Hydroponic Garden

[LostinTexas]

Yea, I'm kinda bored and tired of chasing to the store for produce al the time. Found a little one from AeroGarden that is set up and has lots of support and decided I wanted to do more, so,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,more it is. Lots of leaf lettuce, and trying some different greens. I'm not too much a leaf lettuce fan, a little thin for me, so different lettuce and some kale are sprouting. Planted cherry tomatoes, and have a couple of blossoms on one, and the other two are weeks behind even though planted the same day. I planted some seeds out of some local grown tomatoes and we'll see how that goes. I hope it goes well, they are delicious. Not sure what kind they are but meaty and few and small seeds.

Now all I need to really do is find some pole bean seeds. Wrong time of year for that and Aero doesn't sell them. Probably not exactly what they envisioned, but it's my mess to try. I have the fall and winter to fool with this, then in spring the container garden gets assembled and working. Putzing with that and found some stupid cheap, and I mean stupid cheap planter mix on clearance. I didn't have enough room in the car to fill all three and the peat for blueberry planters, so will have to get more later. They were sold out when I went back for round two, go figure. LOL

Anyone out there do hydroponics? Got any pointers?

 

[Huaco Kid]

I once played with a setup with tomato plants only.  Five or six one gallon milkjugs full of pearlite and one plant in each.

A five gallon bucket for the water hooked to the jugs with a water pump and fishtank tubing.  The pump, on a timer, ran three times per day for a minute or two each time; just long enough to fill up the jugs (with tubing plugged into the bottoms).  When the timer stopped,  it all drained back into the bucket.  I had, like, 5X miracle-grow in the bucket water.

So,   they got flooded with mega-juice, three times each day.  They got HUGE and were VERY productive.

I later hooked toilet-tank parts into the bucket,  and it would keep itself filled.  They'd take care of themselves for weeks at a time.

[gwalchmai]

Good info. As soon as GA goes completely leftista and legalizes marijuana this'll come in handy.

[jmohme]

Here is one of my hydroponic beds.

The black oval tank is a 300 gallon tank stocked with search. It pumps into the 4x8 foot flood table in the background. The plants in the fist tank are decorative only. The 4x8 is tomatoes and cucumbers.

The frame on top of the search tank is for another flood table that I have down right now for some repairs.

I also have a 2500 gallon koi tank that gets used for hydroponics too. I am in the process of redoing the flood and float tables that are getting used with it.

[Mrs.Cicero]

Oh no.  This has been the worst year ever in my life for the outdoor gardens (dirt, straw bale, and tire) because of the deer, the ground hogs, the rabbits, the bugs, and especially the mosquitoes due to the ridiculous amount of rain.  My husband says he wants a hydroponic set up in the basement to see if he can produce more veggies than I can outdoors... that's all we need... one more garden... argh!

[janice6]

34 minutes ago, Mrs.Cicero said:

Oh no.  This has been the worst year ever in my life for the outdoor gardens (dirt, straw bale, and tire) because of the deer, the ground hogs, the rabbits, the bugs, and especially the mosquitoes due to the ridiculous amount of rain.  My husband says he wants a hydroponic set up in the basement to see if he can produce more veggies than I can outdoors... that's all we need... one more garden... argh!

My daughter has been plauged by Deer herds eating all her ornamental plants, right to the ground. 

She found Milorganite being sold for non-burning fertilyzer (Mine cost $7 for 40 lbs. I can put it on the ground so heavy it colors the ground yet willnot burn nor harm Grass seed spread with it) absolutely stopped the animals feeding on them for a very long time.

[LostinTexas]

46 minutes ago, Mrs.Cicero said:

Oh no.  This has been the worst year ever in my life for the outdoor gardens (dirt, straw bale, and tire) because of the deer, the ground hogs, the rabbits, the bugs, and especially the mosquitoes due to the ridiculous amount of rain.  My husband says he wants a hydroponic set up in the basement to see if he can produce more veggies than I can outdoors... that's all we need... one more garden... argh!

