campingcorgis
AGA Farmer
🌴 I wet my plants. :-) 🌴
Posts: 3,114
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Post by campingcorgis on Jan 28, 2022 14:28:39 GMT -5
I'm wondering if anyone notices any differences, one way or another, with a white deck versus a dark deck in your AG machines?
I'm asking because, once again, my Bounty with the white deck seems to be slower or struggling more than the same machine with a dark deck. I'm considering switching out the deck to see if it makes a difference.
NOTE: When I re-started the white machine, I put in a new pump just in case that was an issue. (Noticed that the cords on the replacement pumps are much longer than the ones that come with the Bounty.)
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Post by lynnee on Jan 28, 2022 15:12:35 GMT -5
Just yesterday, I read somewhere that the white AG decks are more likely to develop algae because they reflect more light. Could that result in warmer or cooler water, as compared to the dark decks? My plants in the new Bounties with the light gray decks seem to be growing more slowly than the plants did in my old AGs with the dark decks, but I think that I'm just paying closer attention now. My Farm 24 Plus with the white decks seems to perform much the same as my Farm 12 with the black deck. Both are the same height.
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airscapes
AGA Bounty
Lettuce eat Cake!
Posts: 642
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Post by airscapes on Jan 28, 2022 15:30:13 GMT -5
I have no knowledge one way or the other, but logically, a white deck "should" provide the plant with more usable light than the black. Reasoning is white reflects most of the light that hits it, back out in all directions with the same intensity. This is very similar to a projection sceen (which I do know a lot about). Could the difference be the plants in the black unit are streching for the light so they are growing "taller" faster, and not actually healthyer? Fast top growth is not always a good thing if the root system has not grown larger enought to support that plants needs. What exactly does "Struggling" mean?
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campingcorgis
AGA Farmer
🌴 I wet my plants. :-) 🌴
Posts: 3,114
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Post by campingcorgis on Jan 28, 2022 16:32:08 GMT -5
Thanks lynnee & airscapes, for the replies. By struggling, I mean that they seem slower and I've had a couple seedlings pop up only to shrivel up shortly after. Not that it hasn't happened in other machines, but I guess I'm looking for an explanation for the garden just being sooooo much slower. I should have taken pictures of the last one in it. It was started on the same day, time etc as my other flower garden, but it never really went anywhere. I ended it just a couple of weeks back and the plants in it looked much like the plants in the other one when they were just a few weeks old. At that time, they were about 2 months old. Anyway, just thought I would throw that out there for "research" purposes...
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airscapes
AGA Bounty
Lettuce eat Cake!
Posts: 642
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Post by airscapes on Jan 28, 2022 16:50:25 GMT -5
Thanks lynnee & airscapes , for the replies. By struggling, I mean that they seem slower and I've had a couple seedlings pop up only to shrivel up shortly after. Not that it hasn't happened in other machines, but I guess I'm looking for an explanation for the garden just being sooooo much slower. I should have taken pictures of the last one in it. It was started on the same day, time etc as my other flower garden, but it never really went anywhere. I ended it just a couple of weeks back and the plants in it looked much like the plants in the other one when they were just a few weeks old. At that time, they were about 2 months old. Anyway, just thought I would throw that out there for "research" purposes... Does seem odd.. maybe if time allows start eqal number of seeds from a pack in that one and another and do everything exactly the same on each to see what happens. I would assume that the lights could be different depending on when each was made.. They may look the same but the LED chips sould be different..
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campingcorgis
AGA Farmer
🌴 I wet my plants. :-) 🌴
Posts: 3,114
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Post by campingcorgis on Jan 28, 2022 16:57:41 GMT -5
Thanks airscapes and that makes sense. Maybe I can move what I've got in the white one right now to another machine...then when I end the November GAL in the other Bounty, they will both be free at the same time. Time to pull out the seed boxes to do some planning....
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Post by lynnee on Jan 28, 2022 17:05:57 GMT -5
Thanks lynnee & airscapes, for the replies. By struggling, I mean that they seem slower and I've had a couple seedlings pop up only to shrivel up shortly after. Not that it hasn't happened in other machines, but I guess I'm looking for an explanation for the garden just being sooooo much slower. I should have taken pictures of the last one in it. It was started on the same day, time etc as my other flower garden, but it never really went anywhere. I ended it just a couple of weeks back and the plants in it looked much like the plants in the other one when they were just a few weeks old. At that time, they were about 2 months old. Anyway, just thought I would throw that out there for "research" purposes... Ginny, what you describe is what happened with my black Farm 12 when the pump wasn't working because there was a problem with the hood. The seedlings sprouted and survived for a while, then started dying. I saved most of them by transferring the pods to other gardens. Test the pump now to rule out a problem with the hood. If the hood is properly controlling the pump, then you might want to test the pump you removed in another garden.
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campingcorgis
AGA Farmer
🌴 I wet my plants. :-) 🌴
Posts: 3,114
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Post by campingcorgis on Jan 28, 2022 17:11:12 GMT -5
Thank lynnee. I have tested the pump on a number of occasions. I've pulled each pod and verified that the water is flowing and seems to be at the same rate, etc. I've made sure it is clean, even took the deck apart and soaked it. The only difference I've been able to pinpoint is the color of the deck and the basin.
