Growing Dome Update: End of May

We are at the end of May and it's like June or July in the Growing Dome. It got too warm inside for the sugar snow peas, so after several good stir fries and a yucky fibrous peas and carrot side dish, I decided to pull them out. I'm going to put some cukes in there instead.

It's time to add some water to the tank. I try to fill it to the bottom of the wood crossbar about every two weeks. In the winter it's about once a month. I'm wondering if I could raise tilapia in there.

The wind blew like crazy this past Memorial Day weekend, but inside the dome all is calm. Want a little tour?

The warm weather veggies are having a partay! They love how peaceful and nurturing it is in the dome. There is a little breeze when the vents are open, but they're not being beaten to death by the wind.

Way in the back near the reflective insulation are a baby basil plant and a tomato plant that wants the green beans out of there. This year I decided to succession plant the green beans, so I will pick a couple batches and then pull the plants out so the tomato back there has some room.

Some beans are forming on the early plants in the back.  Twining up the squiggly supports are the Poona Kheera cucumbers and just next to them are an Amy's Sugar Gem tomato plant, still small, and the second sowing of green beans which are as big as their earlier buddies. The cucumbers have blossoms and some teeny babies.

We bought these squiggly supports from a nursery in Angel Fire. I think they are kind of Seussian, as are the fuchsia colored tomato cages I found at Ace Hardware in Taos. If last year was any indication, the cukes will outgrow these supports, so I will tie twine to the ceiling for their continued march. Twine works well to keep cukes up off the ground.

Above is a shot of the tomato plants with their pretty cages that will probably need to be extended with twine, later in the season. The tomatoes have babies. The one on the left in the corner is a cherry I bought in Albuquerque in March and the other one is a mysterious volunteer. I can't bear to waste them, so here it is, looking good. The yellow zucchini are blooming and I ate the first one last night.

It's freaking May in Northern New Mexico and I have zucchini! Yay!

Probably because the temp in here is a nice 84 degrees F at 10 in the morning.

On the other side of the dome I have seeded lettuce, planted a Cherokee Purple tomato as well as another volunteer tomato plant, variety to be determined. There are some Dinosaur Kale, jalapenos, Big Jim New Mexican chiles, a Mexibell pepper, and yellow bell pepper planted on the east side. There is a Stupice tomato plant, lemon thyme, basil, scallions, and another couple tomato plants in Earth Boxes in front of the tank. When I get the last Earth Box planted, I will take a photo of them, too.

It's going to be a great planting season and this year we will do our best to keep out roving cows and other varmints!

Speaking of varmints, Ms. Pearl wants you to know that she didn't leave this gopher head (or the pile of guts Tom stepped in) on the rug. It was Miss Bonnie the stone cold killer.