Jazz doesn't claim resistance, but it's related to Amana Orange. Snacker-C, Snacker-C0 and Cilantrovaya-A might not be resistant, as they had some lower leaf symptoms (one of the Snacker siblings died from it last year, but the parents of these didn't), but I have hope that they'll do well. With regard to Jubilee and Tangerine, I only have a suspicion that they're resistant based on a claim about one of their ancestors or descendants. I've heard Cherokee Chocolate is supposed to be resistant (and since I think Cherokee Lime and Cherokee Chocolate are basically in a long line of sports stemming from Cherokee Purple, I'm hoping all the sports and the original are resistant).

Early Cascade, Sunray, Roma VF, Cal Ace VF, Italian Gold, Marmande, Super Marmande, Tropic, and New Yorker V are all supposed to be Verticillium-resistant.

Sweet peppers:
• Blot x 2 (Baker Creek)
• Cal Wonder Orange x 2 (store seeds)
• Canary Bell x 18 (2 different store sources and also saved seeds from 2022)
• Orange version of Golden California Wonder x 4 (store seeds)
• Purple Beauty x 4 (store seeds; I'm hoping this is a prolific orange off-type again)
• Yolo Wonder x 1 (store seeds)

Other:
• Catalogna chicory x 1
• Lovage x 1
• Zi Su shiso

I'm thinking about direct-seeding some wonderberries, mustard (several kinds), bok choy, daikon radishes, and maybe Job's tears soon. I thought my daikon radishes were spring radishes, but it turns out they're supposed to be fall-sown or something. I plan to try them as spring radishes anyway.

I ran out of the worm casting seed-starting mix that I've been using for some years. This year, I'm using a mixture of Whitney Farms organic indoor/outdoor potting soil, perlite, wood ash, Miracle Gro (24-8-16 All-purpose), and monopotassium phosphate. Some of the containers have diatomaceous earth in (I forgot to put it in the first batch).

Here's the state of my houseplants:

My Rubber fig and umbrella tree are doing much better (more and healthier growth). I think they like to be watered more often with less water at a time.

My grapefruit tree grew a bunch, and hit the ceiling. I had to prune it back for a couple reasons.

My oldest living spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum; a variegated kind) is huge and getting bigger. It has a whole bunch of spiderettes, and keeps growing more. It's multiplying in the ground, too (I didn't know spider plants did that, but they do!) The younger rooted spider plant is finally starting to get bigger leaves.

My Christmas cactuses are proving sensitive to light changes. I mean, if they don't get much sun one day (for example, if I don't keep my curtains open long enough) then they might burn if they get lots of sun the next. One of the plants at a certain angle isn't bothered, though (it has less direct light, I suppose).

My Thanksgiving cactuses are doing well. I rooted a small cutting that had grown four segments at once, so the whole plant would be growing from the four segments. It's growing really fast, and I"m pleased with it. I have another of the same kind and it's doing well. Those are both red-flowering. I have some pink-flowering ones; two of those are quite big. I've been focuing on getting them to grow bigger, rather than focusing on trying to get them to flower. Once they're big enough, then I'll probably focus on flowering.

My golden pothos plants are getting long vines. They're looking good and doing well.

The White Pearl poinsettia we got in 2021 is alive and well. It likes water. It hasn't grown new bracts, but it has grown a couple leaves with a little white on them. Most of the leaves are green.

The spider plants really improve the way I feel, I've noticed. I think what they say about them reducing depression is true. My big one has been getting thirstier. It drank up a half-gallon of water in a few days once recently.