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Post by lynnee on Dec 31, 2022 20:04:23 GMT -5
It's certainly of interest to me, scarfguy, to see how you handled the vines! You did train them to go around the netting, didn't you? That is, they didn't go around all on their own?  Very nice photo, too.  |
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Post by scarfguy on Dec 31, 2022 20:45:36 GMT -5
Yes, it's really easy to get the vines to attach to the netting where you want them. I would get up in the morning to find the tendrils grabbing on to something I didn't want them to (like my orchid next to it). I just carefully unwrapped the tendril an put it next to the netting. Next morning it would be wound around the netting where I wanted it. Other times, I just wrapped the vine itself once around the netting. You can hook the leaves and the flowers around the netting also. The vines are quite flexible.
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Post by lynnee on Jan 1, 2023 16:27:42 GMT -5
scarfguy, I'm off to the sites you mentioned in this post, to get the materials for constructing netting! 
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Post by scarfguy on Jan 1, 2023 18:30:04 GMT -5
Yes, I used a standard nylon netting from amazon around the back and sides. In the front, I used the Texsolv cord. With the texsolv cord you are actually making a netting by running stringers attached to something on top to something to attach to on the bottom. You can then run the strings left to right by going through the Texsolv "holes". This made a very sturdy netting. By making it as you go, you can vary the spacing to meet the needs of the particular plant you are growing.
Although expensive, Texsolv cord is re-usable and quite durable. I have cord on my loom for the last 35 years that hasn't deteriorated.
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Post by lynnee on Jan 1, 2023 19:03:40 GMT -5
What kind of "standard" nylon netting did you use, scarfguy? My tomato and cucumber vines are very picky about what they will attach to! There are a lot of different nettings on Amazon. BTW, the yarn.com site has the texsolv cord, but has the texsolv pegs on backorder right now. |
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Post by scarfguy on Jan 1, 2023 20:13:01 GMT -5
This is the netting I bought at Amazon:
My cucumbers grab it with no complaints.
As for the Texsolv pegs, I checked a couple of other weaving supply shops as well as Amazon.
They are all out of stock! Must be a supply chain issue.
If the pegs don't show up in a month or so, let me know and I can send you a few to get started.
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Post by gingercat on Jul 8, 2023 9:33:56 GMT -5
This is so cool, scarfguy ! I'm about to start a cucumber plant, so this is great inspiration. I'm curious: why did you decide to remove the Farm bowl from the Farm? Was it just so you had more room for the plant to grow? (And would you have needed to do that in a Farm XL?) |
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Post by scarfguy on Jul 8, 2023 10:29:18 GMT -5
This is so cool, scarfguy ! I'm about to start a cucumber plant, so this is great inspiration. I'm curious: why did you decide to remove the Farm bowl from the Farm? Was it just so you had more room for the plant to grow? (And would you have needed to do that in a Farm XL?)
I needed the extra height cause I only have a farm (24"). I didn't have a farm XL. The farm XL is certainly adequate for cucumbers. ALSO, note that I used the aerogarden 45w LED panel but as the plant grew, I stopped raising the panel and let the vines grow around the light. At that point I added two additional 100W LED grow lights above the frame. As your plant grows over 2 feet tall, the overhead lighting designs of the aerogardens no longer provide adequate light to the bottom leaves. When this happens, the bottom leaves no longer contribute to the health of the plant and become a burden. This was an attempt to provide continuous light to the lower leaves while adding lots of additional light to the growing canopy.
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mike
The Pepper King
Posts: 3,661 
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Post by mike on Jul 8, 2023 13:03:30 GMT -5
I like your setup Scarfguy.
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Post by gingercat on Jul 8, 2023 14:33:07 GMT -5
I needed the extra height cause I only have a farm (24"). I didn't have a farm XL. The farm XL is certainly adequate for cucumbers. ALSO, note that I used the aerogarden 45w LED panel but as the plant grew, I stopped raising the panel and let the vines grow around the light. At that point I added two additional 100W LED grow lights above the frame. As your plant grows over 2 feet tall, the overhead lighting designs of the aerogardens no longer provide adequate light to the bottom leaves. When this happens, the bottom leaves no longer contribute to the health of the plant and become a burden. This was an attempt to provide continuous light to the lower leaves while adding lots of additional light to the growing canopy.
scarfguy, hat's very helpful--thanks! What a cool setup. I had planned to start my cucumber in a bounty elite, but maybe I'll swap it out with the seascape strawberry crowns currently in my Farm 12 XL. I don't think they need the height. |
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Post by lynnee on Jul 8, 2023 15:08:13 GMT -5
gingercat, keep us posted on your strawberries! They're something of a challenge to grow, so anything you figure out will be useful information! 
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Post by gingercat on Jul 8, 2023 17:23:35 GMT -5
I will, lynnee! They arrived in the mail looking pretty sad, but most have perked up after a couple days in the garden. |
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slw
AGA Bounty
Posts: 891 
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Post by slw on Aug 10, 2023 11:35:34 GMT -5
This morning I was checking my Iznik and noticed it needed to be watered (reading "medium") on water indicator. I filled it and the indicator did not change, so I'm sure I have some root interference in the tank. (I kind of sloshed the Bounty a bit and the indicator went to "full".)
