Fruit and Veg Noob :D

[Ironlung]

Hey guys,

Just a quick question as im thinking of growing some food etc,

Can things such as Chillis, tomatoes , peas , sweetcorn etc be induced to flower or do they just naturally flower no matter what the lighting periods etc ??

I know it probably sounds really stupid but i wanna grow these types of food all year round if possible in my room but have no idea if they auto-flower as such or whatever so was wondering what i can and cannot keep in a room with 12/12 lighting :laugh::D

Thanks in advance for what probably seems like an obvious answer :laugh: :bigjoint:

[John Smith]

Hey guys,

Just a quick question as im thinking of growing some food etc,

Can things such as Chillis, tomatoes , peas , sweetcorn etc be induced to flower or do they just naturally flower no matter what the lighting periods etc ??

I know it probably sounds really stupid but i wanna grow these types of food all year round if possible in my room but have no idea if they auto-flower as such or whatever so was wondering what i can and cannot keep in a room with 12/12 lighting :laugh::D

Thanks in advance for what probably seems like an obvious answer :laugh: :bigjoint:

Good question!
I'm going to research this and find out, The Dutch will have the answers to this as they grow an incredible amount of veg indoors with glassroofed buildings that use the summer sun with supplimented lighting and artificial heating in winter for all year round crops, I dont think Peas need a reduction in lighting to flower though, the peas on my allotment are just ripening now! and were started late spring so I would hazzard a guess they depend on cycle that doesnt need a reduction in light but are more driven by a set maturity from cell division rather than induced, thats not to say it cant be done indoors with this method, just dont have any experience growing peas indoors.......like your idea though!:D
Can imagine Sweetcorn loving the HPS to be fair.

[Ironlung]

Just found this on sweetcorn :D

Planting and growing corn produces a cycle that is divided into two stages, vegetative and reproductive. The vegetative stage of growth includes the stalk, leaves, roots and tassel. Once those are developed fully it is considered to be mature. At that point the corn tries to reproduce itself, which is the reproductive stage. This is accomplished by producing ears of corn or corn on the cob as they are generally referred to. All those little yellow kernels of corn are actually seeds, and each one is capable of growing into a whole new corn stalk.

Sugary sweet corn fresh from the garden is a favorite vegetable of many people. In addition to its fine flavor, sweet corn is a source of carbohydrates and food energy and contains some vitamin A (yellow corn only), minerals and protein. Besides its popular use as corn-on-the-cob, sweet corn can be used in scalloped dishes, succotash, relishes, fritters, soups and chowders. Many, but not all, sweet corn cultivars and hybrids are acceptable for freezing.

Climate and Soil Requirements for Corn:

Sweet corn, a warm weather crop, grows best when temperatures range from 60 to 80 degrees F and the soil is well supplied with moisture. Adequate soil moisture is especially critical at silking time and when kernels are forming. Water-logged or poorly drained soils are to be avoided, as root decay and resulting poor plant growth may result. Sweet corn plants will grow in a variety of soil types, but growth is best in fertile, loamy, well drained soils of pH 5.8 to 6.5. Sweet corn plants grow best when exposed to full sunlight throughout the day, so shady areas should be avoided.

Fertilizing Corn:

Fertilizer and lime are best applied to the soil using the results of a soil test as a guide. The fertilizer should be applied two to three inches to the side of and slightly below the seed. Avoid contact of fertilizer with the seed as germination may be reduced or seedlings injured. Satisfactory fertilizer analyses for sweet corn are 12-12-12 and 6-24-24. Applications of 15 to 20 pounds per 1,000 square feet are commonly made in growing a sweet corn crop in the home garden. A side-dressing of one to two pounds of a fertilizer such as 8-16-16 or 12-12-12 per 100 feet of row when plants are 12 to 25 inches tall is a desirable practice.

Planting Corn:

Sweet corn should be planted after the danger of frost is past. Plant seeds one to two inches deep and nine to 12 inches apart in rows 30 to 36 inches or more apart as necessary to accommodate cultivators. Use the deeper planting depth in dry soils, the shallower depth when soil is moist. Four ounces of seed will plant a 100 ft. row. It is suggested that several short rows be planted rather than one long row so that pollination can occur more readily. A yield of eight to eight and a half dozen ears may be expected per 100 ft. of row. As the sweet corn crop requires considerable growing space, the crop may not be as productive in the small garden as other vegetables such as beans, carrots, beets or tomatoes.

