July 1st, 2014
I will be adding to this particular post with additional photographs and writings in relationship to my gardening here in Qaqortoq this year.
The biggest thing we have here in Qaqortoq which is in the Southern part of Greenland is slightly warmer temperatures and I mean slightly and the load of sun we get. North of the Arctic circle the sun shines 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In the Southern part of Greenland, we get about 22 hours of sunlight. So having said that, the sun shining that many hours does have an advantage. I have noticed that plants that had just started turning green, would be flowering a week later at an amazing rate! It’s like they jump several days from seedling stage to full blown flowering stage within a few days.
One of the biggest problems I’m currently experiencing is the fact that the soil outside seems to be too cold for seedlings to pop from seeds so therefore it’s taking entirely to long to pop from the soil. So right now I’m probably a month behind those that know how to get around that here. I’m learning as I go along because I’m from Florida. In Florida one knows when to plant seeds outdoors because we know when the colder temperatures will totally be gone. Here though it’s very different. If there is several days of sunshine with little to no Northerly winds, then the soil can warm up enough to pop seeds. If the wind is blowing, then I can forget it.
Yesterday I went to the hardware store to pick up some plastic. I am going to water my little planting bed tomorrow and then cover the top side with plastic along with the fishnet for protection and see if I can’t heat up the bed enough to make the seeds go ahead and pop.
I’m really wanting to have some fresh Mustard Greens and Spinach and Lettuce.
Inside I am growing two tomato vines in one very large pot. I have to say that these two tomato vines has grown at an exceedingly fast rate within two rates not to mention flower and set fruit already.
The plants had doubled in size within that two week period, started flowering with me shaking the blossoms to self pollinate and then discover about four days ago very small fruits already set on the plant.
Today when I looked at them, the small fruits had already doubled in size. I am so hoping they will be tasty once they reach the size they should make and start ripening.
Of course the hours the sun shines will also start to decrease probably by the end of this month so I am hoping to have two vines loaded down with tomatoes before that occurs. What amazes me the most though is the fact the tomatoes have grown so quickly already.
I will start adding to this particular blog post every Tuesday till the garden is covered again in snow as well as giving a weekly account of my two tomato vines. We will be renovating our house soon and one of the things that will get added is some additional windows and I am very excited about that because that means I can have additional space for growing indoor tomato plants and also a chance to test a theory on whether I can grow bell peppers indoors as well. I am encouraged so far by what has happened with the tomato vines. Lets just hope the fruits stay on the vine and not rot but do what they are supposed to do.
July 2nd, 2014
Today I went out to check on the garden bed and I finally see some seedlings popping their new seedling leaves from below.
I am so excited because once they start getting a good growth on them, it won’t be long and we will be eating from the small garden.
I also took some new photographs of the two tomato vines today as well. More new fruit and some new flowers.
I am a little concerned that I only see two more flushes of flowers that will come soon.
The whole bottom half of the plant has no flowers or fruit.
I really hope this is not a bad sign to say this is all that the plant will grow. I need to pick up some
Update coming soon. Hope you liked the photographs.
Oh I wanted to add a couple of extra photographs not related to the gardening part because I think they are awesome and I wanted to just share.
Colors and nature go hand in hand. Everywhere there is colors, some brighter than others. I think blossoms are the most unique thing that comes from nature other than specific land masses like icebergs and ice caps.
Living Greenland 