I'm wondering if any of you cucumber growers did any root maintenance on your vines? Since my vine is clipped to the Bounty trellis in several spots it will be hard to get to the water tank for cleaning, etc. And should cucumber roots be trimmed? Halp, pls.  |
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patlab
AGA Sprout
Gardening is cheaper than therapy…. And you get tomatoes!
Posts: 80
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Post by patlab on Aug 10, 2023 11:40:09 GMT -5
This morning I was checking my Iznik and noticed it needed to be watered (reading "medium") on water indicator. I filled it and the indicator did not change, so I'm sure I have some root interference in the tank. (I kind of sloshed the Bounty a bit and the indicator went to "full".)
I'm wondering if any of you cucumber growers did any root maintenance on your vines? Since my vine is clipped to the Bounty trellis in several spots it will be hard to get to the water tank for cleaning, etc. And should cucumber roots be trimmed? Halp, pls. I never trim any roots. It doesn’t bother me if they get caught up in the sensor since I check the water level manual at least every other day. I presently have two nice vines growing in a bounty without any problems. |
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slw
AGA Bounty
Posts: 891
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Post by slw on Aug 10, 2023 11:46:13 GMT -5
Thanks, Pat. You have two cukes in a Bounty? That must be a sight to see!! I have a single vine and I'm prunning it to a single grow tip to keep leaves to a minimum. This is my first attempt at cucumbers.
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Post by scarfguy on Aug 10, 2023 11:46:33 GMT -5
DITTO. I have never trimmed any roots. I pay no attention to the water level sensor. Most of the time they get full of roots and don't work anyway. I top off all of my AGs every morning.
For that matter, I pay no attention to the feed cycle indicator. There is no way I could synchronize 15 AGs so that they would all want nutes on the same day. I feed all of my gardens on the same day and use my iphone calendar function to send me a reminder.
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slw
AGA Bounty
Posts: 891
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Post by slw on Aug 10, 2023 13:04:57 GMT -5
I also check and water daily, but leave the nutes on individual schedules. I figure I'm watering every day so when one "add nutes" light comes on I just toss some in.
Thanks for the responses, y'all.
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pfunnyjoy
AGA Bounty
Had a huge salad of home-grown greens and herbs!
Posts: 916
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Post by pfunnyjoy on Jan 11, 2025 21:59:15 GMT -5
I ordered Iznik seeds the other night from SeedsnSuch.com.
I have a Bounty waiting for them! I don't expect it to be anywhere near as happy as your setup, but hopefully it will give me some cucumbers for both salad eating and green juice. Your post has really encouraged me, I've never done cucumbers before, but I like them, and would love to have freshly grown ones as opposed to the ones from the grocery store that often go bad in a couple days.
I don't know yet whether I'll do MaxiGro/MaxiBloom or Flora Series. I still have Flora series around that I need to use up. Been suckered into the convenience of the MaxiGro, since it works so well for leafy greens and herbs.
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Post by swimmom500 on Jan 12, 2025 8:22:18 GMT -5
I ordered Iznik seeds the other night from SeedsnSuch.com. I have a Bounty waiting for them! I don't expect it to be anywhere near as happy as your setup, but hopefully it will give me some cucumbers for both salad eating and green juice. Your post has really encouraged me, I've never done cucumbers before, but I like them, and would love to have freshly grown ones as opposed to the ones from the grocery store that often go bad in a couple days. I don't know yet whether I'll do MaxiGro/MaxiBloom or Flora Series. I still have Flora series around that I need to use up. Been suckered into the convenience of the MaxiGro, since it works so well for leafy greens and herbs. I am trying the Izniks next. I was going to terminate my cucumber but instead cut off the ratty leaves and now it’s full of blooms. I have just been using the Aerogarden nutes on mine. I have the flora series but that stuff is a pain to use with all the mixing of the 3 bottles. I can’t move mine at this point to do an R&R since I have 2 rows of trellis since it’s in a Bounty. So after I see what this new round of blooms does I will terminate it and start fresh. |
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pfunnyjoy
AGA Bounty
Had a huge salad of home-grown greens and herbs!
Posts: 916
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Post by pfunnyjoy on Jan 17, 2025 16:03:11 GMT -5
I am trying the Izniks next. I was going to terminate my cucumber but instead cut off the ratty leaves and now it’s full of blooms. I have just been using the Aerogarden nutes on mine. I have the flora series but that stuff is a pain to use with all the mixing of the 3 bottles. I can’t move mine at this point to do an R&R since I have 2 rows of trellis since it’s in a Bounty. So after I see what this new round of blooms does I will terminate it and start fresh. My Iznik seeds arrived yesterday and I planted a single seed in a Bounty Elite this morning! I agree about the Flora Series. It works really well, and not too big a deal if only running a few gardens, but with the amount of gardens I've got up and going now, NO WAY! Still, I figure I ought to use the Flora up. However, I just used MaxiGro in for the starter nutrients in my Iznik, because, convenience! I'm weak-willed! Yet, I hate having the Flora bottles sitting around, as they take up space. I've got to start using them. I'm using up the Ionic Grow bottle I got by sometimes just extending my feed period for a few more days when I'm too tired to do the whole R&R on my Bounty models. I just toss in 4-8 ml, adjust pH if needed, and let 'em go until my back is in the mood to lift the decks. When the Ionic Grow is gone, I've multiple little AG nutrient bottles I've got sitting about. If MaxiBloom works as well as MaxiGro, I'll stick to those two from here on out. |
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