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The cucumbers in the AutoPots are entering the vegetative stage and growing rapidly, so much so that I had to start thinking about adding a support system. I am going to use the same method that I use in the greenhouse; twine suspended from the light hangers using vine clips to attach the plants. At some point I will add horizontal support for some lateral runners.Although the plants are only receiving slightly less than 2,000 footcandles of light, they are very compact, with many male flowers beginning to form.The plants in the modified aeroponic system are also making good progress.
As a test I planted two plants of dill in an ebb and flow system along with the lettuce. Although dill has a long tap root it, seems to be adapting to the four inch net pot.
I have two Little Leaf cucumber plants growing in AutoPots under a red/blue/white 90 watt LED, and they seem to be doing fine up to this point.
As I had four seedlings left over, I thought I would try to grow them under a red/blue LED in what I refer to as my modified aeroponic unit.
My intention is to compare the difference in growth, if any, between a passive system, such as the AutoPots, and an active system, such as the modified aeroponic system.
Additionally, I wanted to try some of the additives that I received as samples, so I concocted a witch's brew containing: Peter's Professional, calcium nitrate, epsom salts, Athena's Aminas, Olympus Up and Zeus Juice in various proportions. The TDS is a comfortable 1610 and I adjusted the pH to 5.5.
As usual, I will be running a 14 hour photoperiod, and the nutrient cycle is going to be one hour on and three hours off.
As stated above, my objective is to compare the growth rate between the two systems and evaluate the supplements, so I may just continue this grow until I have achieved those objectives. I am also curious to see if the plants flower with only the red/blue spectra.
The plant mentioned in my October 3rd post is making progress and I expect it will really begin rapid vegetative growth very soon.
The Pro LED Systems light is doing a fantastic job of keeping the plant compact.
I have added a homemade CO2 generator to the tent with the output tube placed in a tray of water. The CO2 will benefit the plant, while the evaporating water will add humidity to the tent.
The daytime temperature has averaged in the high seventies, with an average humidity in the mid to upper fifties. The temperature drop at night is running about eight degrees, so thus far I am really happy with the tents.
The yellow chard was harvested today,
and I am really happy with this variety. It is not as large as Fordhook Giant, however, that is fine by me, as I enjoy the leaves more than the stalks.
Even after all of the years I have been growing hydroponically, I am still amazed by the quality that can be achieved, as there is not one blemish on any leaf, and, these plants have never had a single drop of pesticide applied.
The Totem tomato plant in the second grow tent has been replaced by another Balcony Hybrid. The plant was overwatered and remained so for 24 hours, or more, as the feed line to the valve did not seal properly. I can not understand why hydroponic suppliers can not standardize on feed line. In my supply cabinet I have several variations of feed line, all quarter inch. There is a noticeable difference in gauge, wall thickness and pliability, in fact, there are as many variations as there are hydroponic dealers in the area. The line in question was much too brittle and did not form a seal. The Totem plant would have recuperated, and survived, but it would set it back awhile, so I decided to replace it.
Another consideration was that I had grown the Totem previously, and although it was alright, I prefer a larger tomato when available. The replacement plant was going to be tossed, as it was a "just in case" plant, and the more I looked at it, the more of a shame it seemed not to grow it.
Ava assisted in the disaster recovery, and has claimed the second plant as hers as a reward for her efforts.
Somehow I just could not resist that title for this post. Several years ago my wife returned from the local farmer's market with two small plants in 6" pots. She said that the plants were laurel, and she had asked the farmer to order them specially for her because she has always wanted a laurel plant. I thought: "four plus decades of marriage and you never mentioned your wanting a laurel plant." At times like that silence is golden. There is a big difference between wanting to own a plant, and taking care of it, because yours truly got custody of the laurel plants.The first frost of the season was due last night, so I placed the laurels and the orange tree in the tool shed to protect them, and today I began getting them ready to bring them into the basement for the winter.The laurel, shown above, received it's annual pruning and repotting and the trimmed leaves will be dried and used for seasoning. Over the years I have sort of grown to like these plants, as absolutely nothing bothers them. Insects avoid them, drought does not bother them, nor does cool, damp, rainy weather. They just sit on the patio and grow and grow. Additionally, they take spending the winter in the basement, in dim light, right in stride. In essence, they are an ideal house plant.
