Category Archives: Main Roof

Posts about plants on the main roof

Pineapple Mint

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IMG_7116Lots of pineapple mint came up this Spring all over the main rooftop.  The NE corner box which is being dismantled has a lot that need to be transplanted.  This container is supposed to just store potting mix for use next season.  I decided to plop some pineapple mint in it for the heck of it.  Over the next few weeks I’ll try and give away all the mint.  Mint is a nice invasive plant and one of the few plants that can survive winters in Zone 5 Chicago in conatiners.

This shot shows the surrounding neighborhood in sunset light.

Debris clumps

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IMG_7125Pineapple mint has taken over and has set up beach heads in several debris clumps.  Debris clumps are gatherings of old discarded potting mix and plant carcasses left on the roof surface to support whatever it is that can grow in that environment.  These have been discussed here in previous years.  Last year these clumps didn’t fare too well due to drought conditions.  I typically do not water them nor do  I seed them.  Whatever grows in them happens by sheer accident.  More of these will be shown as the season progresses.  The building in the background is a new feature this year.

Tomato Harvest Resumes

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Tomato harvest resumed yesterday (after more than a week) and while up there I picked a bunch of habeneros, eggplants and cucumbers.  The tomato plants are waning.  They still have mites.  Hopefully next year I can thwart the mites before they establish a colony because once established they seem impossible to eliminate.  I estimate the second harvest to last a week or so with about 8 or 9 tomatoes per plant (65-75 total tomatoes).  There is no more growth in the plants so after this they’re done for the year.  I’m not complaining about the tomatoes this year.  The morning glory vines however …. more on that later.

Update 9/11:  Harvested 15 more decent sized tomatoes today.  There might be an average of 10 greens/plant left so projected harvest might be more than 80 until the end of season.  Habeneros also are coming in as well as 9 large cucumbers.

Caged Position 4 Big Boy

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This is about the worst tomato so far with caged position 11, another Big Boy, being a close second.  This pic taken on 8/28.  Although it looks barren there still is healthy growth and second wave tomatoes.  The last harvest (8/29) was 7 good over two days and it looks like things are slowing down.   This might be the dividing line between first and second harvest.  Second harvest looks very probable but mites still present.

Update 9/2: Tiny two tomato harvest today which is first since 8/29 so the lull continues.

Tomato Second Growth

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Second growth on a Big Boy.  These tomatoes are over my head.  Had a decent harvest today but mostly scrub tomatoes, a couple good enough for slicing but most will be used for canning since they grew funny.  Some nice round green ones will be ready in a couple of days.  The 95F heat today is making the tomatoes ripen on the vine funny so I have started pulling them earlier to let them ripen inside.  The mites are still all over all plants.  The tomatoes are growing up as fast as the mites are eating from the bottom.   Hopefully next year I’ll be able to thwart the mites before they can establish a population.  Even at the height of these tomatoes you can see some dead foilage, victim of mites.