LOL, the AeroGarden is a turn key garden. I'm gonna say almost idiot proof and I'm proving it so far. The bigger gardens are pretty expensive (I think, but watch the site for sales, they have some good ones), but if they last, they should pay for themselves. Tanks, planter, lights, pumps starter kits, plant food, support, and even a cheap azz trellis if you get one of the larger ones.  Instructions and just about all one needs. I see folks like jmohme doing great setups, but haven't had an opportunity to inspect one closely. The webs are full of instruction, but then you have to add grow lights, and all the fixins, so is it really saving much?

I really doubt you can get more out of one than an outdoor garden, but it is still a work in progress. May be able to answer that better in a few months.

Good luck to y'all.

[LostinTexas]

Working on a couple dozen blossoms on one tomato plant. They are small and not blooming yet, but any day, I recon.

Kale, a variety of lettuce and salad greens growing, and doing pretty good. I found some green beans today and have them started. The Heirloom tomatoes are planted and being watched diligently. It may be a couple of weeks before I know it these are going to sprout.

Got some good info at the nursery today , and the  Snowpocalypse really hit their suppliers hard, so I put my name in the blueberry bush lottery.

Thanks to Mrs. C, I have some direction on learning to can. It may be interesting. LOL

Fun times, and winter is going to be a drag, but it should give me time to accumulate spring supplies.

[Mrs.Cicero]

10 hours ago, LostinTexas said:

Working on a couple dozen blossoms on one tomato plant. They are small and not blooming yet, but any day, I recon.

Kale, a variety of lettuce and salad greens growing, and doing pretty good. I found some green beans today and have them started. The Heirloom tomatoes are planted and being watched diligently. It may be a couple of weeks before I know it these are going to sprout.

Got some good info at the nursery today , and the  Snowpocalypse really hit their suppliers hard, so I put my name in the blueberry bush lottery.

Thanks to Mrs. C, I have some direction on learning to can. It may be interesting. LOL

Fun times, and winter is going to be a drag, but it should give me time to accumulate spring supplies.

What are you doing for pollination on those plants if they are inside?  The Q-tip trick?  (That worked on my tomatoes last year).

[LostinTexas]

13 minutes ago, Mrs.Cicero said:

What are you doing for pollination on those plants if they are inside?  The Q-tip trick?  (That worked on my tomatoes last year).

Well, gonna use the shake a little and a fan. That is what the instructions with the garden said, so we'll give that first shot. They have been spot on so far, so they get the benefit of doubt. I have a little yellow poking out of the blossom pods today. Not all, but several.

They try to make these things idiot proof, and I know I'll be a challenge for them. I have a brown thumb, LostWife is death to house plants. If we keep these going that will be a testament to the ease and reliability of the project. Leafy items have been a success so far.

Stay tuned.

[Huaco Kid]

15 minutes ago, Mrs.Cicero said:

What are you doing for pollination on those plants if they are inside?  The Q-tip trick?  (That worked on my tomatoes last year).

I cross-pollinated orchids that I got from a local exclusive nursery.  These people were the true Indiana Jones' of the orchid world.

I was immediately told it would be impossible for me to germinate or grow them without an elaborate laboratory.

Well, I did it.  With fishtanks and saran-wrap, and bleach, and rubber gloves, and pressure cookers, and mail-order supplies, and luck, glassware...

I did it to a lot of plants.  Only, you don't get a handful of seeds from each one;  you get a gazillion. So, only like 50 million would start growing.

When they got bigger,  I potted hundreds of them and took them to the nursery, to see if they'd buy them.  They asked where I got them.  I proudly told them.

They were AGHAST! And horrified.  I had created Frankensteins'!!!!

Destroy them all!!!  Immediately!

They never sold me any more plants.

[Huaco Kid]

I was "the biker" at the Orchid Society meetings and shows.

[Huaco Kid]

I used an eyeshadow brush for pollination.

