Erected the industrial shelf outside the kitchen window today. Daughter helped me stake about 10 tomato plants and move them out to the shelves. Kind of a balance. Night temps still getting rather cool but no frost. However, plants being exposed to full sun most of the day will probably accelerate their growth. I will have to watch them for signs of sun scald.
By the size some of these are now, I expect to have fruit within six weeks, depending on ripening time. Unless a late cold spell comes in, going to give them 1-2 weeks to harden off, then plant these first vines out into the garden.
Daughter also helped me build and paint a bat house today. We decorated it in our own style, with silhouettes of bats and signs saying, "Bat Hotel". Good size but not huge. Three "rooms". I'll mount it on the east side of the shed tomorrow. That gives it eastern and southern sun, so it warms early in the day, will stay warm late in the year but gets afternoon shade, so it doesn't overheat. We used no paint on the inside. Instead, we used aged wood with natural grooves, so to make chemical odor less likely to keep them away.
I still need to establish a water feature in the back yard. While bats will roost within 1/4 mile of water (which is present in two directions), bees, butterflies and hummingbirds like water closer. And the bats are more likely to roost with water in the immediate area. I eventually plan on building a waterfall but for now, think we'll go with something simple and cheap. Like a cut off plastic bucket with rocks, which I can fill with well water.
By the size some of these are now, I expect to have fruit within six weeks, depending on ripening time. Unless a late cold spell comes in, going to give them 1-2 weeks to harden off, then plant these first vines out into the garden.
Daughter also helped me build and paint a bat house today. We decorated it in our own style, with silhouettes of bats and signs saying, "Bat Hotel". Good size but not huge. Three "rooms". I'll mount it on the east side of the shed tomorrow. That gives it eastern and southern sun, so it warms early in the day, will stay warm late in the year but gets afternoon shade, so it doesn't overheat. We used no paint on the inside. Instead, we used aged wood with natural grooves, so to make chemical odor less likely to keep them away.
I still need to establish a water feature in the back yard. While bats will roost within 1/4 mile of water (which is present in two directions), bees, butterflies and hummingbirds like water closer. And the bats are more likely to roost with water in the immediate area. I eventually plan on building a waterfall but for now, think we'll go with something simple and cheap. Like a cut off plastic bucket with rocks, which I can fill with well water.
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