The N00b's Grow--first, indoor, Aerogarden

I am gonna cut and paste my last few posts and add details if I feel like it, later.

From 10-13-07

I finally decided to start the Aerogarden I got for Christmas. Been lurking here for some time, in fact.

Anyhow, I have never grown my own before, and not sure if this was the way to go, or not. I do also have a cheap flourescent light in a small closet, if I go that way. What are some common mistakes to avoid?

I have the white garden. I started with the tomato nutrient tablets, but I have Fox Farm Grow Big on hand. I planted 5 pods and two have sprouted. I replaced the 3 dud seeds today. I also picked up the additional cord and timer from Radio Shack today.

Thanks for all the help.

Rach

from12/07/07:


Okay, I have the Aerogarden, with the figure eight cord, airstones, Fox Farm nutes, and a couple CFLs.

I started this at the beginning of October, started flowering November 15th or so, and this is a picture taken yesterday. I have some white hairs, I think, on both plants, but couldn't get a closeup with my crappy camera.

I know they are too tall, but what else do you all think?

Since this my first grow, I used some random bagseed from friends. That way, I can tackle cloning once I have a handle on growing. No point in wasting good seeds, right?

I am a soil gardener (Of the traditional veggies and herbs type, not weed) from way back, so I feed them more in keeping with what they "tell" me they want, rather than in strictest accordance with the schedule. I always used the french intensive method of planting everything close together and the feeding the heck out of them (manure, mulch, compost, teas, etc), so this is a method I can get behind.

The tiny jar on the side is a stem of basil I had for cooking that randomly took root

from 12/10/07:

Okay, I have added a lattice to tie down the branches. I lost a small bud to light bulb burn. Anyhow, the growth and vigor of these babies is amazing me. I think I am hooked.

I attached pics of the buds and of the whole setup. I am so hooked.

Would it work okay to keep a mother in soil and then let the clones flower in the aerogarden?

Any comments and advice appreciated!

One of my healthy buds. Taken tonight.

it doesn't look like your plants are getting enouph light. when you use the aerogarden i would STRONGLY recommend using bushmaster. It keeps plants from growing too tall. Makes your node regoins tightly stacked, for more buds to grow.

munch box said:

it doesn't look like your plants are getting enouph light. when you use the aerogarden i would STRONGLY recommend using bushmaster. It keeps plants from growing too tall. Makes your node regoins tightly stacked, for more buds to grow.

Click to expand...

Thanks! I looked it up and I will differently throw it in the mix. It is too late for this grow, but will go great with my plan to throw clones in with little or no vegging.

no problem - good luck

man i had my doubts about the aerogarden after seeing those plants im startin to feel better with it what setting did you set the aerogarden to for the grow?

I germinated in paper towels and then put the sprouts in on the salad greens setting. I left it there since.

I also bought two more lamps today. CFL's equivalent to 100watts each.

oh ok nice you wouldn't know the results of using any other of the settings on the aerogarden , would you?

Nope, but I am sure you could find out at the AG website. I connected my light hood to its own power cord, so my settings only control the pump.

I have read everything I can on this site about the AeroGarden - I am doing my first grow, for mmj, and thought it would meet my needs. I got one of the tall ones. But after listening, looking, researching, growing a week (plant growth is certainly good), etc., I have come to the conclusion that growing these to finish in the AG is not going to fly for the quantity and quality I need.

I think they may be fine for running plants through veg and maybe clone - I don't need a huge quantity - but I am going to look into a simple ebb and flo system for my closet, and quit trying to make something work that isn't going to. OTOH, it's sensational for legal herbs like basil, and salad stuff and probably short tomatoes. I like growing other stuff, so will let it do what it was designed for and just veg a few plants now and then in it to run through the system to get me to October when I will have a harvest from outdoors (hopefully).

Lots to learn about hydro, though, so will hang out and see what I can learn.

One girl's opinion.

I am pretty happy with the AG as a first step. My grow is also--at least ostensibly--for mmj. I also smoke for pleasure, though. People who aren't physically dependent on it don't get that distinction.

Anyhow, I started my harvesting. I just took off the top thirds of both plants. The harvest is so late because a freak cold spell, combined with spotty heating systems, killed back my plants hugely. The buds are now curing in jars. After manicuring, and de-stemming, I have a Prego jar and a Grey Poupon mustard jar filled. I also have more branches ready to harvest now, and probably the rest within the next week.

I sampled, and was pleased with a nice cerebral buzz. I can't wait for the 4 weeks curing to be up. It still smells like hay, right now.

In future, I plan on using the AG as a cloning machine. I think working with it taught me a lot, and it wasn't too intimidating.

Anyhow, the guy at my local hydro shop told me the tomatoes in the AG produce only a couple tiny fruit at the most, total. So, stick with herbs or petunias.

I used my AG to start seeds two times now - except for the insane root tangle, it worked very well. First time I soaked the seeds and didn't get as good a germ, second time, with rock-wool and no soak, I got 100% (same seeds in both cases). By 4 weeks the plants were huge and yesterday, just a few days past that, I transplanted them. I think the AG will make an excellent clone machine and intend to use it for that coming up, once I get a clone mother going. Have to get my MMJ stock up first (card-carrying noob without stash) but look forward to cloning. Will be interested to hear anyone's real life experience with using the AG for cloning. I started a grow journal (well, a brief grow and show, anyway) of my first plus second grows yesterday - have a few photos.