Harvest and handling Corn:

Sugar loss from harvested sweet corn is rapid at high temperatures; the crop should be cooled as quickly as possible after harvest. If the fresh product is to be kept for any period of time after harvest, it should be kept in a moist environment and at a temperature as close to 32 degrees F as possible.

Corn Cultivars:

In addition to the well-known cultivars and hybrids, some excellent white-kernelled types are available. Hybrids with bi-colored ears of both yellow and white kernels and extra-sweet types have become more popular in recent years. In addition to differences in color of kernels, corn cultivars and hybrids vary in the amount of time required to mature a crop (from 60 to 90 days). By planting seeds of early, mid-season and late-maturing cultivars on the same day, the gardener can extend the sweet corn harvest season over a period of several weeks. The harvest season can also be extended by planting seeds of one cultivar or hybrid at 10 to 14 day internals to get a succession of crops.

Corn Nutrition Information:
Serving Size 1/2 cup cooked (82g) Amount Per Serving % Daily Value

Calories 90
Calories from Fat 10
Total Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 15mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 7%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Sugars 3g
Protein 3g
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 8%
Calcium 0%
Iron 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.


:bigjoint:

[Ironlung]

Tomatoes ..

Growing the Tomato

Planting and gardening in the proper moon phase is only a part of the formula to growing great tomato plants. To grow perfect tomatoes remember that the tomato plant is only ready and willing to deliver if you give it the full range of conditions that it requires.

Moon phase gardening is only a part of this cycle of growth. Once you have followed the lunar planting cycle, the continued hardiness of each tomato plant will be determined by the basic requirements outlined below.

Soil: The most important factor in the growth of tomato plants. Roots breathe the way you do. Deprived of air, roots, or portions of roots die of suffocation. Make sure soil is loose and friable, permitting good drainage for your tomato plants.

Water: Neither too much, nor too little. Too much water can drown tomato plant roots, especially if soil is heavy. Too little water can stop tomato production.

Nutrients: The daily requirements of tomato plants for nutrients is small, but that amount should be available when the plant needs it. Always follow package or bottle directions of the fertilizer that you use for best results as you grow your tomato plants.

Maintenance of the Tomato Garden

To produce a bumper crop of tomatoes you will need to monitor their progress throughout the growing cycle. The following points are critical to growing the perfect tomato.

Sunlight: To a plant, light is life. Sunlight is used by the leaves to convert raw materials into useable plant food, and provides the energy required for photosynthesis. The tomato should have 8 hours of continuous sunlight, but can get along with less. However the less sun that the plants receive the more it will negatively affect their rate of growth and production.

Temperature: Most tomatoes need night temperatures between 55° and 75° to set fruit. But there are varieties that will set fruit at lower and higher temperatures. Read the planting and growing tips found on your seed pack or plant tray.

Protection of leaves and roots: Leaves and roots need protection from temperature extremes, strong winds, birds and beasts, weed competition, and pests and diseases. But if you've satisfied the first five requirements, the plant is in a good position to protect itself from any damager, and will require much less protection from the gardener.

Growing the best tomatoes

You don't have to be a horticulturist to grow tomatoes or to put the basic rules of plant growth together. It seems to us that what trips up many a grower of tomatoes is a lack of concern with one or another of the needs of the plant. Actually, these fundamentals are one fundamental; all must act in unison.

You can go into the garden, look at a tomato plant, and decide that it needs more fertilizer. Fine-but you should bear in mind that fertilizing, the nature of the soil in which the tomato vine is planted, and your watering habits are all interdependent. If you plant a six-pack of the tomato variety recommended by your garden store, and all plants grow and produce well, you can count yourself lucky. But if your experience hasn't been all that successful, the preceding advice may be helpful.

:bigjoint:

[John Smith]

Alot of Veg comes from South America!

they have hundreds of different varieties of corn, they gave the world potatoes too, quite a big list comes from this part of the world.