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Post by ERR0R1755 on Jan 28, 2022 17:42:59 GMT -5
Are they different models, by any chance? The Bounty Basic has a 30W light, the Bounty has a 40W light, and the Bounty Elite has a 50W light - so depending on the model and what you are growing, sensitive seedlings might be getting burned by too much light, or some seedlings might not be getting enough light.
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mike
The Pepper King
Posts: 3,661
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Post by mike on Jan 28, 2022 19:12:32 GMT -5
There hasn't been a difference with white and black basins for a long time. Seven or eight years ago, there was a model or two that the light would penetrate the basin and there were issues with algae, bot none recently. I think I had that problem with a Classic 200. That was a "Deluxe" model with the extension arm kit.
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campingcorgis
AGA Farmer
🌴 I wet my plants. :-) 🌴
Posts: 3,114
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Post by campingcorgis on Jan 28, 2022 19:25:08 GMT -5
Are they different models, by any chance? The Bounty Basic has a 30W light, the Bounty has a 40W light, and the Bounty Elite has a 50W light - so depending on the model and what you are growing, sensitive seedlings might be getting burned by too much light, or some seedlings might not be getting enough light. No, they are both Bounty Elite Artisan model. The 50W with a ceramic bowl. The difference being the color or the bowl and the deck. The dark one was my very first AG purchased from AreoGarden. The white one was used from OfferUp.
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campingcorgis
AGA Farmer
🌴 I wet my plants. :-) 🌴
Posts: 3,114
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Post by campingcorgis on Jan 28, 2022 19:26:20 GMT -5
There hasn't been a difference with white and black basins for a long time. Seven or eight years ago, there was a model or two that the light would penetrate the basin and there were issues with algae, bot none recently. I think I had that problem with a Classic 200. That was a "Deluxe" model with the extension arm kit. Thanks, Mike. I think I heard something about that, once upon a time.
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Post by lynnee on Jan 29, 2022 0:48:17 GMT -5
The Artisans are very attractive, campingcorgis! I see why you wanted more of them. What about the locations of the two units? Are there any possible sources of drafts or other adverse conditions that might affect them differently? I still wonder about the pump, because of the way the seedlings stop growing after a time. Could the circuitry be glitching, and not coming on or turning off according to the settings? Have you ever grown anything at all successfully in the problem unit? Could there be something in the glaze that is affecting the plants? Maybe it's time to contact AG?
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campingcorgis
AGA Farmer
🌴 I wet my plants. :-) 🌴
Posts: 3,114
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Post by campingcorgis on Jan 29, 2022 10:06:23 GMT -5
The Artisans are very attractive, campingcorgis ! I see why you wanted more of them. What about the locations of the two units? Are there any possible sources of drafts or other adverse conditions that might affect them differently? I still wonder about the pump, because of the way the seedlings stop growing after a time. Could the circuitry be glitching, and not coming on or turning off according to the settings? Have you ever grown anything at all successfully in the problem unit? Could there be something in the glaze that is affecting the plants? Maybe it's time to contact AG? Thanks Lynnee! They are pretty units, huh?! I'm not sure what the issue(s) might be. I've had them growing side by side and that was the first time I saw the issue. Could have been old seeds? I did use the white one for microgreens and they did great! I think more experimenting is called for now.
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Post by ERR0R1755 on Jan 29, 2022 19:40:57 GMT -5
I think more experimenting is called for now. Try radishes! They grow quickly, so you'll either be able to see signs of them having issues (if there is something wrong with the unit) or you'll have delicious radishes and only a short period of time before you can plant something else.
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campingcorgis
AGA Farmer
🌴 I wet my plants. :-) 🌴
Posts: 3,114
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Post by campingcorgis on Jan 29, 2022 19:50:23 GMT -5
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campingcorgis
AGA Farmer
🌴 I wet my plants. :-) 🌴
Posts: 3,114
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Post by campingcorgis on Jan 30, 2022 18:37:05 GMT -5
As a visual...see below...
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Post by ERR0R1755 on Jan 30, 2022 20:21:32 GMT -5
How cold is the room? The only time I've seen plants turn that shade of purple and shrivel up are when they get too cold.
(plants will also turn purple with a phosphorus deficiency, but that is unlikely to be the case here if you are adding nutes)
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campingcorgis
AGA Farmer
🌴 I wet my plants. :-) 🌴
Posts: 3,114
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Post by campingcorgis on Jan 30, 2022 20:53:34 GMT -5
How cold is the room? The only time I've seen plants turn that shade of purple and shrivel up are when they get too cold. (plants will also turn purple with a phosphorus deficiency, but that is unlikely to be the case here if you are adding nutes) The room is about 70, give or take, daytime. Maybe 65 at night. With regard to the color...they are colorful plants - link.
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mike
The Pepper King
Posts: 3,661
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Post by mike on Jan 30, 2022 21:09:54 GMT -5
Those can't be from the same type of seed. Somehow, different seeds must have gotten in together.
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