Journal October 31, 2014 - Hydroponic chard and beet greens planted.

With the end of the outdoor gardening season it is time to return my attention indoor gardening.  Two of my favorite indoor crops were planted today: beet greens and Swiss chard.  

To better control algae I have filled the spaces between the pots with the expanded clay pellets.  Not that a little algae is harmful, but it does take nutrients from the plants, is unsightly, and is difficult to clean once established.  The pellets dry completely between watering cycles, so they will eliminate algae buildup. 

 For chard and beet greens a slightly different approach is used; the seeds are started in coffee filters moistened with dilute nutrients, then placed in horticubes as soon as roots appear.  As both of these plants have long slender stalks, I pot the seedling and cube deep in the container, even before true leaves appear.   Being placed deep in the container gives the seedling much better support during the growing period.