And made buzzzzzing sounds.

[Mrs.Cicero]

2 hours ago, Huaco Kid said:

I used an eyeshadow brush for pollination.

And made buzzzzzing sounds.

because it's all about the buzz!

[LostinTexas]

6 hours ago, Huaco Kid said:

I cross-pollinated orchids that I got from a local exclusive nursery.  These people were the true Indiana Jones' of the orchid world.

I was immediately told it would be impossible for me to germinate or grow them without an elaborate laboratory.

Well, I did it.  With fishtanks and saran-wrap, and bleach, and rubber gloves, and pressure cookers, and mail-order supplies, and luck, glassware...

I did it to a lot of plants.  Only, you don't get a handful of seeds from each one;  you get a gazillion. So, only like 50 million would start growing.

When they got bigger,  I potted hundreds of them and took them to the nursery, to see if they'd buy them.  They asked where I got them.  I proudly told them.

They were AGHAST! And horrified.  I had created Frankensteins'!!!!

Destroy them all!!!  Immediately!

They never sold me any more plants.

You hurt their feelings by beating them at their own game. This sort of thing causes a lot of pure bred's to be discounted because the Snob Hill bunch runs it down. You "created" the same thing they did, and they didn't like it.

The fact they wouldn't buy from you is pretty strong. The fact they wouldn't do business at all with you speaks volumes.

[LostinTexas]

Well, about 9-10 days and blossoms are falling, so I guess we will see if tomatoes are making pretty soon. Still getting new blooms and still giving a shake or two a day and keeping the fan on them.

My bean plant never felt the pull of gravity and was growing upside down. I got it maneuvered to the "Up" direction and it sat there for a few days, but this morning it near doubled the leaf size, so maybe on the right track.

Going to be an interesting few months. Salad greens, kale and basil are all doing very well. They grow fast, so there will be fresh lettuce and such soon. Never fooled with kale, so it will be an experiment, especially since this is variety I had never heard of. From the internet reviews, it is pretty good. Dinosaur Kale. I hope to have a few beds and left over space next fall for some kale crop to come in before the freeze, but if this makes a good amount I may not bother. In these parts, no telling how long the stuff will make planted outside.

[LostinTexas]

Tomatoes are tomating. All the cherry tomatoes are transplanted and outside. One is loaded, and the other two are probably about to start making. A couple of bean plants have joined them. Still 2 slicer tomatoes in the hydroponic, and a couple of bean plants. I hope they make.

Basil took on a funky spearmint smell, for lack of a better description. Does it go through a phase? Gone for now. LostWife can't handle the smell.

Things seem to be ginning, so time will tell on the production.

[LostinTexas]

Well, some pretty purplish/blue blossoms showed a couple days ago n the bean plant, the other is several weeks behind, bit that is what it is. tomatoes are growing and getting fuzzy. I think I found the type, and if it is (looked right when sliced) they are a dwarf variety, and perfect for what I'm doing. The Dinosaur Kale is pretty good, but I wish I could find one of the verities the Aero offers in a pod, but it is a one and done harvest it seems.

All is well, trying a different plant food so we'll see how that goes. The reviews on it are way above board.

Canned some peach jam yesterday and it never set, soooo,,,,,,,,,,,,,off with their heads (lids) and the attempt as saving it begins. Internet is great. Cooking to the said times was a flop, and it cooked down a LOT longer. Started with 10 half pints, ended with 6. Yea it cooked down a lot. I went with suggestions on testing a set instead of time. I should know to do that but tire easily and used too small a pan yesterday. It was my first try in my life, so we learn things. Canner worked fine, and I hope to get a lot of use from it. It only makes small batches, 4 pints per batch, but since it is just LostWife and me, with limited produce, I figure that is just fine. This one will do water bath or pressure, so it should cover the experiment just fine.

