There's a Nip in the Air and Conclusions

There is no doubt that it is officially autumn.  When I left for work this morning at 6 am it was only 2 degrees Celsius, barely above freezing.  There are quite a few barren-esk (I take the liberty to make my own word here) trees in the city already.  Rumour has it it is more to do with an abnormally dry fall than the temperatures or the decreasing day light hours.  

Maples are showing off their striking frocks, celebrating the briskness of the air, while the Pink Diamond Hydrangea is now truly pink.  The peonies leaves are vibrant in red and the deep purple of the Schubert Chokecherry is a strong contrast juxtaposed with the yellow foliage of the neighbouring trees.  It is beautiful, no doubt, as every season has its beauty.  Last week we had day time temperatures near and just above 30 degrees Celsius.  Today it is only 18 with a strong cool wind, another contrast that marks the change of seasons.  To everything...turn, turn, turn.......

While you are here, please be sure to drop by for a visit with Glenda at Tootsie Time to see what's new in her neck of the woods as she hosts Fertilizer Friday/Flaunt Your Flowers.

In case you were wondering, my Endless Summer Hydrangea did not flower this year though it grew to almost double its size of last year.  As you may recall I moved it to a sunny bed where it grows luxuriously, though it wilts during the heat of the day.  Perhaps next year will be the year it decides to bloom again.  Fingers crossed.

Paper Pots Product Trial Update:  I found this to be a satisfactory planting solution for my Lemon Boy Tomato.  The plant grew tall and healthy, produced a few good tasty fruit, and is still going strong.  If it weren't for the tendency to retain moisture, which isn't a good thing when you are beating rainfall records, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it.  If it holds up, I will try it again next year but will add a few drainage holes to see if it works better.  All in all, I was pleased with this product.

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.

Product Trial: Paper Pots Update

It's been about a month since I planted this "Lemon Boy" tomato in this paper pot.  See my initial post here.  The tomato plant has grown well and has the beginnings of flowers.  One problem I am seeing is the yellowing lower leaves.  With all the rain we have received over the last month, this plant is suffering in this pot.  Because the bag is coated with a plastic like finish, the excess water has nowhere to go.  

Luckily the last few days have been sunny, more or less, and the soil has had a bit of a chance to dry out. However, we have more rain forecast for this weekend too.  I'll see how the plant does.  I really don't want to have to abandon the trial and remove the plant to another location.  Fingers crossed for a full season in this paper pot.  I will keep you updated once a month on the progress.  

Product Trial: Paper Pots

 I received this item a while ago to try out.   It's called Paper Pots:  the Perfect Patio Planter.  It is made of paper yes, but has a coating on the inside which makes it durable and leak proof.  It is just a rectangle bag and I wondered how it would stand and be stable.  Not to worry, once the soil is in place, the Paper Pot stands flat and stable.

This photo came with the Paper Pot and demonstrates the finished product.  You may fold down or cut the top to suit your needs, I chose to fold it down.

Here's mine planted with a lemon boy tomato.  The Paper Pot is quite large.  I filled it with a 28.3 L (4.8 kgor 10.6 lb) bag of soil, though it could hold a bit more. Stay tuned, I will let you know how I like this product in future posts.  For more information on this product see Paper Pots.