Tomatoes in December and a Primrose Bonanza

Through thorough insulation and the use of a small propane heater on nights that go below 30 degrees, we have been successful in maintaining growth in our mint, parsley and tomato beds, as well as some of the strawberry plants. As I worked in the greenhouse this evening I harvested a handful of cherry tomatoes from the somewhat struggling vines. Today we went shopping for some nitrogen absorbers. In other words, our fish are outstripping our vegetation. I have become familiar with the cold hardiness of primroses, mostly as I enter and leave the Provo LDS Temple where the winter plants of choice are the hardy little plants that almost seem overcome by a sharp frost or deep layer of snow, but which bounce back as soon as warmth returns, providing a green ground cover in the winter and giving a lovely floral display in early spring. Although so far I have avoided floral plants in favor of fruits, vegetables and herbs, our trout are growing and as they grow, they eat more and provide more plant food. Without an adequate amount of vegetation, they will end up with too much nitrogen in their water. Cooks nursery in Orem, west of the 1600 North interchange had mostly indoor plants and poinsettias for sale, however we found some flourishing primrose plants in a cool corner of a heated greenhouse. We placed them in the rain gutters that I used for float trays in the summer. I was pleasantly surprised to pay only a little over a dollar a plant for 18 plants.

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Primroses Are Edible!

I felt like I had made a compromise when I added primroses to the greenhouse solely because they are winter hardy and provide a nitrogen absorber. Their efficacy has been proven by the smell test. With a proper balance of plants and fish, the air smells fresh. I decided to do some further research. I discovered that both the leaves and blossoms of the primrose plant are edible, having a taste ranging from mild lettuce to the more bitter herb. This makes them very eligible for a good aquaponics plant. Even though I plan to leave the leaves in place, once the blossoms appear I can harvest them and add them to a salad as a very pretty addition. Dandelion is another plant that can be eaten. My chickens prefer dandelion leaves over other greens. When they appear in my lawn this spring I plan to harvest some seeds and plant them in the greenhouse.

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