Serendipity

When I finished planting the chard in the deep water culture I had two or three seedlings left. Baby chard is also used for salad greens, so I put the extra seedlings in 4" net pots, and placed them in the ebb and flow system.

Much to my surprise the chard in the ebb and flow system has grown so much better than the chard in the deep water system, that I have abandoned the idea of growing chard by deep water culture completely. Yes, that much better, by a factor of three or four times better.

I am not concerned about the plants growing tall and getting top heavy, as they will be packed fairly tightly in an ebb and flow system, and can not topple over.

It appears that chard grows better if the roots are not in water continuously. Additionally, I can place a lot more upright chard plants into an ebb and flow system than the six plants I had in my deep water system. I have replanted the deep water system with Parris Island romaine and Gentilina lettuce.

The rockwool cubes and six hour nutrient timing appear to be the answer for the modified AeroGarden project. All of the seeds planted in the pods have sprouted, and so far are doing really well.