Short depressing post

The tomatoes have died.  I tried everything I could think of.  I gave them  bigger (dollar store) pots (perhaps they wanted Nordstrom pots???) I gave them artificial light, natural light, kept them warm, exposed them to wind, watered them, fertilized them.  In the end, they needed to go outside, they were getting and ugly yellow, and I was losing 1 tomato a day, just withering away.  It was pathetic and depressing.

So I took the plunge and planted them outside on Sunday, the weather was nice-ish, and I covered them with a hoop house.  I amended the soil and plunked the 10 survivors down into the nice warm soil.  I watered them, then said a quick prayer.

Yesterday, no improvement, but no lost plants.  Since no negative is a positive, I had hopes.  Hopes that were dashed today.

I checked on them, and all were worse off then when I put them in.  If this were intensive care, the MD would order life support shut off.  I am now preparing to purchase tomatoes again this year.

I hate this, I can grow them from seed, under the lights, to a proper plant out size, but with the weather we have, I had to go long indoors.  What I wouldn't give for a greenhouse.  Not sure if that's the answer, but it's the only thing I could have done different.

Now I have Watermelon and Cantaloupe that are vining indoors, and really, I mean really need to go out, but I am freaked about the weather being this cold, and what it will do.  I set up a hoop house over the bed, but after the tomatoes, not sure if this will be enough.

I hope that the cool weather will just slow down the growth of the melons, and that they can hold on for warmer weather...but deep down, I know that by sending them out, I condemn them to withering away...just like the tomatoes.

Heck, if it weren't for the chickens, I don't know if I could call this a homestead.  Yes, I do have cool weather crops coming up; Lettuce, Kale, Swiss Chard, Beets, Spinach, Peas so all is not lost.  And while the calendar says it is May 3, I could still plant tomatoes and transplant in 6 weeks.  Likewise, if the melons don't survive, they to could be re-started now.  It isn't ideal, but it's better than not having anything at all.

Perhaps, I needed this little pep-post to right my ship.

Tomorrow I start new tomato seeds, and melon seeds (just in case.) Hopefully my wife will let me have the light shelf back, she's using it for sunflowers.  Nope, just asked, well, the peppers will have to share then won't they.