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Penny Carnathan
Penny’s a Nurture And Hold (NAH): Nah, I won’t pull that out yet, it’s still got a green shoot. She likes dragonflies, lady bugs and new stuff only after weeding, pruning and fertilizing.
Kim Franke-Folstad
Kim’s a Want It Now (WIN): Everything pretty, everything now. She will resort to full-spectrum insecticides in desperate situations, and believes it’s her duty and right to buy new plants every weekend.
Both advocate Plant Choice (SOMEthing besides crotons. Please!), lots of color and low maintenance. We don’t agree on everything, but we’re smart enough to learn from each other - and from you.
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I’m about to save you $16—here’s the highlights from Epcot’s Behind the Seeds tour
Posted Nov 11, 2009 by Loren Omoto
Updated Nov 11, 2009 at 11:17 PM
I caught the last of the food and wine fest at Disney’s Epcot with FOD Janna Begole and her daughter, Jenn, last weekend. We feasted well (for future reference, Argentina’s beef skewers are THE best.)
Here’s Janna and Jenn in Morrocco.
At The Land pavilion, guests take a boat ride through four experimental greenhouses and a fish farm, where everything’s grown with cutting-edge, environmentally sensitive technology. After seeing the huge tomato trees and foot-long cucumbers, Janna and I just had to take the Behind the Seeds tour.
The small, guided tour walks you through all the greenhouses. It costs an extra $16, but we figured it was worth it to learn how to grow a giant tomato tree. And non-gardener Jenn, bless her heart, was game.
The big thing coming out of the pot in the middle of the photo is a tomato tree. It started as a cutting from a tree that grew a world record 1,151.84 pounds of tomatoes from May 2005 to April 2006.
The plants are grown hydroponically—without soil. Some grow in a mixture of peat, perlite and sand. Some grow in water. Some scoot along on a conveyor belt and their dangling roots get shot with sprays of water and fertilizer.
Many are grown vertically. Removing the lower leaves helps cut down on pests and disease, and those leaves don’t get a lot of sun, so they don’t help the plant all that much anyway, we were told. I’m guessing that holds true for ye olde traditional veggie beds, too.
Check out the cucumbers (Chip!):
How’s this for a HydroStacker, Eric? That’s red and butter lettuce. Just like your doo-hickey, the water and fertilizer runs down from top to bottom to hit all the plants.
Vining plants, and some others, are trained to grow up and across a screen. Pipes below keep the roots fed with water and fertilizer. Some growing areas were covered with sand to demonstrate how people who live in very sandy regions can do the same thing. But the Epcot folks have learned that not even Disney magic can stop evil nematodes. They love sand. (I could’ve told ‘em that.) They’re experimenting with a bacterial nematode killer. (No, it’s not available at Home Depot. Yet.)
A lot of the crops here grow super big, and 80 percent of them supply Epcot’s restaurants. The least used crops? The Ghost Pepper—the world’s hottest pepper. And bananas! Go figure.
Check out the 9-pound lemons. (Kim has a hard time just finding uses for all her hefty 12-ounce lemons, so I’m not sure big is always best.)
I think it was about here that I noticed the first signs of horitcultural coma in Jenn. She was given ladybugs to carry around for awhile, then she got to dump them on a plant. That got her through the first part of the tour. But by the 45-minute mark, she was in hyper-glaze. I was a little concerned. She seemed headed toward a true vegetative state—very risky in experimental gardens.
And then she spotted ... Ears!
Strips of screen in a tank in the fish farm area had clearly been shaped into mouse ears. “Hidden Mickey!” Jenn cried, quickly regaining consciousness.
Apparently, there’s a whole Hidden Mickey subculture. Those in the know search for the three circles that are officially—and unofficially—hidden throughout all the Disney theme parks. Jenn also spotted three hoses left coiled on the floor in a most recognizable shape.
Janna and I quickly lost interest in the tour and started looking for Hidden Mickeys (mea culpa—short attention spans.)
