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Post by jamesnewton on Nov 19, 2019 21:39:56 GMT -5
I was gifted a set of AeroGardens, two large and one little one for starting seeds. I've run one of the large ones with a salad kit and I'm really impressed and amazed with the results! I had hoped that I would be able to start my own seeds, but so far I'm not having great luck with that. I did get a pair of chives to sprout, and a couple succulents, but all the lettuce seeds I have great luck in the ground with have failed to sprout. I get a huge growth of mold on the top of each sponge, of a very light and "airy" sort. After the first try, I removed the little clear plastic caps, washed them out, and tried again. That didn't seem to make any difference. Then I removed the sponges and soaked them over night in hydrogen peroxide, then overnight again in clean water with a couple of changes of fresh water. This time I seem to have a more solid looking white mold. 2 of them sprouted some lettuce and the rest have not. I'd love to hear some suggestions.
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Post by thegrindre on Nov 20, 2019 6:26:22 GMT -5
As for cleaning, I use vinegar. I believe AG recommends it as well. Mold? Never had any so can't help there.
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Shawn
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Post by Shawn on Nov 20, 2019 6:29:53 GMT -5
First let me welcome you to the forum.
If I am understanding you correctly, you are trying to grow your own (not AG) lettuce seeds. However these are getting mold on them. Am I correct hat it is a fuzzy white mold? If so, there is an explanation here. Are you using the labels/covers over the cages? While not fail proof, they do help if preventing white mold. Note, you can still get green algae but it is harmless. More about the Green Algae can be found link.Are you using the AG Sponges? Many use them and are fine. Some I have heard boil them and let them dry out before using. My, I use Park's Bio Dome Sponge 60-Cell. I like these better and you get a lot more for your money.
Is there air circulation? Are the seeds old or new?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2019 10:55:54 GMT -5
What seeds are you using? It seems strange that everything else grows, but the lettuce seeds have a problem coming up.
A photo would be helpful if you can post one. Also, are you re-using sponges? One recalcitrant spore could wreck the whole pod.
If it were my machine,I would take EVERYTHING out of the machine that is mold-prone and wash it out with Hot Hot soapy water(I use Dawn)...even let the deck sit submerged in the water for a while..and then also sanitize all the domes and baskets and cardboard covers as well in the Hot water. Then I would start over with fresh new sponges. I would try half the deck with the old seeds to see if those will mold and then the other half I would plant a brand new seed pack of a different variety(head lettuce does not do well in the machines). Some recommendations that I have found successful with no problems are salad bowl and black seeded simpson.
But a photo would be ideal to help investigate the source of your problem....which , as Shawn indicated, could be healthy fuzz.)although I don;t recall ever having any) Hopefully other lettuce growers will jump on in .
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Post by jamesnewton on Nov 27, 2019 0:35:33 GMT -5
Thanks for all your responses and advice... for some reason I didn't get any email notifications so I didn't know anyone had responded until I checked to see what was wrong. I do think some of the white stuff may be the beneficial fungi because I've seen some of it on the ones that sprouted well. The small unit I'm starting these in doesn't accept the plastic cages so there really isn't a place to put the paper labels... although... I guess I could just stick them down to the top of the tray. I'll try that. I was using the AG sponges. I've now purchased these: www.amazon.com/Aerogarden-Compatible-Sponges-Eco-Friendly-Hydroponic/dp/B07SGB52DT/ref=sr_1_41(not recommended, they aren't terribly consistent; holes off center, tops missing, gaps and holes in the material like swiss cheese) But we will see how they do. It may just be that the lettuce seeds were too old. Once I thought about it, I went back and checked and they were 2016. Since I posted the question, we took the unit apart, completely cleaned it out with hot water, soap, and a spray down with vinegar after. Then re-assembled with the new sponges and brand new seeds. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks again. |
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Shawn
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Post by Shawn on Nov 27, 2019 6:39:58 GMT -5
Yes please keep us posted!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2019 8:15:21 GMT -5
Thanks for all your responses and advice... for some reason I didn't get any email notifications so I didn't know anyone had responded until I checked to see what was wrong. I do think some of the white stuff may be the beneficial fungi because I've seen some of it on the ones that sprouted well.
The small unit I'm starting these in doesn't accept the plastic cages so there really isn't a place to put the paper labels... although... I guess I could just stick them down to the top of the tray. I'll try that.
