Readjust, relocate, revise, acclimate and other such synonymical verbs

So, there have been changes. Along with a lot of learning, some mistakes, a blunder or two...also each moment with joy hidden in it, if only I knew where to look and was willing to look---  there, I've defined life.

Firstly, the blunder of not reacting to aphids right away. The cucumber is still bearing the brunt. Not dead, but not in sparkling health either. 'It's never too late' and 'never give up' were the learnings. Consequently, the cleaning and exposure to direct sunlight led to the movement of zucchinis/ water-melon out into the soil under open skies. Incidentally, the French bean has joined them for similar reasons. Also because it already has begun to fruit.

                                                      

Using a soft wet cloth to clean each leaf of the affected plants inside the green-house (namely the two bell-peppers and the three varieties of chillies apart from the cucumber), has really proved effective--laborious, but effective. Here's the underside of a red bell-pepper leaf with aphids yesterday morning. 

I gave it a gentle scrub with the cloth. This is how it looked the same evening.

And this is how, this morning. The aphids are back, but in a much dwindled strength. Needless to say, I've repeated the process today too.

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All the more needless to say, I'd clean them again and again and again till we get back to a completely disease free environment.

And then the mistake of planting the two tomato plants (Suhyana, the bigger one and Cherry tomato, the smaller one), the way I did. The Suhyana housed in a grow-bed has grown to be a tall boy. It's reached my chest level (I'm 5' 8") and just beginning to flower. So it may continue to grow even taller. This grow-bed was placed along the long edge of the igloo shaped greenhouse (with it's ceiling the lowest at the sides and gently rising towards the centre). As it grew the plant began to seriously jut into the green-house frame. So now, I've moved the grow bed to the centre of the structure, hoping that the vertical space atop the still growing plant proves enough.

As far as the Cherry tomato goes, I was naive enough to believe that the small size of the tomato would be a result of a small sized plant too (and so, I'd planted it into the raft system). Two things have now happened. One, the plant just continues to grow. The raft is not designed to house plants that tall.

Two, the nutrient solution used in a raft system is of the 'Grow' type (implying it's good for plants in the process of growing only and NOT flowering). The moment a plant begins to flower, its nutrient requirements undergo a subtle change. These are catered to by a 'Bloom' type nutrient solution. None of the greens in the raft system (namely spinach, swiss chard, basil, lettuce, methi, oregano etc) really flower. While, the cherry tomato has now begun to flower. 

Thus, I realise that it has to move out of the raft system. Easier said than done. For, the plant was literally well-'entrenched' as seen...

So, with a heavy-heart, a sound mind and lips trembling with prayer the cherry tomato has been uprooted from the raft and transplanted into a grow bed. Major major change. I'd keep all of us posted on how it progresses from here. Before I go, a peek at the greens in the raft systems.