Solargrow Blog

Welcome to the Solargrow Blog...

A few weeks ago we planted Beans and tomatoes (Rosada and Cristal) in the first Solargrow.

In the second we planted Corno de Toro Peppers.

You will be able to see the progress the plants make week-by-week and we will be sharing tips along the way. You will also be able to see how much you can expect to harvest using one of the Solargrow kits.

Entry 1- 10/05/2010- 17/05/2010

Tallest Plant- 10 cm (beans)

The newly planted beans are coming on really well, already reaching 10cm.

The tomato plants which were planted a few weeks ago are also growing big and strong with the tallest plant at 116 cm high and showing two green fruit.

The first truss on the Roasada is just setting, with the first truss on the Cristal already flowering.

The Chillis are also growing really well, with the tallest plant at 73cm and three flowers showing. We have tied the plants to a frame for extra support whilst they are growing

Entry 2- 17/05/2010- 25/05/2010

Tallest Plant-136cm (Cristal Tomato)

Well what a change in the weather we have had this week. With it getting a lot warmer we have had to top up our systems a lot more than usual as everything is growing quick and using a lot of water.

Sadly in our Solargrow we lost our bean plants this week which never recovered from the cold spell lastweek. However, we have sown some more and hope to see these coming along great in the next few weeks now that the weather is getting warmer.

However, our tomatoes are coming along great, with the Cristal shooting up and the Rosada showing its 3^rd truss.

We now also have 10 flowers showing on our sweet pepper plant which is now 90cm tall.

Entry 3- 03.06.2010 Tallest Plant- 157cm (Cristal) It’s been a pleasure to grow this week with the weather being lovely and giving us plenty of sunshine, which has lead to a rapid growth of our all our plants. However, it is important in weather this warm to make sure your systems are topped up regularly as they seem to use a lot more water in these warmer climes. You might also want to think about shading your greenhouse to avoid overheating your plants, depending on the position of your greenhouse. This week our tomato plants have really started to bloom due to the warm weather, with the Cristal plant shooting up to 157cm and its first fruit starting to ripen. We have also seen the first fruits starting to form on our peppers, although a few flowers have dropped off which is normal with this variety.
Entry 4- 11.06.2010 Tallest Plant- 173cm (Cristal) As you can see from our picture, we have been able to harvest our frist Tomato from our Hydrogrow this week! And the other fruits on the plant have also swelled up ready to ripen, so we should be harvesting many more this week. We also have flowers opening on the 11th truss and plenty of new fruits forming. In the peppers Hydrogrow, we have 4 small fruit formed, and at 149 cm tall now, we should see some fruit swelling up and ripening very soon.
Entry 5- 20.06.2010 Tallest Plant 194- Cristal Tomato. After the cold spell killing off our beans in the Solargrow we have now grown another plant and it is coming along great, at 27cm, and is starting to flower. In our tomato Solargrows the first fruit are just starting to ripen and we hope to harvest some delicious tomatoes soon. The Solargrow growing the Corno de Torro pepper is also doing well with a height of 151cm, 12 new fruits setting in the past week and the biggest fruit at 20cm long.
Entry 6- 30.06.2010 Tallest Plant- 210 Cristal After the cold frost damaged our bean plants they have now made a full recovery and are a fabulous 32cm tall. The peppers in the Solargrow are also starting to ripen and should ready for the picking any day now. The tomatoes plants are still ripening great and harvesting fab, setting one truss each week, with the Cristal plant at a huge 210cm tall. It is also essential that you keep on top of side shooting at this time to ensure your plant receives all the nutrients possible. It is also important to remove lower leaves to allow light to lower fruit.
Entry 7- 16.09.2010 Tallest Plant- 216cm Cristal The tomato plants in our Solargrow are now starting to settle at the height they are at. This means that all the plants energies are concentrating on creating tasty fruit, which we can not wait to harvest and eat. We are continuing to tie up the plants to support them and side shoot to keep the plants energy and nutrients in the main stem. The peppers are also really starting to bloom now and should ripen soon ready to harvest.
Entry 8- 23.07.2010 Tallest Plant- 240cm Cristal The tomato plants growing in the Solargrow have grown up to 22cm this week and we are still harvesting some delicious fruits. We continue to side shoot and tie in the plants as they grow to keep them strong and healthy.
Entry 9- 04.08.10 The tomatoes are still setting new trusses, whilst the fruit of the San Marzano are almost perfectly ripe. This is an excellent variety and will make some lovely sauce this week. The Corno de Torro pepper has produced some incredible size fruit in excess of 20cm long. The first one is beautifully ripe and has been picked today.