Nothing Illicit

Although I've written a lot about the outside, the real action for the garden is happening in our basement. In early March we planted tomato seeds in leftover recyclables, plus one batch of red poblano chilies. All but one variety of tomatoes planted are cherry-sized or equivalent. I don't really like (raw) tomatoes  -- like mushrooms, I prefer "expensive" varieties -- so the smaller guys are something of a compromise in that I'll eat them in salads. Bigger guys we'll still get from the DuPont Circle Farmer's Market - even if they're 5 bucks a pound.

We're pressed for space downstairs so we've set up our little nursery on top of the washing machine. Two full-spectrum compact florescent light desk lamps are providing the energy and they seem to be doing the job just fine.

The peppers are in the immediate foreground. The tomatoes are doing really well, as you can see. They will be ready for the outdoors at the end of the month. Most of them are going in pots we bought at Home Goods, which I highly recommend if you're looking for cheap pots.

The lights make it look like we're growing weed in our basement. I'm not too worried about drawing the attention from the fuzz, though. Some guy in Bloomingdale left his basement door open and a couple of cops on foot patrol walked by. Concerned about the security of the property, they stuck their heads in and discovered a large pot farm inside. So it's not too hard to figure out who's really growing weed in these parts.

At this stage, the plants are super-easy to deal with. We're using a washed-out spray cleaner bottle to water and have to rotate them once in awhile to keep them growing straight. The desk lamps are working well because the closer the light can be the better. Some straws and toothpicks hold the more top-heavy guys up. 

Outside, lettuce, arugula, and marigolds are in the ground. We're training the dog to chase off the birds from the garden, but I fear they may have won round one.