As I get older, it feels like the days are speeding by, and I can hardly believe I was just shoveling snow from the dome pathway. In the video attached, you’ll get a glimpse of what the dome garden looks like at this time of year. Early June has brought us weather reminiscent of late summer, making it exciting to see how well the plants are thriving and what to anticipate.
Dome Gardening Early June Update Video
Every time I step into the dome greenhouse, I discover something new and fascinating growing. It’s remarkable how well plants flourish when provided with the right conditions. With the warm weather arriving early, before the southern tree can fully leaf out and provide shade, the growth has been impressive. In the attached video, you’ll see how well the plants are doing, with a 5-foot umbrella providing shade for some of the more delicate varieties. Thankfully, we have vents and fans operated on a timer, making it easy to manage the heat in this environment. I’ll highlight a few plants in this blog post, so don’t forget to watch the video and scroll down for more exciting growing ideas.
I’ve uploaded the video I created on my iPhone to my Bren Haas YouTube Channel. If you’re on YouTube, feel free to subscribe for the latest short videos and other content that I don’t always have time to share on my blog.
Early June Dome Garden Highlights
With so many incredible plants flourishing in this 20-foot geodesic biodome, it’s challenging to choose just a few to highlight. Here are some of the standout plants and topics that come to mind before I need to dash off and get back to work:
- Fig Tree: The three fig trees in the dome are thriving! The Chicago Hardy fig, known for its cold hardiness, is particularly exciting as it can withstand temperatures as low as -10°F. Planted in the ground beneath this space, it is developing fruit—very exciting!
- Water Plants: This year, I’ve seen a remarkable survival rate among the water plants. Water hyacinths, in particular, are not only beautiful with their lavender blooms but also beneficial for water filtration. This is the first year the water hyacinth has bloomed this early, thanks to the warm and sunny sections of the dome.
- Hot Peppers: Hot peppers thrive in this garden! The Scorpion Trinidad Moruga, one of the hottest peppers in the world, reaches over 2 million Scoville Heat Units. I plan to keep most (if not all) of my hottest pepper plants in containers year-round. Last year, we had an enormous harvest from the Scorpion Trinidad Moruga. It was a stunning plant even before the blooms and fruit appeared—a delightful challenge to cultivate.
- Citrus Plants: I moved the citrus plants outside early this year since I’ve finally caught up with planting my outdoor edibles and cut flower garden. Citrus plants, like lemons and limes, prefer sunny, warm conditions and are relatively easy to grow in containers. Before moving them outdoors, I make sure to add a good citrus fertilizer. I also had to prune some of my larger lemon and lime varieties this year, as they have grown quite large.
We are now in year 11 of growing in this space, and I hope to share more updates from my dome garden in the coming months. The dome is showing signs of wear, and with all the new developments on the homestead, I am uncertain how many more posts I’ll be able to provide. Feel free to email me or send a private message on my blog to share your thoughts. It’s been an incredible journey.
Happy Gardening,