LostWife was the taste tester on the spoon that set, and said she can't wait for breakfast and fresh jam. I like that I can use half the sugar that recipes call for and still get a very good tasting product. They called for 5 1/2 cups sugar and I used a bit over 3, so that may have made some difference in it setting. The peaches were really sweet though.

More as the experiment goes.

 

[Batesmotel]

I hope things have improved. A few years ago the cops kept busting them for drugs. Tore one down for new sprouted carrots. Pretty much killed the market here. 

[LostinTexas]

1 hour ago, Batesmotel said:

I hope things have improved. A few years ago the cops kept busting them for drugs. Tore one down for new sprouted carrots. Pretty much killed the market here. 

Stupid is, is stupid does. Cant help what people grow, even though everything they advertise and sell is flowers or veggies. Hydroponics are easy. Kratky is even more so. I never even knew all these words a few months ago. What a Pandoras Box this has become. 

I do love home grown, and with a brown thumb for growing, I never bothered. Idiot proof is a good thing. Going full potato in the spring.

 

[Rellik]

On 7/27/2021 at 6:13 PM, janice6 said:

My daughter has been plauged by Deer herds eating all her ornamental plants, right to the ground. 

Revenge is a Dish best served cold.  Like in Dec. 

With a bow.  

In the meantime,  sprinkle with mist setting on hose, and a heavy dose of cayenne.  

Let me know later. 

[LostinTexas]

2 minutes ago, Rellik said:

Revenge is a Dish best served cold.  Like in Dec. 

With a bow.  

In the meantime,  sprinkle with mist setting on hose, and a heavy dose of cayenne.  

Let me know later. 

LMAO, around here that just seasons up the venison. Folks use some kind of gawd awful sour/bitter stuff on plants in the area to keep them from being browsed. Sorry I don't know what it is. It is supposed to be pet safe, it just tastes bad.

In the southern part of the state, turkeys eat the daylights out of Chile Petines. I've found the crop full of them, and the pepper grows wild. The birds are so hot most of us can't eat them. 

[janice6]

13 minutes ago, Rellik said:

Revenge is a Dish best served cold.  Like in Dec. 

With a bow.  

In the meantime,  sprinkle with mist setting on hose, and a heavy dose of cayenne.  

Let me know later. 

She said it only lasts for a day or two, rain, then back to square one.  The malorganite has been working for a long time now.

There is no way she or her husband could kill any Deer, in any way.

[Swampfox762]

On 7/29/2021 at 1:25 PM, Mrs.Cicero said:

because it's all about the buzz!

That's bout the only thing I ever "grew"...back in the 70's that ever turned out worth a crap.

"Tomatoes"???  Seriously???  God bless "Fresh Market'.  Besides...my HO Friggin A...would **** a brick if I ever planted a "Garden"...

Ya can "Sneek"...in your back yard...

 

[LostinTexas]

20 minutes ago, Swampfox762 said:

That's bout the only thing I ever "grew"...back in the 70's that ever turned out worth a crap.

"Tomatoes"???  Seriously???  God bless "Fresh Market'.  Besides...my HO Friggin A...would **** a brick if I ever planted a "Garden"...

Ya can "Sneek"...in your back yard...

 

We have one of those, and thank goodness they have some smarts. They keep the appearance, and maintain the public areas, and there are plenty, and organize some community stuff with the local VFD and SO. It makes for a mutual nice. For now, my garden is indoors, with a few containers outside.

Dues are $35 or $40 per lot, can't remember they just went up for the fist time in who knows when. It keeps a tractor, brush hog, someone to run it, and put fuel and maintenance in it to keep up with the mowing of multiple acres of "parks" and empty lots. A pretty nice community center can be had for a little of nothing as well. Oh and every single lot in the subdivision has access to their own private boat ramp without ever having to get on a road. They set it up nice. We get a lot for our money and not much for micromanaging. There are a few Nancy's but that is everywhere, and we probably have very few for the percentage.

I just hope we don't get too much new construction. The area is trying to grow, and I'm afraid it won't be for the better. Time will tell.