Product Trial: Paper Pots Update August 15, 2011

Paper Pot Product Trial planted with Lemon Boy Tomato

The Paper Pot Trial is going fairly well.  Compared to the other tomato plants in nearby containers, its fruit has grown larger faster but the plant seems rather sparse.

Lemon Boy Tomatoes

Lemon Boy is the tomato plant of choice and here you can see it is beginning to ripen.  Last week we finally received summer like temperatures, 24-29 Celsius, and this has been a huge assistance to fruit production and ripening.  I am somewhat disappointed at the number of fruit on this tomato plant and the sparseness of the foliage. 

My fail here is that I had only one Lemon Boy Tomato plant so I cannot compare similar varieties of tomatoes.  Those in the other pots are Roma Tomatoes and they are very bushy with multiple fruits.  Still the trial continues.

If this paper pot is in reusable condition next year, I may try perforating it in a few places for drainage in case we have a wet spring and summer again.  I wonder, though, if that would affect the integrity and stability of the product?

Roma Tomatoes

Note:  all tomato plants received the same fertilizer regimen and were watered the same.

Fall Kaleidoscope

Lemon Boy tomatoes are ripening indoors after risk of frost

I can't believe it, I thought to myself this morning as I turned yet another calendar page.  Another month has passed and autumn looms right around the corner.  It's impending visit is evidenced everywhere.  In the red, orange and yellow hues that have taken the place of the once green foliage.  My neighbour's Amur Maple shrub is already shimmering in her new autumn foliage.  The mums are blooming, the foliage of ash trees are turning yellow, and yes, there are even leaves falling!  Too soon, I say!  Where did summer go?  Did it even arrive?  July and August have been unseasonably wet and much cooler here than one would expect.  Last year on this day, Edmonton was 28 Celsius, today is forecasted to be 14 Celsius!  Half as warm as last year!  Huh!

amur maple in fall dress                                                                             Pink Diamond Hydrangea

Viburnum "Snowball" and yellow dwarf barberry touched with fall colour

Samaras on my amur maple tree are reddening nicely

European Mountain Ash berries ripening to orange

Even the Young's Twisted Weeping Birch is joining in the autumn ball

I'm not ready for autumn but I can't hold it back so I may as well enjoy it beginning now with this kaleidoscope of reds, yellows and oranges mingling amongst the green.