Wrap up for 2012 ...Finally

Overall 2012 was a great success on the rooftop. Tomatoes and peppers were prolific other than the Brandy Wine. Cucumbers and zucchini had very poor yield. Because my sister and niece both grown zucchini in containers I don't think the container is this issue per se - it may be lack of nutrients (more on this later) or the wind on the roof. I'm not giving up on them yet and will try again this year!

On a whim I also grew a shallot - which was massive, one half of it was nearly as big as my rather large coffee cup!

I put the water soluble fertilizer into the float bucket and because of how the buckets were connected to the irrigation system the first two tomato plants (which were connected in series) got more fertilizer than other plants. I think this might have been the problem with the Brandy Wine tomato and the zucchini & cucumbers.

We - and by we I mean Martin has fixed this problem so that fertilizer gets distributed evenly hoping that in 2013 I might finally overcome my total failure at zucchini and cucumbers! 

The Nat's Squash

Hey Nat - here's your butternut squash. You should come visit it some time ;-).

Butternut Squash

Ultra Girl places 1st in Toronto Tomato Olympics

I harvested my first two tomatoes this morning, two ultra girls from separate plants. It was too tempting so I cut a slice and taste one - it's a small to medium sized fruit with low acid and mild flavour. The best tomato I have tasted since the rooftop harvest ended last year!

First Ultra Girls and Sheppard Pepper

In addition, I counted 9 yellow peppers on one of the plants. It's hard to believe because it has barely more than 9 leaves! I'm expecting a bumper crop.

Fruit laden and beginning to ripen - yellow peppers

Some plants seemed to have suffered during our prolonged heat wave. One brandywine plant blossoms all looked fried. I thought it could be either lack of nutrients, lack of pollination, or heat stroke. The pollination doesn't seem to be the problem though since most other plants have been pollinated. I can't deal with the heat stroke - other than to provide ample water. So I added eggs shells and fertilizer to everything last week. The struggling brandywine now has new blossoms on it so we'll see what transpires. All the other tomato varietals are doing well with lots of fruit and blossoms.

You go (Ultra) Girl!

The new irrigation system has been put to the test over the last week with the temperatures reaching 36.3 C on Friday afternoon. We went up to the rooftop Saturday once the heat wave had subsided and according to my cheapo handheld water meter (which is nonetheless quite useful) all of the buckets had adequate water supply. The plants are growing well with loads of blossoms as well as fruit coming on several. I harvested more cucumber and zucchini and it looks like the first tomato is likely to be and Ultra Girl... you go girl!

First cucumber and zucchini :-)

I harvested my first cucumber (delicious) and zucchini (haven't tasted it yet). More of these to come as there are lots of blossoms. It's nice to have a cucumber that has some flavour!

Patiently waiting

It's quite tantalizing because we've had dinner in the back yard several evenings and we can see the leafy green growth peeking at us from the rooftop. We've had a heat wave in Toronto this week mid 30s with humidex into the 40s and I'm happy to report that the irrigation system has proven itself - it's great not to have to go up to the roof in that heat merely to top up the water (thank you Martin!). I went up this morning and everything looks fantastic, lot's of green leafy growth on the tomatoes and the ones I replanted last weekend are settling in very well.

Tomatoes at varying sizes - largest are Ultra Girl then Principe Borghese

Brandywines

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Zucchini and cucumbers will likely be ready in the next few days.

1 Cucumber, many blossoms

3 Zucchini, more blossoms

You say courgette, I say zucchini...

Last year my mother in-law had to ask Martin what a zucchini was. I find it interesting that in Canada we have adopted the Italian word while the English have adopted the French word. Regardless of what you call it, these plants are splendid when in bloom and produce a pretty yummy end product too!

Zucchini vying for first-past-the-post position

You can't even see the 2" seedling!

This week included some replanting for two reasons. First, I had planted San Marzano seeds too late (March rather than January) so the seedlings were still only 2" tall. Martin thinks I'm ruthless but I had to replace them with 6" tall Romas. Secondly,  two early girls where cut off at the knees either due to high winds or getting knocked by the roofers.  The Early Girls, which were coming along quite well, have been replanted from plants that I bought in 4 pack so I planted the two spares that I still had on hand.

Reach for the top you Cucumbers

The cucumber is coming along well and I have put an old tomato cage and some netting to encourage it to climb up. I honestly haven't had much luck with cucumbers before so am still experimenting. It's not a great picture ( I took it with my iPhone) but there are several blossoms and some wee cucumbers coming.

Lastly, we were pretty disappointed by the cancellation of the Radiohead concert last night and due to the collapse of the stage which resulted in a lost life and several injuries- very sad.