campingcorgis
AGA Farmer
🌴 I wet my plants. :-) 🌴
Posts: 3,114
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Post by campingcorgis on Dec 17, 2020 20:37:20 GMT -5
Thank you clumsythumbs, ERR0R1755 and Shawn! I think I've got my answer. I'll play with it this weekend, to see what happens and post if I get where I want to be...LOL. In the meantime, having discussions with hubby on the pros & cons of growing dill to dehydrate myself. I'm thinking, buy it at the store. He thinks it is "neat" and we already have a dehydrator. Sigh.  Maybe he needs his own AG!!!! |
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Sher
AGA Farmer
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Post by Sher on Dec 17, 2020 20:46:20 GMT -5
Sigh. Maybe he needs his own AG!!!!
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Post by cloudshaper on Dec 17, 2020 23:27:25 GMT -5
Hiya! I've had Aerogardens since 2007 when I got the old 6 pod. I gave it up after a while and came back once the LED models came out! Right now I'm running a Sprout and an Extra, and while I'd like more, that's all my studio apartment can fit. I've grown flowers, herbs and veggies alike in mine, and have been making up my own seed pods for a few years now.
In more normal times, my Sprout lives on my desk at an engineering R&D company, and I've modified it with some 3D printed scaffolding for petunias and the like to climb. I've also used that same Sprout to grow romaine lettuce seeds that have traveled to the International Space Station - they tasted the same as regular romaine, though! ('Outredgeous' red romaine)
Right now I'm dithering on what to load in the Sprout, and trying to get a pepper to germinate in the Extra while also growing takeout trays of microgreens to one side. Come late February, I'll be using both gardens to get a head start on garden transplants for the 4 trough containers on my balcony - I got 4 foot marigolds last year as a pollinator friendly privacy screen! Often times I look at white papers from NASA to help my veggie seed selection - what they pick for the VEGGIE system and the Advanced Plant Habitat is often sized pretty darn well for Aerogardens, and I enjoy the extra nerdiness of it all! Red Robin cherry tomatoes have become a mainstay through this method.
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Sher
AGA Farmer
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Post by Sher on Dec 18, 2020 1:03:27 GMT -5
cloudshaper, what fun to read about your out-of-this-world Aerogarden experiences!
4 foot marigolds! Yes, that would make a show stopper privacy screen!
I have also discovered that Red Robins (Aerogarden heirlooms, I'm convinced) are my favorite tomato. You can chop them at will, and they will send out new flowers and fruit on the new branches that develop.
I am really looking forward to seeing your posts. And I'm sure that all of us would like to know the Aerogarden-sized veggies NASA chooses.
In any case, welcome! We are so glad you joined us!
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Shawn
Administrator
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Post by Shawn on Dec 18, 2020 4:08:11 GMT -5
Welcome cloudshaper!The Extra was a great unit. I loved mine. What a wonderful place to work, 3D company. You can make all your own accessories. Pretty cool. Would love to see what you came up with as mods. Another cool thing is all the "space" seeds you are talking about. what else have you grown? Red Robins are really good. Our own @cornne turned me on to them. They were really good. I bet your Marigold Privacy Screen was the prettiest one around.
Looking forward to seeing and hearing more about your gardens.
