Scamperings

Most of the plants I brought indoors are now on trays under lights. I need to find a simple set of fixtures, lights, and cords that I can use to put more light onto the "plant islands" from various directions.

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I chopped up all the green tomatoes and am fermenting them. 250 g went into a sort of chow chow inspired jar, equal parts green tomato, daikon radish, and green cabbage leaves, with garlic, celery, mustard seeds, and 2% salt by vegetable weight. The remaining 1600 g went into a big jar with 2% salt and nothing else. There are also about 8 tomatoes that have decided they're going to ripen instead of staying green. Maybe some late salsa.

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This evening I composted all the dead plants from the front yard containers and sorted the pots into occupied/unoccupied for the spring. They're mostly moved up against the porch so they don't get salt-laden sidewalk snow shoveled onto them. Rain barrel is emptied lest it freeze and crack, hoses are drained and disconnected. Thermostat is set, although not in use yet. I'm going to hold off on plasticking windows until I can get a read on whether they're actually any colder than our walls, which I don't think are well-insulated. Maybe we can put up gauzy curtains instead, which should help prevent convection currents without making the windows unopenable on the occasional warm day.

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I discovered that the sweet potato I planted on a lark has produced a second tuber. It sounds like they won't overwinter even underground here (unless planted really deep, I guess?) so I've brought those in. I'll see if I can grow one of them as a houseplant for the winter. They want heat and sun, but maybe they'll creep along OK in dim and cold conditions.