Get yourself an allotment m8, best decision I made in a long time!
Cheap as chips, get your connection with the earth back!

You won't regret it, I PROMISE!!!!

[Ironlung]

Get yourself an allotment m8, best decision I made in a long time!
Cheap as chips, get your connection with the earth back!

You won't regret it, I PROMISE!!!!

:laugh: Im currently looking at a house in the country with 10 acres ;)

Im planing on getting out of the city asap..Hate it !.. Gotta selll the house 1st though :confused::puke:

Seems like i can grow sweetcorn , peas etc indoors though and also it seems they all flower at maturity no matter even if on 8 hours a day so they will be getting plenty more than that ;)

This will have to do till i can get my exit plans fixed :D :bigjoint:

[John Smith]

:laugh: Im currently looking at a house in the country with 10 acres ;)

Im planing on getting out of the city asap..Hate it !.. Gotta selll the house 1st though :confused::puke:

Seems like i can grow sweetcorn , peas etc indoors though and also it seems they all flower at maturity no matter even if on 8 hours a day so they will be getting plenty more than that ;)

This will have to do till i can get my exit plans fixed :D :bigjoint:

10 acres.....omg I'de be having wet dreams about poly tunnels and livestock if it was me, I envy you m8! Hope you get out, funny really Ive got a little escape plan gathering pace too but involves using my passport instead, hope someone buys your house mate, I think I can remember you saying about getting off the grid etc a while back, makes alot of sense to me what you were saying too, best of luck m8, cities have alot of people but lack alot of souls!

[Ganesha]

:laugh: Im currently looking at a house in the country with 10 acres ;)

Im planing on getting out of the city asap..Hate it !.. Gotta selll the house 1st though :confused::puke:

Seems like i can grow sweetcorn , peas etc indoors though and also it seems they all flower at maturity no matter even if on 8 hours a day so they will be getting plenty more than that ;)

This will have to do till i can get my exit plans fixed :D :bigjoint:

If you want to grow sweetcorn indoors you'll need a big growroom, surely? That stuff ain't exactly a 'lowryder' lol.

1o acres though, wow! That'd be my dream. I'd try to turn it into a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall style River Cottage affair. He's on Desert Island Discs on R4 this Sunday if anyone's interested. The man is a hero of mine, ie: the bastard's got my job!

[Ironlung]

hehe yeah lots of land huh .. but the place isnt that big... 2 bedroom but its just me , my gf and the dogs so.....

We plan on having a few horses etc as she grew up on farms and has won 100s of riding shows n stuff like that , ( i dont know too much about all the horse stuff tbh :laugh: )

May sound crazy but the 10acre plot and house im looking at is priced at £250,000 so its not as bad as people might think.. You just have to be prepared to give up your own house and the city for it really.. :)


As for indoor sweetcorn, ill be growing only 4 and in pots, They have already sprouted and are just under 2 inches tall... Planted them 4 days ago..
4 Cherry tomato plants have come up and 5 peas have sprouted to just over an inch :D

Just waiting for my hotscotch peppers to come up now :)

Its all just an experiment really so im not counting on anything execpt learning about more plants and expanding my knowledge a bit more :D

I will let you all see how it turns out though if you would like me too , Maybe indoor veg gardens will be a new thing :)

:bigjoint:

[Ganesha]

250 grand for a house & 10 acres? Sounds like a bargain to me. With a bit of time & effort it'll be the rural idyll you always longed for! :)

You are indeed a lucky man (albeit with a lot of hard work ahead to lick it into shape...)

I wish you every success in your endeavours.

[Ironlung]

250 grand for a house & 10 acres? Sounds like a bargain to me. With a bit of time & effort it'll be the rural idyll you always longed for! :)

You are indeed a lucky man (albeit with a lot of hard work ahead to lick it into shape...)

I wish you every success in your endeavours.

Thanks !!! :D:bigjoint:

The place will probably be gone by the time i get my place sold etc but i have my fingers crossed :laugh:

I'd settle for 3 - 5 acres at the same price :D or even a straight swap :laugh:

And yeah there will a lot of work that needs doing but it will be worth it if i can get it :D