Hiya! I've had Aerogardens since 2007 when I got the old 6 pod. I gave it up after a while and came back once the LED models came out! Right now I'm running a Sprout and an Extra, and while I'd like more, that's all my studio apartment can fit. I've grown flowers, herbs and veggies alike in mine, and have been making up my own seed pods for a few years now. In more normal times, my Sprout lives on my desk at an engineering R&D company, and I've modified it with some 3D printed scaffolding for petunias and the like to climb. I've also used that same Sprout to grow romaine lettuce seeds that have traveled to the International Space Station - they tasted the same as regular romaine, though! ('Outredgeous' red romaine) Right now I'm dithering on what to load in the Sprout, and trying to get a pepper to germinate in the Extra while also growing takeout trays of microgreens to one side. Come late February, I'll be using both gardens to get a head start on garden transplants for the 4 trough containers on my balcony - I got 4 foot marigolds last year as a pollinator friendly privacy screen! Often times I look at white papers from NASA to help my veggie seed selection - what they pick for the VEGGIE system and the Advanced Plant Habitat is often sized pretty darn well for Aerogardens, and I enjoy the extra nerdiness of it all! Red Robin cherry tomatoes have become a mainstay through this method. |
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Post by clumsythumbs on Dec 18, 2020 9:38:27 GMT -5
Thank you clumsythumbs , ERR0R1755 and Shawn ! I think I've got my answer. I'll play with it this weekend, to see what happens and post if I get where I want to be...LOL. In the meantime, having discussions with hubby on the pros & cons of growing dill to dehydrate myself. I'm thinking, buy it at the store. He thinks it is "neat" and we already have a dehydrator. Sigh. Maybe he needs his own AG!!!! He definitely does!! |
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Post by clumsythumbs on Dec 18, 2020 9:43:06 GMT -5
Hiya! I've had Aerogardens since 2007 when I got the old 6 pod. I gave it up after a while and came back once the LED models came out! Right now I'm running a Sprout and an Extra, and while I'd like more, that's all my studio apartment can fit. I've grown flowers, herbs and veggies alike in mine, and have been making up my own seed pods for a few years now. In more normal times, my Sprout lives on my desk at an engineering R&D company, and I've modified it with some 3D printed scaffolding for petunias and the like to climb. I've also used that same Sprout to grow romaine lettuce seeds that have traveled to the International Space Station - they tasted the same as regular romaine, though! ('Outredgeous' red romaine) Right now I'm dithering on what to load in the Sprout, and trying to get a pepper to germinate in the Extra while also growing takeout trays of microgreens to one side. Come late February, I'll be using both gardens to get a head start on garden transplants for the 4 trough containers on my balcony - I got 4 foot marigolds last year as a pollinator friendly privacy screen! Often times I look at white papers from NASA to help my veggie seed selection - what they pick for the VEGGIE system and the Advanced Plant Habitat is often sized pretty darn well for Aerogardens, and I enjoy the extra nerdiness of it all! Red Robin cherry tomatoes have become a mainstay through this method. Hi and welcome, cloudshaper. I concur with Sher-- would love to know what is on that list. I love the idea of a flower privacy screen! You are a veteran AGer so am eager to see all the knowledge and experience you share here! |
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Post by juststarting on Dec 18, 2020 16:17:57 GMT -5
Hi, I bought an AeroGarden as the pandemic started, growing lettuce until summer set in. Restarted this fall and have been harvesting lettuce. It's a great reminder to eat my greens!
But - I've bought a second machine to start strawberries. And from what I can tell, I need to expert advice to do that, so I came here.
Thank you!
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Sher
AGA Farmer
Posts: 7,025
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Post by Sher on Dec 18, 2020 16:45:18 GMT -5
We are so glad you are posting!
Unfortunately, strawberries in an Aerogarden is a project that few have success with. It does seem that strawberries started from seed do better than starting with crowns.
Whatever you decide, do keep us updated on your progress.
And good luck!
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Post by cloudshaper on Dec 18, 2020 23:49:45 GMT -5
Highly recommend this paper for a look at some of the varieties (and vendors) used in the VEGGIE unit on the ISS! Selection of Leafy Green Vegetable Varieties for a Pick-and- Eat Diet Supplement on ISS. Additionally, Red Robin tomatoes from Park Seed were selected. I also enjoy growing a variety of petunias, since they climb the 3d printed scaffolding I have attached to my Sprout, as well as pluto basil for its tiny aromatic leaves, and a variety of lettuces. In terms of tools, the reflective curtain sold by AG has been handy in my small apartment for containing the light while permitting airflow, and a very cheap electric toothbrush from the drugstore for pollination. I've rebuilt the pump once just to see if I could, though replacing it is the more economical thing to do. When I lived in a larger house with a yard and a garden, I had the Extra in a corner half surrounded by reflective bubblewrap cut from Amazon Fresh bags to cut down on drafts in a cold, old house! I also had a survival blanket taped up next to a bakers rack hung with other LED grow lamps for when I potted out the seedlings. I'm regretting getting rid of the seedling tray for my Extra, though I have the one for my Sprout. |
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Shawn
Administrator
Posts: 16,266
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Post by Shawn on Dec 19, 2020 5:06:04 GMT -5
juststarting, welcome! I have never tried strawberries. I know my brother did but he also had the bowl (no longer sold) to grow them. He just got a few, not many and gave up. I hear they are hard to grow but then again that is hearsay.