One parting shot ... some of the Mickeys are not so hidden. Here’s an eggplant destined to become a mouse.
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Reader Comments
Posted by (mangoman) on November 12, 2009
Wow. Everytime I go on that “ride” I’m amazed at their hydroponic abilities. And everything they grow is HUGE! Last time I was there (It’s been a few years) they had watermelons growing like the cucumbers. These huge watemelons were hanging by there tiny stems about 5 feet off the ground!! It’s amazing how well they put up under stress.
Eric
Posted by (Chip) on November 12, 2009
I have never made it to that part of Disney. When we have gone it was with grand kids in tow maybe it is time for Diane and I to go by our self’s. One of the thing’s I learned on Rick’s tour was nematodes can’t live in soil with organic matter. if Disney finds a way around that it could simplify things a lot and most likely increase the types of plants that will grow here. I am not an expert but my thinking is that it isn’t so much the climate that some plants will not grow here but they cant take the attack from the nematodes some do however need to go dormant and those will never do well here. They really do some amazing things there and now I would like to see it for myself…“Chip”
Posted by (Janna) on November 12, 2009
We had a great time at Epcot! BTW, I did NOT purchase the red Morroccan beanie
Chip and Eric, we were thinking of you while taking in the gargantuan varieties of fruits and veggies. Glad to hear that you’ve seen this gardening section before, Eric. There was a little boy about 9 years old on our tour - he was full of questions! I have a feeling he’ll grow up to love edible gardening as much as you do!
Chip and Diane, next time you’re at the parks, you should take “The Land” ride through this hydroponic gardening area. I know you’d appreciate it. I was a little surprised that even in such a controlled and sterile environment that they are constantly battling pests. Disney, hurry on up with perfecting a bacterial nematode killer!
Posted by (Janna) on November 12, 2009
We also saw some pink hollyhocks while walking in the park. I don’t think, however, that the blooms were quite as large as those on the “Janice” variety!
As for Hidden Mickeys, keep your eyes open - you’ll find them in the most unexpected places!
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on November 12, 2009
Holy Moly what a fun tour, hidden Mickey’s and all. That tomato tree blew me away and was worth the price of the ticket. Thanks for sharing the pics Janna, Jenn and Penny.
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on November 12, 2009
Do they sell seeds there as well?
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on November 12, 2009
These are amazing gardens! I have not been to Epcot in about 15 years now with cooler weather I want to go. A store called Worms Way sells much smaller hydroponic gardens, so if anyone wants to try it let us know and send pictures. Janice
Posted by (JanC) on November 12, 2009
Hi! Its Jannas sister-in-law, Jan. Sounds like yall had a great day! I am in sunny FL - and wish I couldve been with you! Janna - I will be looking for the beginnings of a giant tomato tree soon!!!
Posted by (Janna) on November 13, 2009
Welcome back to the Sunshine State, Jan! Even though we SAW the big, beautiful tomato tree - no tips on growing them. Shoot, I can’t even grow a little one. The fruit and vegetable experts here on the blog are Chip and Eric. Penny’s doing well with her organic veggie garden, too! You should try your hand at edible gardening….
Posted by (mangoman) on November 13, 2009
Hi, Janna I will be at Monica’s open garden sat. 11-1 (estimated) and will bring the chinese skullcap seeds with me. If anybody else would like some I do have extra’s.
Posted by (mangoman) on November 14, 2009
Hi Penny! I haven’t had too good of luck with yellow pear. The tomatoes were nice but I only got about 20. I would HIGHLY suggest orange mexican midget. I had one plant last year and produced at least 2 bowls (salad bowls full) and there was probably another bowl just rotting on the plant (you can only eat so many salads right?) I actually have some seedlings (and seeds) from the mother plant if you would like some.
Eric
Posted by (Chip) on November 14, 2009
Yellow pear tomatoes are a hot weather plant. some like it hot and so does the yellow pears. in the summer when everything else is wilting it will do its best to take over the world. just replant early next spring and give them a lot of room…“Chip”