Tag: GrowTower

Saturday (14-September-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

I harvested the carrots and scallions from the top level of GrowTower #1. I was surprised how big some of the carrots were as the seed packet said miniature carrots. I had also planted some garlic cloves that started to sprout in the kitchen. A few developed into heads of garlic. An opossum managed eat my remaining Tomatillos so I ended up buying a bunch from Clifford Family Farm at the Montgomery Farmers market. I use the Tomatillos along with the hot peppers from my GrowTowers to make Salsa Verde. With too many carrots, I may try incorporating carrots into the Salsa. So far the air dancer scarecrow seems to be keeping the deer out of the wildflower meadows. As soon as the deer hear or see the air dancer they start running.

Carrots, Scallions, Garlic, Hot Peppers from Grow Tower #1. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 23 mm f/2 lens (ISO 125, 23 mm, f/2, 1/50 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Carrots, Scallions, Garlic, Hot Peppers from Grow Tower #1. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 23 mm f/2 lens (ISO 125, 23 mm, f/2, 1/50 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Tomatillos from the Farmers Market. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 23 mm f/2 lens (ISO 200, 23 mm, f/2.2, 1/50 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Tomatillos from the Farmers Market. Image taken with a Leica CL camera and 23 mm f/2 lens (ISO 200, 23 mm, f/2.2, 1/50 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Fawn with spots eating grass. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 800, 94 mm, f/4.8, 1/100 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Fawn with spots eating grass. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 800, 94 mm, f/4.8, 1/100 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Fawn and Doe leaving after hearing the Air Dancer Scarecrow. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 800, 144 mm, f/5.3, 1/100 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)
Fawn and Doe leaving after hearing the Air Dancer Scarecrow. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 800, 144 mm, f/5.3, 1/100 sec). (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (41.8 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (24.4 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Clouds most of the day and starting to get warmer again. The Geothermal HVAC was only on for a short time. Overall a net deficit of 17.4 kWh.

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Friday (13-September-2019) — New Jersey

Backyard Summertime Nature in New Jersey.

As the nights are getting cooler, it is getting near the end of the growing season for vegetables in my GrowTowers. Today I have taken pictures of all of the different types of peppers that I have grown this year. Some of the pepper leaves are turning yellow, so I probably should have added some fertilizer mid-summer. Other things that have done well in the GrowTowers are carrots and scallions (on the top), various lettuces, kale, and swiss chard. Early in the season I had some broccoli, and three cabbage. Later on the insects got the broccoli, and the cabbage got to be too big for the GrowTowers. I am still getting basil, but the dill were all eaten by Tiger Swallowtail caterpillars. I also planted three types of strawberries. Some of the plants are still producing fruit, and I have many strawberry runners that I need to cut and replant. I need to figure out how to protect the GrowTowers with the strawberry plants over the winter. I now have two air-puppet Scarecrows guarding the wildflower meadows. So far the deer are staying out (although they completely destroyed one rear sections with Sunflowers).





Individual images from all of the slideshows can be viewed in my PhotoShelter gallery here.

Late season strawberry. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens + 1.4x teleconverter. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Late season strawberry. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens + 1.4x teleconverter. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Late season strawberry flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens + 1.4x teleconverter. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Late season strawberry flower. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens + 1.4x teleconverter. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Doe and two fawns. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens + 1.4x teleconverter. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Doe and two fawns. Image taken with a Fuji X-H1 camera and 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens + 1.4x teleconverter. (DAVID J MATHRE)

Daily Electric Energy Used (39.3 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (37.5 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Clouds most of the day and cooler, so no need for the Geothermal HVAC. Overall a net deficit of 1.8 kWh.

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