Keep us posted on what you do grow, whether strawberries or something else  |
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Sher
AGA Farmer
Posts: 7,025
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Post by Sher on Dec 19, 2020 8:45:28 GMT -5
cloudshaper , that makes me feel good. I've grown everything on the top list except mizuna. Only my romaine is the earthbound kind. Right now I am growing Swiss Chard, bok choy and romaine. And I think my tomatoes are Red Robins. I grew Chinese cabbage outside this fall.
They are right about them being very satisfying to snack on.
Thanks for posting the link. I have it bookmarked.
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campingcorgis
AGA Farmer
🌴 I wet my plants. :-) 🌴
Posts: 3,114
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Post by campingcorgis on Dec 19, 2020 11:53:48 GMT -5
Okay, here's my "test" to see if I get the "reduced" photo. NAGC (No Aerogarden Content). Here's a big picture of my littlest Cardigan Welsh Corgi:  So, did it work? EDIT: Ha!!! It worked.  |
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Shawn
Administrator
Posts: 16,266
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Post by Shawn on Dec 19, 2020 12:43:15 GMT -5
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campingcorgis
AGA Farmer
🌴 I wet my plants. :-) 🌴
Posts: 3,114
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Post by campingcorgis on Dec 19, 2020 12:52:58 GMT -5
Thanks, Shawn! She is adorable and it is kind of a curse, if you know what I mean? LOL. She's got us wrapped around her little paw. All three of us, hubby, her "brother" and me. She tells US what to do and when.  |
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Post by clumsythumbs on Dec 19, 2020 12:57:51 GMT -5
Okay, here's my "test" to see if I get the "reduced" photo. NAGC (No Aerogarden Content). Here's a big picture of my littlest Cardigan Welsh Corgi: So, did it work? EDIT: Ha!!! It worked. Love!!! Mine is like that too... |
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Sher
AGA Farmer
Posts: 7,025
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Post by Sher on Dec 19, 2020 16:04:13 GMT -5
Okay, here's my "test" to see if I get the "reduced" photo. NAGC (No Aerogarden Content). Here's a big picture of my littlest Cardigan Welsh Corgi: So, did it work? EDIT: Ha!!! It worked.
Yes! It worked!
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Post by juststarting on Dec 20, 2020 18:00:44 GMT -5
Unfortunately, strawberries in an Aerogarden is a project that few have success with. It does seem that strawberries started from seed do better than starting with crowns. Oh, dear - I started looking around, and also ran a youtube video and came to the same conclusion! So, I had bought Alpine strawberry seeds (random, it was what the nursery had) and I'm starting that and a bunch of lettuce in the seed starter frame. When (if?) they sprout, I will transplant to indoor soil. We'll see!! Thank you for the response. |
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Sher
AGA Farmer
Posts: 7,025
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Post by Sher on Dec 20, 2020 18:30:15 GMT -5
juststarting, don't give up too soon. i did find a couple of Youtube videos where people were doing it successfully.
It doesn't hurt to try. If it doesn't work, just move on to something else. If it does succeed, you will earn bragging rights! 
I am having a very difficult time trying to grow cucumbers. But others here have had great success. So my failure doesn't mean you can't grow cucumbers in an Aerogarden!
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Post by hauspl4nt on Dec 20, 2020 23:06:40 GMT -5
What happens if a plant gets too tall and you want to take it out but the roots are all intertwined with the other plants? I am on day 240. Dill is long gone and my Thai basil is bolting and Genovese basil is all woody with only leaves at the top.
My parsleys, mint, chives and thyme are in good shape. Must I start over from scratch?
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