I was using the AG sponges. I've now purchased these: www.amazon.com/Aerogarden-Compatible-Sponges-Eco-Friendly-Hydroponic/dp/B07SGB52DT/ref=sr_1_41(not recommended, they aren't terribly consistent; holes off center, tops missing, gaps and holes in the material like swiss cheese) But we will see how they do. It may just be that the lettuce seeds were too old. Once I thought about it, I went back and checked and they were 2016. Since I posted the question, we took the unit apart, completely cleaned it out with hot water, soap, and a spray down with vinegar after. Then re-assembled with the new sponges and brand new seeds. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks again. That is so strange that the baskets do not fit. Is it just that they are a bit raised up and do not snap in tightly? I have used baskets that are not 'flush' with the deck and they are ok because the sponge is down in the water and the water well is reaching the sponges on the sides. Could you send some photos of the machines and the problems you encounter? They help us tremendously to trouble shoot.. But, hopefully you won;t have any now that you started fresh!
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Post by jamesnewton on Nov 27, 2019 12:50:25 GMT -5
This is the Seed Starting kit for the Aerogarden Sprout: www.aerogarden.com/aerogarden-seed-starting-system-for-aerogarden-sprout-sprout-plus-and-3sl-models.htmlI guess they actually advertise it for use in sprouting seeds for an outside garden, but I'm using it to sprout for the full sized AeroGarden instead. So the seed starter tray doesn't have room for the standard pod holder. It just holds the sponge. Then, with the sprouts I've manged to get so far, I just carefully pull them out and place them in the standard pod and xfer them to the regular AeroGarden. The starter tray has 3 plastic fingers which are pretty easy to pull back enough to get the roots out of with minimal damage. Then I clip off the bit of plastic holding the 4 fingers of the standard pod together at the bottom, so there is a space between the fingers. I've found it's much easier to get the roots down in there by holding it all under a stream of water from the sink so the roots form a single "spike" in the water and can be directed down into the space. So far, I've managed to sprout 4 plants and transfer them to the big unit. The chives didn't do that well after the transplant because I let them grow too long in the seed starter and damaged the roots in the move. The other two plants I moved sooner and they are doing well so far. My first lettuce pack is getting "long in the tooth" in my big AeroGarden so I really hope this next set of lettuce sprouts well and can be transferred in before I have a "salad interruption" LOL. |
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Shawn
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Post by Shawn on Nov 27, 2019 12:58:22 GMT -5
Ok, I thought you were talking about the regular deck. You are correct, the seed starters so not use the cages.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2019 14:40:25 GMT -5
Ah! Much clearer now. I also have a starter for the Sprout and do run into green algae more than I do mold. But I ask..why would you start them in the starter rather than just starting them in the machine you transplant them into? Seems like double work...unless you are just biding time until the lettuce in the Bounty is all used up. I get white fuzz that is real delicate looking like baby hairs on the top of germinating sponges sometimes..that is not bad at all.
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Post by zosoist1 on Dec 14, 2019 23:20:02 GMT -5
The white little hairs are covering my germinating chives and is starting to spread to my lettuces and flowers. Is this normal and ok or is my whole garden about to be taken over? Everything looks okay for now but it has me worried.
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Shawn
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Post by Shawn on Dec 15, 2019 4:22:49 GMT -5
The white little hairs are covering my germinating chives and is starting to spread to my lettuces and flowers. Is this normal and ok or is my whole garden about to be taken over? Everything looks okay for now but it has me worried.
Hello and welcome zosoist1, The fuzzy white stuff is not harmful, refer to this post above. There is a link regarding the fuzzies there or you can see it here.
What machine are you growing in?
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Post by jamesnewton on Dec 18, 2019 14:24:47 GMT -5
Quick follow up: I think I had some bad seeds, and perhaps bad sponges. I purchased some new sponges from Amazon and grabbed some newer lettuce seeds and WOW. They started in 4 days! No kidding! I've never seen anything go that fast. And a week after that, I'm harvesting. In fact, I have more lettuce than I know what to do with now.
I'm completely amazed and happy. Next I wan't to look into growing tomatoes, so I'll be reading up on all your posts about what worked and didn't in that area.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2019 19:38:05 GMT -5
Great news! Failures are not foreign to any of us who AG. Eventually we hit it right as you did. Unfortunately some try it once and, unlike you, fail to persevere until they are successful. Great News. 
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Shawn
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Post by Shawn on Dec 19, 2019 4:05:53 GMT -5
Happy to hear that you did not give up, gave it another go and are successful. Isn't it great to watch them grow and then enjoy them.
Remind me what machine do you own? What tomatoes are you looking to grow? Or are you going to read through some threads before deciding?
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Post by jamesnewton on Dec 19, 2019 14:05:56 GMT -5
Thanks Corinne and Sean!
