Sixth & Final Week Update! (August 9, 2023)

Hello everyone! 

As I write my last update post, I can proudly say that my sugar baby watermelon plants are doing even better than they were last week! They have grown even taller and now both of them have opened up. Funny enough, the plant on the left actually outgrew the one on the right! I told you he would catch up... 

When I got the seeds, my professor told me that the plants would start to grow around close objects like cement posts and fences- and by the end of their cycle, they could take up an entire patio if they could! Why I say this is that I noticed that the plants have ever so slightly started to bend towards the patio rails... It will be so cool to see them start to grow around the rails in a few weeks time! 

Anyway, sadly I am going to have to close the blog here. It's been a lot of fun growing some seeds (something other than studying for organic chemistry), and I look forward to checking in on my watermelon plants and their growth. Hopefully this blog encouraged you to grow your own plants! 

Signing off, 

Sadie 💚

Fifth Week Update (August 6, 2023)

Hi again everyone! 

I am happy to report that my sugar baby watermelon plants are doing fantastic! 

There are now two sprouts growing that look extremely strong. The sprout on the right is taller than the one on the left, and has even began to open up, while the one on the left is still closed. He will get there, though! I am really happy with how they are doing, especially with the torrential downpour that Gainesville has been experiencing recently. I can't wait until I can enjoy the mini melons they will produce! T-minus approximately 85 days...

Until next time, 

Sadie 

Fourth Week Update (July 30, 2023)

Hi guys! 

I am finally coming to you all with some great news! Upon deciding to call it quits with my original ground cherry plant, my professor gave me some new seeds to grow and... so far I have seen amazing progress! 

Wait- before I forget to tell you, I am no longer growing cherries... My professor gave me some watermelon "sugar baby" seeds so that's what I'll be documenting for the next while. The end result should be mini watermelons in approximately 95 days. I'm keeping them in the same spot as my ground cherries (with not too much sun or shade) right next to my boyfriend's cherry plants. 

   

         

So far, it's only been about two days since I planted the watermelon seeds and there has already been a strong and sturdy green sprout! Hopefully, my plant will keep growing this way. My professor mentioned that if all goes to plan, my plant will grow some crazy vines and take up a lot of space throughout the process. I'm super excited to see what will happen with my new seeds! 

Until next time :) 🍉

Sadie 

Third Week Update (July 23, 2023)

Hey again! 

I wish I had some better news for this week's update, but it turns out that my ground cherry plant hasn't gotten any better... After continuing to water it by checking the moisture of the soil and also keeping it out of direct sunlight, there doesn't seem to be any hope. And want to know the weirdest thing? My boyfriend's plant (he is also growing his own ground cherry plant) is doing fine! It's actually doing great- he has a few sprouts that are green and lively. Totally not fair! 

(My boyfriend's plant versus my plant)

I have decided to ask for more seeds to start fresh again- hopefully I can figure out what happened to my plant this time around before I begin to grow my next set of seeds.

Until next time, 

Sadie 

Second Week Update (July 14, 2023)

Remember how I said that things were looking up in my last post? Well... 

It seems as though my ground cherry plant isn't looking too great this week. After my last post, I added the fertilizer to the pot. I sprinkled it in the soil around the little sprout, but made sure that the fertilizer beads didn't directly touch it. I then decided to water it because the soil was getting pretty dry to the touch. 

I thought my little plant would still be growing tall, but instead it looked completely wilted and had a camouflaging brown hue to it. The culprit? My guess is the extreme heat that Gainesville has been experiencing. I try my best to keep the plant hydrated, but even I can't sit outside for long periods of time without having to go into the A/C! Hopefully things will look up next week. If not, I might have to plant some brand new seeds...

Until next time, Sadie 

Welcome to Ground Cherry Blog & First Week Update (July 5, 2023)

Hi everyone! 

My name is Sadie and I'm currently taking a fun class this summer where one of my main semester projects is to grow and take care of a ground cherry plant! I've never grown a cherry plant before, but so far everything is looking up! 

Right now, my ground cherry plant is situated under the shade on my partner's back patio. The plant never gets direct sunlight even during the day, but still receives sufficient light overall and is protected from direct impact of any rain as it's located in a corner. 

Although this spot may seem ideal, its potential drawbacks mainly have to do with the harsh weather that Gainesville, Florida has been getting this summer. By that, I mean the extreme heat during the day to the torrential downpour at night. Although the plant is shaded, temperatures in the high 90s and even into the 100s (Fahrenheit) may affect the growth of my plant, and heavy rain could cause flooding to the patio (as it is located on the ground level). 

During the first week, the pot showed no signs of any kind of growth. However, I came back from my small summer break pleasantly surprised to find a single, tall sprout! My anxieties of any potential flooding that may have killed the plant vanquished. As of now, I'll continue watering the plant every other day while also checking the moisture of the soil with my hands.

Now that the plant has began to grow, my next step in this process is to add fertilizer (which I'll document in my next blog post). 

Until then, I hope you have a 'plantastic' day! (I had to...)

Sadie