This variety of laurel is Laurus nobilis, Lauraceae, better know as bay laurel. It is also commonly called bay leaf and can be found on the spice rack at the local supermarket. I can't imagine what the tub full of laurel would be worth if you were to purchase that much from the supermarket. Then again, I can't imagine what we are ever going to do with all this laurel. That will be my wife's problem.
This is what Wikipedia says about laurel:
"Bay leaf (plural bay leaves) refers to the aromatic leaf of the bay laurel (Laurus nobilis, Lauraceae). Fresh or dried bay leaves are used in cooking for their distinctive flavor and fragrance. The leaves are often used to flavor soups, stews, braises and pâtés in Mediterranean cuisine. The fresh leaves are very mild and do not develop their full flavor until several weeks after picking and drying."
What has all that have to do with hydroponics? Well, for several years the plants have been potted in used media from the AutoPots that would normally be discarded, and fed with used nutrients. I guess that it would be fair to state that they are also growing hydroponically, and they are doing great.
P.S. I happened to accompany my wife to the Fresh Food Market today; while there I checked the price of bay leaf. The price of a small envelope was just under three dollars, however, the unit price of bay leaf was listed at $9.96 per OUNCE! I would say that it is a house plant that earns its keep.
I have, on occasion, seen grow tents referred to as indoor greenhouses, and that is probably an apt term to use in respect to the environmental control that can be achieved.
Today, I officially began using both of my new indoor grow tents to actually grow something to maturity. I decided that it would be much simpler to use single pot AutoPots in both tents, sharing a common reservoir, as the nutrient needs would be the same for both systems.
The system shown above will be growing a medium sized determinate variety called Balcony Hybrid, while the other tent will be growing a variety called Totem. In addition to the nutrient reservoir, the tents are also sharing timers for lighting and ventilation,
The light, shown in the photo, is the light mentioned in my September 25th post. It is a 126 watt, 6 band Flower Series grow light. I measured the intensity of the light, in the position shown above,
and the reading at plant level was in excess of 5,000 footcandles. In the tent containing the Totem plant, I will be using a 90 watt 3rd. generation red/blue/white LED.
In normal operation the valve is covered, however, I purposely left the cover off the AutoPot smart valve until I was assured that the reservoir was feeding nutrients to the tray.
My primary objective at this point is to become familiar with using the tents, while learning to control the environmental conditions, if the tomatoes are a success, that will be a bonus.
This post is an update up on my post of September 11, 2011 titled: "Nothing Beats Beets".
The plant in the photo is the same plant shown on the September 11th post, and it should be obvious that the plant has grown significantly in a little over two weeks.Although the recommended nutrient level for chard is 1260-1610, I have been growing the chard, along with lettuce, at a TDS level of about 800. The beets mentioned in the previous post have already been harvested and enjoyed. This chard can be harvested at anytime, so a replacement planting of rhubarb chard is in progress.
When planting beet or chard seeds, the seed is actually a fruit containing several seeds, you should expect several seedlings to come up close together, however, all but the strongest must be removed.
I have found, with beets or chard, that it is best not to wait for true leaves to develop before placing them in the hydroton. The seedlings tend to have a spindly shaft supporting the cotyledon leaves, so I like to give them as much support as possible. When placing the seedlings in the net pots, I rest the cube containing the seedling directly on the bottom of the pot; then I fill the pot with hydroton to just below the cotyledon leaves.
To lessen transplant shock I soak the hydroton in dilute nutrient solution for ten minutes before I begin planting. Additionally, I turn on the pump and flood the tray while I place the seedlings in the tray, then continue flooding for about twenty minutes after planting.
In about three weeks we will have another nice batch of chard.
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