Sean, as I said at the start of this thread, I have 3 AeroGardens:
1. The "Light" with a seed starting kit
2. The old "7" with a busted pump and the water level sensor doesn't work. Have to keep an eye on it and I stir the water every day.
Those 2 stay in my office in the dark and so far I'm using them to start new plants. As soon as they sprout in the starter, I take them out and plant them in the garden or I move the sponge into a cage in the "7" and let them get going there and them move them outside or into the last AeroGarden
3. The "Extra". This one works perfectly and sits in the kitchen, producing salads. I have the "Marvel of 4 Seasons" and some red leaf as well as the new oak leaf and some weird mexican lettuce in there. The "Marvel..." is a marvel! Just keeps producing... I need to find some seeds for that.
As far as tomatoes go, I'm not sure what I should grow yet. I'm assuming I want a very bushy cherry tomato. I expect to spend some time reading through this forum to find what others have had good luck with.
Honestly, I'm not sure where I will put the plants, as right now I have more lettuce than we can eat, and only 1 slot free in either of the two large units. I'm either going to wait on the tomatoes, or try to start them and get them to live outside (might work in SoCal... I have a small cold frame) or I will have to talk my wife into buying another AeroGarden... Or... I may try to make my own. I'm a robotics engineer and the controller in these is simple as heck. I could easily write the code for it. And just use a black plastic food grade tub for the bottom. 3D print the top or just cut holes in the lid. Air bubbler for mixing. LED panel from ebay. I've already done automatic water level sensing. But used units from eBay or craigslist seem available at a cost that probably wouldn't justify my time. Is anyone else doing that sort of thing?
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Shawn
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Post by Shawn on Dec 19, 2019 15:14:50 GMT -5
You should have referred me to the top of the thread. I am sorry I also could have re-read the thread but I am a bit sleep deprived for the past month. 
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Post by jamesnewton on Dec 19, 2019 17:04:33 GMT -5
Oh, not at all Shawn! I was happy to have the chance to list them in more detail. And then I went and misspelled your name twice. I have a stepson named Sean and I guess my fingers just switched it on me. LOL. Sorry.
I've thought a bit more about what it would take to make an open source version of one of these...
- opaque black tub with snap on lid
- holes in the lid sized to accept the little cages the sponge plugs sit in.
- Arduino or ESP to control the timing of the light and pump
- Fish Tank air pump with stone in a section of pipe vertically in the water to mix the water a bit and keep the nutrients from settling out on the bottom.
- LED grow light panel hung over the top ~$20 from Amazon
- Dusk light controller to turn the panel on and off with an LED from the Arduino taped over the sensor. Plug the panel and pump into that for safe control.
- Program the Arduino to keep track of time and blink the panel and pump control LED for the right number of hours a day. And another LED that turns on once every 2 weeks to remind you to feed it.
- Extras: Add a couple of probes over the side of the tank to measure the water level and another LED on the Arduino to blink when it's low.
- Maybe a couple of buttons to reset the "feed me" LED and set the glow light timing. Or use WiFi connected ESP instead. And then you could log temp, light, etc... to the web as well.
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Shawn
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Post by Shawn on Dec 19, 2019 19:54:22 GMT -5
No worries at all. My name gets misspelled all the time. They also think it is a male so when I say I am Shawn they do not believe me at times.
As for your DYI, keep us posted. That will be interesting to see what you come up with.
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Post by jamesnewton on Mar 23, 2020 14:54:29 GMT -5
Just to follow up: The issue appears to just be bad seeds when I can't get a batch to germinate. I've simply pushed in a new set of seeds from a different pack into the same sponges (covered with mold and algae) and "bam!" they germinate and grow no problems. In an attempt to keep the algae under control (and I think the mold is actually just a different type of algae, maybe) I've tried covering it all with aluminum foil and then cutting little slots over each pod to give the seeds a way to push up. That honestly didn't seem to help at all. LOL. The algae just grows thick over the top and that's all there is to it. I'll try again with some old label stock next time. I grew three tomato plants but they all quickly grew larger than the 2 standard sized gardens could manage. We transplanted them outside, and 2 of the three made it; the largest one died. Now I'm trying www.rareseeds.com/store/vegetables/tomatoes/cherry/micro-tom-tomatobut I'm not sure I recommend that outfit. They were slow, used first class mail and charged enough in shipping that they could have used priority and so far only 1 of the 4 tomato seeds have sprouted. I'm overflowing with lettuce (oak leaf and red) and happy as a clam with my gardens. Thanks to all of you for your encouragement and help. Today, I'm trying something very modern: 3D printing a cup: www.thingiverse.com/JamesNewton/collections/growing-foodLOL. I'll let you know how that goes. |
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